The Ken Read Podcast: Recent Episodes
KenRead
THE FINAL WORD
[I find this old hymn and modified it. I don't recall who wrote the original, but I love the words and wanted to update it somehow. Since we just finished Revelation, it seemed an appropriate final text for a song.]
When Jesus died He fooled the cross
It was sin that died it was death that lost
The captive world awoke and found
The Prisoner loosed, the jailer bound
Ooo-ee The jailer was bound, the Prisoner was freed
Eee-oo And all the captives are freed, too
It was a dear and sweet dispute
For life and death bear different fruit
The two opposed and different far
As antidote and poison are
Ooo-ee The jailer was bound, the Prisoner was freed
Eee-oo And all the captives are freed, too
And by that first and fatal tree
It seemed both life and liberty
were given up were sold and slain
yet both arose to live again
So in this dark I see a light
For death brings life and day from night
And any who must enter heard that life, not death,
is the final word.
Ooo-ee The jailer was bound, the Prisoner was freed
Eee-oo And all the captives are freed, too
The final word is life.
The final word is
life.
SEPTEMBER 19 = REVELATION 22
THE FINAL WORD
Here we are! The end of the end of the Book! Congratulations on making this journey through the New Testament. I have enjoyed doing this journey with you, and I look forward to whatever the next chapter in our lives will bring us. But today, let’s talk about that last chapter of Revelation, the end of the end of the book.
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”
We open with one of the powerful fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy: Ezekiel’s river that comes from the temple. In this case, it flows from the throne down the middle of a street of gold. If that imagery isn’t strange enough, there is a tree—yes, a single tree—growing on each side of the river. And to top it off, the tree yields twelve crops of fruit, one each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Every detail is meant to bring comfort and hope and encouragement to the reader. Let that future promise soak in, as you consider what each detail means for you. Has it brought you a vision for the healing of the nations yet?
A few verses later, John writes:
“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”
No more night? I thought he said the angels worshiped day and night. Again, consistency of the image is not the point. The point is there is no more sin. No more distance between God and his people. We walk in the light, as he is in the light. Always.
“The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.””
If the words are trustworthy and true that the things must soon take place, then something about these prophecies must be true. Perhaps not literal, but true.
And to underline it, Jesus himself repeats it:
““Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.””
How do we keep the words of the prophecy? I suppose we do so by making ourselves ready, by repenting, by boldly declaring the truth and by being faithful unto death. Because, you know, he is coming soon! Life is uncertain, and things can change without warning. For that matter, history can turn in a moment. So be ready.
“Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near.
I suppose this is one way to keep the words of the prophecy: To not seal up the words. As John had said at the opening, blessed are those who read it, and blessed are those who hear. So don’t seal them up. Don’t ignore Revelation, just because it is hard to interpret. Don’t keep silent when you are being persecuted. Keep sharing, because the time is near.
““Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”
Another way to prepare for the soon coming of Jesus is to do the right things, to continue believing even when persecution arises, and even when it is difficult. This is how we keep the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.
““Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.”
Following some of the themes throughout the book, Jesus declares that we are blessed if we have washed our robes, which are the righteous acts of the saints. Then we can eat of the tree of life and use its leaves for the healing of the nations, and we can be among those kings and nations who come into the gates of the city to do business there.
“Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”
If we get the privilege of entering the gates of the city, which is to say that we are the bride of the Lamb. But not everyone gets to enter, whatever realm this city is in. Those who are outside are the sinful unbelievers. Again, let’s not get distracted by the “new earth” and where did these sinners come from. Just go with the metaphor that only the redeemed saints are allowed to enter.
A few verses earlier, he had said,
“Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.””
So, what do we do while we await the coming of the Lord? We let the sinner continue to sin, and we mind our own business and continue to be holy.
“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.”
The Holy Spirit is calling for the soon coming of Jesus. The saints on earth, who are the future bride of Christ are calling for the soon coming of Jesus. For those who can hear the conviction, let us join in and long for the coming of Christ. For those of us who feel our spiritual need, let us respond by readying ourselves for that coming.
“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.”
This is another sobering call for us all. What this book says, we must not ignore any of it. And we must not invent our own additions to go beyond what is written. The principle can be easily applied to the rest of Scripture, as well, of course. Be careful in handling the word of God, whether you are a teacher or a learner.
Once more, Jesus says that he is coming soon. And John replies, “Even so (Amen!), come Lord Jesus.”
So Lord, we long for your appearing. We seek to hasten your return. We pledge to be faithful unto death, and to hold on to Jesus in spite of everything. And I’ll let John close his own book:
“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.”
SEPTEMBER 18 = REVELATION 21
THE NEW JERUSALEM
And now we have reached the good part: the reward! We have seen punishments through much of the book to this point, but the reason that Jesus was calling John up was to show him what “must take place after this.” And here is what takes place:
“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”
It was the end of it all—not just LIFE on the planet, but the planet itself, and HEAVEN itself had passed away. But God and his people still remain! And notice that there is no longer any sea. If the sea symbolizes many peoples and lands, or perhaps political turmoil, then all that is now done away.
Sometimes it is hard to say goodbye to things we have known well. For most of us, we have grown attached to this planet earth, because it has been the house in which we live. But remember, this is not just the end of the old, but John starts by saying he saw a new heaven and a new earth!
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”
Metaphors become complicated when a city is dressed as a bride. But the point is that the Holy City is actually people. God’s chosen people from throughout the centuries are all home, forever, now.
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.””
This phrase has come up throughout the Bible, for it has always been God’s will that He will be our God and we will be His people. He dwells with us, and we dwell with him. Has this captured your heart? If not, then read it again. God with us. Forever. No tears. No death. No mourning or crying, no pain. Why none of those things? Because they are all part of the “old order of things,” and those things have all passed away, just as surely as earth-bound people pass away when we die. Those old systems are gone forever.
And once again, John is told to write down this specific message, that God is making everything new! And know that the words themselves are trustworthy and true. And now it makes more sense when God calls himself the Alpha and Omega, for he is the only one standing at the end of it all.
Then John is invited to come and see the bride, the wife of the Lamb.
“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.”
Once again, we find that this metaphor is a bit complicated to apply every detail. The details are full of layers of symbolism.
“Shone with the glory of God.” The bride, the city, is now divine, you might say. No imperfections are left.
“High wall with twelve gates” for the 12 tribes. Jewish promises and the kingdom were now being fulfilled by the church, now revealed for what she is.
“Twelve foundations” of the 12 apostles. They were the ones trained by Jesus, sent by him, and the first to proclaim the good news. Their testimony provides the foundation of the faith of us all.
Then John is given a measuring rod of gold to measure the city. This is one of those places where we know the numbers and the measurements are symbolic, rather than literal. Can you imagine a wall that is 1400 miles high, but only 200 feet thick? That wall would be like a ten foot high piece of paper stood on end and standing up. The point is that it is perfect, and large, and valuable.
“I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.”
No more need of a temple. The temple was a place to remind God’s people that he is always there. But in this city, God is always everywhere, without being limited by rebellion and sin.
“The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.”
Another detail that seems inconsistent. Why would the nations and the kings come and do business here? I thought this was all there was. But the point of this detail is that it is a prosperous city with open gates and great splendor, more honored than any earthly city. It is not compromised by the nations of the world. After all,
“Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Impure. Shameful. Deceitful. Those words have described me at times in my life. But there, when all is fulfilled, I will be wholly holy, with no mixed motives or compromise in my life.
This is the great fulfillment of history that we can all look forward to when it is all over. Amen.
SEPTEMBER 17 = REVELATION 20
THE BOUNCE
You know how when you drop something on the floor it makes a noise, and so everyone in the room knows exactly when it hit the floor? Let’s imagine it was a baseball that you dropped on the kitchen floor. (Never mind the obvious question of why you have a baseball in the kitchen to begin with.) Yes, you know when it hit the floor. But in truth, there was a bit of a bounce, and it hit the floor again, and again, and then rolled a bit, and finally came to a stop.
This chapter describes the drop. The bowls of wrath have been poured out, the beast and the false prophet have been thrown into the fire, the saints have appeared in heaven and the multitudes have given praise. And now this chapter opens with Satan being thrown into the Abyss and bound for a thousand years, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore.
What’s more, John saw the souls of martyrs who had been true to their testimony about Jesus.
“They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. . . . This is the first resurrection. “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”
Death overtakes all. Death means separation. Our bodies are destined to shut down one day, and because we are Adam’s offspring we will physically die, and then our spirits are separated from our bodies. But there is a second death, a spiritual death. Those who are outside of Christ will also be hurt by the second death, because their spirits will be separated from God forever. As John writes a few verses later:
“Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.”
However, those who belong to Christ will not be hurt at all by the second death, because to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So we will be with the Lord forever.
“Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”
A thousand years! Revelation is filled with symbolic numbers, and 1000 is definitely a number used for completion, and I would assume that in this case it refers to eternity. The ball has dropped.
But what about that little bounce?
“After that, he must be set free for a short time.”
“When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.”
It seems like the way it was before all the judgment and punishments and victory of the lamb. But only for a “short time.” It is hardly worth counting it, because the ball has already dropped. But if you were in the moment just before the battle, it might seem like all these who will fight against the Lamb could be successful.
But, just as 1000 is symbolic for being nearly infinite, so John’s use of “a short time” is hardly worth noting. Satan have gathered all these nations for battle.
“They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.”
The extended war that we expected turns out to be very brief indeed. Because God has weapons of mass destruction!
“And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
And this time, we see the word forever. In fact, just in case that wasn’t enough, he adds, “and ever.”
And this is when The End has truly arrived.
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”
There is a lot of misunderstanding about what it means to be “judged according to what they had done.” Most people I know, Christian or not, view themselves as basically a “good” person. They may not be perfect, but in their estimate they do more good things than bad. But that is not the criteria God uses to determine a person’s eternal fate. Here is how John describes the criteria for eternal life:
Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
The question is not, did you do more good things than bad things, and God has this giant eternal scale so that if you net a positive score you are in. The question is, “Is your name found written in the book of life?” If not, you are thrown into the lake of fire along with God’s other enemies.
May you and I be faithful to the end, and may we survive the little bounces that come up in history. Amen.
SEPTEMBER 16 = REVELATION 19
COME TO THE WEDDING FEAST
And now we reach the final section of the book. This is where we find out who wins, what happens, and why it matters.
To begin with, after two chapters about Babylon the Great’s fall, we now see heaven’s reaction to it. (Apparently, just because everyone on earth agrees about something, it doesn’t necessarily mean that heaven is also in agreement with earth dwellers.) They do not say, “Woe, woe . . . In one hour your doom has come!” Instead, heaven’s multitudes say, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”
The roar of a great multitude shouts in favor of God’s “true and just” judgments for condemning the one who corrupted the earth.
The 24 elders and the 4 living creatures we saw back in the early chapters of the book fall down and worship God.
A voice from the throne says,
“Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!”
And once again the great multitude, with that same sound of a roar of rushing waters and loud peals of thunder, shouts:
“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)”
And now we turn a corner and add a very central word picture for the last chapters of the Revelation: the wedding of the Lamb and his bride. His bride has “made herself ready.” She is ready by means of righteous acts (in contrast to adultery with the kings of the earth).
And we hear the angel say,
“Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.””
John is to write descriptions of all that is in this book, of course, but he is not told word-for-word what to write very often. This is one of those times, so we should give special attention to those words.
Blessed are those who are invited. People are blessed. More than happy. More than lucky. They are honored and happy and humbled and proud. You know, blessed!
Blessed are those who are invited. This is a wedding supper by invitation only. Let’s just say these are the ones who heard the invitation.
…invited to the wedding supper. … In that culture, a wedding supper lasted about a week. It was a honor to be invited, and it was an example of all-out hospitality in the early church. You eat, drink and sleep in celebration of the two people getting married. So heaven is perhaps best compared to this multiple-day feast and celebration.
The wedding supper is “of the Lamb.” He chose his bride, and this is his invitation to give. It is not the invitation from her, or even from him and his bride together. His bride is the one who is invited! (the analogy breaks down at some point, and millions of people being the bride is one of those points.)
These are the true words of God. They are the exact words that God wants to use to speak to us today. Today we hear formulas that have similar import: “This is the way.” “So be it.” “Amen and amen.” But this goes deeper than any of those. It is quoting the very words of God.
“At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.””
John hears these, the very words of God, and he falls down in worship, much as he had done back when the voice like a trumpet told him to write down messages to the seven churches. And sure enough, he had heard the very words of God. But it was not God who had directly said it. Worshiping the messenger is not appropriate. So John is told don’t do that! Worship God!
By the way, here is a little detail of the wording here. There are two words used most often for “worship” in the New Testament. One of them is latruo, which has to do with serving someone, and the other is proskuneo, which means to kneel before, and kiss the hand toward someone. Many people count up the number of appearances of the word and declare that proskuneo is the most common word for worship in the New Testament. I would correct that to say it is the most common word in the Gospels, but not in the entire New Testament. It is found in the Gospels, because there was Jesus in the flesh to bow down before, as did the Magi, and the mother of James and John. Other than that, this is the only place that prokuneo appears outside of the Gospels themselves. And we see that here there is someone to bow down before (although John is wrong to bow before a mere servant of God, rather than God himself.)
Then the angel says a sentence that is worth consideration: The Spirit of prophecy bears testimony to Jesus. This is important to know. The point of a prophecy is not to predict the future. It is not to call to repentance. The point of prophecy is to tell about Jesus. To say what Jesus says. To proclaim the good news of Jesus, his coming, his life and teachings, his death, his resurrection, his ascension and reign, and his ultimate return. This is what the Spirit says. He never goes too far from that message, in its many applications and descriptions.
And at last! There He is! We have seen a rider on a white horse before, but this time the rider is not speaking blasphemies or going out to conquer. No, this one is named Faithful and True. A sharp sword comes from his mouth, which is used to strike down the nations. In other words, his words are true, and they bring healing or condemnation to every one who hears his words. He strikes down whole nations with his words. He condemns each individual. And he rules the nations with an iron scepter. He is the king above all kings, and the Lord over every lord.
Then we find out what’s for supper at the marriage feast of the Lamb: human flesh. Well, that’s awkward. But this is figurative language about retribution in imagery from heaven’s perspective.
And John sees the final battle. Perhaps this is at Armageddon, which was the location of all the armies gathering in an earlier chapter. The location is on the north side of what we know as Samaria, at a major crossroads of the Middle East, found at the hill of Megiddo. In Hebrew, Armageddon. The location is uninhabited but would provide a large open plain for doing battle.
The battle itself is not described here, though. Merely the outcome. Which is that capture of the beast and the false prophet (who were antichrists). They are thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
The rest of the vast army were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. Of course, there was no one left to bury them. But this was a special punishment to ignore dead bodies.
Interestingly, there were special places in Jewish culture to allow a body to excarnate, so that the bones could be placed into a smaller box called a sarcophagus. The sarcophagus can then be placed in a tomb, or buried, or join with the thousands of stone boxes on the hillside of the Mount of Olives, where the families entrust that their loved one will be among the first to be taken up when Messiah arrives, in fulfillment of Scripture. But they missed when Messiah came the first time. May God have mercy on their souls.
May you and I speak with the Spirit of prophecy, and bear testimony about Jesus. Amen.
SEPTEMBER 15 = REVELATION 18
Wouldn’t it be great if everyone could agree on something? Instead of endless bickering, talking behind one another’s backs and working against one another, everyone in the world agreed—truly agreed, deep down—on something. Anything, really. It would be great, right?
Actually, that is what was described in the last chapter when we saw Babylon the Great. She was the common denominator of every king on earth. She seemed to be saying truth, and proving that she was right through prosperity and peace.
So, maybe everyone agreeing on something is only a positive thing if what they agree on is actual truth. God’s truth, not human truth. Otherwise, it could well be that all the kings of the earth agree together to go against the Lamb and all who belong to Him. It’s not fun to be on the receiving end of consensus, if you know what I’m saying.
And so now this Babylon, this international consensus, has been destroyed. And just like the ancient city of Babylon, her fall is earth shaking. And everyone responds a little differently to her fall. Let’s see who says what about it.
An angel with great authority says many negative things about her from a spiritual perspective: a dwelling for demons, impure spirits, nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries, the kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.
This world consensus may have been widely held, but that don’t make it right. We need to be discerning about what the crowds are saying, because there is such a thing as a doctrine of demons. So test the spirits to see if they are from God.
Or, as another voice from heaven says, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins.” This is a serious call to leave the happy, agreeable world, and to become the people of God, separate and whole.
That’s what heaven says about Babylon’s fall. Everyone on earth agrees with one thing: “ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!’”
Here’s the reaction of the kings of the earth:
““When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her.”
And the reaction of the merchants on earth:
“The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn”
The concern of the merchants, of course, is profit making. And in one day, they become terrified.
Every sea captain similarly mourns the fall:
“They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: “ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’”
Like the merchants, so with the sea captains were dependent upon Babylon for commercial gain benefit.
Heaven also reacts once again:
““Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you.””
And here we find the truth from heaven’s perspective about the opulent consensus of Babylon:
“Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.””
For some reason, God has been collecting all this blood of his prophets and holy people through the ages. And at last he takes vengeance on behalf of “all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”
Babylon may have felt like peace to most of the earth. But to the saints, it was a time of misery, because the one thing that all the kings could agree on was that they hated the people of God and the Lamb. Makes for an uncomfortable lifestyle to the majority of people if a minority is being literally slaughtered.
He who has ears to hear, listen to what the angels are telling us about the true nature of the international consensus. It gets more ugly. Then it gets better! Amen.
SEPTEMBER 14 = REVELATION 17
BABYLON THE GREEDY
To review: Paul said in Romans 2:4 that the kindness of God leads us to repentance. At least, that’s God’s intention. But in Revelation 16, we found that many on earth did not respond to the goodness of God. They had not repented when they were blessed. So it is no surprise when they curse the God of heaven because of their pains, while they refuse to repent of what they had done.
And now, in this chapter and the next, we find the fall of what John calls “Babylon the Great.” It is not clear exactly who Babylon is. But it is clear that the city was important to kings and all the inhabitants of the earth. It is also clear that Babylon is a place of many abominations. Let’s look into it.
Babylon is described as a prostitute. The kings of the earth commit adultery with her, and all who live on earth are drunk with the wine of her adulteries.
You might say that adultery is doing something forbidden. Or that it is giving something away that you should not give away, for the sake of money and other forms of power and opulence. The exchange is somehow worth it to Babylon, whatever she is giving away. And somehow the adultery is worth the money for virtually all kings on earth. What could be so tempting to all the kings that they would pay her so well to get what she is giving away?
You know, any peace treaty is a compromise. A king is willing to give away something valuable in order to gain something that means even more to him. We might give away freedoms, or we give away resources, or we give away autonomy in order to gain control, or gain money, or gain allies. Maybe the king is thinking of the citizen of his kingdom. Or maybe he is being selfish. But he is giving away something to join with Babylon.
Babylon was already fallen long before the time of John. But Rome was in its prime at the time of his writing. Since then, there have been many centers of power and influence. But notice the price of joining with Babylon, whatever she is: abominable things, being drunk with the blood of the saints. Babylon is universally accepted by the powers that be, but she is not godly.
Ironically, the beast hates Babylon. Satan is the one who brings her to ruin, eats her flesh and burns her with fire. Why would the enemy of God destroy one who is also against God?
“For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. “The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.””
Though all the kings of the earth, and Babylon, and the beast, and the devil himself are all opposed to God, they are still less powerful than God. God is the one who put it into their hearts—all the kings of the earth—to join together and give their power to the beast. Perhaps this was the battle of Armageddon. Perhaps it is organized persecution of the church. In any case, they all agree to follow the plan of the beast and go against the God of the universe, just as God led them to do.
Remember, it’s hammer time. And at the end of the end of the book, He wins. Amen.
SEPTEMBER 13 = REVELATION 16
HERE WE GO
And now the seven (complete!) bowls of wrath are to be poured out on the earth.
“The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
How many diseases have spread into what we sometimes call a pandemic? Black Plague, Spanish Flu, Covid, HIV, cancer, etc. Some look to science to save us. Some announce that the reason is for God to punish sin. We never know for certain, from this side of time. But doesn’t it seem coincidental that these sores broke out on those who had worshiped the beast? This is clearly an act of God to punish His enemies.
The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.
A third of the sea had been affected before, but this time it kills every living thing. People, fish, sharks, whales, and all of it done on porpoise. (I probably should have resisted that one.) Talk about global climate change!
The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
And now the land life is affected, as fresh water sources are blood. Note that it is not “like” blood, or even the blood of a dead person, but literally it became blood. Of course, as with so many details of Revelation, the reference to blood may have to do with a reference to warfare or some other source of death. But it is fair to simply report what John said and let the interpretation be for another time.
Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were; for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”
And now, just about the time that i am starting to get the Heebie-jeebies over all this violence, the angel speaks up to say that it is justified, and they deserve what they get. After all, God’s judgments are “true and just.” If we believe that, then we trust his decisions. And his decision was to give retribution to those who have shed the blood of his holy people and his prophets. If you have shed the blood of a prophet, then you are not only killing someone who represents God, but you are rejecting his message as well. God is just in these judgments, indeed.
The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat …
Once again we see that climate change in the form of global warming intensifies. It is more than just a record heat wave; it is scorching, searing, intense heat. Shall we blame it on our use of energy? On over-population? Has the ozone layer been depleted, and it is our doing that has undone us by means of natural causes? Perhaps. But all that John is mentioning is the unrepentant hearts on earth, refusing to repent.
“…and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
Here is another vote to say that these punishments are not overdone or too severe: The response of those who are now suffering. They cursed God and refused to repent. God’s goodness in the form of common grace for all those centuries is forgotten. These people have become enemies, and only imagine themselves to be the victims of undeserved punishments.
SIDE NOTE: It’s tragic that people can take the name of God in vain, blame God for their problems, and then decide that they are atheists. (Should they start saying, “Oh, my nothing!”?)
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.
These kings from the east could be Iran or Iraq, and certainly anything from farther east would be possible. The Euphrates River is actually located in Iran. They are already enemies of modern-day Israel as a nation, and all these plagues certainly are not helping them to think twice before they come together. The river drying up is from natural causes, of course. It runs low this year because everyone is tapping into the Colorado River, or because of the bowl of God’s wrath that had been poured out on the water.
Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.”
You know, if you build your faith upon signs and wonders, you are in danger. If you came to Christ because you saw a miracle happen, you are susceptible. If in your prayers you ask God for a sign that might strengthen your faith, then you are not strengthening your faith at all. You are dependent on sight, not on faith. And when Satan and demonic spirits go out and perform signs and sound reasonable and positive, then you are, among all groups, most vulnerable. Addiction to signs leads to dependency on sight, and leaves no room for faith in your heart. But wisdom is proved right in her children, as Jesus said.
May you and I walk by faith, and not by sight, today, and every day in the future. Amen.
SEPTEMBER 12 = REVELATION 15
PREPARING FOR THE SEVEN PLAGUES
At last, after all the waiting, we find God’s wrath being poured out on earth.
“I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed.”
If you are like me, it’s going to feel like too much, if there could be such a thing. Seems strange, after all that waiting and asking how long until you avenge our blood? But it feels over the top because we haven’t seen God doing this sort of thing very often in our lifetimes. Besides, it’s not just OUR blood he is avenging. He is ruling the nations with a rod of iron. He is doing battle against the one who rebelled against him in heaven and who is murdering and ravishing each of his children on earth for thousands of years. He is giving people what they have asked for, what they have chosen for themselves after centuries of his repeated warnings. So, be prepared. It’s going to get ugly before we get to the end of the end of the book. Ready? Here we go!
“And I saw . . . those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb.”
They were victorious! Victorious over the beast who had come up out of the sea, the one who had been given power by the dragon and who had authority over every person on earth, even given power to conquer the saints.
How had they been victorious? Had they taken vengeance? Had they fought back? Had they spoken like the two witnesses had, so that fire came out of their mouths and devoured their enemies? Did they have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want? Is that how the saints are victorious over the beast?
No. Earlier in Revelation, Jesus said that he who endures to the end is the one who overcomes. Those who are faithful unto death are the ones who overcome. Persevere and endure hardship in his name, and not grow weary. Then you are victorious. Be faithful, even to the point of death. Hold on. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
So make no mistake about it. Victory in Jesus is done by following in Jesus’ footsteps, suffering as He did, being faithful in spite of difficulty and persecution. Remember, the way up is down, and those who are first will be last.
Do not take vengeance, but leave room for the wrath of God. Do not become bitter, but make your requests known to God. Do not be angry or anxious, jealous or impatient. Faith means that you believe there is something better than this world has to offer. So make no mistake about it, spiritual warfare does not involve fists and worldly weapons.
But now is the time for God to reveal his wrath. The saints are removed from the battle, at least for the moment. The 144,000 were with the Lamb in the last chapter, standing on Mount Zion, but even then they were not in battle. Not yet.
Here is the beginning of the end:
“Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. . . . seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.”
In the next chapter, we will see the seven plagues as they are poured out. May we be ready to hear the tale of the coming wrath of God. Amen.
SEPTEMBER 11 = REVELATION 14
THE FINAL HARVEST
In this chapter, the chaos of chapter 13 begins to resolve, in favor of God and Christ. But along the way, there are several details to make note of. Let’s delve into some of those particulars.
“And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders.
The roar of rushing waters is very loud. It is what is known today as white noise, which is basically all of the frequencies of sound given at the same time. You don’t hear an individual pitch, but a big wall of sound. It’s basically the same for a loud peal of thunder. Loud! And yet, he further describes the sound itself as being like that of harpists playing their harps. So the pitches are specific. In fact, they are together and in order, and presented as if it was not amateurs randomly playing pitches, but “harpists” playing “their” harps. So music done excellently is also like the beauty of random noise. What’s more, all that sound becomes a “new song” being sung before the Lord. As a composer, I so much appreciate that this was a new song, done by an ensemble, played at loud volumes. Praise the Lord!
Another detail in this chapter is the quote of an angel:
“ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”
Babylon the Great. John is no longer talking about Jerusalem in veiled language. He is talking like Peter, who secretly identified the church in Rome to his readers. Jews knew Babylon well, to be an evil but powerful place. And so, once again, John speaks a secret message to his Jewish readers.
This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
The simple and challenging application of all this information about persecution and punishment of the evil blasphemers is this: patiently endure. Stay the course. Keep the faith. But above all, this calls for patient endurance.
A few verses later, John writes,
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Even while calling his readers to patiently endure, John needs to remind the church that death overtakes all. Whether by martyrdom or natural causes, those who die “in the Lord” are blessed. They are blessed, because they will “rest from their labor.” The difficult work done to remain faithful in an oppressive society is not wasted. It is labor. But you will rest from it. And the good deeds that you did will follow you, in the memories of those you served and in the example you left for others, as well as in the reward that is given to you. So rest, dear one. Rest in him.
The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.”
This gets a little geeky. But it’s something to consider, based on the earth’s current population.
If there are currently 8 billion people on earth, and death has power to kill a fourth of the earth, how many are left?
6 billion
If then a third of the people on earth are destroyed by angelic troops, how many are left?
4 billion
If blood then flows out of the press in a flood that is 4 feet high for a distance of 1600 stadia (that’s 180 miles). 5280 ft x 180 x 180 x 4 = 684,288,000 x 7.48 = 5,118,829,713. Over 5 billion gallons of blood. Which is almost exactly the total amount of blood in every human on earth at that time, if 4 billion are left.
What do we learn from this? God’s word is true, even in strange little details from a bizarre prophetic book like Revelation. And, you and I had best be on the Lord’s side when the time of his wrath comes.
SEPTEMBER 10 = REVELATION 13
THE BEASTS
The interpretation of this chapter is more contested than any so far. Actually, the interpretation of the beasts is pretty straightforward, as long as you don’t try to actually put a name or a date as to who the beast is.
It begins with Satan (the dragon) standing on the shore of the sea. The sea often indicates a kind of unstable political climate. A beast comes up out of the sea, with horns and heads and blasphemous names. It resembles various animals. One of the heads of the beast has a fatal wound (a knife cut), but was healed. Satan gives his power to the beast, and everyone in the world was filled with wonder. The beast blasphemes God and wages war against the saints and is given power to conquer them for 42 months.
This is one of those hidden messages that John was sneaking past the Roman guards when he wrote to the churches. The Emperor Nero is infamous for having Christians tortured and killed. His obsessed persecution of Christians lasted three and a half years—42 months. And then he committed suicide by slitting his own throat with a knife.
Some years later, Domitian became Caesar, and he seemed like a shrewd ruler who helped stabilize the economy, spread the empire and reestablish traditional Roman culture. Part of that cultural piece was to enforce pagan idolatry, and to re-establish persecution of Christians, who had a strong impact on changing Roman culture, in the name of Jesus. So you might say that Domitian was a reappearance of Nero, as if Nero were alive again.
“This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.”
The words Caesar Nero in Latin are “Neron Kaisar” in Greek. Translated again into Hebrew, it is “Nrwn Qsr.” A particular feature of the Hebrew language is that their number system uses the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, rather than Arabic numerals. So, guess what the Hebrew name of Nero is, when read in numbers? That’s right. But John was writing in Greek. So who would have had “insight” to “calculate the number” of the beast? Jewish readers! They would know right away that John was saying Nero was not divine, as he had claimed to be. And neither is Domitian, his copy.
That’s just commenting on a few of the hidden details of what John was secretly saying about the emperor.
Then a second beast enters the scene, coming out of earth, rather than sea. The second beast is the public relations specialist for the beast, and he crafts a statue and then makes it seem as if it had come to life. And he makes everyone worship the beast.
““It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.”
Just as God had sealed all believers a few chapters ago, so this beast writes a tattoo on the forehead or hand of every person in the kingdom. If you are a Roman, you had to have the mark in order to buy or sell anything. He forced everyone to worship the beast, and he spoke blasphemies.
This does, indeed, call for wisdom to know what to do when the beast calls on you. Bow down or die. What would you choose?
He slanders against God's name and all of heaven. He even has the power to conquer all the saints of earth. So listen all you saints who have an ear: Be patient and endure. Be faithful to the end. And do not be deceived by any being who looks innocent but who speaks a dragon’s lies.
So when he orders all to follow him or die, It takes great wisdom to recall that he's a man and not at all a God. His power is but counterfeit. And in the end, our Jesus wins. So this is not the final round at all!"
May we have faith enough to be courageous in the face of the most severe persecution. Amen.
SEPTEMBER 9 = REVELATION 12
THE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON
The imagery and symbolism continue to deepen through the rest of the book of Revelation. Part of the reason is because these are the things that John saw, and he is merely telling us the images without interpreting for us. And part of the reason is because John was in exile on Patmos, and whatever letter he would send out to reach the churches had to be cloaked in imagery that would be unclear to the Roman guards who would be releasing the letter for delivery. (We’ll see some of those more obvious hidden messages soon.)
So, in light of all that, I’m going to try to provide a running parallel commentary that says what John is saying, but uses different imagery. Sort of like I did back with some of the materials in the first four chapters. We’ll see how this works. Starting with verse numbers, so you know where to read.
1-2. God has always had a people for himself. They are to him like a bride, strong and radiant. From these people came a line for Jesus.
3-4. But God’s enemy has also been trying to oppose God’s plan. He rebelled in heaven, and a third of the angels joined with him. They tried to destroy Jesus before he could be born.
5-6. But in spite of the devil trying to destroy the work of Jesus, God protected both his Son and his people.
7-9. This spiritual battle began even before the ancient serpent in the garden. Satan had rebelled in heaven and was defeated, along with all his demons. They were thrown down to earth, where Satan continues to oppose God’s people and lead them astray.
10-12. Praise the Lord! He brings us the salvation and the power and the kingdom of God and of his Christ. He has hurled down the one who is constantly accusing our brothers and sisters before God. We triumph over him by the blood of Jesus and our connection to it. We choose to side with Jesus, all the way to death. So, all of heaven rejoices! But this is bad news for the earth, because the devil does his work down below. He is filled with fury, for he knows that his time is short.
13-16. So now the devil is on the hunt against all the people who belong to God. But God has protected his people, bringing healing and working miracles.
- The devil is enraged at his defeat. So he has declared war against God’s people. God’s people must keep God’s commands and hold on to their faith in Jesus.
And this, my friends, is where we stand today. We are in the midst of a deadly spiritual war, and those who hold fast to their faith in Jesus will overcome and receive eternal life in heaven.
But the battle is not over here below. So let us be faithful, even to death. Amen.
SEPTEMBER 8 = REVELATION 11
THE TWO WITNESSES
This chapter may be the most difficult one to interpret, as it includes several details that are uncomfortable and are not a part of our normal experiences. Lots of symbolism adds to the abstractions, as well.
John is told to measure the temple and the altar, with its worshipers.
“But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.”
The outer court had always been open to Gentiles. So what does it mean that it has been given to them? And what does it mean that they will trample on the holy city? And why 42 months?
Let’s go in reverse order: Remember how 7 is a number for completeness, a number of perfection? Seven years would be 84 months. So 42 months is half of completeness. John could have just written the number of years as 3 ½. But when we are living it, one month at a time, 42 months seems longer. So it seems like a long time, but it is an incomplete time.
What does it mean that they will trample the holy city, even though it is a long-but-incomplete time? If Revelation was written in the year 96, it was some 26 years after the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of Rome. Romans had laid siege to the city, had torn down the temple completely, had forced all Jews to leave, and had renamed the city Capitolina and the country they had renamed Palestine (taken from the word Philistine, to remove any Jewish ownership of the entire region). In short, the Romans hated the Jews. And for the time being, these Gentiles had been trampling the city for a long time. But it was not a “complete” amount of time!
So God had allowed these pagans to have the land. You might say it had been given to them by God, in the sense that he had not stopped them in their conquest.
John was a Jew, writing to a largely Jewish readership. But in this context, he is not really talking about Jews and Gentiles, but about believers and unbelievers. And he’s not really talking about Jerusalem, but about the world system, which we are still living in, by the way. The world is being trampled by unbelievers. But it won’t be this way forever.
That was the topic of the first two verses. Then the attention shifts to two people, whom John calls “witnesses.” John says about them,
“And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.””
At the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter should be established. It’s found multiple times in the Bible. These two are enough to provide a majority opinion for God on earth, you might say. In any case, they prophesy for 1260 days. Guess how long that is? Three and a half years (based on Jewish calendar with 30-day months). These two might be Elijah and John the Baptist. They might be the Old and New Testaments. They might be random unnamed witnesses.
Remember that John is writing to the persecuted church, to tell them to hang on and be faithful unto death. But these witnesses are not like the persecuted church. They are the conquerors, the aggressors, the ones who are here to carry out God’s judgment on the earth, but in the form of two humans. So they punish, they prophesy, and in the end, they are overpowered and killed.
Their bodies lie in the public square of Jerusalem, which is called the great city, Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. These names signify the faithlessness of the city that once had been the center of spiritual life for all Jews.
Their bodies lie there for 3 ½ days. Sort of like Jesus in the grave. But more significantly, it is half of a complete week, which happens to be 7 days. Then they are resurrected and called up to heaven.
Then, just to put a bow on it, there is a severe earthquake in the city, which destroys 1/10th of the city and 7000 people are killed (at least they weren’t Jewish!). And those who survived are terrified and give glory to God! Talk about a change in heart, compared to what those who refused to repent were doing just a couple of chapters ago.
All of that was the second woe.
And once again, as with the seventh seal, so with the seventh trumpet, all of heaven sings God’s praises. It is awesome, in the truest sense of the word, and God is glorified.
So, maybe the interpretation of the second woe is not so difficult, after all.
After all, sometimes evil wins. For a brief season, one that seems longer than it is. And sometimes God wins. For a brief season, which seems even shorter than it is. And then, those who belong to him are called up and they finally have victory. Amen.
ENJOY LIFE WITH YOUR WIFE (SONG OF THE WEEK)
(Ellen suggested this to be one of my collection of Completely Out of Context Scripture Songs. So, since it was my wife who suggested it, I enjoyed writing and recording it. Taken directly from Ecclesiastes 9:9. Look it up if you don't believe me!)
Enjoy life with your wife
Whom you love all your days
All the days of your meaningless life.
This meaningless life that God has given you
All of your meaningless days.
Enjoy life with your wife
Whom you love all your days
All the days of your meaningless life.
For this is your lot in life
and in your toilsome labor under the sun.
SEPTEMBER 7 = REVELATION 10
THE LITTLE SCROLL
This is a short chapter, but it is packed with things to reflect on. First, as with the seven seals, so with the seven trumpets, there is a pause after the sixth and before the seventh. Last time, there was silence for half an hour. This time, it is announced that there will be no more delay! Let’s dive in and see what the Lord would say.
“And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.””
Why was John not to write down what the seven thunders said? After all the other things he was specifically told to write down, now John is in on something that he is NOT to tell. Makes me wonder what they said, to be sure.
Of course, they are seven because they are complete, representing every thunder everywhere, perhaps for all time. Which makes me wonder. Maybe we already know what the seven thunders have said, when heaven spoke to crowds of people in a loud thunderous voice.
You might say there was thunder at creation, when God spoke everything into existence. That thunder said, “Creator!”
There was, no doubt, thunder at the great flood, with Noah and the ark and the rainbow. That thunder said, “Judge!”
There was God’s thunderous voice at Mount Sinai in the wilderness, when Moses went up and received the Ten Commandments. That thunder said, “Holy!”
There was a multitude of the heavenly hosts at Jesus’ birth, praising God and announcing the coming. That thunder said, “Peace!”
There was a voice, which some thought was thunder, at Jesus’ baptism, when God the Father spoke. That thunder said, “Son!”
God spoke again on the Mountain of Transfiguration, when he repeated the message to the disciples. It said, “Listen!”
There was the time shortly before his suffering when Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify your name,” and an answer came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” Some thought that was thunder that day, also. He said, “Glory!”
And then there was the sound of a mighty wind (like a tornado, which comes with thunder, right?) at the day of Pentecost. It was saying, “Salvation!”
What do those thunders say, collectively? The Creator is a Judge who is Holy and brings Peace through his Son! Listen to him glorify the Father and bring Salvation!
“There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.””
We’ve been waiting for this, and now it seems to have come: No more delay! When the final trumpet sounds, the mystery is solved and the prophecies are fulfilled. Judgment is at hand!
There is a short exchange between John and the mighty angel with the open scroll. Take note of these subtle details:
“Go, take the scroll . . ..”
So I . . . asked him to give me the little scroll.
He said to me, “Take it . . ..”
What’s the difference between taking something and asking someone to give it to you? Asking seems more polite, especially when dealing with a mighty angel. But John was told to take, not to ask. Sometimes God calls us to be bold. To speak up. To take spiritual authority. To claim something in the name of Jesus. But instead, you and I ask God, “If it be Thy will, would you…?” Yet he has told us to take it! Claim the spiritual authority! Start that difficult conversation! Make that phone call! Pursue that job! In Jesus’ name, be bold!
I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.””
This is how it goes for us in life, too. The Spirit speaks to us, and his word is clear and life giving. At the same time, that very word convicts us of our sin, and leads to repentance and confession. And yet, there is something healing in the pain, seasons of refreshing that come from repentance, and peace in obeying. And so John is told to eat the words, and they are from God, so they are sweet. But they lead to a command to declare that word to others, some of whom are not receptive to the message. There is peace in obeying the command, but not always peace.
We must prophesy. We must declare, you and I. We are to tell the good and the bad news to many peoples, nations, languages and kings. Amen.
SEPTEMBER 6 = REVELATION 9
THE WOES
The previous chapter ended with an eagle calling out in a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth!” Four of the seven trumpets have sounded to this point, and the final three are the three ‘woes’ that the eagle just announced. (Viewer discretion advised.)
Trumpet #5: The symbolism is complicated. It involves a star that had fallen from the sky, who opens the shaft of the Abyss, which releases smoke and locusts. The locusts are there to torture those who did not have the mark of God on their foreheads. People are in torment for 5 months. “During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.” That was the first woe.
Trumpet #6: Four angels who are bound at the “great river Euphrates.” These angels have the power to kill. “And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.” A third of mankind was killed by these horses and riders, through fire, smoke and suffer that came out of their mouths.
This is a brutal time to be living on earth, and it was soon to come in the days of John. Several of the images that John describes sound like they could be first century attempts to discriminate between the saved and the unsaved. But put into our day, I could see John trying to describe Huey helicopters by describing them as locusts, or as the horses being weapons of modern warfare. It doesn’t really matter whether they are manmade or that they are actually locusts and horses, as he describes. Either way, you and I now have been warned by earlier generations, and about the truly final years of mankind on earth.
The destruction of a third of mankind is mentioned for a second time. Which means by this point that over half of the population has been wiped out, either by punishing armies or by more natural means.
It seems pretty unmistakable that these are acts of judgment from God against the earth. But for some of us, even when we are facing God’s judgment, we still refuse to change.
“The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
I find it hard to imagine anyone being so hard hearted that in the midst of all this torture, they still refuse to repent.
On the other hand, I guess it is happening already right now! People have Bibles, access to religious programming, churches, freedom of religion, and much more. Yet we choose to become agnostic, to live selfish lifestyles, to become angry toward God. We hold on to Humanism, or self-made spiritualism, or whatever system of doubt we choose. On the other hand, we turn around and blame God (the One we claim we don’t believe in) for our troubles. They are the reason we cannot, or do not, believe.
And that last paragraph is the story of human history, in all its ugliness. God, have mercy on us all. Amen.
SEPTEMBER 5 = REVELATION 8
THE TRUMPETS
Let’s review where we are right now in the book of Revelation. John has been taken up into heaven to see what things must happen soon. A scroll appeared, and the Lamb of God was found worthy to break the seven seals that will open the scroll and complete the history of the earth from a heavenly point of view. Six of the seals have been opened so far, sending economic and natural disasters upon the earth. The day of reckoning is at hand. But before the seventh seal is opened, angels are sent to put the mark of God on the foreheads of each believer on earth. Then, suddenly there is a great multitude of believers from all over the earth, praising God and thanking him.
It’s time now to return, in order to open the seventh and final seal. With all that’s been happening, it is sure to be the biggest, baddest, end of all things, when the earth is judged and Jesus reigns supreme. Well, that’s what we want to happen, anyway.
Instead, here’s what does happen:
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
This is astonishing! Do you recall how much singing in loud voices was going on just a few verses ago? Something has overcome the crowd, and they hush. No doubt, it is the first silence there has ever been in heaven. And it is so overwhelming that it lasts for half an hour. In heavenly time, that’s close to 21 years on earth, by the way (if you recall, a thousand years is like a day). It seems strange, doesn’t it, that after so much build up there would be this moment?
But what is about to take place on earth is no small matter. Each soul on earth is important enough to God that Jesus died for it. Executing judgment on these souls, however evil they may be, is not a matter to be taken lightly.
And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
Seven seals were broken. Now that the last one is opened, we see seven trumpets? Are we starting over again?
Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.
Golden bowls of incense were the prayers of God’s people earlier in the book. The smoke and the prayers are still related here. The petitions of the people of God are still pleading, and God is readying his answer.
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
Do you think that your prayers are not effective? Not so! Now I see why there had been silence for half an hour! It’s about to get really nasty down below! Perhaps the judgment is now!
Time for the trumpets:
Trumpet #1: “The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.”
Trumpet #2: Something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
Trumpet #3: “and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water—the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
This sounds a lot like global climate effects. And to be sure, a third of the waters turn bitter and many people die from it. This may be climate change, but it is not from the sin of carbon emissions!
Trumpet #4: “a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
“As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!””
SEPTEMBER 4 = REVELATION 7
THE GREAT MULTITUDE
The action on earth is about to pick up, and things are about to get worse. But first, we need to rescue God’s chosen ones from what is about to happen.
There are many in recent generations who see in this chapter (and elsewhere) a “secret rapture” of the saved ones, which occurs before The Great Tribulation. Others say that this is a symbolic way of encouraging the saints that God can and will rescue his chosen ones from the troubles of earth. I will not be taking a position on the matter, but do want to point out when a particular passage is used to support an interpretation.
It starts with angels holding back natural disasters on earth until another angel marks 144,000 believers with the seal of God on their foreheads. This list of marked believers is specified as 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Certain numbers symbolize completion. Seven is the number for God’s Spirit, and for the full cadre of churches. We have also seen that 12 (and 24) is a number for completion. We will find soon that 1000 is a number that also means completion. So when you have 12 x 1000 you have a very complete number, and when you have 12 x 12 x 1000 it is even more so.
So, now the complete number of those belonging to God have been marked and sealed. Perhaps now it is time to execute judgment on the earth. This is what John sees:
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”
An even MORE complete number of believers are gathered suddenly. And John records their praise, and the praise of the angels in agreement with theirs. It is a grand time of worship and thanksgiving! And notice how complete John’s list of the diversity is made: every nation (which is political groups), every tribe (which is local ethnic groups), every people (which is larger ethnic and genetic groupings) and every language (which happened way back at Babel, and helped lead to these diverse groupings in the first place). I notice they are standing. Guess there’s standing room only in heaven! John goes on:
“Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
And here is where we find the first basis for what is known as a pre-millennial, pre-tribulation rapture. The thought is that before the great 7-year tribulation occurs (more on that later), every true believer in Jesus is snatched up to heaven, where they never again suffer on earth, and where God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Now, perhaps the great tribulation has already taken place. Maybe with the reign of Diocletian, or of Hitler or Stalin. And maybe the great tribulation is yet ahead. Perhaps we are living through it right now. It will be described in more detail later in the book.
Whether or not you believe in a literal length of tribulation, or you see the numbers and dates as symbolic, the application for us today is the same: Be ready! Wash your robe and make it white in the blood of the Lamb. Know that this world is not your home, and that there is a greater reality in another realm. I want to go there. How about you? Amen.
SEPTEMBER 3 = REVELATION 6
THE SEALS
And now we arrive at the long-anticipated opening of the seven seals on the scroll, in order to unfold the future history of the world. As we will discover through the book of Revelation, it is never quite so simple. The seventh seal leads to another series of seven, which in turn leads to another. That’s how it is in life, though, isn’t it? When we arrive at the other side of the big event we had anticipated, we find it brings with it a new series of what we might think is unfinished business. In any case, John sees the Lamb open the first six seals, and in this chapter we find out what was about to happen.
“I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.”
Perhaps you have heard of the Four Horsemen. This is one of the places where they are seen in the Bible. They are men on horses, but they are symbolic of something else.
The first horse is white, which would seem to symbolize holiness. Later, we will see Jesus riding on a white horse. But this rider is bent on conquest. Could this be a political figure who seems religious, but who is actually a controller? (Such as the Nicolaitans.)
“When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.”
The second horse is fiery red, and its rider had power to take peace from the earth and make people kill each other. Civil war? World war? Peace on earth is a central theme of the Gospel, but somehow hatred is permitted by God here.
“When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!””
With the third seal comes a black horse, whose rider announces economic collapse. Whether it is terrible inflation, or a recession, depression or perhaps a famine that brings low crop production, it is a devastating time to be living on earth. We have not been given a reason for any of this, but we know from plenty of examples in the Bible that a physical problem is often based in a deeper spiritual problem.
“When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.”
The fourth seal brings a pale horse, whose rider is Death. A fourth of the earth’s population is killed by war, by famine, by plague, or even by wild beasts. Think of how we reacted to COVID-19, arguing over masks, trusting in science, and in general not repenting.
And then comes what might be the center of the book.
“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.”
The martyrs themselves are crying out for vengeance, based on the spilling of their own blood for the Master. They see this conqueror on a white horse, warfare on a red horse, economic collapse on a black horse and death on a pale horse. And yet the inhabitants of the earth do not repent. This is the story of human history from a heavenly perspective, isn’t it? We long to see Jesus come and claim his place, and put the devil in his.
And so we wait. We wait for the full number of martyrs to be completed.
And then comes the sixth seal. And with it, the entire earthly planet is being shaken. Everyone is afraid. Afraid of death. But also afraid of the wrath of the Lamb!
“They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?””
The answer, I think, is that no one can withstand judgment from God! Even in this chapter, God is only toying with the inhabitants of earth. Soon. Very soon. The judgment is coming! Repent and believe the good news! It was the message of John the Baptist, the message of Jesus Christ, and the message of Peter and the other apostles.
May we all hear the voice of the shepherd as he calls to us in the midst of the noise. He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches! Amen.
SEPTEMBER 2 = REVELATION 5
WHO IS WORTHY?
The scene is still the throne room in heaven, where John has seen God in indescribable glory, surrounded by worship and full of wisdom and power. But remember, John was invited up to see “what must happen after this.” In this chapter, he is going to be introduced to how it all will unfold.
The central item is now introduced:
“Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.”
Notice that this scroll is in the right hand—the hand of power and authority—of God himself. Perhaps God has written this scroll. In any case, it is not explained as to what this scroll is. But here is my understanding of it.
Clearly, this scroll is going to be seen as the single most important thing, if you want to know “what must happen after this.” You might say that it is the scroll of the future history of the world, God’s will for how the end will unfold. It has writing on both sides, so it is packed with information. But then the scroll turns out to be unreadable, because it is rolled up and sealed with seven seals.
“And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.”
The deal is, for God’s will to be carried out, this scroll must be read. Until the seals are broken and the scroll read, human history is stuck in an unsolved mystery, frozen in time with evil winning and churches suffering and believers in persecution, lost souls caught in the trap of Satan with no one to tell them of a way out, and all history caught in a grand pause of silence from heaven over the unresolved hold of Satan on the earth.
And so the call goes out to find someone who is able to restart the final chapter of history. The one who will do so must take the scroll from the right hand of the One on the Throne, and must become the turning point for all of human history on earth. That requires someone to be worthy of doing so.
Who could possibly be worthy of being the building block of history, the fixer of the relationship of heaven and earth? So the cry goes out. They look in heaven. Angels. Archangels, including Michael the Warrior and Gabriel the Announcer. The four beings, the 24 elders on thrones. No. No one is worthy in heaven.
They look on earth. Church leaders. Caesar and kings of the earth. Prophets. Apostles. Wise elders and world leaders, prolific writers and deep thinkers, brave leaders and mighty warriors, holy men and women. No one on earth is worthy.
They even look under the earth. Let’s say they are looking at the saints who have gone before. And still no one under the earth is worthy. Not Moses or Aaron or the prophets. Not Deborah or Gideon or the mighty men of valor and strength. Not King David or Solomon. No animal sacrifice, no priest, no offering. Not Mother Teresa or Billy Graham. No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth.
Do you realize what that means? It means there is no hope, no forward movement of history, no resolution, no justice. It means that evil wins and all are lost in sin and judgment. And that is why John says this:
“I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.”
But there is hope. For there is one. One in the universe who is worthy.
“Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.””
To be sure, he is a Lion. A fearless conqueror. In fact, he is THE Lion. He is able, for he has triumphed.
“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.
Something shifted suddenly. The symbols have changed. The fearsome Lion is replaced by a Lamb who has been slain.
The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”
And, sure enough, this Lamb is, in fact, the Almighty God. It seems that God conquered sin and death by bearing sin and dying. And by becoming the victim, the Lamb became the Lion.
“He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.”
And so begins the end of all things, as the Lamb takes the scroll. It is a moment in heaven that will soon take effect in the history of the earth. The moment is worthy of celebration, but in this moment, it is the Lamb himself who deserves honor, for nothing could happen here without him.
“And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.
And we see these divine characters whom we met before now giving the Lamb the worship they had given to the one who was on the Throne. Because, after all, they are one and the same.
Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.”
Notice that the highest ranking heavenly beings—the four living creatures and the 24 elders—each is holding a harp. I can only assume that they were all playing those harps as they sang. We’re about to see what they sang, but it seems to be accompanied, and everyone seems to know the music.
Notice also that somehow they also are holding golden bowls full of incense. Incense, just like God had Moses put into the Holy Place in the tabernacle. And as the smoke rises up, John realizes that it is the prayers of the saints. Soon we will see what kinds of prayers the saints are offering, but suffice it to say that they all rise up before God and are heard.
And here is what they sang:
“And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.””
It’s nice to know that even in heaven new songs are being written as the surroundings change. And this song must be truly good news to those churches that were receiving John’s letter. Because the churches on earth were in the midst of such severe persecution, living in a city where Satan lives, being thrown into prison for ten days, and so forth. But in this song they hear that heaven promises “they will reign on the earth!”
It’s true, isn’t it? Don’t we reign on the earth? We have the spiritual authority that Jesus had, and which he gave to his followers before he left. In Jesus’ name, they are able to cast out demons and heal diseases. They can resist the devil and he flees from them. Wherever they go, they establish kingdom outposts in that neighborhood, in that city. They are more than conquerors. So already, we are encouraged to hold on, for we will have authority over kingdoms and nations in Jesus’ name.
“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!””
And now we see that the praise that started among the inner circle of beings around the throne has spread to the vast multitude of angels in heaven. And still, their focus and wonder is to honor and worship the Lamb. And notice that they sing with a LOUD voice. It doesn’t say they turn up the amps to blast out the harp music, but that they used their voices to make a loud noise in honor of the Lamb.
And, just when you think the praise has become as big a festival as you can imagine, it gets even bigger!
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!””
Remember how Jesus said that if the little children don’t praise him, the very rocks and stones will cry out in praise? This is that kind of moment. Every creature. Not just every human. Humans can rebel and choose not to praise. But the rest of creation joins in, just by its existence. The trees clap their hands. The mountains bow down. The rocks cry out. And every creature in heaven, including the sparrows and eagles joins in. And every creature on earth, including lions and tigers and bears, oh my, joins in. And every creature under the earth, including groundhogs and earthworms, joins in. And even every creature on the sea, including dolphins and sharks, joins in. And they recognize him on the throne and the Lamb, because even for those creatures of very little brains know instinctively who their creator is.
And then the worship circles back to the central group around the throne, and the four living creatures and the 24 elders put a bow on it and complete the circle.
“The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
That is a lot of material in two chapters of Revelation. It is written for our comfort. May you and I know the comfort that comes through the Lamb today and for eternity. Amen.
SEPTEMBER 1 = REVELATION 4
HISTORY FROM A HEAVENLY PERSPECTIVE
So now Jesus is done with the 7 letters, and he invites John to “come up here” so that he can know what is in the future for the churches. And there, in chapters 4 and 5, John sees history from a heavenly perspective. It is like a dream, but it is real. It is overwhelming and awesome. It is worship and it is history. And it is just the first view of the end of all things. Shall we enter in? Let’s try to view it once again from a literal perspective, explaining the meaning behind the symbolic terms.
“After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.””
John is invited to come up to see what heaven sees. The book was likely written in A.D. 96 and it is given by Jesus to John for the purpose of showing what must happen soon.
In heaven, the future is already seen. And, as God often did with the prophets, he chooses to reveal certain things ahead of time, so that believers can be prepared for it.
“At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.”
John sees that God is the ruler over all the universe. He is the only one. He is more valuable than anything.
“Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
The twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles represent both old and new covenants, Jews and Christians. God has been acknowledged as worthy by every mature Jew and Christian throughout time.
From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.”
God holds all power in the universe. His Spirit is everywhere, and he sees all with perfect balance and clarity.
“In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.”
All who see him recognize him as the Great Conqueror, the Strong Almighty One, the Compassionate Brother, and the All-Seeing One.
“Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings.
Those who are in heaven see everything, inside and out. And the closer they are to God, the more they can see.
Day and night they never stop saying: “ ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.””
They all proclaim that there is no other like him in perfection, who always was and is and will always be.
“Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.””
All mature believers throughout history know him to be Lord and God, and they would all give him glory and honor and power, because he is the sovereign creator and ruler of all.
The chapter ends here, but the scene goes on in the next chapter with an amazing moment.
AUGUST 31 = REVELATION 3
LETTERS TO THE OTHER THREE CHURCHES
SARDIS: THE DEAD CHURCH
This is a message to the church in Sardis:
I am Jesus, and I understand everything about any church. I know what you do. I know you seem to appear alive. But I also know that you are actually dead.
Wake up! Revive what remains and is near death! I have found your hard work to be incomplete in God’s sight. So remember what you once knew. Grab hold of that. And change your direction. If you do not revive, I will come when you aren’t ready and judge you.
Even so, a few believers in your city are walking with me in holiness. If you are faithful to the end, you will also be holy forever. You will be known in heaven with my Father and his angels. Let everyone take to heart this message from the Spirit to the churches!
PHILADELPHIA: THE SMALL CHURCH
This is a message to the church in Philadelphia:
I am Jesus, and I do what is right and say what is true. I can control history by what I allow or what I prevent. I know what you do. I am allowing you an opportunity that no one can stop. I know that you are not a big church, yet you hold on to my words and you did not deny my name before those who have opposed you. I will prevent those false Jews who are of the synagogue of Satan from succeeding. I will make them have to admit that I have loved you. Because you have kept my command to patiently endure, I will also keep you from the crisis that will come on the entire world to test every person on earth.
I will show myself soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will steal your reward. If you are faithful to the end, you will always be in God’s presence, never again to leave. You will have every privilege of belonging to God’s family. Let everyone take to heart this message from the Spirit to the churches!
LAODICEA: THE MEGACHURCH
This is a message to the church in Laodicea:
I am Jesus, and I always agree with God and say what he says. I know what you do. I know that you are uncommitted to either Satan or me. I wish that you were committed to one or the other! But, because you are trying to take a middle ground, neither mine nor his, I am about to reject you.
You think that you are a flourishing megachurch. You think you are wealthy and have all you want. But you do not see the truth: You are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. My advice is to buy your gold from me, so that you can truly be wealthy. And to buy your clothes from me, so that you can cover your embarrassing nakedness. And to use my eye salve, so that you can see.
I rebuke and criticize those whom I love. So make a true decision and change your heart! Here I am! I am the visitor who wants to join your church! Let me in and we will feast together, you and me.
If you are faithful to the end, you will flourish for eternity, as I went before you. Let everyone take to heart this message from the Spirit to the churches!
AUGUST 30 = REVELATION 2
LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES IN PLAIN ENGLISH
In chapter 1, John was told to write to the seven churches of Asia Minor (all in the modern nation of Turkey). In this chapter, he begins to dictate letters to each church. Because the writing style is in this symbolic poetry, it is sometimes difficult to know what is literal and what is figurative. So I’m going to attempt to summarize what the letter says in direct language.
EPHESUS: FIRST LOVE
Send this message to the church in Ephesus: I am Jesus, the one who knows all churches well. I know that you are working hard and doing good. I know that you have tested false teachers and rejected them. You hate power-hungry leaders. I know that you have endured persecution, and you have not grown weary.
But I also know this: Even though you DO the right things, you don’t LOVE as you once did. Remember how you first loved me? Come back home! If you don’t change, you will lose your witness as a church, and within a few generations, your church will be gone.
Let everyone take this to heart: If you are faithful to the end, you will be blessed with eternal life.
SMYRNA: THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN
Send this message to the church in Smyrna: I am Jesus, the Eternal One, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions. I know your poverty. I know the slander that false Jews spread about you. They are a synagogue of Satan.
You are about to suffer, but don’t be afraid. Some of you will suffer in prison soon. The devil is testing you. Be faithful all the way to death, and you will be rewarded with victory.
Let everyone take this to heart: If you are faithful to the end, you will not be hurt at all by death.
PERGAMUM: CITY OF SATAN
Send this message to the church in Pergamum: I am Jesus, whose words cut like a sword. I know that you live in an evil city that is run by Satan. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even when a faithful witness of mine was put to death in your city, where Satan lives.
But I need to correct you in a few things: Some of your members copy the culture around you with idols and immorality. And some are power-hungry controllers. So repent! If you don’t, then my words will soon cut you like a sword.
Let everyone take this to heart: If you are faithful to the end, you will receive special secret gifts just for you, not known by anyone else.
THYATIRA: JEZEBEL
Send this message to the church in Thyatira: I am Jesus, who sees all and is pure power. I know your deeds. I know your love and faith. I know your service and perseverance. I know that you are doing more now than you did at first.
But I need to tell you what is wrong: You tolerate someone who is teaching false things. My servants are being led to immorality and idolatry. I have put up with it long enough. So I will punish the false teacher, and also all of their followers. Some will even die. Then all the churches will learn that I see all, and I repay each person according to what they have done.
For the rest of you, those who have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, I will not give you more burdens. Just hold on to what you have until I come.
If you are faithful to the end, you will receive true freedom and power, just as I received from my Father. You will be filled with hope. Let everyone take to heart this message from the Spirit to the churches!
That is the first four letters. In the next chapter, John will give three more. May we hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches, and may we know how to respond in our generation. Amen.
AUGUST 29 = REVELATION 1
READ TO THE END OF THE BOOK
I am married to someone who likes to jump to the end of a novel after the first few chapters. The suspense of wondering what will happen to the main characters is too much, and somehow knowing who is left standing at the end helps her to enjoy the story because she is less stressed while reading it.
In the same way, if you want to discuss the meaning of a book or a story, and you haven’t finished reading to the end, you are hard pressed to join in on the discussion, because you are pretty clueless as to what details are important elements, foreshadowing how it all resolves in the end.
Whether you jump ahead, or you plod your way through from beginning to the bitter end, it is important for you to read to the end of the book before you talk about it.
John has served the church well by writing this book, and those who placed it as the final book of the New Testament, understand well the significance of all that is in here. This is the book of Revelation. It contains what it means to “read to the end of the book.” It is, after all, dealing with the end of all things.
Here’s how John opens his book:
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”
Notice that the book is to be read aloud. And those who hear it are to take its message to heart, because the time is at hand. It was at hand 1900 years ago. Don’t you think the time would be even closer today? So let us give special attention to these words, and let us cooperate with God in ushering in “The End Game.”
The book of Revelation is written with a style of writing that is called apocalyptic literature. It is not meant to be interpreted literally, but is filled with symbols and metaphors, meant to unveil mysteries. The entire book is a long piece of balanced poetic art, explaining the news in images.
The very first scene provides an example of this style of writing. Some of the symbols are explained even as they appear, while others are left as the mysteries they are.
“I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit,
John was in the Spirit. I’m not sure what that means exactly. John was already worshiping, praying, meditating, and being filled with the Holy Spirit.
and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
Right from the start, even before John is taken up into heaven, the voice of Jesus is like a trumpet—loud and beautiful, impossible to ignore and easy to remember.
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
(Soon he explains that the seven lampstands are the seven churches that were just mentioned. A lampstand could be a reference to the menora in the Jewish temple, or just part of common life in the first century. In any case, a church is there to bring light to the community in which it is found
and among the lampstands was someone
Jesus dwells and moves among the churches.
like a son of man,
This was the title Jesus gave himself more than any other. Not just a man, but a son of man. The title comes from how God referred to the prophet Ezekiel in the Old Testament.
dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet
Not a common worker’s robe, but a royal robe of authority and wealth.
and with a golden sash around his chest.
Also royal and wealthy, but could be a pure heart of refined motives.
The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow,
Indicating the wisdom of eternity, that he would be so old and so wise.
and his eyes were like blazing fire.
They see all, and they bring conviction.
His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,
How lovely are the feet of those who bring good news. His feet are not dirty, not common, but purified, clean and supernaturally powerful.
and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
Not just a trumpet, but an overwhelming pink noise that causes everything else to fade into oblivion.
In his right hand he held seven stars,
We will see soon that these stars are the angels (better translated messengers) of the seven churches. That could refer to heavenly angels assigned to each congregation, or it might be more the evangelist or preacher from each.
and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.
This will be described later, as well. His words convict and judge, as well as to heal and separate thoughts and motives. Every word is powerful and effective to both wound and destroy (double-edged).
His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
He was holy and pure, enlightened and brilliant. He is the source of all light, and is one with the Creator, his Father.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
Perhaps he refers to being “slain in the Spirit” (as some call it). After all, John was already “in the Spirit” on the Lord’s day (the first day of the week, sometimes referred to as the “eighth day” of creation.) In any case, seeing an angel or God causes fear and humble worship, possibly even death to self and immediate repentance.
Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid.
As always, Jesus tells his frightened disciples not to be afraid. We are afraid because we become immediately aware that we are in the presence of the One who will judge us. But his response is always the same. Do not fear!
So this is the type of writing that John will employ throughout the book. It is not hard to grasp. But it is filled with imagery and symbolism. So hold on and get ready for a great ride through this marvelous book.
Let’s make sure we read it all the way to the end of the book. But just in case you want to take a peek, know that Jesus wins and we get to be his bride. It’s a good ending. Amen.
(Okay, as I was preparing to preach this week on the book of Jude, it was a temptation to somehow turn the points into a parody of the old song by the Beatles. I gave in to the temptation. At least I didn't sing it at church!)
HEY JUDE
Says Jude
Don’t be like Cain
He was jealous and killed his brother
The minute you let hatred into your heart
Then you can start to be a false teacher
Says Jude
Don’t be like this
Balaam’s greed to go and get more
The minute you sell out kindred or kin
Then you have sinned and you’re a false teacher
So any time you’re feeling cruel
Hey dude be cool
Don’t be like Korah in rebellion
For don’t you know that Moses can
Be God’s chosen man
God carries the world upon his shoulder
Says Jude
Help those who doubt
Snatching others out of the fire
To others show mercy mixed with fear
Then you can steer clear of those false teachers
AUGUST 28 = JUDE
HOW FALSE TEACHERS WORK
“Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.”
These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead.
When we take communion, we are one loaf, one cup, one body, and we share that unity with the symbols of our love feast. These false teachers come in as if they are one with us all. But they are out to bring followers for themselves, and they divide the church, rather than to be one.
They are shepherds, so they say. But the job of a shepherd is to protect and feed the flock under their care. Instead, these false shepherds feed themselves, not caring where the sheep are going.
They claim to water and feed those under their care But they bring no rain, and they produce no fruit.
These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
They complain about how things are in the church, or they find fault in the lives of those who should be their brothers and sisters. They have no self control and therefore no holiness as examples to follow. They talk themselves up and tell about good things they have done. And to whatever degree they are encouraging you, it could very easily be flattery in order to get you on their side.
I’m saying these people have no place taking leadership positions in a church. And yet they often work their way into such roles, and they have been doing it for 2000 years now.
So let’s see if we can be the first generation to recognize a false teacher BEFORE they gain a position in our congregation. And let us pray that God will protect his church.
Now let’s take a step back and see the three examples Jude uses to describe the heart of a false teacher:
I don’t want to try to list all of the possibly wrong doctrines. But to use the biblical examples Jude does to see what the wrong priorities of false teachers look like:
Woe to them!
Know this: It will not be good for false teachers in the judgment. If they know the truth but they decide to pursue something else for selfish reasons, the judgment will be sad indeed.
Jesus said woe to you while confronting the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. It’s about what will happen at the judgment that is the great tragedy for them. And that’s because in their own corruption they led others astray to face judgment as well. Talk about selfish! “I don’t want to obey God, so I’m going to make it easier for others to join me in disobeying him.”
They have taken the way of Cain;
CAIN’S BETTER IDEA
Cain brought an offering that was not accepted. His brother brought one that was. For the moment, ignore just what he brought, and let’s look at the response.
Cain is all pouty around the house. “His face was downcast.”
“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.””
It’s true, isn’t it? When we do wrong, jealousy and envy, in this case, are crouching at the door, looking to jump you when you are not paying attention. Temptation to sin desires to HAVE you—it is NOT in your best interest to be jealous and envious—but you must rule over it.
Did Cain listen to this good advice about choosing self-control and love instead of envy and revenge? No.
“Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.”
There was a premeditated plot. What kind of worshiper gets so competitive with his worship that he is willing to deceive a true worshiper in his family and kill him? “Let’s go play some ball! I’ll bring a shovel! Let’s go hunting, just you and me.” And I will kill you because God likes you more than me.
“There! Now, see what good it did you to do what God said now, brother! You lose!” And Cain buries his brother’s body so no one would find the evidence. And he walks back home to play the role of the innocent. It’s a big field, after all, and they’ll never find where I buried him. But he forgets that God can see all.
The Lord comes to Cain:
“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.””
Homeless. Prodigal son. No income. No welcome anywhere. Will you realize that you can come back home if you repent? But no, you’d rather die than to repent. You’d rather suffer in your pride than to humble yourself and live. So you wander like a restless wanderer on the earth for the rest of your long, 900 year life.
DISCUSSION: *WHAT CAN WE LEARN TO WATCH FOR IN A FALSE TEACHER LIKE CAIN?
they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error;
BALAAM’S BETRAYAL
Balaam is another example of a person who had conversations with God himself, but who chose to disobey. More accurately, to “selectively obey.” Just obey the parts that I agree with or that work for me.
If you are reading about Balaam in other passages of the Bible, you will see him delivering a powerful prophecy about the coming Messiah that is spot on. So God used Balaam to strengthen the faith of people many generations later.
But it is all the rest of Balaam’s behavior that leads Jude to categorize him as a false prophet. We will briefly cover those.
Balaam is a prophet, not an Israelite, but he is known for saying true things. That’s a bit uncomfortable for being able to trust him in the first place. He’s got a thriving business: PROPHECIES FOR A BUCK. You know, sort of like telling someone their horoscope, or rent a prophet for a child’s birthday. He says you’ll live to be a hundred and ten and you are going to marry someone in this room. If you do it right, parents are happy and no one can prove that you were wrong until you are long gone.
IN any case, he’s just hanging around the office when he is approached by a king of an enemy of Israel. The king wants Balaam to prophesy something bad about Israel as a nation. Says he’ll pay double if Balaam can deliver a true curse on those millions of Israelites camping in the valley.
Balaam looks up from the papers on his desk. These guys are well dressed, carrying a big bag of cash with them. They certainly seem to be legit. Balaam tells them this is a big job and that if they want him to speak against the God of Israel, he’s going to need to inquire before he goes. Stay overnight, and I’ll give you an answer in the morning.
That night, sure enough, the Lord shows up and talks to Balaam in a dream. God says, “don’t go with them.” Balaam hears it loud and clear. In the morning, he tells the messengers thanks for the offer, but no can do. The messengers disappointedly return to their king, and Balaam goes back to his work as a meteorologist. (There’s a lot of false prophecy in the weather predicting business, you know.)
The next day, the messengers are back again, with an even more generous offer. And now Balaam commits his first sin: He inquires again of the Lord, asking again a question that God already gave him a clear answer to.
The same is true for us today, by the way. Never go back to the Lord to ask the same question that he already answered. It’s like when you ask your parent about whether you can do a thing, and your parent says no. So you come back to them again the next day with the same question. Parents, what do you say when you are asked something like this? “Didn’t I already give you an answer yesterday? What do you THINK the answer is today? It is still a big ol’ NO!”
At which point, you likely bring up why today the circumstances are different. “Jimmy’s parents let him do it.” “I got a good grade on my report card and thought it might be my reward.” “But it’s a dumb rule, and you need to trust me.” And so we establish that we came back to ask the same thing because there’s a different factor that seems to make it okay. In Balaam’s case, he says, “But they are paying me twice as much! Think how much I can give to charity!” And God does what he does when we come back and ask a question that he already answered. He says, “Okay, you may go. But you may only say things that I will tell you.”
So Balaam answers his new friends, “God says I can go. But I’m only allowed to say what he tells me.” You know how this is going to turn out, don’t you? Because you know how it works for every child who has ever lived when they wear down a parent to get their reluctant permission. He’s going to undermine the Lord’s word somehow.
This is where Balaam’s most famous scene comes up, where his donkey talks to him. An angel is standing in the road, but Balaam doesn’t see it, because he, of course, is not on God’s wave length here. But his donkey sees the angel and is afraid. Balaam is really, really impatient with his donkey, as we get when we are outside of the will of God. And God speaks to Balaam through his donkey to repeat the conditions of what the prophet is allowed and not allowed to say. “Only speak what God tells you to speak, no more and no less.” And like the child he is, Balaam rolls his eyes and says “sigh! You already told me that. I already told you I’ll only say what you tell me to say, no more and no less.”
And so he arrives and the king offers him a great reward if he will curse Israel, and Balaam says he’d be glad to but he’s only allowed to say what God tells him. And Balaam proceeds to deliver that strong Messianic prophecy.
Now the king is really upset. “I thought i was paying for you to curse those Israelites! Instead, you bless them!” Balaam reminds him of the contract. And then Balaam gives advice that the Bible doesn’t record, except for right here.
Balaam takes the king aside and says, “God is going to bless them. I can’t stop that. But I can tell you how to defeat the Israelites. Get your women to go down there among them and intermarry, and when the Israelites have committed adultery and other sexual sins, and your idol worship has infiltrated their people, then Israel will no longer be protected by God. And that’s how you can defeat them. Can I get my money now?”
And it all happened, just aS Balaam had said.
He was a prophet who delivered a true prophecy. But he never belonged to the LORD, and he functioned as a false teacher, like these guys who had infiltrated the church.
A clock that has stopped is right twice a day. And a false teacher who is out for self, sooner or later, will stumble upon truth. But you cannot TRUST them.
DISCUSSION: *WHAT CAN WE LEARN TO WATCH OUT FOR IN FALSE TEACHERS LIKE BALAAM?
KORAH’S REBELLION
they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
This time we find a guy named Korah, who opposed Moses. He was tired of having Moses give all the laws and all the directions. And he was tired of going around in circles and having Moses be the only one who was hearing from God, with all the tough times they were facing. So, with about 250 others, they came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the rest of us?”
Moses said, “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy. So let’s all take censers with burning coals and incense before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites are the ones who have gone too far!”
“You Levites were separated by God himself to be set apart for him. Isn’t that enough? You are demanding too much now! Come tomorrow with incense before teh Lord, and we shall see who he accepts and who he rejects.”
As soon as Moses said that, the ground opened up beneath Korah and his household and all his followers, and they were swallowed up.
There is such a thing as an anointing from God. It is not based on talent, but on calling. Not on personality, but on spiritual gifting. And as David learned, do not touch the Lord’s anointed, even when the anointed one is imperfect.
DISCUSSION: *WHAT CAN WE LEARN ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS FROM KORAH?
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
THE SOLUTION FOR YOU:
BUILD YOURSELVES UP IN FAITH
PRAY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
KEEP YOURSELF IN GOD’S LOVE
WAIT FOR THE MERCY TO BRING YOU ETERNAL LIFE
Be merciful to those who doubt;
save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
THE SOLUTION FOR OTHERS:
BE MERCIFUL TO DOUBTERS
SNATCH OTHERS FROM THE FIRE
SHOW MERCY, MIXED WITH FEAR TO OTHERS
AUGUST 27 - 3 JOHN
OPENING AND CLOSING A LETTER
Any time you write a letter, or make a phone call, for that matter, your opening and closing statements are important. Your opening statement establishes a certain tone, and your closing is a chance to summarize and seal whatever you just said. Even though 3 John is a short letter, his opening and closing statements are powerful studies in starting and ending well.
Here’s what John writes:
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
Dear friend. First, John says what’s translated here as “dear friend.” As they say, you only get one chance at making a first impression. It is good to open any conversation with a moment that details your relationship and your feelings about the one to whom you are communicating.
I pray. I love this just as a greeting. But especially this is helpful for any prayerful person. The apostle Paul also opened letters by telling how he was constantly thanking God for someone in his prayers, and I wish that I could honestly make such a claim. But at the very least, I am able to say that I am praying right now for you as I write this letter, that is a good idea.
Good health. John prays that you may enjoy good health. This is not specific about healing some malady, but it is still a good thing to pray that someone will be healthy, and that they will enjoy it!
All may go well. Then John adds “and that all may go well with you.” This is a more general blessing that could include your business, your family, your church and ministry and neighbors and all aspects of your life.
Even as your soul. This is my favorite part of it. Just as I pray for your health and other aspects of your life, so I name your spiritual health equally. Assuming that you, my friend, are walking with the Lord an enjoying your soul’s getting along well.
I think this is such a good opening, that fairly often I will open a letter to a biblically literate friend with the simple greeting 3 John 2.
It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Great joy is mentioned twice here. I heard a positive report about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it, and it brought me great joy. In fact, nothing brings me more joy than to know that my investment in someone’s spiritual life has continued to bear fruit. So many disciples fall away or become distracted that it is refreshing to hear of faithfulness.
Then we come to the end of the letter, and John does the same sort of thing as he did elsewhere. He leaves the closing open, if you will, by projecting to a time when they will meet in person. Here’s how he says it:
I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
There’s so much I want to say, but putting it in writing is not the best way to do so. So I am closing this letter to say I’m not closing because you don’t mean much to me, but because you mean so much to me that I will come to you and see you in person.
Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.
Peace to you. I am convinced that there is no more powerful thing to say to someone as an opening or closing blessing than to say “peace of Christ to you.” Jesus is the prince of peace, and he came to bring us peace with God. So I say it as if I could give it to you by my words.
Send their greetings. It’s always nice when someone comes and says so and so sends their greetings or their love. You represent not just yourself, but in a sense you bear that other person along with you to the common friend.
Greet the friends. Likewise, you do the same as you love having done. If you see anyone there who knows me, tell them I send my greetings.
By name. It is a mark of honor and of love to use someone’s name. It is good for me to use the names of others as I speak to them, even if I am just greeting them for someone else. They are never just a face in a crowd. Remember Moses? God calls to him from the burning bush, specifically using his name, even though Moses is the only person there to hear it.
It turns out, God knows your name, too. Amen.
AUGUST 26 = 2 JOHN
GRACE MERCY AND PEACE
Before we talk about anything spiritual, it is. . .
Trivia time! We have come upon a unique phenomenon for the first time here in 2 John. There is only one chapter, which causes confusion when citing a verse. Traditionally, for example, you would cite verse 13 as being 2 John 13. And since no chapter numbers are needed, it’s clear that you are referring to the 13th verse. But I’m noticing that most of the Bible reading software is being programmed to clarify that it is 2 John 1:13, in order to be more clear, or to help the computers know that a verse always comes after a colon.
Anyway, let’s now cover the entire book of 2 John.
The letter here must have been written at about the same time as 1 John, as he says many of the same things in it. But here are a few of the poignant phrases from this letter:
“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. . .
This is as full a greeting as we will find in any New Testament book. The author blesses his readers with these spiritual blessings, which God has already given to us:
Grace. Paul often opened letters with “grace to you.” This is what anyone needs most, isn’t it? We don’t need justice or revenge, we don’t need fairness. We imperfect people need a perfect and holy God to offer us grace. He empowers us by his amazing grace, which teaches our hearts to fear and then our fears relieves.
Mercy. Paul often began most of his letters with “grace and peace to you,” but John has added this subtle distinction of mercy. As with grace, mercy is what we need most from God. To make a distinction between grace and mercy, mercy is God withholding punishment that we deserve, and grace is giving favor that we didn’t earn. And mercy is what he desires from us. May we show others the mercy that we know ourselves to have received. May mercy fall down in showers around you and cover you, drenching your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.
Peace. Peace with God. Peace with one another. The angels pronounced peace on earth, goodwill toward men at Jesus’ birth. Reconciling God and man is what he came to earth to do. In the midst of stress and anxiety, in the face of persecution and rebellion, while wars and rumors of wars swirl around us, may we know the peace that passes understanding.
From God the Father. Jesus was the first to use the term “father” for God. And the church has followed that practice. In fact, Jesus often called his Father the more intimate term, “Abba,” or Daddy. We recognize that grace, mercy and peace are ultimately gifts given from him, the father of lights.
And from Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the means by which God the Father delivered those gifts of grace, mercy and peace. And so John makes a distinction to say, not just a general “God bless you,” but much more specifically, “God the Father and Jesus Christ” grant you grace, mercy and peace. Maybe try saying that to someone next time they sneeze. Let me know how that works for you, by the way.
The Father’s Son. A beautiful completion of the relationship between Jesus and his heavenly Father. Now we are perfectly clear, and theologically, this is a part of what John has been warning us about–that some say Jesus did not come in the flesh, or that he was not the son of God. Can’t be much more clear.
Will be with us in truth. The act of blessing someone is much more of an action than we usually think in our culture. See how John declares that these things he just said “will be with us” in truth? I tend to say, “I hope you get better.” But John might say, “The Lord heal you and restore you, in the name of the Father and the Son.” And because of that, it’s like he did exactly that already, because of the faith by which it was declared.
And love. These things that he said will be with us in truth. But also in love. Remember how John writes in a circle that connects faith and love and obedience. He then combines “in truth” and “love.” They are inextricably linked, faith and love. I suppose because God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son for our salvation. So when we find him, we find love.
May you know faith, hope and love this day and always. Amen.
AUGUST 25 = 1 JOHN 5
One of the clear marks of John’s writing is circular unfolding of ideas, and the repeat of themes. It’s one of the ways that we can be certain that both the gospel and these three letters are written by the same author. Revelation carries some of those characteristics, as well. These circles are poetic in style, and often revolve around the words faith (belief, know), love (both God and other people) and obey.
Chapter five provides one of these beautiful poetic circles. Let’s follow it and see what the Lord would teach us from it today.
FAITH LEADS TO LOVE:
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.”
LOVE LEADS TO OBEY
“This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.
OBEY BY FAITH
And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”
John wrote it elsewhere, and we are wise to hear it: When we believe that Jesus is literally God in flesh, then we have come to realize that God loves us. That brings us to love God in return, and to love others as well. Then, if we love God, we will do what he tells us to do. So faith leads to love, which brings us to obey. And God’s command is for us to believe, so when we obey him, it brings us back around to faith.
There is much more in this chapter, including this reiteration from chapter four that faith is the victory that overcomes the world.
But what I’d like to zero in on is John’s closing sentence, which is such a great slogan for us all to live by. I have written it and put it in my office for some years, because I think the applications are surprisingly abundant. John says,
“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.”
Know that John is writing this out of love, not out of legalistic bullying. He calls us “dear children,” just as he calls himself “the elder.” So this is Grandpa giving us life advice in a sentence—the most important thing he can close with.
What does he say we are to do? Keep ourselves from idols. Idols are everywhere. They tempt us every day. I don’t mean statues of people or false gods in the traditional sense. Modern culture doesn’t fall for that kind of superstitious mumbo-jumbo, thinking there is some invisible spiritual power out there that we can all tap into if we just touch the right thing and say the words. Or, maybe that is all around us, but because there isn’t a statue, we don’t see it as an idol.
Or what about the rise of superstars in the last generation or two? Sports heroes? Movie stars. Musical artists? Because of our access to media, celebrities are made almost overnight. And because wealth comes with such fame, we focus even more on the lifestyles of the rich and famous. John says to keep ourselves from such false gods as wealth and fame.
Have we as a society made idols out of science? Self-expression? Medications? Church? Entertainment? Education? (That one just got too close to home!) Possessions? Health? Psychology? The earth? Self-help? Money? The list goes on and on. Can you see how each of those things—for that matter, literally anything or anyone on earth—can become idols if we are not careful to keep ourselves from them?
Idols can be man made institutions or structures, which we treat with such reverence as to be sacred. They could be holidays or traditions. We can make an idol out of a hobby or a favorite vacation spot.
Perhaps a question to ask ourselves is whether we let anything get in the way of our Bible reading or devotions. Or anything that causes us to doubt our faith. Or sources that place bad words in our minds that come popping out when we are under pressure.
As you can see, I think there are many idols in our midst, and just because we don’t bow down to statues doesn’t mean we aren’t surrounded by idolatry. But because it is in disguise, we can easily miss seeing it.
So I will close by saying to you, dear brothers and sisters, keep yourselves from idols.
AUGUST 24 = 1 JOHN 4
TEST THE SPIRITS
It seems to have been regular practice in the early church for two or three prophets to speak, or you might say for two or three members to prophesy. Most house churches did not have a full-time paid preacher, as we might expect today. And following synagogue practice, they would have a more open teaching tradition.
Given that culture of open-pulpit teaching, it is no surprise that the early church would have a challenge in letting those people speak. The problem is, sometimes a person would speak words from the Holy Spirit, and right after that person, another could speak and contradict or give false teaching. And without a New Testament to measure such teaching, it was a special challenge to recognize when someone might be a false teacher or false prophet.
That might provide a context for John’s instruction here:
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
John’s instruction is still valid for today, of course. People say they have a word from the Lord for you, and you hear them out. But just saying that it is a word from the Lord don’t make it so, ya know. Sometimes, people will use a so-called revelation as their excuse and means of manipulating others.
I have a joke that I think of from time to time, but have almost never actually said it. It goes like this: “I was praying for you yesterday, and I think you should…” It’s too subtle to say it out loud, really. But the joke is that I “imply” that God told me something, simply because I mentioned praying for you. But the punch line actually says, “I think you should.”
But what I am saying is this exact practice. If I say what I think, nobody listens to me. If I say that God told me this or that, then they are not just ignoring me; they are ignoring God himself!
So, John says, we need to test every spirit. Every teaching. Every sermon. Every announcement. And especially future-predicting prophecies. You can’t prove that it won’t happen, until it does or doesn’t. So we must test the spirits.
But how do we test the spirits?
“This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, …”
Of course, our primary test for any new prophet is to compare the teaching with the words of Scripture. God does not contradict himself. He doesn’t change. If it is not true in Scripture, it simply cannot be true in our present day.
The test that John directs is whether the person who is speaking acknowledges Jesus Christ as being God. That’s a good starting point.
The idea that all roads lead to heaven is quite attractive, especially if you want to attract a lot of people to your message. You can even say that Jesus was a great teacher, or that Jesus was one of the messiahs or prophets who have come along over the years. It sort of sounds like you are in agreement that Jesus is significant, and you are not against his message.
You can even refer to the “spirit of Jesus” being in various contemporary prophets who continue in his general ways. But in truth, you don’t believe that Jesus is THE son of God, come in the flesh, who died for our sins and rose again, and is the ONLY way to salvation. Now, THAT is a very limited message that does not win you friends and a wide following.
but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
This is a powerful negative test, just as John had just given a powerful positive test. Jesus is THE truth. He is THE way. He is THE life. No one comes to the Father but through him. That’s pretty exclusive. And anyone who does not share in that message as part of their belief system is simply not from God. Do not listen any further. Reject that teaching and move on.
This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
The antichrist is a single figure who is going to make an appearance in the book of Revelation. In this case, John is referring to “the spirit of” the antichrist. In other words, the person’s heart is against Jesus Christ, the message that they bring is contrary to that of Jesus, the center of their doctrine is opposed to Christ. You know he is coming. But there are many already in the world today. Beware!
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
This is a phrase that is one of the better known ones in the Bible: Greater is the one who is in you than the one who is in the world. That’s good to know when we are being tempted. It’s also good to know when our teaching or our message is being resisted or opposed by another. Jesus and his Spirit in you is greater than the spirit of the antichrist which comes and fills lots of people around you.
There is one more verse in this chapter that I want to mention, because it is only found here:
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
I heard it explained in a way that has affected me for many years now: There are two basic emotions: love and fear. We can do everything from the motive of fear. We won’t be at peace, but we will be scared into doing the right things. But if we do what we do out of a motive of love, it drives away the fear that we once had. Because perfect love drives out fear.
Next time you are not content, ask yourself if you are experiencing fear in some way. Then choose love. Follow Jesus to see how to do that. You will find that the motive of perfect love wins over fear, every time. Amen.
AUGUST 23 = 1 JOHN 3
HOW WE KNOW THAT WE BELONG
On Sundays, we gather and we sing and we declare that we belong to a kingdom that is not of this world. Yet, on the weak days, many of us have lingering doubts about our standing before God. Maybe it feels like we’re not good enough, or that we don’t pray enough. Maybe it’s been years since we invited someone else to be saved. Maybe that’s because we’re not so sure it’s for everyone. Including, perhaps, ourselves.
Today, John is going to tell us how to know that we belong to the truth and how we can set our hearts at rest in his presence. Does that sound like a good thing to know?
“This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:
Great! Tell us, John, how do we know for certain that we belong to the truth? How do we once and for all set our hearts at rest in God’s presence?
If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Thank you, John. I think I just heard you say that if my heart doesn’t condemn me, I am in the clear.
But, wait a minute! Or are you saying that we know we belong only if our hearts don’t condemn us? If so, that is not of much help.
Let me get the whole sentence here. Is John saying even if we feel condemned in our hearts, that is not relevant, because it’s not a matter of our own judgment, but of God’s judgment of us? That sounds better. But how do I know if God condemns me or not?
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, …
This sounds helpful. If my heart does not condemn me, then I am confident that when I ask God to forgive me, he will do it. Are there any conditions we need to know that might limit this wonderful free pass?
“…because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. …”
Oh, no! This doesn’t seem helpful at all! My heart doesn’t condemn me because I keep his commands and I do what pleases him? Now I truly despair, because I know that no has kept the ten commandments, and my holiest days are still full of disobedience and sin. I’m back to confusion again. What commands is he talking about?
“And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them.”
There apparently is just one or two commands that John is actually talking about here. Believe in Jesus. Love one another. In other words, my good standing with God is not based on me doing good things, but in accepting the free gift of forgiveness that comes from his Son, Jesus Christ. I nearly gave up when I was just covering these verses one sentence at a time. But now I think I’m seeing what John is saying: I know that I at right with God because I trust in the blood of Jesus to cover me. So now how my heart feels is no more of an issue. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!
And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”
So, we come to the bottom line of this matter of knowing that you know that you know that you are right with God: Listen to the Spirit that He gave you. The Spirit will tell you that you belong because you believe. The Spirit will tell you that you are not perfect, and you never were, but you have taken God at his word and put your trust in him. The Spirit will tell you that he is God’s gift to you, not something that you earned by being good enough.
The fact that the Spirit is there speaking in the first place tells us that he lives in us. Otherwise, we would have no comfort, for the Spirit is the comforter. We would have no help, for the Spirit is the helper. We would have no counsel from God, for the Spirit is the counselor. The Spirit is the one who distributes spiritual gifts from the Father and who makes him known to our hearts.
So, I know that I belong because the Spirit confirms that I am right with God. I am trusting in the blood of Jesus. That’s all I can do. That’s all I need to do. I am his, and he is mine, forever.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! Amen.
AUGUST 22 = 1 JOHN 2
ATONEMENT
How could God do all of this forgiving? Especially considering that he is just, how can his justice be served by a simple confession? For that, we jump to chapter 2.
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
1 John 2:1-2 NIV
Jesus is our advocate with the Father. Like our defense attorney, he represents our interests before the Father. He can do that, first of all, because he is THE…RIGHTEOUS…ONE. The only person who was ever sinless. He earned a voice with his Father on our behalf.
But there’s more to it than that. Jesus is the ATONING SACRIFICE for our sins. As with the Old Testament animals, offered as a sacrifice to bear the sin of people in their innocence, and by their blood to pay the price of death that was owed by the sinful person. It was ATONEMENT. You can break the word down to AT-ONE-MENT. We become reconciled to God, made at one again, by the blood of Jesus. That was the role of the sacrifice he made for us. It’s like we were given the death penalty for our crime, but Jesus volunteered to die in our place. That satisfies the court, and we are at one with the ones who determine guilt.
But it’s not just us, the Jews, or the lifelong believers, or the good people. It is the sins of the WHOLE WORLD. There is no person too far enslaved, no sin too deep, no person irretrievable. Jesus did the work of his death to cover every sin for all history by every soul on earth.
And THAT, my friends, is GOOD NEWS! John said it all, starting with the BIG picture, and then going into small specific details. And now it is your turn to tap into that good news. It can be as fast as turning around, which is the word ‘repent’. It can be as simple as confessing your sins to someone. It can be as simple as being dunked in the water—we call that word baptized—to show that you are renouncing your life and becoming born again into Jesus Christ. And then you are in the family of the forgiven, the pure, the reconciled. How does that sound to you? And now, here is water, what keeps you from being baptized?
AUGUST 21 = 1 JOHN 1
WALKING IN THE LIGHT
The apostle John wrote starting with the big picture and then got to the particular details. Peter sort of wrote the other way around, starting with the practical application and then providing the big context to explain the WHY behind the WHAT. But John, his gospel begins with “In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God and the word was God.” It doesn’t get more big picture than that.
John’s first epistle opens in quite a similar way:
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.”
And soon John is declaring the big picture gospel.
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”
What does this mean that God is light? Remember back at creation, before it all started, darkness (which is a lack of light) hung over the face of the earth. Then God spoke, “Let there be light.” And light became, and God saw that the light was good, and he sided with the light. He identifies himself with the light, rather than the lack of light known as darkness.
Light then has to do with purity. Knowledge. Clear motives. Holiness. Truth. This is where God dwells. With whom there is no darkness at all.
“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.”
You cannot walk with God and have secrets, live a lie, be impure, give way to temptation, or any other human impurity, because God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
There are some who claim to know God. But their personal lives are filled with things that they would be ashamed of if they were to stand before the judgment seat of God.
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
This single verse of Scripture is one of the most packed verses in the Bible. Several details from this verse:
- We are to walk in the light, as he is in the light. Openness, faith, holiness, truth, and love. This is our calling. Don’t pretend you are already there, and so deceive yourself.
- Now, what does it mean to walk in the light? Does it mean that you live a perfect, sinless life? No. I’m afraid we still live on a fallen planet. It can be illustrated this way: walking IN the light really means you are walking TOWARD the light. On the moon, did you know that your shadow is absolute, because there is no atmosphere to dissipate light there. So if you are walking on the moon, make sure you are not walking toward your shadow at any given moment, because you will not be able to see whatever obstacles might be in your way. Instead, you always walk away from your shadow and toward the sun. I say this to say that walking in the darkness is not just a matter of being on the wrong side of the planet; it is facing the wrong direction wherever you are. So what’s the solution to walking in the darkness? Turn around! Walk in the direction of the light. The Bible word for turn around is REPENT! That’s what it means to walk in the light.
- We have fellowship with one another. Our relationships with each other are a major benefit of belonging to Christ. He teaches us by his spirit to love perfectly.
- And the blood of Jesus purifies us. Take note: we are not brought into right standing with God by the ethical teachings of Jesus, or by trying to imitate and follow him, or by his everlasting love. We are brought into relationship with the Father through the blood.
- Jesus’ blood purifies us from all sin. Well, not all sin, of course. No? Really? ALL sin? We’re not 85% clean before the Lord? A B+ in holiness this week.
- And notice this: his blood PURIFIES us. That is a present tense verb, which in Greek is a continuous action participle. In other words, a better translation of this would be “the blood of Jesus is continually purifying us from every kind of sin.” I’m saying that as a Christian you can’t stack two sins back to back, because as soon as you do the first, it is already forgiven. THAT’S good news!
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
1 John 1:8 NIV
We are back to the denial stage of repentance. Rather than turning around as we walk away from the light, we simply deny that we have a shadow, or that there are obstacles in our way. I’m good enough, we say. That’s because we compare ourselves to other people we know, and we think we stack up pretty well. But if we begin to think or to say that we have no sin in our lives, we are lying to ourselves. Instead, we must do as verse 9 says:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9 NIV
It’s another of those exceedingly rich verses, packed with meaning.
- We confess our sins. Not just we realize we are not without sin. No, we say it. Out loud. To someone. This is a time for humble confession, not generalizations.
- What’s more, we confess our own sins. Not someone else’s. And no excuses. I sinned, because someone made it hard for me, or I accidentally made a misjudgment, or I was angry and so I did something wrong. I sinned.
- Also notice that we confess SINS not just a sin. Our many sins we begin to list, starting with the worst ones that bring you the most shame. Go ahead and start your list. God has all the time in the world.
- God is faithful and just. He is both of those qualities, which is important. He is faithful to you. He will not turn away from you because that particular sin was too bad for him. No. He is faithful to you. He is also just, meaning that he always does what is right, rather than ignoring justice. And a just God sees the blood of Jesus, not an unforgivable sin. And the blood covers every sin. Every one. Therefore, God holds no grudges and never has a bad day.
- He forgives us our sins. It is forgiven. Forgotten. Tomorrow you do the same sin again, and you come to him and say, “Remember that sin I did yesterday? I did it again.” And God replies, “what sin?”
- And as before notice he forgives our SINS, not just the one that we are confessing at the moment. He doesn’t have some checklist to say I’ll forgive the first three, but not that next one.
- And he will purify us from all unrighteousness. Remember how just two verses ago the word “purify” was in present tense, being a continuous action? This time we see the word purify, but it is in aorist tense. We don’t really have aorist tense in English, but that tense is like a snapshot that happens right now—oops! Now it is in past tense. As the present tense becomes past tense, it has this moment. We are passing a sign on the highway…right…NOW…now we have passed it and it is behind us. This is a marvelous distinction for us, as great as the last continuous purifies us was good news. In this case, God will purify us. He’s doing it…now it’s done. Never to be done again. It is always past. You are purified before God. And NOW you are still purified. And NOW…same thing. It is not a long process. It is a snapshot.
- And need I point out that the purification is of ALL unrighteousness? There is no sin too bad to be purified. No sin. We need not be ashamed; once we have confessed and the blood of Jesus has covered us, we are clean of even the worst of the worst. Amen.
AUGUST 20 = 2 PETER 3
JUST ONE MORE
I guess it is time to address this important topic again. It seems that Jesus, Paul, Peter and others in the New Testament declare that the coming of the Lord is at hand. These are the last days. The great and dreadful day of the Lord. The end of all things.
But then, even back in Peter’s day, there were doubters who came along, saying, “Where is this coming he promised?” They say, “Everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” And still today, we all wonder what happened to the coming that seemed to be so much at hand. How is this whole thing going to end? More importantly, when will it happen? And what, exactly, should we expect it to look like?
Indeed, why has that day that was so expected not happened? If the return of Jesus is any day now, why have we continued to count the days one at a time for all these thousands of years now? Did God forget? Did the prophets hear wrong? Is God actually in control of history? The doubts creep in and take hold.
In the midst of those doubts and questions, Peter gives this advice:
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.
This is probably the first thing for us to keep in mind: God is eternal, and an entire millennium is like a single day to him. So he is not confused, and he does not grow impatient, drumming his fingers on his desk as he tries to figure out how to solve the puzzle yet again. His reactions have not slowed over the years, so that he can’t make a decision. Something else must be at play.
Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. . . . “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, . . . ”
This is an amazing and beautiful truth. Could it be that God has been ready to pull the plug on history, but the reason it has not yet happened is because he is waiting on someone who is just on the verge of repentance? Though he has been waiting to execute justice and judgment against evil, he loves its victims too much to drop the hammer on the universe? Could it be that one soul is worth, not just more than many sparrows, but more than the entire world?
Two thousand years have come and gone—in heaven, just two days—
Generations come and go on earth—in heaven, it’s unchanged
But now the Judge has seen enough—he’s standing at the door
The patience of a holy God will bear his wrath no more
He signals to his captain, who gives the victory sign
Ten thousand soldiers draw their swords and mount their steeds to ride
The Lamb, who’s seated on the throne now stands to take his bride
Anticipating long this day to bring her to his side
He’s seen too much of war and hate, too much of sin and death
He readies for the signal as all heaven holds its breath
And as the trumpet starts to sound to give the victory cry
Again the Father raised his hand and a tear comes to his eye
As he says,
“Wait!
Just one more.
Let just one more precious child come home to call me Lord.
Let just one more person hear I’m not willing one should perish
So wait—wait for
Just one more
For two thousand years I’ve waited to avenge this world of blood
But two thousand years of waiting can’t decrease a Father’s love
There’s a soul that’s in the balance, one I’ve loved enough to win
I’m not willing one should perish, so let’s wait again for him
And wait…
Wait for…
Just one more…
One more…
Just one more.
FREEDOM
(Coming upon this Scripture in 1 Peter reminded me of a song I wrote and recorded back in 1980, when I was in college. So I pulled it out and recorded it, to be included with this day's podcast.)
Trapped in an empty world of people running after nothing
For the fate of every man is to die
So let’s fill our cups and drink our wine
And make the best use of the time we have
For tomorrow we may all die
And you want freedom, like a bird in flight
You want to fly on the wing and go off into the night
But by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved
Enslaved
And how far do you have to go to reach the end? And hey, where you going?
And when you reach the end will it be that happy end you’re looking for?
And if you find the way will you let me know that day you find real peace inside?
Cause until that day I’m going stay here by God’s side
‘Cause I’ve got freedom like a bird in flight
And I can fly on the wing and go off into the night
And by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.
So I’m enslaved.
But Jesus is the truth, and the truth will make you free
Like a bird on the wing or a sunset symphony
And if we come to him, his gift is free
And if the Son has set you free, you’re free indeed
And, it’s the strangest thing I’ve ever heard: a happy servant
How can a man enslaved be free and at peace with his lord?
AUGUST 19 = 2 PETER 2
WE ARE ALL ENSLAVED
False teachers had infiltrated the church, and Peter gave a clear warning about them, going into quite some detail about the false teachers and their coming demise. One of the central false teachings was apparently a kind of grace-covers-all freedom. In reaction to Jewish laws, the false teachers swing the pendulum the other direction and proclaim that since we are not saved by works or by law, there is no standard for holiness. We are free!
It is into this moment that we step here.
“They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”
Doesn’t “freedom” sound like good news? We are free to do whatever we want, with whomever we choose, and there is no guilt, no shame, no condemnation. Who wouldn’t like to have that kind of freedom? It sounds like an adolescent youth who is breaking free from parental control.
Only one problem with that kind of freedom. There is no such thing. Much as we might want to imagine being totally free from guilt and being controlled by rules and laws, the truth is that we cannot avoid being controlled. It is a simple law of life.
Let’s say, for example, that you want to use your freedom to self medicate with some mood-enhancing drug. You buy some, you take it, and you relish in your freedom, as you feel sheer pleasure for the first time in a long time. But then you come back down. Now you have to buy more. But it doesn’t feel quite the same, so you find that your body has built a tolerance for the drug, and it takes more and more of it to produce less and less results. You are now officially an addict. That means you are a slave to what you have given your life over to do.
“By what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.” That is the law of life that cannot be broken. If you are overcome by sexual fantasies, or by binge-watching some show, or by anything that might be a relatively-innocent habit, then you are enslaved by whatever it is.
Your short cut in life that you imagine makes you the exception to the rules only goes to prove that you can’t break the rules. Speed limits are for others? Eat whatever you want? Relax and let others do the work for you? Always speak your mind? Sooner or later, such a false teaching becomes clear to everyone, including yourself.
Peter says this about those who are trying to be right with God but who are living for the world:
If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.”
The unbreakable law of life also applies to being a follower of Jesus, by the way. By whatever you are overcome, by this you are enslaved. If we are overcome by Jesus, so that he becomes lord of our life, then we are enslaved by him and his Spirit. By definition, a lord is over a slave, of course.
And yet, Jesus promises freedom. He says that he is the truth. He says the truth will set us free. And so we reach a paradox: the one who thought he was free is enslaved, and the one who willingly enslaves himself is free.
Trapped in an empty world of people running after nothing
For the fate of every man is to die
So let’s fill our cups and drink our wine
And make the best use of the time we have
For tomorrow we may all die
And you want freedom, like a bird in flight
You want to fly on the wing and go off into the night
But by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved
Enslaved
And how far do you have to go to reach the end? And hey, where you going?
And when you reach the end will it be that happy end you’re looking for?
And if you find the way will you let me know that day you find real peace inside?
Cause until that day I’m going stay here by God’s side
‘Cause I’ve got freedom like a bird in flight
And I cal fly on the wing and go off into the night
And by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.
So I’m enslaved.
But Jesus is the truth, and the truth will make you free
Like a bird on the wing or a sunset symphony
And if we come to him, his gift is free
And if the Son has set you free, you’re free indeed
And, it’s the strangest thing I’ve ever heard: a happy servant
How can a man enslaved be free and at peace with his lord?
AUGUST 18 = 2 PETER 1
BECOMING EFFECTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE
Today we arrive at the second epistle of Peter, once again written to the church at large, rather than to a particular congregation. Therefore, the letter is known by the name of the author, rather than the location or name of the recipient. And, true to his form in the first letter, Peter is very practical and mature in his advice.
Remember, Peter is in prison in Rome, knowing that he will soon be executed by the emperor Nero. We are still prior to the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, but clearly things are not going well for believers in Jesus. Yet Peter is so completely convinced of the divinity of Jesus and the reality of the resurrection that he unflinchingly writes encouraging words of hope and love.
Remember, as well, Peter is an older man now, and as such he has gained some of the wisdom that comes from experience in the ways of the Lord. So when Peter talks about maturity, and when he talks about being effective and productive, we would be wise to learn from him. So, let us sit at the feet of this godly saint, this personal eyewitness, and learn from the Spirit who guides his writing.
“For this very reason, …
What is the reason? It is because God has given us everything we need for a godly life, and he has given us very great and precious promises, so that we may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world. Because of our deliverance and our available tools, Peter is giving us the next step.
“…make every effort to add to your faith …”
Don’t just do this halfway. Make every effort. Maturity does not come automatically. This is a top priority to reach your potential in Christ. So you believe in Christ. Now add to your faith these qualities:
“…goodness; …”
Do you know anyone who you would say is a “good” person? What does that mean to you? Honesty? Integrity? Love? Care for others? Responsibility? They are a good person. This is what we are to add to our faith. Becoming a good person. Doing what’s right. Speaking rightly. Loving truly. Serving well. Make every effort to become good.
“…and to goodness, knowledge; …”
Make every effort to add knowledge to your goodness. Notice that knowledge does not come first. First comes faith, then character. As we grow, we make sure that we are centered in truth, not just in good intentions. Now we study Scripture. We read books. We learn the facts and memorize the words. We learn the ways of the Lord.
“…and to knowledge, self-control;…”
Remember how self-control was the primary focus for young men, as well as being part of the agenda for all the other groups? Be sure as you grow in doctrine that you don’t become one of “those” Christ followers, with easy answers and quick judgment of others. Or that you are a person whose beliefs are not matched by their behavior. It takes self-control to keep your temper, to watch your tongue, to curb your desires, to say no to your flesh. So make every effort to add self-control to your life.
“… and to self-control, perseverance; …”
Especially in that era of persecution, the quality of perseverance was essential. But it is true today just as well. We have been adding qualities to our faith, not one quality at a time, but adding each one to the stack that we already have. That means that it is necessary to not give up or give in, but to keep persevering in our every effort. Others will not like what we are becoming. Some will oppose the truth. We will grow tired of the work it takes to be making every effort to attend to our spiritual lives. All of this takes a large amount of perseverance.
“…and to perseverance, godliness; …”
I think of godliness and goodness as being pretty much the same. But they are listed separately, so one must be more mature and challenging than the other. Godliness is being like God, and all that his character demonstrates to us. Being godly is being loving, just, wise, controlled, generous, and holy. And the standard for godliness, of course, is God himself. So all qualities of godliness are on an infinite scale. So it is understandable that we need to make every effort to add godliness to our lives.
“…and to godliness, mutual affection; …”
We do not stop in our spiritual growth merely focused on self, no matter how godly we might become. The true mark of maturity is love. Make no mistake about it. The Greek word used here has to do with familial love, or the love between good friends. We mutually care for each other. We don’t just tolerate, but we enjoy. We know each other. We keep no secrets, but freely confess our sins to each other. We are available to help each other with our time, our finances, and our considerateness. We speak well of each other in front of others. We speak no unkind words, and we do nothing selfishly. This is a tall order, but it is a mark of maturity in Christ.
“…and to mutual affection, love.”
Did he just say mutual affection? Now he says love! This is a different word in Greek. It is the sacrificial word for love, agape. It is the love that Christ always used. It is more than affection, it is sacrifice. More than caring, it is serving. It is considering others to be more than family or friends, but to be above your own self. As we noted just above, love is the true mark of Christian maturity. When we learn to love, we have begun to become like Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for a friend.
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
And there it is. This is the list of seven characteristics of an effective and productive follower of Jesus. But note that we have not “arrived” when we have completed the list. They are to be our qualities “in increasing measure.” So we never stop adding all of these to our lives.
One more thing to notice here is that Peter used what we might call the “full name” of Jesus: The Lord Jesus Christ. He is “our.” We have chosen to follow and identify with him. He is “Lord.” The master and authority and boss of all there is. He is “Jesus.” The name means Jehovah is Salvation. He is “Christ.” That is to say he is the anointed one, the promised Messiah (the Hebrew word, rather than Greek “Christ.”)
May you and I possess these qualities in increasing measure, and may we be effective and productive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
AUGUST 17 = 1 PETER 5
GREETINGS FROM BABYLON
Here in the final chapter of 1 Peter, we find some important instructions about elders who serve as shepherds, and various other instructions. But I’d like to focus on some small details from this chapter. For every word of Scripture is God breathed and profitable for our lives.
So here are a few choice sayings in this chapter:
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
I don’t know about you, but I am much more aware of the word “anxiety” in people’s lives the last few years. Anxiety is a psychological condition, something that needs counseling, or medication, or both. Anxiety is a natural response to difficult circumstances that are out of our control. It is some sort of combination of worry and fear, and we fix it by taking more control of our surroundings.
On the other hand, perhaps anxiety is really a spiritual problem, or a result of weak theology. According to Peter, you can resolve anxiety, not by taking more control, but by giving up control and handing the reins over to God.
And it’s all of your anxiety, Peter says. Not just the emergencies, and not just the daily little things, but all of it.
How can you do such a thing? By knowing a very important truth: That he cares for you. That’s why I say some anxiety could be the result of bad theology. If my understanding of God is that he cares for me, in every little detail and major hurdle, then I can trust him to cast all my anxiety on him.
A friend of mine in ministry was worried about various things going on in his church. He couldn’t sleep at night, because he kept trying to resolve people’s problems in his head. Finally, he realized that he could just hand all those matters over to God to let him hold them, since God was going to be up all night anyway. He never had problems with anxious thoughts keeping him awake after that.
The other little detail that I want to point out is Peter’s final greetings.
“She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.”
Who did Peter say is in Babylon? She. “She” is the church, the bride of Christ. Peter had opened by addressing his letter to “God’s elect, exiles scattered abroad.” But Peter is writing now from Rome, the capitol of the Roman Empire, a city known for its pagan and idolatrous ways. Peter had described the lifestyles of such people elsewhere in his letter. Here, he only needs to allude to a powerful capitol city of a people who conquered Israel and took her people to captivity there. So the church is scattered abroad, but there in Rome is a congregation of people who are held in captivity.
And where is Babylon? It was an ancient city in Mesopotamia that had been destroyed almost seven centuries before Peter’s letter. It represented all that is corrupt and antichrist, going all the way back to the Tower of Babel and through the attacks on the nation of Israel.
Why would Peter refer to “she” and “Babylon,” rather than to say the church in Rome sends greetings? Because Peter was imprisoned there in Rome, and the guards would check any letters to be sure no inappropriate information was being sent. So Peter used wording that would be clear to his readers, but would get past the guards.
So it is for us today, you know. We either are aliens in exile, or we live in Babylon, as foreigners and strangers, held captive in a culture that opposes God and the truth, persecutes believers in Jesus, and reminds us daily that this is not our home, where we are free to follow Christ and glorify God in our actions.
But it is not all bad news. Not at all. We may live in Babylon, but we were not the ones who chose our neighborhood. God chose it for us, just as he chose us to be in him as heirs together with Christ. As Peter says it, “chosen together with you.”
So fear not, fellow traveler. We are walking through Emmanuel’s land, and soon we will know for certain that we have returned to the land of our citizenship. There we will see and know in full just how much he cares for us, and we will be with the Lord forever. Amen.
AUGUST 16 = 1 PETER 4
HOW THEN SHALL WE LIVE
Peter has given loads of practical advice on how to follow Christ in a difficult culture. In this chapter, he really tackles the application of faith in the last days. How, then, shall we live, if times are difficult and oppression is strong? Peter is about to give some good directives for all Christians. Notice that these are not tidbits of advice; they are commands, boldly declared by a man who was not afraid to tell someone what to do, even when the Holy Spirit was his guide.
“The end of all things is near….”
Obviously, the end of all things did not happen in Peter’s generation. However, the destruction of Jerusalem was just a bit around the corner, and Peter’s own crucifixion at the hands of the Romans was not far away, either. That is true for you and me, as well. The end of all things for you or me is just a heartbeat away.
So, what must we do, in light of the end being near?
Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.
This is pretty amazing to me. I get that we should be of a sound mind, and be self-controlled. It is the opposite of what he had just described the world as doing: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. So we need to stay alert and remain sober.
But today i am noticing WHY we are to be alert and sober: So that we may pray. Remain alert to warfare in the spiritual realm, what the enemy is doing, what needs people around you have. Be on watch, because someone needs to be communicating with God about all of these things going on. Be alert so that you know when it might be a good time for someone to hear a challenge to follow Christ. Be alert so that you can say no to the enemy of your soul. And be sober so that you can always articulate clearly what it is you are praying and what God is saying to you. There is power in prayer. We need prayer warriors on the front lines. This is no time for being self-indulgent, because the battle is heating up again.
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
This is so incredibly powerful and such an important teaching that we dare not pass it by.
“Above all,” says Peter. More important than anything else. For all that we have been talking about–serving, suffering, believing, being born again, submitting, being gentle, the whole letter of instruction–this is an overriding principle to guide you.
Then he says, “love each other deeply.” It’s that word for love that goes deeper than friendship, and deeper than family ties. It is serving, laying down your life, giving sacrificially, putting others before yourself, that kind of love that he calls for. The kind of love that Jesus showed for everyone. Deep love, ready to die in order to do what’s best for someone else.
Then Peter says WHY we are to love one another deeply. He says, “because love covers over a multitude of sins.” Peter seems to be saying that if we truly love one another deeply, we will forgive each other seventy times seven times. He is saying that holding grudges or talking behind someone’s back, these are not marks of loving deeply. The mark of loving deeply is that you never take up an offense, you never keep score, you protect someone’s reputation behind their back. You cover over all their very many sins.
There might be another way to view this phrase about love covering over a multitude of sins. When we love, our own sins get covered over. By those people to whom we have committed ourselves. They don’t hold offenses against us, because they know that we love them. And perhaps the final way of interpreting this sentence is to note that God covers over all of our sins when we love genuinely, from the heart.
The next sentence is brutally honest and candid. I should make a poster of it and put it on the wall in my living room, as a reminder. But maybe it would be offensive. Either way it is critical and goes against our fleshly nature.
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
Offering hospitality is important. The word means “love strangers,” and it is related to our word hospital, where we go to the highest degree of serving someone in their hour of need. So DO offer hospitality, by any means. But DO NOT grumble while you are doing it. If you guests overstay their welcome, do not grumble. If no one thanked you for bringing them a meal, do not grumble. If you grumble, you lose all your golden points that you would have earned for your service of hospitality, and you have to start all over again. Let’s pretend that the formula works like this: One grumble negates a year of service. That’s a motivation to me.
Lastly, Peter offers his own version of a list of spiritual gifts, or of functions in the body of Christ. Use whatever gift you have, to the glory of God. I’ll let Peter’s own words close us out today.
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
AUGUST 15 = 1 PETER 3
IN THE SAME WAY
Chapter 3 begins with a phrase that needs a context. He says, “Wives, in the same way…” In the same way as what? He is referring back to something, and I think it is part of the major themes of his letter. So today, let’s look at all of the “same way” verses in the letter of First Peter.
I think it provides some context for understanding how our behavior is to follow in the steps of Jesus. Peter is going to say several examples that underscore this instruction: Do what is right, even when it is hard. Treat people well, even when they don’t return the favor. Whatever your station in life, serve the way that Jesus served. Don’t give in to the world’s ways, but be an example that might sway them to want to be holy. The rewards may not come in this life, but they are guaranteed in the next one. Jesus did it. So can you.
So when you see Peter use the phrase, “In the same way,” you’ll know what he is saying. Ready? Let’s hear from Peter how to live in the same way that Jesus did.
2:11 “Dear friends, I urge you to . . . Live such good lives among the pagans that . . . They may see your good deeds and glorify God…
2:13 “Submit yourselves ….to every human authority … For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.”
2:17 “Show proper respect to everyone…fear God, honor the emperor.”
2:18 “Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters…if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
2:19 “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
2:23 “When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate…he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
3:1 “Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over…”
3:7 “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect…so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”
3:8 “Finally, all of you, …do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
3:14 “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.”
3:17 “For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
3:18 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
4:1 “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.”
4:7 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.”
4:12 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed…”
4:16 “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”
4:19 “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”
5:1 “To the elders among you…Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, …not lording it over those entrusted to you…”
5:5 “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another“
5:6 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
5:9 “resist [the devil]…because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
As we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we would do well to not measure our progress based on how well people like us, or how smooth our road is. God is the score keeper, and He has the final word. Amen.
AUGUST 14 = 1 PETER 2
WHERE HE LEADS ME
Some years ago, Charles Sheldon wrote a book entitled, IN HIS STEPS, which follows the story of several people who decided to take seriously the challenge that Peter lays out in this passage today. Considering that it was Peter who wrote it, we can be specially challenged, because we know that Peter was one who was an eyewitness to exactly where Jesus went after he said, “Follow me.” Peter followed, and was continuing to follow, and he challenges us today to do the same.
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. …
Christ left us an example, that we should follow in his steps. In what way was Jesus an example? When he blessed the children? When he argued with the Pharisees? When he fasted in the wilderness? When he went to the cross? Yes, all that and more.
But notice the particular context from Peter here: “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example.” Peter is saying that when we follow in his steps, we very specifically are following him into suffering. And not just suffering, but suffering “for you.” We suffer for others, to bring them to a right relationship with God. And those who reject the message of the good news just might well turn against us and cause us to follow the same path that Jesus walked.
When we are persecuted, we need not focus on the persecutors who are bringing about the suffering that we endure. No, we are keeping our eyes on Jesus, who suffered for us.
So we might sing, “Where he leads me I will follow…and go with him all the way. I’ll go with him through the garden (of dark Gethsemane) . . . and go with him all the way.”
So as we follow in his steps, what specific things do we see Jesus doing? Remember, Peter watched this firsthand, and he was amazed at what Jesus did and didn’t do. He says,
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
Jesus was completely innocent. He wasn’t riling people up, not insulting or lying or bringing trouble upon himself by his words. He did no sin at all. Ever. May we follow in his steps.
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Even when Jesus was in the midst of being treated horribly by insults and torture, and all of it was completely unfair, he did not retaliate. He was the only person in history who would have been justified if he had fought back to defend himself. But he did not retaliate, and he made no threats.
Instead of defending himself, Jesus “entrusted himself.” He leaned heavily upon his relationship with his Father, and even in the Garden when he prayed not my will but yours be done, Jesus was entrusting himself to know that the Father’s will was his true delight and only goal. Peter includes the detail as to why Jesus did that level of submission. He says that Jesus entrusted himself to “him who judges justly.” He trusted his Father’s judgment as being “just,” even when Jesus himself was the one to take the blame for everything. God is just. All the time. No matter what. So trust him.
Peter goes on to give another doctrinal declaration of the gospel within this context.
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
Notice how Jesus was being a substitutionary sacrifice when he was on the cross. He himself (not an animal or anyone else) bore our sins. And he did it so that we could be born again, as Peter said in the first chapter. Or here Peter says, “that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” It is by the wounds that Jesus received that we receive our healing, just as by his death we receive new life.
There is a purpose to Jesus’ suffering. And there is a point to it all. A restored and right relationship for people to have with God. Sheep returning to the shepherd. That’s what this is all about:
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Jesus said to count the cost before you commit to being a disciple of his. Peter knew what that cost was, and he was on his way to being taken to his own cross because he bore the name of Jesus on his life. He was going to suffer. But then, Peter was already dead to begin with, and was born again, so what happened in his remaining days in the flesh were of less consequence to him than we might imagine.
May we follow in Peter’s steps, as he followed in the steps of the Master. Amen.
AUGUST 13 = 1 PETER 1
THE GOSPEL IN A NUTSHELL
In our Bibles, the second and third General Epistles are from the apostle Peter. They are the only direct writings we have from Peter (though the gospel of Mark is often written showing Peter’s perspective), and so we want to give special attention to all that he wrote.
Did you ever wonder what it was that Peter first saw in Jesus? What led him to want to follow the master? And what was the biggest change in Peter’s character or personality after being trained by the Nazarene and then filled with the Holy Spirit?
I think I know the answer to some of those questions. And I think it shows most in Peter’s writing. See what topics he addresses. Note how he approaches each one. There I think we can see the Man behind the man who wrote these two letters to the elect aliens scattered abroad. There we find a Jewish fisherman who became a fisher of men and a rock for the church that Jesus founded.
Still early in his letter, Peter teaches doctrine, gives instruction and quotes Scripture to back it up. Just like Jesus did. You might say that these verses that we are going to look at are a summary of the gospel, from a doctrinal point of view. The gospel in a nutshell. If you can get this message in your head, you’ll have it in a nutshell.
“You were cleansed from your sins
You might say that being cleansed from our sins is the number one thing that Jesus did. He became the atoning sacrifice for our sins, not our personalities or our preferences. And notice that the cleansing is in past tense, because we are not still in the process of cleansing. There was a moment when our faith matched his sacrifice, and Peter is about to say when that moment took place:
…when you obeyed the truth, …
Peter does not go into detail about what the act of obedience was, or what truth he is referring to here. But his response at the Day of Pentecost would seem to be a good clue: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the Holy Spirit.” Repenting and being baptized are acts of obedience, and serve as a good starting point for being cleansed of your sins.
…so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. …
Having been cleansed from our sins, what is the next item of business for us? Show sincere love, like family members have for one another. Since we have become family with Christ and with one another, this makes sense. Then, having loved like family, we are to add another layer to that love (Phileo-storge) and love (agape) one another deeply (not just with words) with all your heart (which requires actions and full commitment). This is a call to truly radical love for one another. The kind of love that was demonstrated in the early church in Acts, when no one considered their things to belong to them only, and people started selling land and property, so that there were no needy people among the church. That’s a level of commitment that is supernatural. But then again, maybe we are supernatural spiritual beings. See what’s next:
…For you have been born again, …
Somehow, miraculously, when we “obeyed the truth,” and Jesus cleansed us of our sins, we died to our old selves and our spirits were remade, born all over again into a new self. Our relationship with God and with one another is much more than a group of flawed people who have had their slates erased clean by grace. We are actually remade in his image, to bear his spirit in our hearts. That’s how we can love one another so deeply.
…but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
Our being born again is not just for this lifetime. It is for eternity, because that, after all, is God’s top priority for us all. And that’s why God has cleansed us of our sins. So that we can live forever with him, thanks to the eternal, living word of God.
Ready or not, this is the radical makeover that Jesus has come to give us. Jump on in! The water’s fine! Amen.
HOW PRECIOUS IN THE LORD'S SIGHT IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS (SONG OF THE WEEK)
(We have faced loss of family and friends in recent weeks, and Psalm 116:15 has been a comfort many times. Ellen challenged me to write a song on that verse. So this is an elaborate setup, but centers on that verse. In honor of Willard Kelley.)
Dear loved ones, my friends and family
Cry if you will, oh, but don’t cry for me
I am where I’ve always wanted to be
For life down below never felt much like home to me
vanity of vanities
Being bound under the sun
Under the sun
I spent all my days bound under the sun
And though I loved deeply, I never belonged
And the time has gone and the time has come
But time is no friend to anyone
For the seasons change and the times never last
But this is the time when time is now past
For death is now dead where time is undone
For I am no more bound under the sun
I’m living now in a new domain
And I’m filled with joy and there’s no more pain
No more cancer or limping or longing or tears
I’ve gone on before you, so come join me here
Here I shine with the stars and I dance in the light
Walking and leaping and praising God
Marching on to victory in the promised land
Milk and honey flows here from the fathers hand
And where he led me I did follow
I went with Him all the way
And found victory in Jesus
My savior forever
And from here I can see what the Lord thinks of you
And of you and of you and of you and of me
For the Lord knows all those who are truly his
And he carries them home to be where he is
Can you see with the psalmist the picture he paints:
HOW PRECIOUS IN THE LORD’S SIGHT
IS THE DEATH OF THESE HIS SAINTS
THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY
COME TAKE YOUR BRIDE AWAY
And here none of us are bound UNDER THE SUN
We bound over clouds and over the sun in the name of the Father in the name of the Son in the name of the Spirit we fly over the sun
AUGUST 12 = JAMES 5
RESPONDING TO TROUBLE
James is a practical book, filled with brief instructions on what to do, not just what to think or believe. It’s a lot like the book of Proverbs in that sense. Today we find in just four verses a great example of how James can quickly jump from one thing to another, giving quick pieces of advice to believers on what to do in different situations. Let’s delve into it.
“Is anyone among you in trouble?
The trouble might be financial. Or legal. Or Mom and Dad found out about you-know-what. Perhaps some relationship has gone bad, or you have lost a job, or you lost your keys, or there is a big test coming up. Did you do something wrong, or was something wrong done to you? The list could be long as to what “in trouble” means for you. But there is a solution to any of it, and we would do well to let our default mode be to jump immediately to this, no matter what the trouble was:
Let them pray.
Does Jesus care? Oh, yes, he cares! Is your trouble an inconvenience to God that he should resist us. God is not like a human, troubled that we come to him and waste his time. So we pray. We pray for deliverance. We pray for peace. We pray for God’s will to be done. Maybe we simply recite the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) or pray the rosary. Maybe we are very specific and we ask God for an answer. And maybe we don’t know what to say and we sit in silence, knowing that he is and is willing to help. No matter what, we take our burden to the Lord and leave it there.
What about if you are not in trouble? What’s next?
Is anyone happy?
Happy is a nice problem to have! Things are good, my relationships are stable, my favorite song is running in my head, I’m with my friends, I am free from some debt I had been in. All is well. What do I do now, James?
Let them sing songs of praise.
This is fantastic! Music can speak more strongly than words alone can. And songs of praise to God are especially helpful in letting God be the center of my joy. So today is the day to learn some songs of praise, so that I will have them at the ready. Notice he says “songs” not just “song.” We’re talking about a season of thanks, along with gratefulness for the songs themselves that speak what your heart wants to say to the Lord.
Is anyone among you sick?
Oh, I know the answer to this! “Go to the doctor!” Take your medicine. We think of medical science as our savior, and it has become our instant default for what to do when we are sick. But here’s what James says to do:
“Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
Elders and prayer and oil and faith open up the healing of God. And when that happens, who is glorified? Is it medicine? Or are we thanking our Creator for healing us? Can we do both/and?
Wait a second! What’s with this “if they have sinned” thing? Could God ever make someone sick in order to bring them to repentance? James did not exactly tell us to confess and repent, but I guess that was implied by the last sentence, saying that they will be forgiven.
Just the other day, a dear friend had heard that I had fallen and been injured. He got some olive oil in a cup and walked to my house and said he wanted to pray for me. He also had a recent medical event, so I offered to do the same for him. It was a beautiful and touching time. I started by saying, “If we’re going to pray, then let me start by confessing my sins.” The next verse is why I said that.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
So I confessed, and he anointed and prayed. Then we changed roles. And since we are both righteous (we are, aren’t we?), our prayers were powerful and effective. This is biblical practice, and we would do well to have it be our first response to any sickness. Amen.
AUGUST 11 = JAMES 4
DEFEATING THE DEVIL
How do I go about overcoming Satan? Temptation can be so strong, and spiritual warfare so difficult. And an invisible spiritual enemy can be so hard to find, and his ways so deceitful. It almost seems like an impossible war I find myself in, and I’m often defeated before I even realize that I’m in a fight. How can temptation seem so attractive when it is so deadly to me? How do I defeat this enemy of my soul?
James has a battle plan that is guaranteed to work. All I have to do is to follow it and carry it out. Ready?
“Submit yourselves, then, to God.
This is how it begins. I submit myself to God. As in any warfare, immediate compliance with any orders from on high is essential. After all, the only one who has ever defeated Satan is God, and God is all-knowing and all-powerful. So submitting to the leading of the Holy Spirit would seem to be the first logical step if I am on the Lord’s side.
And what has God already told me are my marching orders? He gave several commandments. He summarized them as loving God and loving people. He has told me to worship him alone. He has told me what kind of people to stay away from as friends. He has told me to meditate and talk about his words all day and night. And he’s about to give me some specific instructions on this battle, so I’ll keep reading.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Here it is! The secret to success: Resist the devil, and he will flee! Wait a second! Isn’t that backwards? I thought Paul told Timothy to “flee youthful lusts.” Aren’t we supposed to flee from the devil? I’m confused.
The distinction is subtle, but extremely significant. We flee from temptation, rather than to try to stare it down and outlast it. Remember what happened with Eve and the fruit in the garden? She noticed that it was pleasing to the eye and good for food. She was looking at the temptation, rather than to run from it. Satan is standing behind us, whispering in our ear about how pleasing to the eye, how fun, how good the temptation would be.
But do you know what happens when we turn around to run from the temptation? We run straight toward the devil! With the temptation behind us, Satan has no weapon. But we have the name and the blood of Jesus with us, complete with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We are like young David, who ran toward Goliath with his sling and stone. And that added to the speed of his shot. So we resist the devil when we go on the offensive, and he flees the battle.
So we submit to God, and we resist the devil. The next thing that James instructs us to do is this:
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Now we change the metaphor. We resist the devil when we run at him. But we draw near, or come near to God, not as an enemy but as a friend or family member. And when we take the initiative in coming to him, we find that he in turn draws near to us. We need his inner strength to do battle with the enemy of our souls, and we need this strong relationship with God to make us immovable in battle.
Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
I think all these commands can be summarized in a word: Repent! Clean hands. Pure hearts. Be sorry for wrongs. Humble yourselves. When we come to the end of ourselves with this attitude, we find that God lifts us up, not because we are strong, but because he is.
One last instruction, a few verses later, that adds to this spiritual warfare:
“If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”
You might say that there are two categories of sin: Sins of commission and sins of omission. Sins of commission are things that we DO, knowing that we should not be doing them. But equally bad are sins of omission. These are things we OUGHT TO DO, but we do not do them. It is the equivalence of saying no to God, or of NOT submitting to God from the very start of our battle with the devil. And how do you think that battle will go, when we have already been run through with the enemy’s best weapons?
This matter may be the single most important thing for the daily direction of a believer’s life. May we heed and obey every day. Amen.
AUGUST 10 = JAMES 3
TWO KINDS OF WISDOM
The third chapter of James begins with a dozen very practical verses about controlling the tongue. I hope to address that topic in a sermon form this Sunday. But the rest of the chapter has equally practical instruction about two kinds of wisdom. Let’s explore what our older brother James has discovered on the subject of wisdom.
Do you remember the story Jesus told of the shrewd business manager who was being fired by his master? He went to each of his master’s customers and reduced their debts to his master. That way, when he was fired, he would find himself in the good graces of each of those folks. He was dishonest, but he was also shrewd. Jesus applied the story to our heavenly journey. Be sure to use earthly things in order to win eternal friends who will welcome you into heaven.
Was that business manager wise? It depends on how you measure wisdom, I suppose. Business savvy might be considered a form of wisdom. But I think we would agree that the most clever business practices are not what we would call “heavenly wisdom.” What gets us ahead in the worldly sphere is not what generates a close relationship with the Holy one.
So, what would be the marks of wisdom that comes from above? Here’s what James says:
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
Wisdom from above is marked by “A good life,” which includes deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. Which, in turn, makes this a circular sentence that sort of defines “a good life” as deeds done in the humility that comes from the above-mentioned wisdom. In any case, “wisdom” leads a person to live a good life. Wisdom does not seek a dark path, marked by mistruths, broken rules, empty promises and a long line of broken relationships. A good life is lived by a person who does good to others and submits to what might be called the rules of life.
Wisdom also is seen in humble deeds. If you are humble, you will be wise, and if you are wise, you see clearly that you are not the only person on the planet who deserves special attention. A deed done in pride might be one that is selfish, or steps on others, takes from others, unfairly claims credit, and always seems to serve self above others. But a deed done in humility is much more likely to be done anonymously, to help others without drawing attention to self, to be motivated by wanting to serve and help others. In short, a person who is a “taker” is unwise, while a “giver” is wise.
Then James elaborates further:
But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
Bitter envy happens when a person who is a taker in life sees that others have received already, especially when it was an unfair handout. Envy is an awful emotion to feel. But bitter envy feels downright wrong. And selfish ambition is like the same motivation, but before the bitterness of disappointment. Selfish ambition still puts myself on my own throne, to pursue my wants. Ambition is not the problem here. Not if you make it your ambition to lead a good life, for example. But ambition that is selfish leads a person to to plan as a “taker,” and then to make basic life positions that promote self.
Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
God is the one who invented the earth. And if you are learning so-called wisdom from an “earthly, unspiritual and demonic” resource, it will not go well in the first place. But the “wisdom” itself was not handed down from above. Your daily accomplishments were “under the sun,” as Ecclesiastes says. But heavenly wisdom was not begun by you. You have merely tapped into self-serving behavior. Earthly wisdom notes who gets credit for something, and then does a thing, but for selfish reasons.
For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
James is saying that you can tell if a person has earthly motives for doing whatever they do, because their lives are an endless parade of disorder and every evil practice.
Solomon discovered something about this as he sought wisdom. Here is what Solomon observed: “And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:4
What if you had a chance to win the lottery for $500M. If you were guaranteed a winning number, would you play? I suspect any of us would, if the chance is perfect that you would win.
But what if the prize for the lottery for today was righteousness? You are guaranteed a winning ticket! And all you have to do to buy your ticket is to give out peace!
Here’s how James says it:
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
Heavenly wisdom does not come from within us, with our envy and our selfish ambitions. There is no place for self-serving pride in the wisdom that comes from above.
You can tell Spirit-led deeds by recognizing the fruit that come from it. It is pure—not selfish ambition or disorder, but unity.
Then wisdom that comes from the Spirit is peace-loving. Not disorder, not arguments, but honoring the peace, even among the most needy among us. The spirit leads us to be considerate of others. The Spirit causes us to honor our leaders by being submissive to them, following the rules, imitating their example. The Spirit’s wisdom is seen in our deeds being full of mercy. Undeserved favor. Withholding judgment under the sun to give room for God to judge. The Spirit guides us to bear fruit in our lives that we cannot get by mere earthly wisdom. We become marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Heavenly wisdom is likewise impartial, not judgmental, and sincere. We don’t say one thing to someone’s face and something else behind their back.
All of this is today’s application of what James has to say about wisdom. Get it from above, not from yourself. When you do, you will be a peacemaker who sows in peace in order to reap a harvest of righteousness. Amen.
AUGUST 9 = JAMES 2
SUNDAY MORNING FAVORITISM
The other day, I heard from a young adult who had felt judged when they came to church. In my heart, I so much wanted to tell that young person that the sleight was only their own imagination. That no one really judges strangers at church. Then I remembered this instruction from James, and I realized that most of us are thoroughly immersed in exuding a judgmental spirit that is full of prejudice and judgment.
Jesus was famous for not being like that, you know. People with unclean spirits, adulterous women, people with every disability and disease, young people and old, Jesus seemed to value each person he met, and to extend grace to each one, quite in contrast to the Pharisees and respected teachers of the Law. If we follow in the Master’s footsteps, we will do the same.
And yet, I have found myself at church making judgments in my heart many times. I say this to my shame, but need to confess it here.
Here is the problem as James words it:
“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”
What struck me one day was that I myself had fallen into showing favoritism with evil intent. As a professional minister, I saw my job as to make a church grow. So when I see strangers on a Sunday morning coming into the building, I saw them as potential members of the congregation.
I’d see a young couple enter, Bibles under their arms, dressed nicely and looking relatively well-to-do. My prejudice thinks, “I wonder if they can sing? Could be nursery workers. They probably have the practice of tithing. I’d like to get to know them better.”
Then I’d see an older guy sort to stumbling in. Probably asking for a handout. Dressed like he’s homeless, and most likely some sort of an addict. My life is already filled with takers. I just don’t have the energy to add another needy person to my schedule.
Now, after church, who am I most likely to invite to lunch? Of course it’s the people that I think will benefit me the most. Suddenly I saw my “evil intentions.” I had never thought of myself as “evil” on a Sunday morning, but there it was. I was discriminating among people and I had become a judge with evil thoughts.
That was some years ago that I noticed my favoritism. I have tried to avoid it since then. But it is always with me.
Is it wrong to discern a person’s needs, or to anticipate their station in life? No, it is not wrong. What is wrong is to favor some people and ignore others. I think Jesus would have noticed the homeless people and would have invited the addict to lunch, where he would ask, “What would you like me to do for you?”
He would already know the answer, of course. Like he did with the woman at the well. But it is best for a person to face their need and to ask for help, rather than to simply give.
It is the motive behind it all that makes the difference. When I am motivated by love, I don’t mind takers who require more attention from me, because I think of how I would feel if I were in their shoes.
Selfish motivation, on the other hand, always will get me in trouble. It’s not a matter of being discerning. It’s a matter of evil intentions.
So, how is it for you? Have you ever passed judgment on someone who is standing on a street corner with a cardboard sign in hand? What did you do about it?
May the Lord open our hearts, and help us to see people through His eyes. Amen.
AUGUST 8 = JAMES 1
WELCOME TRIALS
The book of James is the first of the letters in the New Testament referred to as the General Epistles. The author is James, who was one of the brothers of Jesus. James did not believe in the divinity of his older brother during Jesus’ time of ministry, but became a believer after the resurrection of Jesus. This letter James addresses to “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations,” which is a way of referring to the church as the spiritual continuation of Israel as the people of God, no doubt also including Gentiles in the group. He seems to be delivering a collection of proverbs and other short sayings that address practical expressions of faith in daily life. So let’s explore what James has to say to us today.
Considering the relationship between James and his older brother Jesus, it is both astonishing and totally appropriate that he would identify himself as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” as he opens the letter. Though he could have pulled out some impressive credentials, the only relationship with Jesus that matters is to be “a servant.”
Speaking of appropriate perspectives on life, the very first topic James opens with is to “consider it pure joy” when you face various trials. Pure joy? Not even a hint to say that really he’s just trying to find the silver lining behind the obvious dark storm cloud? And why not? Because trials are actually good for us to become “mature and complete.” That’s right.
Somehow, the worst of circumstances serves to “test our faith.” That’s because it “produces perseverance.” If we didn’t have to endure trials, how patient would we be, for example? If we didn’t have to endure our faith being tested, how would we know how to answer someone who is needing to hear wisdom? So James reminds us that the only real way to grow is through trials.
I don’t suppose there are many parents who would disagree with the logic here. Most parents know that giving their child every little thing they want makes a child remain immature, spoiled and with unrealistic expectations in life. So it is best for the child if they are at least occasionally denied what they want.
In fact, just a few verses later, James says that the fruit of persevering under trials is to receive “the crown of life” from the Lord. So hang in there, child of God. Tough times cannot keep you from your eternal reward.
And then, as if to balance these hard sayings, James reminds us that “every good and perfect gift is from above.” They are true blessings, not just toys and trinkets, and they are given from the loving heart of the Almighty.
James then mentions several common sins of the tongue. Here they are without commentary:
- When tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” Good advice for the most cynical among us.
- Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. That requires extreme self-control.
- Do not merely listen to the word. Do what it says. If you don’t, you merely deceive yourself.
- Keep a tight rein on your tongue. Otherwise, your religion “is worthless.”
And finally I must mention this pithy sentence: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
If your religious practice is made up of reading your Bible and praying, but those readings and prayers do not result in putting a tight rein on your tongue, you deceive yourself, and your religion is worthless.
Instead of just focusing on what to stay away from, James gives a brief practical list:
- “look after orphans in their distress.
- “Look after widows in their distress.”
- Keep yourself from being polluted by the world.”
Do these three things, and your religion will be worth something. Praise the Lord for such practical wisdom to help us keep our balance. Amen.
AUGUST 7 = HEBREWS 13
DOING GOD’S WILL
And now we arrive at the final chapter of Hebrews. As we do so, the writer gives final exhortations and instructions and greetings. And, just as with chapter 12, there are so many very practical sayings that it seems each one is worthy of comment. So I will be brief in my commentary and review some of those quick sayings. Ready? Go!
- Love one another. And just as you are not to neglect meeting together, so the author says do not give up loving one another. This is how the world will know that we are his followers, you know. So keep on loving as a family.
- Also love strangers. We use the word hospitality, which has to do with housing, feeding, practical caring, and in general helping people who are strangers. Some people have found themselves to have ministered to angels, like Abraham did when a couple of angels visited him on their way to Sodom. As the Benedictines say, treat every guest as if that person were Jesus.
- Remember those in prison. Some are there for being believers. Some because of debt or because of some unfair judgment against them. Some are there for doing wrong. Remember them all. Pray for them. Think of how you would want people to remember you if you were the one in prison, and do that for those you know who are in jail right now.
- Honor marriage. Don’t be involved in sexual encounters before getting married, or with any adulterous relationships while you are married. Even widows and singles and elderly people. Honor marriage, everyone. And keep that marriage bed pure, by your speech as well as your actions. God will judge dishonoring marriage.
- Be content. Free yourself from the love of money (and of what money can do). Be content with what you have, not giving in to envy or greed. God is giving you what you need, and he will never leave you or forsake you.
- Pray for your leaders in Christ. Whoever first spoke the word of God to you, as well as those who continue to mentor you and challenge you spiritually. Give careful consideration to the outcome of their way of life, and make those same choices yourself. Imitate their faith. When in doubt, copy what you see in those leaders.
- Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Culture changes. People change. Time leaves a stamp on us all. But Jesus never changes. Get to know Jesus very well, and see if you can be culturally relevant and yet wholly devoted to him.
- Offer continual praise. Because Jesus remains the same, through him you can continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise. Praise is the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. Sing praise. Speak praise. Pray praise. Whatever you do, turn every moment into an opportunity to speak to God your thanksgiving.
- Do good to others. Whether they are friends, enemies or simply strangers, do not forget to do good and to share with others. There is nothing in it for you. But know that such sacrifices as these are pleasing to God. Just as we want our worship to be acceptable, we want our deeds and gifts to bring God pleasure.
- Trust your leaders. Have confidence in those who are over you in the Lord. Heed what they say, and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
- Do God’s will. The God of peace will equip you with all you need to do what God wants. He does it through the blood of the eternal covenant in Jesus. He brought Jesus back from the dead. And may that great Shepherd of the sheep equip you with everything good for doing his will.
- Do what pleases God. May he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
AUGUST 6 = HEBREWS 12
WHAT’S IT THEREFORE?
We come to the final chapter of Hebrews, and it is again laden with powerful and challenging words. You might say that this is the practical application section of the book. It begins with the word “therefore.” And as I have heard Bible scholars say, we must always look to see what the “therefore” is there for.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…,”
In the last chapter we read the “role call of the faithful,” and saw many practical ways that faith is seen in life. Those faith-filled saints serve as a great gathering of what we might call “witnesses,” that at the matter of two or three witnesses, every matter should be established. And because they are watching, and because they themselves have set such a high standard for faith, we are going to be called to learn from and even to follow their example.
“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Because of their example, we also are to throw off everything that hinders us. Any besetting sins, expensive indulgences, selfish habits, lazy routines, they all will hinder us. Let our every moment, our every possession be what yields for us treasure in heaven. As we run, we recognize the cloud of witnesses in the stands, cheering us on and inspiring us. But the One we are running toward is not them. The One we have fixed our eyes upon is the one who has gone before us and made a way for us to get to the Father. It is Jesus, the one who pioneered and perfected the path for us.
What was that path like for Jesus? Glad you asked!
For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus was focused on the joy set before him. Reunion with the Father. The feast to come with his chosen Bride. The kingdom coming to earth. That focus of his was so strong that Jesus was willing to endure even the cross, the worst torture ever invented. But Jesus endured it.
In fact, the writer says that Jesus scorned the shame of the cross. The cross was a very public execution, designed to bring the ultimate humiliation and shame on the subject. Jesus saw past all that to see a more attractive future, beyond this life and his suffering and shame. And so He sat down at the right hand of the Father, which of course means that Jesus is part of the Almighty One’s authority and honor.
Some verses later, the writer gives these essential instructions, that we might call practical worship:
“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone…”
If you are like me, you kind of skip over this and say, “I think I’m a pretty nice guy. I’m not looking for any fights or to make any enemies. What’s next on the list?
But wait a second! It says to “Make every effort,” not just to be a nice guy. That sounds like this must be far more difficult than I might imagine. Every effort? Everyone? Go way out of my way to understand their worldview. Go out of my comfort zone in order to be where they are.
“…and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
We have seen this command multiple times in Scripture, to be holy. But as with the command to be at peace, so maybe we should look more closely at this one, as well. “Be holy.” That means to be set apart, separated from the common things of this world. Am I giving that the kind of moment-by-moment attention that it deserves? It sure seems important to be set apart for the Lord.
In fact, it is so important that the writer reminds us that without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Weren’t we just talking about faith? I guess holiness is a very practical aspect of faith. If I believe that there is a God, and that God is holy, then I spend my earthly days trying to imitate his holiness, not to simply try to fit in.
So let me review for a moment. Be at peace with everyone. Yet be set apart and unlike the world. I guess this is being in the world but not of it.
“..See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God …”
How would I fall short of the grace of God? Perhaps to take it so for granted that it’s almost as if I had earned his grace. I guess that’s like not being holy.
“…and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
What is a bitter root? How could it defile me? Bitterness can arise in me when I feel that I have been mistreated by someone, maybe by “the system” itself. I nurse the wound in my heart, rehearse the wrong in my head, and it takes root in me. I am no longer motivated by love, but by revenge, anger, hatred. I am judgmental, but view myself as discerning. I have an inner rage, which I think comes out as righteous indignation. But in truth, there is a bitter root growing up inside me.
Perhaps I am even bitter toward God. I stopped trusting him when I feel like he betrayed me. I might think that I have an appropriate fear of God, but I don’t recognize that it’s not so much fear as it is that I don’t feel loved by the Almighty.
When this bitter root grows up in me, it causes trouble and it defiles me. Rather than my being holy, I have become cynical, or grumpy, or I have simply stopped disciplining myself because I just don’t care enough. So I am defiled. Defiled with lust, or drunkenness, or selfishness, or whatever the temptation is that I no longer deny myself the pleasure of.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful,
Be thankful. I like that. It sounds like the opposite of bitter.
and so worship God acceptably
We all worship, all the time. The question is whether or not our worship is “acceptable” or not. Some of us worship the wrong God. Others worship the right God but in the wrong way. Either of those errors in worship make the worship “unacceptable” to God. So if I worship without thanksgiving, I guess that’s another “unacceptable” form of worship.
And here is another way to worship acceptably:
with reverence and awe,
When we have done away with bitterness, have thrown off every encumbrance to run well, and then worship with reverence and awe, we have begun to worship acceptably, in a way that pleases God. The reverence and awe are especially important, because of this final phrase of the book:
for our “God is a consuming fire.””
He is to be feared. He is to be loved. He has the power and the holiness to be a consuming fire if we get it wrong. So let us learn, as the Italian peninsula Hebrews did back in the first century, to honor the Lord and be in right relationship with him.
And let us tell the world what we know. For our God is a consuming fire, and we would want none to perish, but all come to have eternal life. Amen.
AUGUST 5 = HEBREWS 11
WHAT IS FAITH?
Faith is something of an abstract concept, to begin with. And when we describe most religions in the world, all using that same word (the Catholic faith, Ba’hai faith, Mormon, Jewish, etc.), it gets even more confusing.
This chapter of Hebrews uses the word more than anywhere else, and it provides multiple definitions, plus even more examples. So let’s see if we can dig down into this word, faith, and make new applications of faith in our own lives. May God use these words to strengthen the faith of each of us in every generation.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Faith is more than wishful thinking, and more than superstition. It is walking confidently toward what we are convinced to be true. Faith is like following a map, or simply heeding what the navigation app our phone is telling us about how to get where we want to go. Faith is like flopping down on a chair, trusting that it is going to hold your weight and take the full load. If we didn’t have faith in that chair, we would be experimenting, slowly easing ourselves down and testing it every few seconds.
This is what the ancients were commended for.
And now comes an amazing list of examples that we sometimes call “the roll call of the faithful.” Examples from Scripture of people who demonstrated their faith by their actions.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
To begin with, we accept that there is something behind all that we see. Faith sees the evidence and concludes that “Everything did not come from nothing,” as well as that “Everything did not come from itself.” There was both intelligence and force behind all that exists.
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
Cain was a farmer who raised crops. He brought some to God. But Abel brought an animal, with blood, as God had commanded. So what shall we learn from Abel? Which one acted in faith, and which one did what was more convenient? Do what God calls for, even if it is not simplest or easiest, even if you don’t understand all the reasons for it.
By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
We know little about Enoch, except that he walked with God. So while others were killed in the great flood, Enoch was spared all that and got a free pass from life to heaven. What are we to learn about faith from Enoch? You cannot please God without two aspects of faith: You must believe that God exists. And you must believe that God rewards those who earnestly seek him. You are doubly blessed when what you live for is something/Someone who is glad to share freely with his own.
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
Imagine you had never seen a boat, never seen it rain, and you were 500 years old when God came and told you that you were the only person on the planet to have his favor, so you have a hundred years to build a giant boat and save the animals and to keep humans from your family living. Would you build with holy fear? Would you become a preacher of righteousness before all those disrespectful neighbors? Or after a few decades, would you give up?
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Speaking of doing things before you could possibly know how it would turn out for you… how about that Abraham, huh? Abraham obeyed and left his father’s home, with no guaranteed income moved back today?
By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Faith sees beyond the suffering. Beyond the cultural norms. Faith gives you the intellect of a child of God, whose citizenship is not on this planet. Abraham knew that this world was not his home, and he willingly left it all. How about you and me? Do we live as if our citizenship was with God, rather than to be here on earth?
And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
Sarah was enabled to have children despite its seeming impossibility. How did that work? She considered God to be faithful with his promise, rather than living on a back-up plan.
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.
Often still living by faith even when they died, having failed to reach the thing that God may have promised them. I’m not sure how I would have responded to having not received a promise yet. Would I still be trusting that God is there and that he will keep his word, when it hasn’t truly happened for me? That’s a lot of trust, and it’s why they are examples for us.
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
What would cause God to be “ashamed” to be called my God? I suppose if I said that I was a follower, but yet my life was obviously filled with my own short-term, self-seeking pursuits. The same as for any today who bear the name of Christian and yet are such contradictions. You and I can be so glad that we are not like that!
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
Here is the third act of faith for which the author presents Abraham as an example. He was told to offer up Isaac as an offering. And in spite of his inner urges that no doubt screamed to not to this, Abraham went to the very edge in his obedience. Talk about obeying by faith! I believe that God can raise my son back from the dead, even though I have never seen it happen!
The chapter goes on to list many more, which we don’t have time to explore in a podcast. But at the end of the chapter comes another reminder of what it means to have faith:
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”
Not one of them actually received their promised blessing. But they kept the pace and stood their ground, finished their mission and did not back down.
And when DID they receive their promise? Not even when they were dead and gone did they get all of it. Not until Christ came and fulfilled the promise! Not until followers of Jesus became the body of Christ on earth, to carry out his will and continue to hear his will through his Spirit within them. And now, TODAY is the appointed time.
What a privilege it is to live in this new covenant. Thank the Lord that every promise is fulfilled in Christ.
May you and I follow in their footsteps. Amen.
AUGUST 4 = HEBREWS 10
FAITH IS A TEAM SPORT
In chapter 10, the author of Hebrews summarizes the teaching already given so well to this point, but then adds another essential detail to it.
We are each made right with God by the sacrifice of Jesus. We each receive the blessings of being in fellowship with God’s Spirit. We have his laws in our hearts and on our minds. Our sins and lawless acts he remembers no more. No more sacrifice for sin is needed, for Christ has died once and for all.
Now it is time for our response to it all.
First, enter in. “We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body.” In other words, we boldly live in a personal relationship with the God of the universe, by following the way opened up for us in Christ. No more barriers, no more walls, no more gaining favor by our gifts.
Second, draw near. “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Having found ourselves dwelling there in his presence in the Holy of Holies, we have a further invitation to do what no Jew has done since Abraham, which is to be a friend of God. I come near with a sincere heart. No mixed motives. No self-serving deals. We come with faith that leaves us with no doubt that God is on our side. We come with a clear conscience that has sprinkled our heart and washed our bodies.
Third, hold on. “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Faith is not built on things we see, but on hope that we hold onto, even on the dark days. That’s because we choose to believe that God is faithful, and his promises are certain.
And then comes the part of our spiritual lives that we can easily neglect: spur one another. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,” Spurs are sharp metal motivators, you might say. This is the role that we fulfill in one another’s lives. None of us is in this race alone. We go through discouraging times, and temptations, and seasons of despair. That’s when we need someone to speak into our lives on God’s behalf, helping us to pick ourselves back up and keep moving forward. May we never forget how important we are to each other in this journey of faith.
Which leads to the next two parts of our spiritual disciplines: MEET TOGETHER, and ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER. “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.” Some Christians take their spiritual lives very seriously, but along the way they have forgotten that faith is a team sport. We do not gather together out of obligation, but we are in this together. And so, for one another’s sake, we gather together, and we speak to one another words that encourage us to keep moving forward. Isolation leads to pride, and that is not appropriate for God’s people. We desperately need those who know us best to speak loving words which the Spirit provides. This is often how we hear the voice of God, by hearing a fellow believer speak on his behalf.
And next, ENDURE. The writer adds, “—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” In that generation, persecution was a very real thing, and the Day was considered to be very much at hand. So when we go through dark times, we need each other even more. It is no time to go lick your wounds and isolate from the fellowship. When I think about what COVID-19 did to so many of us, I think this advice from Hebrews is spot on.
And lastly comes a warning: WATCH OUT! “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” How could Christ followers find themselves to fall into the hands of the living God? I suppose first by relying on their own strength and resolve, by isolating themselves, or by taking their walk with God for granted. At the final judgment, we could find ourselves facing God’s wrath rather than his well done. A neglected relationship does not remain static. We are either growing closer or drifting away from God. And it is dreadful to fall under his judgment.
May we safely walk together through this world and into Emmanuel’s land. Amen.
AUGUST 3 = HEBREWS 9
HOW TO GET RID OF SIN ONCE AND FOR ALL
This chapter of Hebrews continues with the themes that have been unfolding from the start: God speaks to us through Jesus, our salvation was obtained through Jesus, who is greater than angels, Moses, Abraham, Melchizedek and all other high priests. He is the embodiment of a new covenant, which is superior to the law of Moses, including that tabernacle and animal sacrifices that God himself had required.
The central difference between the two covenants has to do with sin that comes between us and God. The first covenant rolled back sin, reminded us of sin, gave guidelines to define sin, but did not do away with sin. The new covenant that Jesus brings is one in which sin is removed, and the Spirit of God is born in our hearts, so that we can have the power to overcome such sins in our lives. It is not a religion, but a relationship.
In the old covenant, the high priest came on the day (there is just one a year) of Atonement, with all the trappings of this approach to sin. He entered the Most Holy Place, always doing sacrifices on the way in, and bringing the blood of goats and calves with him. He sprinkled the ashes of a heifer on the bystanders, who were ceremonially unclean, so that they were “outwardly” cleansed.
But the new covenant is not like the old. In the new covenant, it is the blood of the unblemished Christ, not of animals, that carries the atonement. And it was the eternal Spirit who led Him to make such a sure offering.
When Jesus did this sacrifice of himself, it was in order to “cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”
Today, we want to find common ground with others who agree with the ethical teachings of Jesus, who find him to be wise and learned in the ways of the Father. But note that the essential work of Christ was more than just being a good example, or teaching us how to be better people. It involved the shedding of blood, for the writer says, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
And there it is! It was the moment of Jesus bearing our sins upon himself, the moment when he breathed his last and when his blood was poured out. That was the moment of our deliverance, the act that is our hope.
Another way that the new covenant is superior is in its permanence. The author says, “the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.”
As I say, one flaw of the old covenant is that it rolls back the guilt of sins committed. But there are no reassuring words, or anywhere that it says we won’t need to come back to this same place again.
But the great advantage to the new covenant is this: “[Jesus] has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Note to self: it doesn’t say that Jesus appeared “often” for “self and a few select others.” No, the author says, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many;”
So, if you’ve ever wondered, “How do I get rid of this sin once and for all time in my life?” There is an answer. The first part of the answer is that Jesus came as the greatest high priest on your behalf. He brought his own blood and covered your sin with it, and laid it on the seat of mercy, where it was once for all dealt with before God. There is no more, “I belong to Christ, but I have this sin barrier between me and God.” No! There is simply, “I belong.”
Then comes the bonus second healing! You are not only FORGIVEN so that you stand clean before God as his child, but you are also DELIVERED from that sin’s power over you. You have the very Spirit of God living in you, whispering to you right and wrong, empowering you to WANT to leave the old behind you and shake the dust off your shoes as you leave.
Today can be a new start. Jesus is ready to help make this Day One of the new you. All it takes is a YES vote from you.
Welcome to FREEDOM!
AUGUST 2 = HEBREWS 8
A NEW COVENANT
The first seven chapters of Hebrews have been filled with good teaching about Jesus. It has been a challenge for me as a Gentile to grasp the profound changes Jesus brought to the relationship of God to people. After all, Hebrews quotes from the Old Testament more than most books. And the Old Testament is the story of the Old Covenant, just as surely as the New Testament conveys the New Covenant.
But now in chapter 8, it all becomes clear, as the writer says that all that is written to this point was to help show that God has planned to bring a new covenant with his people all along. And it is truly good news for modern mankind!
Once again we review that Jesus is the high priest for us, now seated at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. And all of this is in perfect fulfillment of the tabernacle that God had instructed Moses to build.
“They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.””
God was the one who designed the tabernacle, because He alone is the one who knows how things are in heaven, as well as what he was planning for the future fulfillment of it all in Jesus.
And so we find the Presence hanging over the top of the ark and the altar, providing round-the-clock witness of God dwelling among his people, at the very center of their lives. He had fences built and limitations on how close people could come, knowing all the while that he was going to break down those walls and enable us to boldly enter his presence on the basis of the righteousness of Jesus, not our own.
There were animal sacrifices and lavers for cleansing, artwork and holiness and light and bread and incense, and the place called the Mercy Seat above the ark of the covenant.
And yet, there was something missing, something wrong with the old covenant. It was built around works and rites, and it did not always result in changed hearts. And so this covenant, glorious as it was, God predicted that he would remove. He spoke through Jeremiah this powerful prophecy:
“But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.
The problem was not with the covenant itself, per se, but the fault was with the people. Their hearts remained unchanged. As the writer says, “they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.”
Any covenant requires two parties to come to agreement, and this one-sided covenant was not tenable. So Jeremiah had the unimaginable prediction of this new, invisible covenant of the heart:
This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.””
How could all this take place? Remember how Jesus said that it was good if he would leave, so that he could send another counselor, the Holy Spirit, who would be with them and live in them forever? Remember how he told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they had received power? And then it all happened? And continued to happen throughout the New Testament era.
What about today? Does God still want to have that kind of personal relationship with each one of us today? Of course he does! And that’s just what Jeremiah and the writer of Hebrews are describing for us.
So I don’t need to urge you to know the Lord. From the least to the greatest, we can all know him, just as we are known. Praise the Lord! Amen.
AUGUST 1 = HEBREWS 7
MELCHIZEDEK A PRIEST FOREVER
In this chapter, the author reintroduces Melchizedek and Jesus being a high priest of his order. Let’s cover a little more about Melchizedek and see what insights about Jesus it yields.
The promise stems from Psalm 110, in which some kingly figure of Israel is given an oath from God that he will be a priest of the order of Melchizedek forever.
Abraham had just helped his nephew Lot to regain his freedom from a bunch of kings who had stolen from him. There, we are not told much about Abraham’s meeting with Melchizedek, but each detail seems to be significant. Melchy is not described in terms of his ancestry, which the author here points out makes Mechy something of an eternal figure, with no predecessors and no heirs. Jesus, being the Son of God, is of that kind of ancestry, with no beginning and no end of days.
The mysterious Old Testament figure, Melchizedek, is described as the king of Salem and also as a priest of God Most High. Salem—does that sound like the city name of Jeru-Salem? It is. And the name “Salem” means “peace.” So Jesus, being in the order of Melchy, is the king of peace. The name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness.” So Jesus, being of that order, is endless of days, is the king of people, and the king of righteousness. That makes Jesus mighty qualified to be an effective high priest, I would say.
The author then goes into some detail about Abraham offering a tithe to the Lord of all his plunder from those kings. He presents it to Melchizedek, and nothing more is really said about it. But Hebrews explains that Jesus is superior to Abraham, just as he is superior to Moses.
Then the chapter wraps up with some powerful spiritual credentials in his role as high priest. These credentials are what make Jesus effective as a high priest. He says,
“Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.”
The priest, in order to serve as our bridge to God, needs to truly meet our need. Our need is to be restored to relationship with God, as if we had not sinned or had unclean things happen to us. So we need these qualities:
He must be holy. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. So our high priest must be set apart, sacred, not guilty, not involved in worldly affairs.
He must be Blameless. Similarly, he must be above any accusations that would be brought against him. After all, he must pray on our behalf, kill an animal and have that animal restore us to relationship with God. So getting his own sinful baggage mixed up with ours removes the effectiveness of his actions
He must be Pure. No thoughts or agendas of his own. No sexual fantasies or daydreams of wealth and status. No selfish ambition in doing his job. Someone who is readily acknowledged by the leaders of his community to be above reproach in the area of purity.
He must be Set apart. This is, as above, related to holiness. But it includes having been consecrated by the community, with hands laid on head and sacrifices given to acknowledge that this man has but one purpose in life.
And he must be Exalted above the heavens. To truly be a bridge between heaven and earth, you must be more than an occasional visitor to the heavenlies. You need to have the authority to speak for the Eternal God, so that you can declare someone forgiven, or tell them they have one more thing to do in order to be right. Jesus had that kind of exaltation and that kind of authority to declare the eternal state of a person of earth.
And so, just as we have seen that Jesus is above angels, that he is greater than Moses and his words stronger than the Law, so now we see this mysterious prophecy fulfilled from Psalm 110. God has declared his Son Jesus to be a high priest forever, of the order of Melchizedek, forever worshiped and holding the keys to restoring a right relationship with God.
Thanks be to God, who orchestrated the unfolding of history in such a way that even obscure figures and references all come together to find themselves fulfilled by Christ. Amen.
JULY 31 = HEBREWS 6
BACK TO BASICS
At the end of chapter 5, the author concluded the subject of Jesus as our great high priest by saying it is hard to understand. But the fault is not in the truth, nor in its teaching, but in the inconsistent hearts of the hearers.
“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
How does a believer in Jesus come to remain immature, unable to understand the more profound teachings about Christ? The author says that for this book’s readers, they seem to “no longer try to understand.” Have you ever been there, in school or otherwise? You are being instructed in some area, but you really think that you know all you need to know, or at least all you want to know, about it. So you mentally simply stopped listening, and therefore stopped learning. So what you heard is “Jesus is (blah blah blah).”
This, the author says, is the equivalent of drinking only milk like a baby instead of solid food. Solid food is for the mature, who the author says, “through constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” So it seems to be moral and ethical matters, and not just nuances of doctrine and belief, that is the mark of spiritual maturity.
And I agree with that assessment for my own life. When I “drift” spiritually, without giving focused attention to reading and meditating on Scripture, and then my personal habits are not guided by the Spirit training me in righteousness, then I sort of wake up some months later, thinking, “What just happened to me? How did I somehow “forget” to pray? Or focus on my inner moral life? One bad habit at a time, is the answer. The path of least resistance is the path of immaturity, you know. I ought to be a teacher by now, teaching my own children, teaching neighbors and those I come in contact with. But I am teaching no one because I am adrift.
And that’s when the writer reviews topics that they call “elementary teachings.” Hmmm. I wonder if I have a good grasp of these teachings myself?
“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.”
These are “elementary teachings!” So far from Master’s level work, it is still second grade level. And yet, in American Christian culture, several of these are simply not a part of our cultural vocabulary within the church, so we only imagine that we know what that topic says. Let’s see what those six basic topics are:
Repentance from acts that lead to death. … We know about this, at least with regard to our original conversion experience. As for me, I was just 12 years old when I responded to the Gospel and to making Jesus the Lord of my life. I knew I needed to turn over a new leaf and get a fresh start, but I did not fully appreciate the radical changes that were implied. I needed to clean up my vocabulary. To change friends. Stop doing vandalism and subscribing to certain magazines. Treat people differently behind their backs. All of these and more were “acts that lead to death.” Jesus is either Lord of all of our lives, or he is not lord at all. Lord means master, and that means we say Yes when he tells us to jump.
Faith in God … This is also pretty foundational, wouldn’t you say? It is the kind of basic faith that we should have built in those early years. But faith takes on some much more mature roles when we are praying for the needy, or wondering about finances or healing, or turning prayers into a kind of “group worries list,” rather than a source of our requests. Faith trusts that God is there and interested, even when evidence does not confirm it. Faith acts based on belief rather than using simple logic or selfish ambitions.
Instruction about cleansing rites … The Jewish readers would understand this better than most of us would. You wash your hands before eating, and you make sure you have no contact with blood or with death. You empty your house of leaven each year, and you devote children and animals to be acceptable to God. All of these cleansing rites actually have to do with Jesus, who fulfills it all. So knowing the background of why and how, and then learning how Jesus accomplishes our cleansing, is certainly worthy of advanced study, as well as foundational basics.
Instruction about laying on of hands. … Laying on of hands was a Jewish practice, both in the slaughter of animals by the priests, and also of the priests and others dedicated to God. The laying on of hands of elders and evangelists we have seen in recent letters of Paul. It includes prophetic declarations and charges given in the presence of witnesses. Jesus laid hands on children as he blessed them. We lay hands on those whom we heal in Jesus’ name.
The resurrection of the dead… Jews did not have a strong theology of eternal life before the time of Jesus. They slept with their fathers, and they left an inheritance in their own children and family. They believed in heaven, but not necessarily as the eternal home of the saints. Jesus changed all this as well by his own resurrection. It proves that the resurrection of the dead is possible, and provides a path for that resurrection. This single teaching may be the most life-changing doctrine a thousand years from now for each of us. How do we obtain to the resurrection of the dead?
Eternal judgment… This also is as significant as any other teaching. We all will face an eternal judgment, in which we long to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter the joy of your master.” But what are the implications of eternal judgment for those who are not found to be in Christ? And what are the implications for each of us, if we are choosing to remain immature in our life in Christ? How good is good enough to not be condemned? How do we avoid it? How do we help someone else avoid it? Essential questions to know the answer to.
May you and I choose to grow in grace, and may our lives demonstrate our priorities for eternity. Amen.
JULY 30 = HEBREWS 5
THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST
Back in the second chapter, the author introduced Jesus as the great high priest. I didn’t grow up in a church where we had priests, so I didn’t have a full appreciation for what a priest was there to do. But let’s just say it’s a big deal.
At the end of chapter 4, the subject came up again.
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
The duty of any priest is to serve as a bridge between heaven and earth, between God and mankind. The priest represents the prayers and intentions of people before the throne of God, and then delivers to the people the message God has given in answer. It requires someone who is fully human, understanding weaknesses and fully empathizing with them, rather than someone who is holier than the rest of us, who comes before God to roll his eyes and slander God’s creation. Jesus does this work of a great high priest to perfection. He was tempted in every way, so he knows our weaknesses. And yet he did not sin, so he is able to represent us and serve as that bridge, over whom we are able to cross. And so we receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Which is always, when we are talking to a perfect creator God. Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift of Christ Jesus!
So, what does that high priest carry out in order to bring us to God? The writer elaborates:
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.”
What our great high priest did was first to offer up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears. He had those earnest prayers because of his humanity, pleading to let the cup pass from him. Also he knew deeply the hearts of all people, whom he had come to save.
And our great high priest was heard because of his reverent submission to the will of his father. Even though he was a son, he came to carry out the will of another. And notice this path that he cut for us: He learned obedience from what he suffered. That’s how we learn obedience, too, you know. We suffer. It softens our hearts. It breaks our self-wills. And it makes us quicker to obey the next time.
But Jesus was always instant in his obedience. So once he was made perfect (remember how he said it is finished on the cross?), he became our source of eternal salvation and he was designated as high priest. We’ll get to Melchizedek later, but the point here is that he always stands in that position as the bridge between heaven and earth, and when we follow his path of obedience, we are able to arrive in favor with God and receiving eternal life, with our high priest!
Perhaps with Count Zinzendorf, as we enter, we can sing praise to Jesus our High Priest:
“Thou great high priest, add incense to the prayers thy saints now offer
Come hear our hearts and add thy grace to candles burning in this place
To keep us burning brightly.
An ear which always hears a prayer, an eye that blinks or sleep not
As children, Lord, we long for Thee to be our Priest with lips and feet
and lead us through our trials.
Our hands will bless, our souls convene, our bodies are Thy temple
Our souls reborn with labor pains which no one fully understands
Until this life is over.
Our Friend Thou art, thou Faithful One, come pour out spirit and fire
And every time we come and sing add incense to our offering
And hold our hands up higher
Hold our hands up higher!
JULY 29 = HEBREWS 4
ENTERING HIS REST
Chapter four picks up where 3 had left off, and we find that the concept of the sabbath rest was (and is) truly important to God and essential for us.
You remember the original sabbath, right? Certainly, the Hebrews who were receiving this letter knew it well. Way back at the beginning of creation, God finished his work after six days, and he rested on the seventh. And he blessed the seventh day. And he gave that day of rest to us, as a blessing, not just as a law. As Jesus said, the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. Because it is about rest.
On that subject of rest comes this subject of the “rest” that comes from God. His intention of the Promised Land was to be a land of rest for his people.
Let’s see what the author says:
“Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.”
Entering his rest. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Unless, of course, you do something to have fallen short of it. How could that happen?
“Now we who have believed enter that rest,…”
So belief is what it takes to enter that rest of God’s. Belief in the good intentions of our Heavenly Father. Belief that Jesus can and will bring us into that rest. Faith to stop our addiction to work and receive the promise.
Next question. How do we get there? When do we go? When is that seventh day, or where is that promised land? The writer goes on to explain:
“Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
Sounds like the answer to my questions of how and when are answered here. We enter that rest by not hardening our hearts, and by believing the good news through Jesus. This is fantastic news! God is offering us, not a religion, and not a to-do list of commandments, but a rest, a relationship, a fellowship with his spirit in which we cease from our labors.
And the writer concludes the topic this way:
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”
We make every effort to enter that rest. And having made every effort, we rest from our works. It is a Sabbath, a resting that follows six days of work. It is the opposite of perishing, which some do through their disobedience.
And then the chapter holds one of those essential verses about Scripture as the word of God. Here’s what it says,
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Can you divide between your soul and your spirit? I think the spirit is a sub-part of the soul. But I cannot distinguish the difference. Can I distinguish between joints and marrow? Perhaps a surgeon can, but it is beyond me. How about the thoughts and attitudes of my heart? I have thoughts. I have attitudes. But only the word of God, in the hands of a skillful heavenly surgeon, can know the difference and address the particular needs of my inner self.
Thanks be to God that we are so well known and so well loved. Amen.
JULY 28 = HEBREWS 3
IT IS ALWAYS TODAY
In chapter 1, the writer opens by saying that Jesus is superior to angels, for he is the Son and heir of all things. In chapter 2, we see that he was made a little lower than the angels for a little while (as he lived on earth), in order to be the brother of all who are in his family. And through his suffering and death, he provided a way to bring help to us.
Here in chapter 3, we find the author telling us that Jesus is also greater than Moses. Moses, after all, was faithful as a servant IN all God’s house But Jesus is the Son who is OVER God’s house.
And so we come to the first practical application:
“So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,
When do we obey? Today. Always today. God has only made one time, and called it today. We cannot change tomorrow, for we have no control over that day. We cannot change yesterday, for it is always in the past. But God has set a day aside, always calling it today. And today is the day of salvation.
And what are we to do today? Hear his voice. He is the God who speaks, as the writer opened the letter by saying. And he has spoken in these last days through Jesus. Let us hear him.
And what are we NOT to do today? Harden our hearts. When we hear God speak and he calls for repentance, don’t say, “I don’t need that.” Or don’t say, “I will, but tomorrow.” Soften your heart today, while you can.
The writer goes on to talk about this some more:
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
There is something else that we are to do today. Encourage one another daily. Help each other to not become hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Sin deceives us into thinking that we are not so bad, that God is not so right, that we can put things off. These are like the lies that the serpent told the original sinners. You won’t surely die. You’ll become like God. This will be good for you, not bad. God is the liar, not me. Well, we know how that turned out, don’t we?
The people of Israel were not able to enter God’s rest, which he had offered through Moses. The promised land was kept from them for forty years, until an entire generation of Israelites had died, never having entered. Their unbelief kept them from entering. They saw the size of the people, they saw their armies, and in spite of God’s deliverance and promise, they voted to turn around and stay in the wilderness until they died, rather than to enter into his rest.
I will enter his rest
I will enter his peace
What the law could never do the cross completes
Today I can hear his voice call me by name
The voice of Adonai
And he says, “Rest!” And He speaks peace.
The law is dead.
Your strivings cease
By a new and living way
Come gather here
Come boldly now
Come enter near
Into His rest.
Into His rest.
Come into His rest.
Let us enter his rest! Amen.
JULY 27 = HEBREWS 2
SHARING OUR HUMANITY
We know this to be true elsewhere in the New Testament: Jesus was fully human, tempted in every way. Yet he was without sin. It was essential that Jesus did not stoop to become ALMOST human, but with super powers and super intelligence and the strength to stop a flying bullet. He had to be mortal and die. He had to be mocked and beaten, and he had to serve and give. Otherwise, his sacrifice would not have had any reason to happen.
No, he had to be human, in order to bring us along with him.
“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—”
The humanity of Jesus not only defeated Satan, but it was so that he might serve as our compassionate and safely reserved example. The human had to defeat death, so the rest of us could follow.
“For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
You know a little about Jesus’ prayer in the Garden on the night of his betrayal: Father, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will but yours be done. Jesus had to suffer like that, and had to be denied, because we ourselves are also denied when our wills do not align with the Father’s. Otherwise, how could Jesus bear our sins? How could he make us one with the Father, except that he went through the valley of the shadow of death himself, bearing our sins in his body.
And then comes one of my favorite clues about the humanity of Jesus.
“He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.””
Jesus sang in church! That’s right, it says it right there: “In the assembly I will sing your praises.”
Maybe I just love this thought because I’m a musician. But I like to think it is deeper than that. You know, many of us men are proud, and if we can’t win at something, we don’t try. So in church I see men stand with arms crossed, letting the women and children carry the load of singing. But one of my most touching worship experiences was on a Sunday evening when I was sitting in the congregation and we were singing the song, “Jesus Loves Me.” There behind me was a dear friend, who is a faithful husband and a father of several children. He couldn’t carry a tune, at all, but there he was with his children, singing in full voice his praises and the assurance that Jesus loves us all. Even those of us who don’t sing well.
It made me wonder if perhaps the incarnation was so complete that Jesus may have been just average at certain things. Not a great athlete, not an academic genius, and maybe our Lord didn’t have perfect pitch. But if not, he fulfilled Scripture anyway, and he sang praises in the assembly for all to hear.
What do we have to be proud of? Do any of us have better voices than the angels who sing in God’s presence night and day? What does it matter? Jesus sang. Let’s join him in praise today. Amen.
JULY 26 = HEBREWS 1
THE GOD WHO SPEAKS
The letters written by the apostle Paul to various people and churches are organized in our New Testaments from longest to shortest, Romans to Philemon, a total of thirteen books. Then there are several “general epistles,” for which we know the author, but the recipient seems to be the church in general. So these letters bear the names of their authors—James, Jude, John and so forth.
The exception to all of these is this letter, the one commonly called “Hebrews.” Neither the author nor the receiver is specifically mentioned, though it is clear from the start that the author is addressing Jewish believers throughout the country of Italy, to strengthen their faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as the fulfillment of God’s plan from the beginning.
Many scholars believe that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. Indeed, much of the vocabulary, logic and style is consistent with Paul’s other letters, even though he is called to be an apostle to the Gentiles. But as he often says, his heart has always been for Israel to be saved. So without introduction, he launches into his long-thought-out letter to the Hebrews.
Here is how the author opens:
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.”
Notice the position of Jesus in these verses: he is called “his Son,” “heir of all things,” “made the universe,” “radiance of God’s glory,” “exact representation of his being,” “sustaining all things by his powerful word,” “made purification for sins,” “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven,” “became superior to the angels,” as his name “is superior to theirs.”
Oh, that we in our generation would grasp the magnitude of the person of Jesus! This chapter is only one of the explanations of how astounding it could be that God, the Creator and sustainer of all, would become human, and worthy of such accolades and more!
But there’s more to the story than just the position of Jesus above all. The author says, “In the past God spoke … at many times and in various ways.” From Adam in the Garden and Noah in the flood, Moses in the bush and Daniel in the dream. From prophets who loved and served him (Samuel) to those who spoke his word for dishonest gain (Balaam), and those who were afraid (Gideon). He called Abraham from his family, inspired kings who were after his heart (David), and even spoke to foreigners who did not know him (Nebuchadnezzar, Pilate’s wife, the magi).
Yet, in these last days—we are still in these last days, you know—he has chosen to speak to us through his son. In Jesus an entire generation saw an exact representation of his being, missed his message, had him crucified, and yet God showed himself to be the great forgiver and atoning sacrifice for all. After he was raised and ascended, his name became superior to the angels (who are pretty impressive to mere mortal humans. Just look at every time they try to talk to one of us!)
So the book of Hebrews is going to tell Jewish people about their Messiah. It’s quite a story! Let’s learn it together! Amen.
0802B A HUNDRED STUPID WAYS TO DIE IN THE BIBLE (SONG OF THE WEEK)
(On a whim a few years ago, it struck me that perhaps a satirical song pointing out various ways that people died in the Bible. So it is set as if a classical German art song. Enjoy, and learn well!)
"The apostle Peter says that Scriptures are written for our strengthening, encouragement and comfort. But Paul also reminds us that they can also serve as a warning. This song is dedicated to the following Scriptures that fit into the latter category.
"Oh, there must be a hundred stupid ways to die in the Bible
Things that you should never even try in the Bible
So learn your lessons well and find out why it's in the Bible
To keep these things from happening to you:
Don't yell, "Baldy, baldy, baldy" to a prophet [Elijah]
Especially if he's on his way to prayer
You and the boys just play with your toys
imagine that he's hairy
unless you and your friend would like to be mauled by some bear-ies.
Oh, there must be a hundred stupid ways to die in the Bible
Things that you should never even try in the Bible
So learn your lessons well and find out why it's in the Bible
To keep these things from happening to you:
Pay attention if your neighbor is a builder
especially if he's building him a boat [Noah]
If you're a Giant of a man just be careful where you stand
Don't blaspheme before a boy with five smooth stones [Goliath]
Oh, there must be a hundred stupid ways to die in the Bible
Things that you should never even try in the Bible
So learn your lessons well and find out why it's in the Bible
To keep these things from happening to you:
If you're ever leaving Sodom in a hurry don't you worry
that it's raining fire and brimstone all around--just don't turn round! [Lot's wife]
Don't eat food from talking snakes [Eve]
Watch for women holding stakes [Jael]
Don't you follow hogs with demons or you'll drown [Gadarene demoniac]
And If you ever sell some land don't try to make yourself look grand
By conspiring to be lying you'll be lying under ground [Ananias and Sapphire]
If you have long flowing hair in the forest ride with care
You can keep your head by keeping your head down [Absalom]
Oh, there must be a hundred stupid ways to die in the Bible
Things that you should never even try in the Bible
So learn your lessons well and find out why it's in the Bible
And you won't have a millstone tied around your neck [Jesus' illustration]
your thumbs cut off or stoned to death [Adoni Bezek, Achin]
Cut up in pieces eaten by dogs [prostitute, Jezebel]
Shot by an arrow overrun with frogs [Saul, Pharaoh]
Do what's right in all you do to keep these things from happening to you!
JULY 25 = PHILEMON
WELCOMING A USELESS THIEF
Paul writes the briefest of his letters to a brother in Christ named Philemon, who is known to “have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.” Philemon had become a believer, and had a church that met in his home, together with his family. The main purpose for this letter is to restore a relationship between Philemon and his former slave, Onesimus.
Here is the likely backstory of the relationship between the two men: Onesimus had been the slave of Philemon—perhaps a bond servant, perhaps someone whose services had been purchased by the wealthy Philemon. If Onesimus was his name from birth, then it seems likely that his family was a family of servants, for they named their son “Useful.”
However, young Onesimus was not growing into his destiny, for he was becoming “useless” to Philemon and his family. And then he ran away, likely stealing some things from Philemon on his way out.
That’s when Onesimus met Paul and was led to the Lord Jesus Christ, and his life turned upside down. He became an eager helper to Paul, delivering two of his letters (Colossians and Ephesians) by hand. And now, this former slave was called by Paul “my very heart.” And Paul knows that it is best to send Onesimus back to his master to be forgiven and restored. So he writes this letter to help pave the way.
“Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.”
Then comes one of the verses of Scripture that strikes me as an inside joke. Paul writes, “I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.” (And I always think, it’s a good thing that Paul didn’t mention that!)
It leads me to a question: Is there a place for me as a believer in Christ to hold a personal wrong against someone? What if they betrayed me? Stole from me? Had a bad attitude? Were a lazy worker? Lied to me? Ran away and became unreachable? Is there good reason for me to pray against him, and ask God to bring him to harm?
Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek to the one who strikes us. To bless those who curse us. To forgive those who have wronged us. In short, our Lord said to pray for our enemies. And when we pray, what do we ask God for? To hurt, confront, impede, and curse the person for eternity? Or do we pray for him to bless them, to heal them, to bring them repentance so that seasons of refreshing may come to them?
May we let love always be our highest priority, even when we are wronged. Then it will be true that we will have spent a lifetime “refreshing the hearts of the saints.” And in the end, “the grace of the Lord Jesus [will] be with your spirit.” Amen.
JULY 24 = TITUS 3
CHRISTIANS AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES
Conspiracy theories are everywhere. Elections. Visitors from other planets. Aliens from other countries. Governments. Schools. Churches. Genders, race and wealth.
I don’t know if you have noticed it, but a conspiracy theory can only come about by slander. It starts with distrust and ends with talking about others without the benefit of them being able to defend themselves. And through social media, and with the help of our always-present AI robots, we fill our inboxes with like-minded people and opinions that underscore our biases.
Paul is writing to Titus, who grew up on the island of Crete, which was originally a penal colony, and had become a center for mythology about the Greek gods. Cretans had a reputation that Paul quotes: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” Then Paul says, “this saying is true.” It is this culture to which the Gospel had come, and this culture in which the church was struggling to find a place.
Can you relate? Is our culture becoming anti-Christ, anti-church, or anti-traditional morals? What do we do in such a culture?
Paul gives this advice:
“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.”
In the first place, don’t rebel against the government, no matter how godless and corrupt it may be. Follow the rules, obey the laws, and be ready to do what is good.
Then comes the hidden instruction to “slander no one.” To slander usually means to tell the truth, but it is a hurtful negative report against that person. Paul is saying if anyone is going to choose NOT to be part of the slanderous conspiracy theories about the government and other leaders, let it be the followers of Christ. Slander no one. NO ONE. Instead, be peaceable and considerate, and always be gentle toward everyone.
Then Paul goes on to say why we can and should be charitable toward even our cultural foes.
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.”
Paul is saying that we were part of that foolish culture in our past, no matter which side of the conspiracy we happened to be on. We knew all about hate and envy. But we were changed, and now life is different.
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”
So, let us show ourselves to be washed and reborn, renewed and citizens of a culture with hope of eternal life. This world is not our home. Then, with Paul we can say,
“…avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.”
My flesh is drawn to a good controversy. God’s Spirit tells me that such things are unprofitable and useless. Amen.
JULY 23 = TITUS 2
EVERY YOUNG MAN’S HURDLE
In chapter two of Titus, Paul tells the young evangelist to teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Then he goes on to list what to teach each group of people, from older men, older women, younger women and young men.
All of the lists are worthy of careful consideration, of course. Titus is to tell the older men to focus on six things to help their lives honor the Lord. Titus is to teach the older women four things. Then the older women can teach the younger women—notice that it is not the young man Titus who should be ministering with personal advice for young women. For the sake of his purity and their growth, it is the older women who can best teach the younger women an impressive list of seven important items.
Then Paul tells Titus what to teach the young men.
“Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.”
Seriously? Just one thing for young men, after all the matters on everyone else’s lists?
Yes. Indeed. For young men, the gateway to maturity is self-control. If they only focus on one thing, that is the single most important part of their lives for them to really master.
In fairness, self-control is also on the list for older men and for younger women. But it is the only thing for young men.
You might say that the clearest mark of a young man is that he wants to explore “grown up” things and prove himself overnight to be a real man. So this ambitious and competitive young guy runs at life tackling everything he thinks is the mark of an adult.
The problem is, he usually gets it wrong. He sees the marks of maturity to be running fast and being strong and driving fast and taking risks. He finds himself with all kinds of hormonal desires, and so he is sexually active, and he gets into fights, he uses grown-up language and stands toe-to-toe with anyone who challenges him. In short, he glories in his manhood and imagines that he has made it as a man because he understands the ways of the world.
Of course, the problem is that a typical young man’s world is upside down. The mark of maturity is NOT in saying YES to all those things that were forbidden to him when he was younger. The mark of maturity for him is to learn to say NO to those temptations that have flooded his young brain.
Self-control is a fascinating topic, and an intriguing word in the New Testament. The word is sophroneo, which is a form of the word wisdom. It is found when the Gadarene demoniac has been delivered and they find him fully clothed and “in his right mind.” He is in control of himself, rather than the demons dictating his behavior after all these years.
Self-control is what it takes to move from limits of law and of parents to setting your own limits. When a horse has been raised in a pen, and for the first time he is released from the gate and given total freedom as to where to go and what to do, he has two choices: he can assume that he is still fenced in and stay within a small circle of space, or he can run into the wild and explore the world, reveling in his new freedom.
But for humans with a conscience and the Holy Spirit, we have a third option. We can live under childhood limitations or go crazy, or we can learn to live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who gently guides us through the freedom of the vast world with self-control as our first tool.
Young men, may the Spirit of Christ teach you to be self-controlled and alert, that the enemy might gain no ground in your lives. Amen.
JULY 22 = TITUS 1
REBUKE THEM SHARPLY
The gospel is a message of grace, and Paul is going to remind Titus of that truth multiple times in this letter. The gospel is also a message of truth. Jesus was full of grace and truth, and he came to bring them to mankind.
You might say that the opposite of grace is law, rebellion, oppression, regulations, requirements and limits. And the opposite of truth is falsehood, deception, lies and imbalance.
So when teachers come along who are rebellious and full of deception, they must be silenced. Especially so when they teach things they ought not to teach for the sake of dishonest gain. This is what was happening on the island of Crete, where Paul had left Titus to straighten out the organization of the churches there.
That’s why Paul says,
“… Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.”
So, when do you know to rebuke someone “sharply?” I think of Priscilla and Aquila who spoke with Apollos and explained the ways of God more fully to him. And of how Paul told Timothy that the Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be kind to all. What is a time to confront with a sharp rebuke? Let’s see what the elements are of this false teaching.
Merely human commands of those who reject the truth. Unlike Apollos, these people have heard the truth, but they have rejected it. They don’t need to have the truth explained to them, but they need to stop rejecting it.
Corrupted and do not believe. If they are teaching for dishonest gain, then they are corrupted. If their lifestyles are immoral or in some way inconsistent with the moral God they claim to represent, then they don’t believe their own message.
Minds and consciences are corrupted. In fact, their corruption is so complete, both their minds and their consciences are corrupted. They have convinced themselves in their minds that they are not living immoral lives. And they have even convinced their consciences that they have nothing to feel guilty about. They are truly hardened in their hearts.
They deny God by their actions. They follow “Jewish myths” and “merely human commands.” But their actions show that they don’t believe in a final judgment from a righteous God.
They are detestable. Detestable is a strong word, reserved only for the truly hardened of heart.
They are disobedient. They should know to obey, but they choose not to. There is no excuse for disobedience.
They are unfit for doing anything good. Their teaching is so poisoned that nothing good can come of what these people are propagating by their lives.
Parents know well the fine line between loving someone and warning or even scolding them. They know that it is possible to do both at the same time.
Jesus himself does provide an example of giving a sharp rebuke to the Pharisees in Matthew 24. He calls them hypocrites, blind guides and fools, says they make their followers twice the sons of hell that they themselves are. I imagine Jesus delivering those harsh words with tears, much as the Father had held out his own hands all day long to a stubborn and obstinate people, and yet they would not repent. But there is a time for not beating around the bush or mincing words.
This is truly a challenging test, to know when to gently correct and when to sharply rebuke. The Holy Spirit, who is the heart of God, will guide us in knowing the difference between the two, and will show us how to love someone, even as we severely scold them. Amen.
JULY 21 = 2 TIMOTHY 4
PREACH THE WORD!
There are some verses in 1 and 2 Timothy that refer to some themes that I think are important for us to know.
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
2 Timothy 4:1-5 NIV
THE CHARGE
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
We are always in his presence, of course. But Paul is calling upon the highest of solemn charges when he recognizes he is in the presence of God. When he is in the presence of Jesus. When he is aware that Jesus will judge the living and the dead. When is is viewing his coming and his kingdom.
And so Paul issues what he calls a charge. It is a command. An Imperative. A solemn order from a higher authority. He is delivering the word from God to Timothy.
PREACH
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
Just as he is commanding Timothy to boldly declare to others. He calls it PREACH. To preach is more declarative than to teach, or to give a speech. It is more than a lecture. We usually call what someone preaches a sermon. But preaching can happen one on one with someone. You can get to preaching when you are convicted that what you are saying is of extreme importance.
Preach = correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
Correct. You are thinking wrongly. Here is the right answer. This requires a man who not only knows what is right, but who has the bold confidence to deliver it. Rebuke goes to the next level. There is a lot of spiritual authority that lies behind a rebuke. And encourage. After breaking someone, they need a master who can rebuild the broken, repentant heart.
With great patience. Not just a little. What takes patience is having said hard things and people did not repent, and you keep standing alone, a voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord!
And careful instruction. Don’t just throw any old teaching off the top of your head at people. Learn what way people will best hear you. In what setting. With what stories or illustrations.
BE PREPARED ALWAYS
be prepared in season and out of season;
I have learned a little about seasons in my lifetime.
One of my favorite sayings when people are making plans and I agree with them. I’ll say, “I’m game. But I’m not in season.” For some reason I think it’s funny and I keep trying it. But this is not the season for people to get my jokes, I guess.
In the same way, there are seasons of receptivity and seasons when you are not resonating with those to whom you are speaking. Even so, be prepared to preach the word.
There are even seasons when the environment is such that the gospel is actually under persecution, and the message of Jesus is offensive to people. Your family or your friends don’t want to hear it. If so, even while you are being silent, don’t shut down or give up. It might not be the season to preach, but be prepared.
More personally, there may be seasons when you are not the one who is given the pulpit. Maybe you are just the song leader, or a member who is sitting and listening to that message. It might not be the season for you to preach. But be prepared anyway. Make your life a sermon. Be learning, every day. You never know, after 4 or 5 decades of unseen discipline, you might be doing a podcast every day about some aspect of a chapter of scripture, and your study today could help you to be prepared for when it has finally BECOME your season.
So, no matter what, even if it is not the season for you to deliver SERMONS, still I say PREACH THE WORD!
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
Are we in this season, my brothers and sisters? The season of people gathering around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear? Is it common today to sing what we call songs of worship that actually are more about our personal feelings than about Jesus and what he has done? How often do we call upon the name of the Lord? How often do we find the word “justice” or “the poor” or “widow, refugees or the oppressed”? All of those words and topics are found often in the psalms, but people pay to hear songs that make them feel good. So writers write songs that people will pay for. And the cycle goes on and on, that people pursue what their itching ears want to hear, and a great number of teachers are available to say just what they are asking for.
So I say it again: we are all to be prepared. In season. Out of season. Even people will not put up with sound doctrine. Paul’s charge to Timothy might not be addressed to you and me directly. But his charge is for every one of us in this room today. And so I deliver that message to you this morning: PREACH THE WORD.
JULY 20 = 2 TIMOTHY 3
THE WORD
Words mean things, as a radio commentator used to say. That’s why they are important. Because they contain the means by which we communicate ideas with others. Without words, we have very few other ways to communicate clearly.
There are a couple of Greek words that are translated as “word:” logos and rhemos. Logos is the main one that we read about in the New Testament. It has to do with the declaration from God, or the story of God.
Paul charged Timothy to “Preach the word.” Tomorrow let’s talk about the art of preaching. Today, let’s focus on that “word” that he was to preach.
READ THE WORD / SAY IT
Timothy was commanded to read publicly.
“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.”
1 Timothy 4:13 NIV
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Acts 2:42 NIV
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV
LET THE WORD CHANGE YOU
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:14-17 NIV
“I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Psalms 119:10-11 NIV
“Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.”
Psalms 119:97-99 NIV
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.”
Psalms 119:105-106 NIV
JESUS IS THE WORD
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:1-5 NIV
THE GOSPEL = 1 TIM 1:15
““Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”
Acts 2:22-24 NIV
WHAT IS YOUR NAME?
(I wrote this song a couple of years ago while reflecting on the account of the deliverance of the Gadarene demoniac, and also of Simon whom Jesus renamed the apostle Peter. Jesus had great authority to be able to declare someone's name. His view of me is just as profound.)
What is your name, He asks me
What is your name?
And what can I say? He knows the truth. I cannot lie.
What is my name you ask me
What is my name?
My name is Legion for many demons dwell here inside me
They are what guide me
My name is Simon, one who denied You
That's what defines me, that's what describes me
I am guilt for what I've done
I am shame for who I am
I am failure yesterday and yet today it's still the same
It is my past it is my future
What is Your name, I ask You
What is Your name?
And You say You are the Way You are the Truth You cannot lie
Here is my name, You tell me
This is Your name:
"I am Jesus called the Christ.
I am the Living One who died
I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End
And all authority in heaven and on earth is in my hand
And I declare that where you are is not defined by where you've been!
This is your name
This is your name, it is your future:
You are Peter, you're a rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail
Now you are sane and self-controlled
You are delivered you are whole
You are freed from what you've done
You're a child of the I AM
and you're forgiven that's your name
It is your name it is your name
Now claim your future.
JULY 19 = 2 TIMOTHY 2
THE MASTER’S PLAN FOR MAKING DISCIPLES
Jesus preached to the crowds. But then the crowds left him when he said something hard. They shouted “Hosanna to the son of David” on Sunday. And then on Friday they shouted “Crucify him!” Our Lord knew about crowds. That’s why he never chased after them. He wasn’t out to see how big a crowd he could draw.
Instead, Jesus went up on a mountain and prayed all night. Then he carefully chose twelve men who could be with him and learn by watching, by learning the stuff of the Spirit that goes on behind the scenes, by being saturated in ways of God. He calls them his children, and shows them the Father.
Having poured himself into these twelve men for three years, Jesus sends them on a couple of short ventures to do what they had seen him do, and they are hugely successful. And Jesus laughs and rejoices that God has shown his secrets to the innocent children who are his followers. And the followers (“disciples”) are ready to be sent (“apostles”) at last.
Yet, even though Jesus hand-selected these men, one of them betrayed him and sent him to his death. Another one betrayed him. All of them fled into the night when it got scary. And Jesus died alone.
Yet our Lord had bet everything he had on these twelve. In spite of their extreme failure when he needed them most, he knew it was the Father’s will. And he knew that the Resurrection would change it all. And then he left. And, sure enough, just as he had planned and prayed, those men went into all the world and preached to all nations, teaching them everything the Lord had shown them. And he was with them always, even when it was worst, to the end of the ages.
This is the Master’s plan for evangelism, and his strategy for making disciples. Paul outlines it all in a sentence when he writes to Timothy,
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
Here is the outline, listed briefly:
- Say the message to the crowds of many witnesses. But don’t worry about the crowds.
- Find a few who want more. Note that it is just a few. Jesus was full-time at what He was doing, with no side job and no family, but he chose only twelve—and only had eleven of them graduate with passing grades. How many would you have time to truly pour into?
- Be sure these followers are “reliable.” (Trustworthy in some translation). Test them before you invite them. Let them count the cost and know what they are committing themselves to do.
- “Entrust” to them the treasures that you find. Pour it into them. Let them watch you, let them imitate you, purposefully sit down with them and share with them the secrets of the kingdom that you have discovered. Have them follow you, as you follow Christ.
- They must also be qualified to teach others. This is how it gets passed on from Jesus to the world. They know where things are going, and agree to it before you get started.
- You must send them out and let them go after they have completed their training. You started as their mentor. You became their spiritual father. But now you become a consultant, and you move on to invest in others.
If you faithfully follow the Master’s plan, He will change the world through you!
Want proof? If you start at the age of 30 and spend three years doing a discipling relationship with just two people, and then you move on to another group each time, you will have discipled 26 people by the time you turn 70. But if each one of them is faithful to do the same as you have done, your disciples will have trained 156 others in those same years. If, in turn, each of the people that they disciple does the same, there will be an additional 17,876 more! So you will have reached over 18,000 people for Christ in your lifetime.
Who has discipled you? Are you ready to reach out and ask someone to mentor you? Who would you invite to learn from you? What will you tell them? So many questions. So many plans.
But the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. May you and I take our first step today. Amen.
JULY 18 = 2 TIMOTHY 1
THIRD GENERATION FAITH
As I gathered in our living room with most of the members of our family, children and grandchildren, all joined together in worship and now ready to hear our monthly encouragement from Grampa Read, I was struck with a perspective that I could have said years ago, but hadn’t felt it like this until now.
“It strikes me today that my job as a father is NOT to raise children to adulthood. It is to raise my children to raise THEIR children. The aim is the third generation, after all.
I then went on to enumerate the genealogical line from Adam through the generations, looking for examples of fathers who raised their sons, and whose sons also raised HIS son. Here is what I found:
Adam had two sons. One killed the other. Not a good start. Then he had Seth. Seth became the father of Enosh. We are not told about their spiritual relationship with God, but later we get to Enoch. Enoch “walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
Enoch became the father of Methuselah, who seems to have lived right up until shortly before the great flood, which involved Methuselah’s grandson, Noah. And Noah “found favor in the eyes of the Lord.’
In turn, Noah had three sons (Shem, Ham, Japheth). After the flood receded, God established his covenant (the rainbow is its sign) with Noah and his descendants that he will not destroy the earth with the flood again. And then Noah got drunk, and one of his sons (Ham) made fun of him, and Noah cursed Ham’s SON, Canaan!
Much later, we see the line of kings of Israel, and it seems predictable that about every other generation of king was good, and then his son was bad. Down in Judea, David was a good king (except for the Bathsheba thing), and it was Bathsheba who had Solomon. Solomon was wise, it’s true. He built the temple, to the glory of God. But then he had two sons, who ended up splitting the kingdom of Israel and establishing that awful revolving door of good king/bad king.
In contrast, we see Timothy and what Paul says about his spiritual roots. And I think this is how it should be. Paul says,
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
Sincere. Not surface. Not fake.
Faith. Not pretend. Not a set of rules.
That sincere faith first lived in his grandmother Lois. That is as beautiful a statement as you can find. Made all the more sweet by saying “AND in your mother Eunice.” And even better, he says it now lives in Timothy! Such a multigenerational heritage!
My son was starting up his business of home renovations. And it struck us to name the business “Third Generation Restoration.” We are out to help people with their houses. But our mission is to help restore families along the way.
How about you? Are you praying for the NEXT generation to raise the NEXT NEXT generation, that we might pass on a sincere faith to each? It is the most important job we could ever have. Amen.
JULY 17 = 1 TIMOTHY 6
THE LOVE OF MONEY
Have you ever heard the expression, money is the root of evil? If so, did you know that it comes from the Bible? And if so, did you know that it was kind of misquoted? Let’s find out the nuances of this old proverb.
The actual statement is “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” And its context is found in 1 Timothy 6. Here Paul is talking about what we live with and what we live without, and why we make those choices. He starts with this:
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Elsewhere, we heard Paul say that he had learned the “secret” to contentment. So he could live with wealth or poverty and be content. Here he says some of the same things. After all, “we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing with us.” As Job said, “Naked I came into this world, and naked I shall return.” That kind of perspective helps me to ask why I spend so much energy pursuing things that I can only use for my lifetime? When I’m gone, even if heaven is not my reward, I won’t have need of or use for those things that I acquired. And if I find a way to pass them on to my children, or even on to their children, at some point my prized possessions will break, or rot, or be stolen, or go out of style, just as Jesus said they would (except for the going out of style part).
Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
Life can provide so many temptations. We become discontent over many ambitions. We want affirmation from others. We want to be famous. We want to succeed in the public arena. We want money, yes, that’s what we want! With money, we can BUY all those other things we want. With money, my name could be known everywhere. With money, I can have that car or house or thingamabob that turns heads and draws attention. With enough money, I no longer have to work for a living! I can involve myself in other people’s business, or can buy a company and change the world from the top down. I could live like a king! Wake up when I want, do what I want, eat what I want, sleep whenever I want. Yes, that’s the perfect solution! And then, too late, I realize that I have fallen into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge me into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
Yes. It was that love of money that started all this. The love of power. The love of independence and selfishness. The love of self. Greed. Covetousness. Envy. Excess, drunkenness and carousing. Gluttony, loss of self-control and loss of consideration for others. The lust of the flesh. The lust of the eyes. The pride of life. All that is in the world, according to John. Money is not the problem here, you may notice. Rather, it is the LOVE of money that does you in.
Here, then, is Paul’s instruction for how to overcome the love of money and its sinful influences within you.
Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
What happens when we are eager for money? We stop relying on God, and only think about ourselves. We stop believing in God to meet our needs, because we imagine that our vast money allows us to gain just about anything in the world, we find ourselves deeply grieved and without a solution.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
So, what are those to do who alreadty have great wealth? Zacchaeus volunteered to give away much of his fortune gained from tax collecting. Jesus told the rich young man to sell everything and give it to the poor. Maybe it takes something as radical as that for us to get to heaven. But what if it did? What if that was what God said? Would you do it?
Here is the ironic balancing truth to this teaching: God gives us everything for our enjoyment! We are SUPPOSED to find pleasure in the things of this world! But if we are not truly content with whatever God gives us, rather than finding pleasure, we find envy about the “next” thing we need.
Our advertising culture and online robots are trained to elicit in each of us discontent. To convince us that we will be happy if we can just get that one. More. Thing. And so we forget the secret to contentment. The reason that we live.
Godliness with contentment is great gain. May you be content today. Amen.
JULY 16 = 1 TIMOTHY 5
CONCERNING WIDOWS
In the culture of the first century, there was no Social Security, no 401K plans, no use of the word “retirement.” For that matter, there were no nursing homes or retirement communities or moving to temperate climates to enjoy their older years living off their earnings. There was no hospitality industry as such. People got older, they lived in the same house they had, and one day they die. After that, the firstborn son generally got at least a double portion of the estate, if not the whole thing.
So what happened to widows when their husband died? If there was no Social security or retirement fund, then the man’s widow was suddenly destitute. She had depended upon her husband for years, and now she would depend upon her children to provide for her. If, of course, they had children. So to be a widow in that culture could be a truly dangerous situation.
In steps the church, which takes seriously the command to “honor your father and mother.” One of the clearest ways to honor your mother would be to care for her, feed her, provide for her needs for the rest of her days. But what about those widows who are “widows indeed?” That would be those who have lost their husbands and have also lost their children, or never had children. They are truly in need. And so the church sets up a ministry to help provide for those widows, and all is well. Right?
Well, there are a few exceptions that seem to come up as questions. What about this? What about that? Paul is answering some of the general principles to answer those questions. He opens by saying,
“Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.”
These are the “widows indeed,” with no children or other outside support. “Proper recognition” probably means providing food and medical care, possibly even housing or other needs that come up.
“But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.”
But here is where families learn the full extent of the commandment that says “honor your father and mother.” This commandment contains the promise “that it may go well with you and you may live long on the earth.” Take care of your parents, and you will honor them and honor God, and it will go well for you, and you are likely to live long on the earth.
“The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.
There is a positive final chapter for a widow indeed, if she makes use of her station to engage in prayers and to put her hope in God. She might be like Anna in the temple who saw Jesus as a baby and prophesied over him. She might be an honored matriarch of multiple generations, known for her wisdom and being an example of how to graciously age and complete the course set for her.
But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.
But there is another story of the widow who turns out to be a taker who is living for pleasure. She is not a source of wisdom, not an example to follow. She is simply waiting for death to come and interrupt her responsibility-free life.
Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Once again, it is commanded that children honor their parents, so Paul is saying that if they continue to withhold from their widowed mother, they are being worse than an unbeliever, because they bear the reputation of the heart of Christ in their life.
No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
There is a reason for each of Paul’s requirements.
Over 60
Had been faithful to her husband.
Well known for her good deeds (e.g., bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble, devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.)
As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge.
That first requirement of being over 60 is elaborated on now. A younger widow may want to remarry, which is fine. But here we discover that those on “the list” seem to have included a life-long vow of chastity, and the vow would be broken if she remarries. As Jesus said, let your yes be yes, and anything more than that comes from the evil one.
Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.
And here we see something that Paul has noticed before. People, and particularly women, being strongly relationally-driven, tend to get into the business of others, and a prayer request sort of turns into a gossip session. Plus, if they are now being cared for so that they don’t need to work in order to eat, they might fall into the temptation of becoming idle. As Paul says elsewhere, if a man will not work. He shall not eat.
So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.
So Paul offers counsel. It is not a command, but it is some advice. Some of those younger women who made this vow ended up leaving the faith altogether because of the church’s generosity. The support for these women became an enablement, not a help. They spent their time drifting away from prayer and toward things of the earth.
This, by the way, is the biggest problem with any “equal” program of support. Some people need the support, and having that, their hearts respond the way as would be expected. But others who get the same thing end up taking it for granted and they drift off to being more worldly, the opposite of what the goal was.
If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.”
And here is the closing practical advice. A woman has volunteered to take care of some widows who are in need. Maybe those widows were part of her family. Maybe her husband brings home enough money that they can afford to have a few houseguests. Maybe she and they are doing their own business and it is working for them to make fabric or sell at the market or whatever. In any case, Paul says to let them continue so as to avoid being an unneeded burden to the church.
Let me try to put all this together for some very practical charitable advice from Paul to us:
- Some people can work and they do work. They do not need to receive charity. But they generously give to charity so that there will be no need among the church.
- Some people can work but they will not work. Do not give them charity, or the free money will only enable them with too much free time, which often ruins relationships and even faith.
- Some people cannot work. They are the truly needy, and we focus our charitable efforts on such people. It is equitable and right, and can help the receivers to honor the Lord by using their energies for what is good.
- Some people might take a vow of chastity, poverty and obedience. Support those people, for they are dedicating their work-able strength to go toward the kingdom.
JULY 15 = 1 TIMOTHY 4
I have long been intrigued by Paul’s brief exhortation to Timothy not to let anyone look down on him because he was young. How do you not let people do anything, I wonder? Because I know that in my own life, when I was young, people looked down on me. That’s because I was shorter than all of them, being a toddler, of course. How could I stop them?
How could I? Really? How do I earn respect, when I am immature and live an inconsistent life? So I live with people ignoring me, and I recognize that I am still not effective in ministry as a young man. Maybe by the time I reach retirement age, I will have earned their respect and might measure up to my potential in the Lord.
And now I am 40 years old. Still a young man, by society’s standards. And I still hold back from being bold enough to speak with authority.
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young,
And then Paul writes this letter, and he tells me to stop letting this happen. It is time to take spiritual authority and snatch some from the fire, bring the immature to full life in Christ, to challenge the established saints to continue in their spiritual growth. But the church of Christ is suffering because of my timidness. I am Timothy, and I am conflicted as a minister of the Gospel. How do I keep people from looking down on me because I am young? Paul gives this advice:
“but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
My confident lifestyle earns respect. Perhaps this is related to the directions about overseers being above reproach, and of having a good reputation with outsiders. So the evangelist who has appointed and is training those elders needs to set the standard in every aspect of life; speech, conduct, love, faith and purity.
Speak in such a way that you earn respect for your maturity. Don’t ever let the devil get a foothold in the lives of the church members. Be bold. Be strong. Be disciplined in your speech, so that you can bring others to maturity with you.
Conduct yourself in such a way that people will emulate what they see in your young life. Remember, you are never off duty, never free to indulge yourself. You are a full-time follower of Christ. Only after you have committed to such a way of conducting yourself can you say with Paul, follow me as I follow Christ.
Love in such a way that no one can dismiss you as a phony, or a hypocrite. After all, love is the truest mark of maturity, for love bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. So go and love your neighbor as yourself. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And people will be drawn to copy what they see in you.
Let your faith never waver. In spite of earthly circumstances and temporal difficulties, remember why you have come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Pray as if you believed. Speak from an eternal perspective. Listen as Jesus would. And see everything through the eyes of faith, knowing that your labor is not in vain. Your faith will inspire all who come in contact with the undeniable truth, that you are and you reward those who diligently seek you.
Let your purity be evidence of your faith, as you keep your covenant with your eyes not to look upon someone with lust. Let your vocabulary, your music and sources of entertainment be a steady witness to any who would come against you, that they will not be able to find just cause to dismiss your faith, because they see the purity of your motives and your actions.
“Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
This is the end result of your personal disciplines: salvation, both for yourself and for your hearers. May we be heard loud and clear. Amen.
JULY 14 = 1 TIMOTHY 3
THE FIRST HOME TEST
Do you know who knows more about your life than you might imagine? Your postal carrier. Your trash collector. Your Amazon Prime robot. They say that you can learn a lot about a person by looking at their checkbook, their trash can, and their calendar. I recognize that those three terms are all kind of old now, but the point is still the same. Whatever we might claim about ourselves, and whatever mask we put on at the church gathering, we see our true priorities by seeing what we actually spend money on. How much do we really give to charity, or spend on entertainment, or rack up in credit? Then, what do we throw away after using it? And what might we be ashamed of if people from the church saw what we have consumed or used during the last week? What does our calendar reveal about our true priorities, as opposed to merely our lip service?
In this chapter, Paul gives a list of qualifications for shepherds and deacons. He has several items on his list, but let’s focus on what we might consider to be the first and most important of the tests: his home life.
Paul starts by saying that the overseer (shepherd / pastor / elder / bishop) is to be “above reproach.” And he begins the list of qualities of a deacon (servant / minister) as saying that they are to be “worthy of respect.” I think that most of the items on each list have to do with things that are not the same as the image we convey at church. In fact, the best and most accurate test for a man is his family. After all, says Paul,
“(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)”
How, indeed, shall a spiritual shepherd be proven? If he cannot “manage” his own family, then how do you give him less time and more souls and expect that he will do a better job with them? How could he advise other fathers and husbands, or empathetically listen to the complaints of the next generation against their parents? So Paul says,
“He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.”
How do you know if a man manages his own family well? Look at the condition and order of the house itself. Then look at the people and their relationships, especially their relationships with him.
And just how does a father get his children to obey him, anyway? And how does he do that with gentleness and love? To be sure, if he has not demonstrated mastery of that combination of gentleness and patience necessary to shepherd someone through the complexities of life, if he is distracted with family rebellion and unhappy wife and disorder under his own roof. So while he takes a long, hard look in the mirror, we do the same. And we ask, “Does he have time and energy, insight and consistency? Is there enough for the larger family of faith in his life? Can he handle it all?
The final item on the list is that overseers “must have a good reputation with outsiders.” So you might say an elder must be examined “inside” (family) and “out” (outsiders) before they are assigned to shepherd the “middle circle” of the church. The church’s reputation with the community is affected by the reputation of its spiritual leaders. If you don’t yet know a man’s reputation with outsiders, then perhaps it is too hasty a season to lay hands on him.
And for deacons, he says, “they must first be tested.” So you might say that deacons need a test before their evaluation. That’s a lot of scrutiny.
In the final judgment, Jesus said that everyone must give an accounting of every idle word. May you and I be ready for the final quiz.
Yes, this WILL be on the final exam. Amen.
JULY 13 = 1 TIMOTHY 2
PAGAN LEARNING TO WORSHIP, 101
The apostle Paul was a Jew of Jews, called to start churches among Gentiles, such as those in Ephesus.
“And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.
Gentiles did not have the same “church” background as Jewish believers would. Jews from all over Judea had heard about Jesus, and believed him to be the Jewish Messiah, the fulfillment of all those prophecies they had heard and memorized since childhood.
But Gentiles had none of that background. Some Gentiles had worshiped idols, which may have included some of those truly vulgar and sensual practices that they saw as worship, but we would not recognize it in most circles today. Consequently, for many in the congregation, Paul needed to give some basic instructions on “proper” etiquette for worship. Consider this to be Worship for Gentiles, 101, from a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.
Imagine Paul was writing to a contemporary church plant that was maybe a year or two old. These people have never been to a church before. They had been to various temples of idols, where “worship” consisted of giving financial gifts, offering sacrifices (pouring out spices, slaughtering an animal, or even surrendering your firstborn child to become a sex slave in the cult worship of this god). Women take the lead. They dress up in their most elaborate attire and they bring the sacrifices. Men visit the temple prostitute to bring good luck in conceiving another boy to carry on the family business. These are the people who have now become followers of Christ. But they have no Bible, and they don’t know the Old Testament customs and Jewish ways of spirituality. This is the group to whom Paul has Timothy instruct on worship.
Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.
Paul tells those Gentiles that men pray with holy hands lifted up. Jews knew about the posture for prayer, raising hands and having eyes open and looking heavenward. But Gentiles not so much. And Gentiles didn’t necessarily grow up thinking of men as standing before their families to intercede. What’s more, Gentiles didn’t necessarily think of worship and prayer as being something that affects their relationships with others, to have holiness and have no anger or disputing. So Paul needed to tell them to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit when they pray and afterward.
I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
Just as the men needed to learn to step up and take spiritual leadership and authority in their homes and in the assembly, so women need to think differently about what happens in the gathering. Give up the dress-to-impress theology, and follow God, who cares about your morals, not your displays of wealth.
A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.
The wives were used to being in leadership in family worship at the temples. But Paul is wanting men to take leadership in their prayers, and in their teaching. Don’t sit back and let your wives assume spiritual leadership of your family. It is your duty to take the lead, not to abdicate to your wife or mother. This is not just a cultural mandate from Paul; it should be understood within biblical history, as well.
For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
This is why men should assume spiritual authority in their homes: because Adam failed to step up and protect Eve as he should have done. He was there with her, and he let her fall for the serpent’s lies. Just as men should be the ones who go to war, or who serve in public office, or who do the heavy work around the house. This is, in general, how God made things to work.
But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.”
This seems to be in line with the old adage, “A woman’s place is in her home.” Be a woman of faith—but don’t compete with your husband for who gets to have authority over the other. Love your family members and your neighbors—but don’t make the decisions about your family’s worship. Live in holiness with propriety—which means being morally pure and simple.
Maybe Paul would say all the same things to our society today. And maybe he would address things that are more culturally appropriate. Let’s brainstorm on that together…
JULY 12 = 1 TIMOTHY 1
ACTING IN IGNORANCE AND UNBELIEF
We all have free will, so we can choose to do whatever we wish. Yet God chooses us, and calls each soul out of the crowd to hear his voice. What’s more, God’s will for us is general, carried out in living by the behavior he has told us to follow. And yet His will is specific, as each of us is led by the Holy Spirit’s guidance. You might say that God has a Plan A for all of us. Yet he seems to always be dealing with us on a Plan B. So if we were to post the status of our spiritual life on social media, I guess we might each post that our relationship with God is complicated, you might say.
Thanks be to God through Christ Jesus our Lord! None of us is so far gone that we cannot be saved, loved and drawn, in spite of the depth of our depravity! The Good Shepherd is more than willing to leave the 99 in the fold to come searching for us, in spite of our venomous hatred. And when we come home, each of us has been the cause of a heavenly celebration!
Paul writes to the young man Timothy, his dear son in the faith, whom he has sent to work in Ephesus. Still early in his letter, Paul rejoices in his own salvation testimony. Let’s join Paul in his celebration.
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man,
Paul (Saul) had been considered trustworthy? As he says here, even though he was a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man. Even so, God knows and measures the heart, and the Lord saw the heart of a man of principles, a man radically committed to a cause he believed in. He was completely misguided, but he was faithful to his cause. After all, a rudder is only effective when the ship is in motion. So the Lord found a ship in motion and turned it around to go just as fast in the opposite direction.
I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
I think Paul is saying that God knew he was not doing what he did out of rebellion. He genuinely thought that he was serving God by persecuting Christ followers. So he was shown mercy because he didn’t know that he was opposing the very God he had thought himself to be serving. Others of us may also have been shown mercy, as well. But our testimonies might not be the same as to our internal state before mercy came in. So we might have different paths that brought us to the foot of the cross, but let’s see how similar all of our paths were from that point forward:
The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.”
The grace of the Lord was also poured out on me, abundantly! How about you?
I also received faith in Christ Jesus when my blinded eyes were opened! How about you?
And the Lord filled my heart with love for others like I had never known before I met Jesus! How about you?
It was a saying in the early church, and it was probably one of the early Christ hymns of the church: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!” That’s the best of news, because I am the worst of sinners! How about you?
Christ Jesus displayed his unlimited patience with the likes of me! How about you?
So I’ll declare my testimony to help others! How about you?
God’s unlimited patience with me can help others to believe in him! How about you?
When they believe, they receive eternal life! How about you?
People get ready. There’s a train a-comin’.
You don’t need no ticket, you just get on board.
I’m on board! How about you?
0713B DEPTH OF MERCY (Charles Wesley / Mark D. Scherer)
This is a recording of Mark singing a Charles Wesley hymn text to music that Mark wrote around 2001. It is one of my favorite hymns, and Mark has captured it so well. It fits with Paul's testimony found in 1 Timothy 1.
Depth of mercy! Can there be mercy still reserved for me?
Could my God his wrath forbear? Me the chief of sinners spare?
I have long withstood His grace. Long provoked Him to His face.
Would not harken to His calls. Grieved Him by a thousand falls.
There for me the Savior stands. Shows His wounds and spreads his hands.
God is love, I know, I feel. Jesus weeps and loves me still.
Jesus weeps and loves me still.
Jesus weeps and loves me still.
JULY 11 = 2 THESSALONIANS 3
TAKING CARE OF BUSYNESS
How do you fill your time? Do you like to stay busy? What do you do in your spare time? What are your hobbies, or habits, or addictions? What do you do for recreation? What do you do for amusement? Do you think you are too busy? Would your great-grandparent think that you have way too much spare time? How do you feel about your schedule? That’s our interesting topic of the day, and it is very important. It is important to have spare time. But it is dangerous to have too much of it.
“Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” It once was a well-known saying, hinting that when we have nothing to occupy us, we tend to fill that space with something that we should not be doing. Have you found it to be true in your own life?
“Don’t be such a busybody.” This also used to be the way someone would be chided for involving themselves in gossip, or meddling in the affairs of others, or interfering with someone else’s business. A busybody is an odd term, but we find it here in this passage today. The root word in Greek (peri-ergos) actually has to do with witchcraft (peri=supernatural, ergos=work), but its meaning is that you are doing what is forbidden.
How do you spend your free time? Have you ever thought about the difference between recreation and amusement? They may seem similar, but their roots are very different. “Re-creation” refers to creating again. “A-muse-ment” refers to not thinking. Is that the difference between a recreation center and an amusement park? How many of our activities involve not thinking? How many involve not being discerning between right and wrong? Should we ever turn off our moral radars?
The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy, then commanded us to observe it. But note this: God never sleeps nor slumbers. But he rested from his work of creating on the seventh day. Yet Jesus said that his father never stops working since the beginning. How do we reconcile all this? One day a week–note that it is AFTER we have worked for six days–we are to cease from our work of creating. Jewish law goes into great detail about this, and it is an important distinction. We can eat. We can walk, and talk, and pray, and sustain our lives in many ways. But on the Sabbath we rest from creating things. We don’t write. We don’t build, or plant, or harvest, or cook, or invent, and so forth. We cease from creating. And so, we build our strength for the work before us in the next six days.
But what happens if we take too much idle time, and we cross over from re-creation to a-musement?
Here is what Paul wrote:
“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
Life is a battle. We get to choose sides. But if we choose the Lord’s side, our battle involves things like strength and protection. Because the evil one, remember, seeks to steal, kill, and destroy.
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”
Literally, Paul says, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” If he is a baby, he shall eat. Even if he is but a boy, he eats for free, with no requirement. But by the time he is a man, he has a responsibility to at least take care of his own needs. Proverbs talks about the sluggard, the lazy person. It says that the sluggard is so lazy he doesn’t even bother to lift the food from his plate to his mouth. That’s a way of saying, some of us don’t care enough about the connection between nourishment and responsibility.
Everyone is either a taker or a giver. Meaning we consciously give more than we consciously take. (The measurements are too complex to make it an on/off kind of thing.) Or we sit back and receive, and just let others carry our fair share. Paul’s saying could be worded, be a giver, not a taker.
We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.
Here’s a truth of life: Everyone is doing something all the time. You are either taking or giving, either working or being idle, either contributing or opposing. Paul is talking about people who perhaps have heard that Jesus has already come and set up his kingdom, and we are now in the Jubilee, so just take it easy and soak in the kingdom life. God is the giver of all good gifts, after all, right? So receive the gifts and relax.
But the thing about life is there is no such thing as doing nothing. If you are not a giver, then you are being a taker. Because something has to happen in order for food to go into your mouth to keep you alive. So you let others do that work for you. But, as I say, there is no such thing as doing nothing. So you fill your time with conversations, and your undisciplined life gets into bickering and arguing about needless things, and you get to poking into the affairs of others and interfering with the relationships of those who are around you.
Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.”
They may be takers. They may be busybodies. But they are also fellow believers. So warn them. Discipline them. Withhold food from them, even. But do not regard them as an enemy.
All of us have blindspots. All of us have weaknesses. We are all hypocrites. But that doesn’t mean we should not be corrected.
May you and I find the right balance of work and rest, and may we know how to keep out of, or get into, the affairs of others. Amen.
JULY 10 = 2 THESSALONIANS 2
SIGNS OF THE (END)TIMES
Back in the 1970s, shortly after my own conversion to Christ, I discovered several authors and radio preachers who had it figured out that Jesus would return within their lifetimes, and possibly that the Great Tribulation was already starting, or that the Secret Rapture would be any second. They saw the news and projected it into the near future and made a lot of money telling everyone about it. After the ‘80s had passed and the political climate had changed, I had grown rather skeptical of the impending doom gospel.
However, there was a sense even back in Paul’s generation that the coming of the Lord was near. They prophesied and went into detail about what would happen. We haven’t come across many of these end times passages up to this point, so we would do well to see what Paul has to say about the second coming of Jesus.
“Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, …
It’s hard to imagine why such rumors would be flying about the end of all things, just a dozen years into the life of the church of Christ. The history of Jews in Rome hints at why so many rumors would be flying around saying that the end has come. Many Jews had fled from Israel and other lands, because of economic hard times and war going on around them. There in Rome, the Jewish quarter flourished, and they were thriving economically.
There were problems with the Jews, however. They refused to declare Caesar as Lord, and that was considered to be in dangerous rebellion against the government. How could the empire hold together if its people would not submit? So Rome offered to let Jews pay a heavy tax in return for their refusal to worship Caesar.
Herod the Great was declared by Rome to be “king of the Jews” in the year 40 B.C. Herod remodeled and enlarged the temple area, calling it “Herod’s temple,” which, of course, stirred the pot all the more. The stability of these arrangements were fraying as the years passed.
Uprisings in the region of Palestine (as the Romans called the geographic land of Israel) were constant, and it was apparent that sooner or later, Rome would come down hard on these religious rebels. Eventually, by the year A.D. 70, some 40 years (one generation) after Jesus’ ministry, it happened. The temple was destroyed, never to be rebuilt, and the city was emptied of Jews. Once again, they were scattered to the wind.
But Jews were being persecuted throughout the Roman Empire. They had been banned from synagogue meetings back in 41, and by 54 they would be exiled from the city of Rome. This letter was written around A.D. 51-52. And over in Jerusalem things were even worse, heading toward that city under Roman control, and by 70 simply laying siege to it and wiping it out, including destroying the temple, in fulfillment of many prophecies. So when Paul is writing this letter, relationships were tense and it was clear that the hammer was about to drop on the heads of Jews.
In the meantime, Christians who were turning the world upside down all over the empire. And since the persecution that Saul the Pharisee had initiated, now there were various active persecutions of Christians. Nero was famous for burning Christians as human torches for his garden, and for blaming Christians for burning down Rome in the year A.D. 64. Put all this persecution together, and you can imagine how some would say that this was the moment that Jesus was returning. They didn’t have the book of Revelation to tell them official future history. And even at that, it was not yet clear how to interpret those prophecies.
…for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”
Who is/was the man of lawlessness? Did someone enter the temple and set himself in the place of God? Did anyone do that? Herod the Great had done something like it, when he profaned the temple by slaughtering pigs in it. But he then rebuilt the temple, using tax money from Rome to do the magnificent structure. The temple was still standing at the time of this writing, though it was clear that things were tense.
Three centuries after Nero, Diocletian became emperor, and he renewed vicious persecution against Christians. Could those have been the ultimate moment? Are we now on a 2000-year pause, waiting for God’s response?
The problem is, I don’t have the easy answers today that we once saw in the 1970s. It seems apparent that Jesus has not yet done the great cleansing and wiped evil from the earth, setting up his throne on earth and bringing about the wedding feast. At least, not literally.
The answers are not easy. But the response is: be watchful! Amen.
JULY 9 = 2 THESSALONIANS 1
FINDING GOD’S WILL, PART FOUR
While I seek to find the center of God’s will for my life, my faith is growing more and more, and my love for others is increasing. I am developing perseverance and faith.
And yet, as I grow in learning God’s ways, I find that not everything about finding God’s will is good. Not everything is falling into place. Worse than that, I begin to find myself being rejected because of my faith.
How can it be that finding God’s will would lead to such trouble? I thought that God always wanted our good. What are we to make of it all? Here’s what Paul explained.
“All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
He has said something, but he hasn’t explained anything yet. How, exactly, does my suffering provide evidence that God’s judgment is right? I guess you have to jump to the end of the story to know.
God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.”
So God’s will may lead to persecution, but in the end the persecutors will be punished, and we will marvel at the glorious one who has bought our salvation.
Our salvation! That is certainly the will of God. “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
Logically, it then follows that a big part of finding the will of God is to share the good news about Jesus, so that others who are outside of his will can share in our salvation. “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)
While I am seeking the center of God’s will, I know day by day what my priorities should be, and I know what lies ahead.
And now that I’ve said all that, let me clarify that we have been talking about God’s “general will” to this point. God does also have a “particular will” for each of us, but that was not in these chapters of Scripture.
Even so, now let me briefly make a case for God’s particular will. Jesus taught us to pray, “Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” That prayer is easy to pray from a distance. But it is tested when your will and God’s will are not in natural agreement. Jesus was tested just before his betrayal in the Garden. Knowing what was ahead, Jesus prayed, If it is your will, remove this cup from me. Yet, not my will but yours be done. He knew what he must do, because the Father revealed all to him. And if we walk in the Spirit, he will also guide us day by day.
James tells us, “Come now you who say today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a yer there, carry on business, and make a profit. You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! . . . Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and so this or that.”
Paul writes, “But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing, and then . . . “ (1 Corinthians 4:19) And remember how Luke said, “The Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.” Acts 16
This is the experiential leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. May you and I both experience providential timing, the Spirit’s leading, answered prayers, and promptings and prophecies that only God can give. Amen.
JULY 8 = 1 THESSALONIANS 5
FINDING GOD’S WILL, PART THREE
We have been exploring what Paul said to the church of Thessalonica about the will of God. Today, we find a third passage with a series of directives that directly tell us, “this is God’s will in Christ Jesus.” Sound specific enough? Let’s find out what God’s will FOR YOU is in Christ Jesus!
Here’s what Paul tells them,
“Rejoice always,
More accurately, Paul says, “Rejoice in every circumstance.” When times are good, rejoice. When times are hard, rejoice. When you are persecuted for righteousness, rejoice. When you are grieving, even then rejoice.
Does God will for any of his people to be dour, sour or lacking in power? No. He wills only our good. God always wants our good. Do you believe that? Satan always wants our bad. He is out to kill, steal and destroy. (John 10:10) But Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) So we rejoice in every circumstance.
pray continually,
More accurately, Paul says, “Pray without ceasing.” Never stop praying. Never not pray. God’s will is that we live in constant communication with him. Life is one continual prayer. “Make my life a prayer to you, I want to do what you want me to, no empty words, and no white lies, no token prayers, no compromise.”
We were made in the image of God. That means that we are capable of living in communion with our maker. Consciously aware of His presence, making our requests known to him, thanking him for his supply, repenting of our selfish sins, walking with him in the cool of the evening, being with him in all of life’s events, and living as one with him for eternity. This is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.
give thanks in all circumstances;
Give thanks evermore. Just as we rejoice in every circumstance, so we give thanks for the good times and the bad. (See 2 Thess 1) Why rejoice in the bad times? Because even the bad times are for our good. They build character. They prepare us for eternity. James says, “count it all joy, brethren, whenever you encounter trials of various kinds, knowing that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
So even bad times are circumstances that we can rejoice in.
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Again, I note that God’s will for me is not found in the nouns of who, what and where, but in the verbs of why and how. Rejoice, pray, give thanks. This is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. God’s will for you is found in what you DO and in who you ARE.
So, what is it that God is wanting for you and me to DO?
- Pursue knowing God. This is not a game of Marco Polo, where we are trying to hear God’s voice so that we can chase him down. It is an intimate conversation in which we seek his face. This is God’s will: “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.’” (Psalm 27:8) Too often, I think we seek His hands, rather than his face. And he is calling to us through the din of the crowd, “Know me.Learn my ways. Seek my face. For your own sake. For my sake.”
- Seek God’s wisdom. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”(James 1:5) This does not reveal a major formula for understanding every mystery. But it reveals the heart of a good God who desires that His people ask Him for things. God desires the heart of His people, and he knows how to “give good gifts to those who ask Him” (Matthew 7:11).
- Receive God’s salvation. “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
JULY 7 = 1 THESSALONIANS 4
FINDING GOD’S WILL, PART TWO
I feel like I’m still looking to find the center of God’s will for me. You know, where all my giftings and interests come together, and I don’t feel the need to question whether I am doing the right thing or not. I mean, not just doing God’s will in the general sense, but being in the very center of it, with the right job, living in the right place, finding the right partner, being in the right church. Yeah, I just want to be in the center of His will for me.
Have you ever heard someone say a wish like that? Have you ever wished it yourself? It is a noble goal, and seems like the right thing to pursue. And I have felt like I am there at times in my own life. But sooner or later, seasons change and circumstances shift, and what had once felt like the center of God’s will now seems like the outer perimeter.
What if God directly answered our wish to know the center of His will? I have good news! He tells us in specifics in chapter 4. Ready?
In chapter 3, we ended with God doing this work in each of us: May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God. In chapter 4 here, Paul picks up with the theme of God’s will and provides several specific examples of the center of God’s will for you and me.
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.”
As a young man, I was surprised to see “God’s will” and “learn how to control your own body” to be connected. But they are connected completely, so that if we truly want to be in the center of God’s will, we will learn to be sexually pure. That’s right. It all starts here, you might say.
God’s will:
-
Be sanctified. This word means holy. Set apart for God. Not common or sensual or worldly or disrespectful. Respect God, who made you in His image.
-
Avoid sexual immorality. This was the shocker for me: Want to know God’s will? Avoid sexual immorality. That’s not “just” law; it is God’s WILL for you.
-
Learn how to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable. In case we didn’t get the message clearly by points 1 and 2 above, Paul further clarifies:
-
No one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. To be sanctified, to abstain from sexual immorality, means for us to learn how to behave in this world without becoming a part of it.
-
Not to be impure, but to live a holy life. Again, holy means something that is set apart, used only for the honorable intended purpose, and never for depraved fulfillment of sexual pleasure or other such sins.
So, it is of utmost importance that we take these words of Paul seriously. God wants something. He wills these sentences to speak to our hearts and steer our actions. We are to walk in purity and we are to honor others by our own purity.
This is God’s will for us all, you might say. Paul did. Amen.
JULY 6 = 1 THESSALONIANS 3
FINDING GOD’S WILL, PART ONE
I think we have something of a misunderstanding of what we might call “the center” of God’s will for us. In searching for our center, we take spiritual gifts inventory tests and fill out various other self-discovery tools, and we read our Bibles and try to read the signs of the times, while we pray and seek a sign that we are in God’s perfect place at God’s perfect timing.
The problem is, we are asking questions of Who, What When and Where, instead of Why and How. We think of “God’s will” as a person, place or thing. But God’s will is not a noun. God’s will is found in verbs.
These next chapters in 1 Thessalonians provide some excellent examples of knowing that you are in the center of God’s perfect will for your life. Let’s take three days to explore the depths of each one, and find out how to know for certain that you are in the center of God’s will for you. Ready?
Here is what Paul says in chapter 3.
“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.”
While this little segment doesn’t directly say the words “God’s will,” it does talk about things that God does in us. So bear with me if you will (see how I just referred to your will? It’s like that!), and see where this is going.
What the Lord wills to do in you and me is to make our love increase, so that all that you do is motivated by and saturated with love. Not reluctant duty, but increasing love.
And the Lord causes that increasing love in turn to overflow for each other. It is God’s will for us as a body to genuinely love one another. Not just put up with each other, and certainly not to complain or gossip about one another when they aren’t around. But to feel genuine compassion for one another, to truly want what is best for each other, and to willingly put one another’s needs ahead of our own.
You might say that the next circle affected by our overflowing love is “everyone else,” as the NIV translates it. It is God’s will that each of us will be like the Good Samaritan, who loved a stranger enough to willingly, generously lay down our own ambitions to help another. This is what the Bible calls “hospitality;” the “love of strangers.”
And notice again that it is not you and me trying to drum up the feelings needed to love. Paul’s hope is that THE LORD WILL do that in you. (Did you notice how I just referred to God’s WILL there?)
Another thing God wants to do in me and you is to strengthen our hearts, so that we will be blameless and holy. We might say that strong feelings of love without the discipline of a strong heart, we will find ourselves in the end to be nice people who never made a difference with our lives because we simply blended in with the world. A loving motivation stirs a disciplined resolve and makes us complete individuals, functioning together in perfect harmony to do the right things, and in this way to prepare us for the final judgment.
Does that sound like the center of God’s will to you?
To me, too. Amen.
JULY 5 = 1 THESSALONIANS 2
HOW TO SPOT A FALSE TEACHER
One of the challenges of the first century church was being able to identify false teaching. Since there was no canon of the New Testament books, and especially in those decades before any of the Gospels were written, where were definitive sources to determine truth? Paul was writing letters to churches, and then the letter (the one hand-written copy of it) physically went from one city to another and would be read in whole at the next gathering of the house church wherever.
What, then, happens when someone writes a letter claiming to be the apostle Paul, but it did not come from him? Who can prove the source? Even if T he writer is not claiming to be an actual apostle, how much authority do all those who will be reading it give to that letter?
What’s more, the very idea of having a closed canon of Bible called the New Testament had not even been thought of yet.
So, if all that is true, how would the ancient church evaluate a new teacher who comes along? Paul gives some good instruction here on how to spot a false teacher by defending his own ministry as valid. Let’s compare and see what we can glean about orthodoxy and about heresy in our day. We’ll call this “how to spot a heretic.”
“For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,”
“For the appeal we make does not spring from error ..
Paul’s appeal came from a former Pharisee who knew his Old Testament very well. So when Paul considered a truth about Jesus, or he was using an example from Scripture, his audience knew that Paul would not just be making up details about that passage. His appeal did not spring from error.
So, if you want to be a false teacher, begin by making up things that are not true.
….nor are we trying to trick you.
Paul was accused of a lot of things from those who were Judaizers. That’s because Paul’s teachings were the “new thing,” compared to Judaism that had been around for many hundreds of years. Paul could have been making up this new doctrine, and been presenting it to try to trick his listeners into believing this new thing. He was reassuring them of his motives here.
So, if you are looking for a false teacher, see if you can tell what the end game is. Are they manipulating you in some way? Knowingly lying to you? How can you tell when someone truly believes the truth of what they say?
…On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. …
How does one who is approved by God talk? How can you tell they are entrusted with the gospel? The best I can tell is to see how Paul writes in his letters. He over and over tells how he has suffered and how confident and consistent he is in what he declares as truth. He will defend truth to the death. And signs and wonders don’t hurt his credibility any, either.
We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.
I think this is a significant matter. Paul brings it up in his letters pretty often—someone who wants to please people will not be able to confront damaging sin in someone’s life or speak truth when it goes against the crowd. And keep in mind that God tests our hearts. Whatever our motives, they are known by God. And God tests our hearts by means of trials and persecution (will you remain faithful, even when it is dangerous?), or against opposition and controversy (will you love, and yet be true?).
You know we never used flattery, …
Perhaps one of the marks of a false teacher is use of flattery. To be clear, encouragement or being positive is good. But flattery is manipulative, or is untrue, or praises someone for something that is not their responsibility (“you’re so pretty,” “You are really smart.”) Praise for something over which a person has no control is false praise. And flattery is a mark of a person who is a false teacher.
…nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness…
How does greed show itself in a false teacher? Somehow, a greedy person receives a lot of gifts from people. They might not beg for it directly, but they tell their story as if they were victims, and they elicit sympathies that somehow turn into gifts. That is the mask that covers up the greed.
…We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, …
The same motivation that seeks gifts from people also seems to look for praise from people. Conversations set up a sort of obligation to give, or to support. Somehow a false teacher exudes a false humility that invites people to affirm and praise the false teacher.
…even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.
When your ego is wrapped up in what you say, you parade your credentials and review your personal life stories and refer to your power and influence.
Instead, we were like young children among you.
I think that what Paul means is that young children do not presume to have authority or power. Their motives are more simple, more clearly seen, less compromised, and certainly not doing long-term secretive plotting.
Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,”
A nursing mother focuses on the baby at her side. She must. Those certain attachment moments translate into caring for her children, doing whatever it takes to protect them and care for their needs.
Notice that a false teacher does what is self-serving. Notice also that true apostle does what is best for others. The energy (and money) flow goes downstream, either TO a false teacher or FROM a true disciple. In season and out of season, the same message, the same motives, the same generous selfless sacrifice.
May you and I give unconditionally, without a thought for self. And may our teaching be true, and never false. Amen.
JULY 4 = 1 THESSALONIANS 1
FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE = WORK, LABOR AND ENDURANCE
Paul and Silas had come to Thessalonica around the year 51, and Acts 17 describes both their success, and then the riot over their teaching about Jesus. They had to flee for their lives. It was such a short start and such an abrupt ending that Paul sent Timothy to go see if he could help them. Timothy returned with the good news that the people of the city had remained faithful. Paul writes to express his joy and to encourage them to continue, as well as to answer some pastoral questions for them.
Those believers, in spite of almost immediate persecution, remained faithful and hopeful. So Paul is mom writing to encourage them for their faithfulness to the gospel. He gives this threefold formula, packed with challenges for us today:
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Work produced by faith. This is a beautiful expression of the work of the Holy Spirit both in and through our lives. Now, maybe like me you first think of “work” as being the place we go for 8 hours a day. And, of course, we are not defining “work” in terms of math and physics, which can measure force and friction and all that. No, it’s more along the lines of doing good thing—good works. As James tells us, faith without works is dead, being by itself.
We are not saved by works, of course. In truth, we are not actually capable of doing good works, if you think about it that way. Faith is what saves us. But faith then produces in us good works. So it confirms our faith. And our salvation. (Did we just go in a big circle?)
A 'work of faith' is a righteous act of God which He carries out through us because of our faith in Christ. When our faith rests on Him, the work we produce is HIM working through us. In this way, we carry out God’s will and demonstrate the nature of God by being His hands and feet. So we do works of service to God and others, we work on our private devotional life, we take the road less traveled or the difficult assignment, because we believe that God sees and rewards such things.
Labor prompted by love. We sometimes refer to something as being a “labor of love,” and this is where that expression comes from. Labor, not like “labor union” or other employment, and not quite as in “she went into labor last night.” But it does have to do with working in service to another. And Paul is admonishing his readers to do their labor out of love, both for God and for our neighbor.
Using the term “labor” is a powerful reminder that it is the big sacrifices as well as the little favors that are done, prompted by love.
Endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Endurance is not a term that we use when we are just starting a project. It comes after some time of plodding through something worthwhile.
There is a certain progression in the three terms, work, labor and endurance. I do work, it becomes laborious, and I endure it to the end.
A professor once asked, “Do you know how to eat an elephant?” None of us had an answer, so he supplied, “One bite at a time.” I really love that metaphor, and it has helped me many times when taking on an imposing task. I can’t do the whole thing at once. But I can take this one bite and keep going.
There’s a power found in plodding, though the race is hard to run. A certain strength in hanging in until the job is done. For some the sailing’s easy when everything is right. But saints are those who learn to walk by faith and not by sight.
Jesus said in Revelation, “I know your works.” Paul assured the Corinthians that their labor was not in vain. Jesus says in Matthew, he who endures to the end shall be saved. Be assured that what is done in the name of the Lord is time well spent. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus! Amen.
JULY 3 = COLOSSIANS 4
THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN LIFE
Paul begins this final chapter of Colossians with a series of quick directives about the practical Christian life, especially how to act among non-believers.
He begins with these practical words:
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Would I say that I have “devoted myself” to the prayer? Have I made prayer my high priority, so that I could say, as Paul often did, “I am always praying for you.” Or, “Pray without ceasing.” You may remember that the early church in Acts “devoted themselves” to the apostles’ teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers.
It is a similar concept to walking in the Spirit, of course, in that it is done by living in constant communion with God through prayer, as the Holy Spirit guides your thoughts. The Spirit guides you because you are being watchful and thankful.
Roman Catholic believers might fulfill this verse by praying the Rosary continually through the day. In the orthodox churches, they offer up what they call the Jesus prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.” In both traditions, the repeated prayer become the background which provides context for everything that goes on around you. Which brings us to how we behave toward those who are outside of the faith. Paul says this:
. . . Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
The internal seasoning that flavors each each conversation and thought is generated by this continual prayer life as we walk in the Spirit. The Spirit provides the savor that seasons our every conversation, our every answer. The flavor of that seasoning that permeates every interaction is Grace. Let grace color every interaction.
Some years ago, a man named Watchman Née did a series of teachings which were put into a book called “The Normal Christian Life.” I read that book a few times as a young believer and found it to be challenging, and it resonated with me. The book is organized around the book of Romans, but that chapter I am thinking of fits this passage well.
“Some of you have no doubt had an experience something like the following. You have been asked to go and see a friend, and you knew the friend was not very friendly, but you trusted the Lord to see you through. You told Him before you set out that in yourself you could not but fail, and you asked Him for all that was needed. Then, to your surprise, you did not feel at all irritated, though your friend was far from gracious. On your return you thought over the experience and marvelled that you kept so calm, and you wondered if you would be just as calm next time. You were amazed at yourself and sought an explanation. This is the explanation: the Holy Spirit carried you through.
“Unfortunately we only have this kind of experience once in a while, but it should be a constant experience. When the Holy Spirit takes things in hand there is no need for strain on our part. It is not a case of clenching our teeth and thinking that thus we have controlled ourself beautifully and have had a glorious victory. No, where there is a real victory there is no fleshly effort. We are gloriously carried through by the Lord. The object of temptation is always to get us to do something.”
So here are those challenges from Paul.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. . . . Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
May we learn to live the “new” normal!
0702B AMAZING GRACE IS MORE THAN JUST A SONG
(I wrote the first version of this song about a decade ago, and rediscovered it in my files more recently. It fits in with the themes covered the last couple of days, so I did a quick demo of it and am including it here. Thanks for listening.)
Well I've wandered past the borderlands of God's intended will
Where the wilderness of grace has just begun
And I'm drowning in an ocean deep of mercy and of justice
I'm going down and can't escape the love
And I'd like to do my part and start to meet You halfway coming
But I cannot take a step without a fall
And I'd like to think I'll pay You back as if it's just a loan
But addictions and amusements and accoutrements will garnish every wage I'll ever earn
And I find that I have nothing on my own
So here I stand with nothing in my hand
And here I fall before Your glory
Here I rise by Your death and through Your life
For I believe
Oh, I believe
I believe that I'll receive the deed of love You offer me
Written there upon the cross in blood
And I will kneel before the place where justice kisses mercy
And believe that love is more than just a word
And amazing grace is more than just a song
JULY 2 = COLOSSIANS 3
PRAYING TWICE
This entire chapter is one of the very first ones for every Christian to memorize and meditate on daily. But since verse 16 talks about singing, maybe it’s best for me to highlight this one today.
The context of what we sing has to do with our attitudes toward Christ and toward one another. We are setting our hearts on things above, where Christ is. And we are clothing ourselves with virtues, especially love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. We let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. And we are thankful. And that’s the context in which we sing.
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
Do you know how to let the message of Christ dwell among us? Do all the things in the first 15 verses, and talk about it. Now, do you know how to let the message of Christ dwell among us RICHLY? Do all those things, and SING about it. As someone has said, “He who sings prays twice.” There is something about setting words to a tune that makes it easier to memorize, for one thing. But singing also drives those words straight to the heart.
Turning prose into poetry can cause us to dwell on each syllable and glean insights on a much deeper level. Adding melody to those poetic words magnifies the meaning all the more. And one more benefit to singing the message of Christ is that everyone in the room can join in on proclaiming it together.
Have you heard about the time when the backslidden king of Judah Saul came upon Samuel and a group of prophets who were singing along the way? He was overcome by the Spirit and lay there on the ground prophesying the rest of the day! And so went the saying, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” (See 1 Samuel 10 and 19) Song can cut through even the resistant heart of a rebel and bring him to repentance, if only for a day.
Having said all that, let’s take note (so to speak) of what we sing, and to whom we sing.
We sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Now, we think we know what those words mean by our modern use of the terms, and those three categories could work for us today. Psalms could be the Old Testament book of 150 poems we know today. Hymns could refer to songs of human composure set to meter and rhyme, or to the poetic expressions found in the New Testament from time to time. Spiritual songs could refer to contemporary worship songs or praise choruses.
The point is not the exact definition, but the breadth of poetic expression created even in those infant days of the church. Sing what is at your disposal. Sing what works in your culture, in your generation, in your musical heart language. What’s more (and this is essential), sing the music of everyone in the room. One generation likes the psalms, while another is more into hymns. People from a different cultural background prefer those spiritual songs. Remember back in 1 Corinthians, how Paul said that everyone in the church would be coming prepared with a psalm or an instruction, and so forth? Be sure everyone in the gathering has had their own musical/poetic expression at some point before they leave, and that we all submit to one another’s preferences, that all may be built up.
Speaking of which, did you notice that when we sing, our song goes two directions at the same time. He says we are to teach and admonish one another. Look around the room and encourage and strengthen the others who are there. No one should leave the assembly feeling left out. Music has the power to unite us, but it also has the power to divide, when only one kind of music is used. What’s more, we are teaching as we sing. And sometimes we are admonishing. In any case, we are all aware of everyone in the room.
The other direction we sing is “to God” with gratitude in our hearts to him. So in addition to singing songs that teach and admonish, we sing songs that worship and praise God directly. And we sing with gratitude in our hearts. So I am ministering in song to my own spirit (gratitude), to one another (we teach and admonish), and to God (praise and worship).
This is our moment to shine, church! It is the moment when everyone in the room speaks truth to one another. It is our time to show the beauty of our unity, as everyone’s voice blends together with the rest, and all are equal in the sight of God. We wait for one another, we sag in pitch together, and in the end we sound better when we do it as one.
May the Lord hear us all praying twice at our next gathering. Amen.
JULY 1 = COLOSSIANS 2
LEGALISM 101
Would you like to know how to be a legalist? We can begin by following the example of the Judaizers of the first century. They had been converted to be followers of Christ, their messiah. But law was written on their hearts and permeated their culture, and it was not easy to believe that grace was so powerful that we didn’t have to somehow “earn” God’s favor. You know, offerings, sacrifices, rites and rituals, feasts and promises, prayer shawls and scroll boxes, the whole deal.
About a decade before this letter was written, Caesar had kicked all Jews out of Rome–one of many diaspora that Jews have endured. So Jewish people from a city that had not yet heard the Gospel had come to this previously-Gentile city of Colossae. And what do you suppose they did to the culture of the church? Of course! They brought their culture with them, and their worldview began to work its way into the lifestyles of the new Gentile believers there in that city.
I think this is a hard topic for evangelical Christians, because we have certain forms of legalism coloring everything that we do, as well. We might lust, but we don’t admit it, and we preach against sexual sin in every form–at least, those forms that are easier to measure. We might be greedy, but we parade to the front of the church with our tithes. We might drink or smoke, but we would not do so on church property, and we hide the evidence when the preacher comes calling. Over the years, Christians developed a certain list of about a dozen things that they would rail against, many of which are not actually sins, but they can border on sin. Playing cards. Smoking. Drinking. Sex outside of marriage. Cussing (near-misses were acceptable substitutes). Wearing casual clothes, especially to church. Running or loud voices in church. Eating leftover Communion elements. Males wore suits and ties, with polished shoes, and women wore fashionable hats and white gloves and conservative dresses. We were well down the road of legalism, but we didn’t recognize it, because it was our culture.
Legalism happens when God says to avoid something, or my personal conscience tells me where the line is for me. So I make a rule to stay away from it. And then we add another layer of something that would NOT be a sin, but because it is associated with the sinful thing, we make it to be sin.
As an example, God says, “Do not burn your hands on the stove.” Good parents instruct their children on this: “Don’t touch the stove.” “Why?” “Because you could burn your hand on this hot burner, don’t you see?” “But what if I touch it here?” “Well, today the oven isn’t on, but if it was, you might burn your hands there.” And so the rule is Don’t Touch the Stove. But our child is ignoring it, so we put up a little fence around the stove, and we say, “Don’t climb this fence. In fact, don’t touch the fence.” Now do you see what has happened? We have created new sets of laws for our child that is well-intentioned, but not the actual safety rule we need to follow.
Here’s how Paul unfolds it to the Colossians:
“Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Self-imposed worship. False humility. Harsh treatment of the body. But lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. How so?
Self-imposed worship, because like the fence around the stove we have substituted our own cultural standard as something that pleases God, rather than the things that God actually said.
False humility, as in “I haven’t touched the fence this year. Not my brother. He’s always touching it. I’m a better child than he is.”
Harsh treatment of the body? Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach’s sake. Medicinal wine is good for the body. But John the Baptist was held to a higher standard, to never drink even a little wine eat grapes or touch strong drink. We go for the higher standard, and imagine God is the one who set that standard for everyone.
And yet, it has no value in restraining sensual indulgence. I don’t go in bars. But I go to the candy store without thinking about gluttony. I avoid porn magazines. But I have an inappropriate friendship with a lady at work. I don’t own a slave, and I protest at abortion clinics. But I don’t walk across the street to help my neighbor because I’m too busy reading my Bible and listening to Christian radio.
Can you see the gray line of legalism? It’s hard to see in my own life, but I can usually see it in the life of Christians from other denominational traditions.
May the Lord reveal and deliver you and me from self-imposed worship, false humility and harsh treatment of our bodies, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
JUNE 30 = COLOSSIANS 1
BEFORE ALL THINGS
The letter of Paul to the church at Colossae is another one of those New Testament books with so many well-known quotes. It is written to a city to which Paul had never been. He had been in Ephesus when he invited a man named Epaphras to go back home to his home town, about 100 miles to the east, and bring them the good news. Later, Epaphras himself was also arrested and sent to Rome, where he told Paul all that was happening in the area around Asia Minor.
We will find some mentions of the Judaisers and some other dangerous heresies in the book. But overall, we hear from Paul some powerful declarations of the high position of Jesus the Messiah. So let’s get to it!
The first chapter contains this famous and powerful doxology, which could be considered one of the Christ hymns of the infant church. DOXOLOGY means “words of glory.” Let’s break it down and see what Paul says about Jesus.
“The Son is the image of the invisible God,
God is spirit, said Jesus. So how do you make mankind in your image? It’s a spiritual thing, you might say. We are made with an ability to commune with the Maker on a conscious level, which no other being on earth can do. Jesus takes that concept a step further. Not just made in the image of God, but he IS the image of God, who is invisible. So now, what does THAT mean? It means if you want to know the Father’s heart, look at what Jesus did. If you want to know the Father’s thoughts, listen to Jesus’ teaching. Jesus most commonly referred to God as his Father, which was a powerful concept for Jews who would not dare to refer to God that way. Jesus was special in many ways. Being the image of the invisible God is just one.
the firstborn over all creation.
Jesus was called the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. John says in the beginning was the word and the word was God. That’s how Jesus could be called the firstborn over all creation, because he preexisted before the rest of creation. But firstborn doesn’t just mean the first to be born. It also means that he is the heir, and as the only begotten son of God he is in line to inherit all that his father owns, which is everything, if you weren’t tracking with me.
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
Not only is he the image of God and the heir of all creation, but all was created in him. Everything in the physical world and the spiritual realm, all authority given to him to rule it. You say, “But I thought in the Genesis account God SAID things into being.” Yes, and in John’s Gospel, Jesus is called the word, and all things were made through him. Jesus IS the word that was spoken and by it all was created.
all things have been created through him and for him.
Further clarifying the position of Christ being God from the beginning, and thus being creator of all. All has been created IN him, also THROUGH him, and FOR him. As Paul wrote earlier in Romans 11:36, "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Being before all things might mean that he pre-existed before any of it. And being God, that could be true, for time is not infinite, while God is. But Jesus is also “before” all things, meaning more important than any of the creation. What’s more, all things are held together in him. Not only do they have their original existence because of the work of Jesus, but somehow he right now is holding it all together. In case we hadn’t quite caught what Paul is saying, it is that Jesus IS GOD! He has all the power and authority that God has.
And he is the head of the body, the church;
The context of Jesus’ position over all creation puts special weight behind him as head of the body, the church. It truly elevates the church—the very body of the invisible God! Has anyone ever seen the invisible God? Take a look and see His Body, all around the world!
he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Jesus is the beginning of the church, starting with his resurrection. And that’s because he is the firstborn from among the dead, just as he is the firstborn over all creation. As firstborn, he is the leader and heir of everyone who receives resurrection after death. You can’t find more superlative absolutes in a paragraph. Just in this phrase we see “beginning” “firstborn” “everything” “supremacy”
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
We hear again about the Father taking pleasure in something. We can bring him pleasure. But we are not the one who absolutely does so: ALL his fullness dwells in him. That’s what bring him such pleasure.
and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,
Remember back in Genesis that in the Garden they ate of the forbidden fruit and introduced death into the world. The whole earth, the entire universe, is now subject to death and decay and entropy. But through Jesus everything is reconciled! EVERYTHING! Not just our souls, but all things, on earth, in heaven and everywhere.
by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
And that was the moment. He made peace through his blood. When the blood was poured out, we were made at peace with God, and the curse was nullified (sort of. We still die. But we are not hurt at all by the second death, according to Revelation.)
I CAN DO ALL THINGS (SONG OF THE WEEK)
A second song of the week, because these lyrics are also based on the book of Philippians. Recorded in 1997 at Community Christian Church in Northern Kentucky.
I can do all things
All things
I can do all things through Him who gives me strength
Though ten thousand fall around me
I will not give way to fear
This one thing I know, my God is in control
And I can do all things in Him
I can do all things
All things
I can do all things through Him who gives me strength
I can do all things
All things
I can do all things through Him who gives me strength
BE BOLD (SONG OF THE WEEK) (Ft. Rich Wideman)
A quarter of a century ago, we were involved in a church plant that was a wonderful experience. In 1997 we did a live recording of some of our worship, including this one. I post it here because it is one of several songs based on words found in Philippians.
Be bold! (echo)
Be strong! (echo)
Stand firm! (echo)
Press on! (echo)
Take hold of that for which Christ took hold of you.
Not that we've already made it
Not that we're already there
But simply press on to become like the One who wasn't afraid to care
Be bold! (echo)
Be strong! (echo)
Stand firm! (echo)
Press on! (echo)
Take hold of that for which Christ took hold of you.
JUNE 28 = PHILIPPIANS 4
PEACE OF CHRIST
By now, you know how much I love the blessing, “Peace of Christ.” It is a shorthand way of saying an entire paragraph of words, delivered in love and raining down blessings on the person to whom it is said. We “pass the peace” before we celebrate the feast, and thus ensure that no one is held back at the table.
So, what does it mean? How do I achieve the peace of Christ? How do we as a church maintain the peace of Christ in our midst? I’m glad you asked! This closing chapter of Philippians has several really well-known verses, and they all point to the peace of Christ.
HOW TO HAVE PEACE: BE OF THE SAME MIND
“I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
These two women had “contended at my side in the cause of the gospel.” But something had come between them, and their tension was becoming known. You know how it works; someone hears one side of the issue and they take up an offense for her. Another person hears the other side and do the same. And so the church becomes divided, just as the two sisters have become divided. The peace of Christ has been compromised, and the church is affected. They need to get on the same page, and they need to let the church know, or the peace of Christ is compromised.
How to do that? Different translations word it quite differently (ironically!): “Be of the same mind.” “Agree in the Lord.” “Live in harmony in the Lord.” “Make up your differences as Christians should.” Here’s what I think helps: back up to the point where you are in agreement and acknowledge that you both want the same thing at that level. From there, you may have different opinions about how to achieve it, but you are of the same mind about what each of your plans are accomplishing.
For example: Let’s say one is trying to write a podcast, while the other is reorganizing shelves in the house. They disagree on what to do at any given moment: “Let me finish this sentence so I don’t . . .” (Not sure how that was going to end.) But the other replies, “I am standing on a step stool, sneezing from dust. Bring them right away.” So back up and see what you both want. You want Jesus to be honored in your lives and in your home. So you clear space for hospitality. And you tell others about the peace of Christ. Agreed. Let’s help each other. Who goes first?
HOW TO HAVE PEACE: REJOICE!
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
A short command, repeated for emphasis. I will say it again: It is repeated for emphasis. Rejoice! In the Lord! Always! Always! Don’t let the individual responsibilities worry you, or the disagreements among you divide you, or the persecution from outside cause you to give in to fear. Rejoice! It comes from a place of faith that transcends these light and momentary troubles. And you will know the peace of Christ.
HOW TO HAVE PEACE: BE GENTLE
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Be gentle. In fact, be gentle in such a way that outsiders can see it. That family members would agree that it is there. That the church is filled with gentleness, even in the hardest of situations. And if you struggle with it, remember that the Lord is near. He is here to help you see the big picture and to be gentle enough for the peace of Christ to reign in your hearts.
HOW TO HAVE PEACE: PRAY
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Anxiety can block peace. What is the solution? Pray, and begin your prayer with thanksgiving, as we have seen that Paul always does. And then word that anxiety as a petition or a request to God. If you can’t sleep because of anxiety, tell it to Jesus, and hand it over to God. He’s going to be up all night, anyway. Give it to him for the night.
And that’s when the “peace of God” will guard your heart and your mind. And if all of us do the same, then the peace will guard all of our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. And Paul says that this peace of God “transcends all understanding.” There are things in the spiritual realm that go way beyond intellect and doctrine. So when we give up on trying to find the solution to whatever is bothering us, we find that in the spiritual realm we have a peace we can’t explain.
HOW TO HAVE PEACE: DWELL ON ONLY THE GOOD
And now Paul continues in that mode of controlling our thoughts. He says to discipline our minds by only allowing ourselves to think about these eight things:
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
If all of us will permit ourselves to think only about these things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy, then “the God of peace will be with us.” You are what you think,” you might say.
HOW TO HAVE PEACE: BE CONTENT
Paul says he has learned the secret to being content in any and every situation. Really. Any situation. And he had been in every situation for the cause of Christ.
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
But you say, that may work for Paul, but he had unusual resolve and drive. I don’t think I could do what he did. Paul’s answer is simple: You can. Do you want to? Because you can do all things through him who gives you strength.
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
We need peace among us. God will supply that need among us. Just do as he advises and lives out: Agree. Rejoice. Be gentle. Pray. Think. Be content. And the God of peace will be with us. Amen.
JUNE 27 = PHILIPPIANS 3
KNOWING CHRIST
In Christian circles, and especially in Christian songs, we talk about “knowing Christ” a lot. Here are two examples: “Do you know my Jesus? Do you know my friend? Have you heard he loves you and that he will abide to the end?” “I want to know you, I see your face, I want to know you more. I want to touch you. I want to hear your voice, I want to know you Lord.”
What does Paul say it means to know Christ? Hint: It has much more to do with the kind of radical, absolute standards that Christ set by his example!
“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”
You might say, if you want to know Christ, you will need to take the whole Chiasm to get there. You want resurrection? Become like him in his death in order to get it. Have you done that yet? I hope not, because we are still alive here on earth!
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
So, if we aren’t there, “knowing” Christ in all his glory, what do we do? We press on. We take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of each of us. What do we take hold of, exactly? I’m not sure. Eternal life. Heavenly perspective. Spiritual power. Jesus took hold of me so that I could take hold of what he had. (Notice another Chiasm here?) Have we done it yet? Have we arrived once we are saved? Let’s see what Paul says:
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
So, there is more to press on toward. We may have eternal life in our future, but we have not obtained the ultimate victory yet. So forget what is behind. There has never been better advice than this. Have we failed in the past? Have we fallen short? Is our record tainted? Is there shame? Of course! But forget all that. It is behind you.
Rather than focus on failures of the past, give your effort toward learning and improving and becoming more like Jesus in your character. Paul would say, Strain toward what is ahead. Press on toward the goal. This is not a walk in the park; it is a race, and all-out race to which you must give every ounce of your energy. Elsewhere, Paul talks about running as if it were a competition and only one can win. That’s how we pursue Christ.
There is a prize when we arrive. We win it when God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. May you win the prize. Amen!
JUNE 26 = PHILIPPIANS 2
RADICAL RELATIONSHIPS
Paul has just said some things about radical unity in the church. By radical unity, I mean more than being polite and not arguing. It’s more like sacrificial acts on the part of each member to do what is best for all. See what Paul says about it, and note the emphasized words:
“Therefore if you have any ENCOURAGEMENT from being UNITED with Christ, if any COMFORT from his LOVE, if any COMMON SHARING in the Spirit, if any TENDERNESS and COMPASSION, then make my JOY complete by being LIKE-MINDED, having the SAME LOVE, being ONE IN SPIRIT and OF ONE MIND. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in HUMILITY VALUE OTHERS ABOVE YOURSELVES, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS.”
Let’s see those words put together and see if it comes through even more clearly:
Encouragement, united, Comfort, love, Common sharing, tenderness, compassion, joy, like-minded, same love, one in spirit, of one mind, humility, value others above self, looking to the interests of others.
Who would not like to have their life and relationships described with words like those? And yet, such relationship come at a cost. We need to commit ourselves to follow the example of Jesus Christ, who did the extreme version of sacrificial love. Or, even more radical than that, the attitude of Jesus was absolute, as Paul goes on to explain. This is what it costs to have all that unity and love among us:
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Christ Jesus was in very nature God. That’s an absolute to begin with. But he did not take advantage of his high position. Rather, he made himself nothing. He took on the role of a servant by being made in human likeness. That is radical. But people are made in the image of God, so maybe even moving from infinite to finite was not absolute. So he went around calling himself the Son of Man, and said that he had come not to be served but to serve. Again, that is far down the list of radical relationships. How many of us make the choice, even though we are finite humans, to serve others so radically? But he wasn’t done yet. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death. Wow. From God to human to servant to death.
But there’s one more! “Even death on a cross.” The Roman military members who lived in Philippi would recognize this choice of deaths was quite the absolute. The Romans had developed and fine-tuned the single most painful, disgracing form of death ever invented. Crucifixion was reserved for those who received not just a death sentence but the extreme death. Talk about radical!
But this passage is only half done. Paul has created the downward slope of going from God to man to death on a cross. But now he completes the second stroke of the X when he gives the upward slope:
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Notice that God did not simply raise him from the dead, or even just give him a high place, or even the highest place. It is more radically extreme than any of those. At the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord. And not just every knee of every person, but (to be as complete as possible) every knee in heaven, every knee on earth, and every knee under the earth. Let’s see, any others out there? I didn’t think so.
Paul has presented Jesus as submitting to the ultimate place of humility, who is now raised to the ultimate place of honor.
They call this form of writing a “chiasm,” as in the shape of the letter Chi in Greek. It looks like the English X but it is pronounced “K” and spelled like “CH.” You know, like the beginning of the word Christ?
So you might say that Christ was the ultimate Chiasm. Let our attitude be the same as his. Amen.
JUNE 25 = PHILIPPIANS 1
THE CHRISTIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY
The city of Philippi was made up mostly of Roman military families and retired soldiers. Consequently, it was a mostly-Gentile church, and the topics that Paul addresses are somewhat different. And as a result, those of us who are Gentile believers might find this letter to be of special interest. Indeed, there are lots of practical and theological moments throughout the book. It is a short book. You might have noticed that the New Testament epistles of Paul are arranged by length! The longest one was Romans, and we are getting to the shortest ones now.
Now, you might be wondering why I would be talking about the Christian music industry in the first chapter of Philippians. Music isn’t even mentioned, nor an industry. But there is an interesting correlation between what Paul says and the Christian music industry. Here it is:
“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,”
This may be a little side road in the letter, but years ago I heard our youth minister speak about the Christian music industry, using this passage, and I found it to be tremendously helpful. So let me take a crack at it and see what we can glean from it.
I’ll try a paraphrase that applies what Paul says to the music industry:
It is true that some produce Christian songs and worship music out of ambition and greed. But others write and sing with pure motives. They make their music available out of love, knowing that God has called them to honor him. The first group I mentioned produce and market music out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can become famous, or rich, or both, in the name of Jesus. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is honored. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.
It probably should not be that a song written for the Lord can make millions of dollars. It probably should not be that people who do the production and distribution and marketing of that song aren’t necessarily believers. I know of some of the best-known writers who don’t believe in what they write, but they have found a formula, and that formula works for those who do believe. I also know many worship leaders whose lives and faith are very inconsistent with their Sunday morning persona. And that worship far too often will manipulate people’s emotions in the pretense that it is the Holy Spirit.
But even if all of those statements are true, it seems fair to respond to it all the way that Paul does. Whether from false motives or true, Christ is honored, worship happens, and people have opportunities to grow closer to God through it. Music speaks to the heart in ways that mere words cannot. And a good worship song can make more change in the church worldwide than a thousand sermons. With that blessing can come lots of money. Which, in turn, can be given to the poor.
I should clarify that it is not at all a problem to receive money for doing God’s work. Paul sometimes took payment for his work, and he is the one who quoted that you shall not muzzle the ox while he is treading out grain. It is fair for those who work for the Gospel to be paid for their work. But motives are not always so pure, and that’s Paul’s point (and mine).
So even if some of the writers on through the end of the distribution cycle have wrong motives, let us pray that they will hear the words of those songs and be changed eternally! Amen.
JUNE 24 = EPHESIANS 6
THE DAY OF EVIL
Most people who have been around church for any length of time have heard about the “full armor of God.” It includes belt, breastplate, footwear, shield, helmet, and sword. And Paul is saying that all of this will help you to stand your ground. I’ve heard about and read this description dozens of times in my life. But the context of the battle being in “the day of evil” is what jumps out at me today.
First, here is what Paul said:
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
This equipment is needed in warfare, of course. It is not for show, and not for fun. It is a matter of life and death—eternal life and death.
So, what exactly are we preparing for? It is “The day of evil.” “The evil day.” It is not talking about a cataclysmic day of judgment, or any other end times catastrophe. Paul is talking individually, that in everyone’s life comes a “day of evil.” Maybe it’s as simple as the day you first fall under conviction and you repent unto salvation. But likely it’s one of “those” later days in which what some call “spiritual warfare” breaks out around you. You are tempted. Relationships are falling apart. You are tempted. You don’t know what to do. You are tempted. Tempted to give up your faith. Tempted to give in to some activity. Tempted to give way to the wrong influences. Tempted to give out under the stress.
This is when you need to have the weapons of spiritual warfare already in place. It is too late to just start to acquire them.
If you don’t already know the truth, then you won’t have the belt of truth holding the sword of the Spirit by your side. So you need to study the truth today to be ready for when the day of evil comes.
If you are not working to practice righteousness now, you will have nothing to protect your heart from the onslaught of daggers and arrows seeking to pierce it. So the breastplate of righteousness is something that should already be in place, before the evil day arrives. After all, you can’t be putting on your armor once the battle has already begun.
Can you imagine a soldier in battle who steps his bare feet into a pile of nails while in battle? It would not go well at a strategic time in the battle, would it? So we must already have our feet shod and the straps tight by having the gospel of peace already clear in our mind.
Know this about the day of evil: the devil does not only excel in hand-to-hand combat. He has flaming arrows, or even missiles, that can strike from a distance. You might see it coming, but you can’t get out of the way, and unless you have a shield, you are a goner. The shield is faith, and the flaming arrows could be some sort of indirect attack on your convictions or pressure from society. If your actions are not coming from a place of faith, but have merely been habit or convenience or culture, then at the very time when you need to stand your ground, instead you are thrown into confusion by the unexpected attack that comes from out of nowhere.
And what is protecting your head in the midst of this battle? Your head, the control center of the rest of your body. Your head, that vulnerable and exposed spot that can bring instant death. Why would you not want to protect your head with a helmet while in battle? Your helmet would be salvation. When the day of evil comes, you cannot protect your head, spiritually, without already knowing that you know that you are saved.
And when that day of evil comes, you are mostly defending yourself, protecting yourself as best you can, while the enemy pounds away at you. But you do have one weapon with which to strike, not just defend. That weapon is the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. The written word (Bible). The spoken word. The memorized word. This is what you can use to drive the enemy away and overcome in the day when evil surpasses human strength.
May you and I be ready for the day of evil. You know it is coming. You don’t know when. But it will be the day of evil, and we cannot prepare casually for it. Amen.
JUNE 23 = EPHESIANS 5
FINDING OUT WHAT PLEASES THE LORD
In the midst of a whole list of directives, Paul includes this single sentence:
“Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.”
In other versions, it is translated, “And find out what pleases the Lord.”
Let’s start with this encouraging concept of “pleasing” God. The Lord said several times in the Old Testament that the aroma of an animal sacrifice is “pleasing” to him. I suspect that is because of the gift, more than the actual aroma. The psalmist said, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord.” Other translations properly translate it as “pleasing in your sight.” The words of my mouth can actually bring the Lord pleasure, and the things I think about can do the same.
So we see some things that bring the Lord pleasure. But Paul challenges us to still “find out” or discover what bring pleasure to the Lord.
What do you think? What brings him pleasure? He doesn’t directly say it here. So let’s find out what brings him pleasure.
Jesus said that there is more celebration in heaven over one sinner who repents than all the ones who never needed to repent. So repentance brings him pleasure. Psalm 51 goes on to say that a broken and a contrite heart the Lord will not despise.
Jesus said that the most important commandment is to love God, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. All the law is summarized by those two commandments, he said. So it seems pretty safe to say that God is pleased with our love for him and for one another. In fact, that just might be the single most important relationship for any of us, and it touches on the very purpose for our lives. Repentance and love. Sounds like a winning formula.
How we behave and where our hearts are centered makes a difference to God. He says “to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Being fully devoted to the Lord. The eyes of the Lord roam throughout all the earth, seeking to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. Elsewhere Paul says those who are in the flesh cannot please God. And he works in us both to will and to work for his good pleasure. He takes delight in those who fear him.
Heartfelt praise surely brings the Lord pleasure. But only when it is accompanied by good works and devotion. Love brings him pleasure. He will
God loves a cheerful giver. Giving him our best, returning the gifts he gave to us, brings him pleasure. However, our gifts must be in a context of social justice. God tells Israel, “I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me burnt offerings and grain offerings, i will not accept them . . . but let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. God loved his grandson Isaac, but hated his brother Esau. Perhaps that was based on their behavior, but God’s choices were made before they were even born.
So, as we plumb the depths of what brings the Lord delight, we find a whole new relationship with Almighty God than we might have thought possible. Let him delight in you, and rejoice over you with singing! Amen.
JOIN IN THE SONG (1984 live concert)
We moved to Rockford, IL in January 1983 to minister at Central Christian Church. In 1984 I did a live concert with Ellen. This particular song from that concert has a short comedy bit introducing it that has a serious point to set up the song. May it speak to you through the years and miles now.
When you wake up in the morning your hair down in your eyes
Do you ever look in the mirror and begin to criticize
The way that God has made you—his creation
Do you ever feel self-conscious wonder how people look at you
Well did you ever stop to realize that they’re wondering that same thing too
And we are all his creation
Join in the song of the symphony of praise
You’re a child of God for whom the savior came
Join in the song of the symphony of praise
God created you to bless his holy name
That beautiful work of creation that you despise
Is a wonderful work of the master if you’ll just see it through his eyes
For he has made us we’re his creation
God made each one of us different
With different talents and traits
So thank him right now for his gift to you and join in the praise
Join in the song of the symphony of praise
You’re a child of God for whom the savior came
Join in the song of the symphony of praise
God created you to bless his holy name
JUNE 22 = EPHESIANS 4
THE FIVEFOLD GIFT
When the church started, Jesus was already departed into heaven for ten days. He had been with a dozen men or so for about three years. Other than that, without his direct supervision anymore, how was Christ to bring his church to be built up, to do his work and to no longer be immature like children? What was to keep them unified and growing?
It sort of seems like the Lord left too soon, doesn’t it? But Jesus knew something. He knew how his work was going to continue. He had taught men to be discerning, and then he sent the Holy Spirit to guide. What’s more, he equipped certain people with certain gifts, so that they would be able to carry out the leadership that the Holy Spirit could bring.
We know that Jesus left the 11 faithful disciples together, and he had them wait in Jerusalem “until” power from heaven came to them. And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, he launched the church with an amazing sign.
But Jesus wasn’t done giving gifts to guide his church. He gave out special gifts to the eleven, and on for many generations. The eleven were to be with him. Then they were to go into all the world, making disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey all that Jesus had commanded. He said that they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea, then in Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Then he left. But he sent his Spirit to abide with them, to teach them, and to guide them, to remind them of all that he had said, to comfort them and counsel them. And the Spirit imparted gifts to them, and then on to the rest of the church. Some of the gifts implied offices or roles, and that’s what we find here in Ephesians 5.
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church:
the apostles,
the prophets,
the evangelists,
and the pastors and teachers.
Let’s talk about what each of these roles might be. They all seem sort of like the same thing from this distance, but since Paul didn’t provide definitions or descriptions, we have to conjecture based on what scholars are able to piece together.
Apostles. We think of the original 12 when we see the word apostles. Originally they were disciples, meaning followers. Then Jesus sent them, and the Greek word for one who is sent is apostole. But perhaps Paul, who counts himself as among those apostles, was referring to a broader circle than just the original ones whom Jesus sent. We might never know. But today we have church planters and missionaries, which are the same sort of function, but using more universal terms. More than just being sent, though, the office of apostle seems to carry a spiritual authority as being a “foundation.”
The prophets. Prophets seem to also carry a sort of foundational authority about them. And as with the use of the word apostle, so the word prophet could be referring to the prophets of the Old Testament plus those like Agabus of the New Testament whose words carry the weight of inspiration or of revelation from God to mankind. To be a prophet is more than just being someone who prophesies on occasion. The office of prophet seems to carry with it the weight of prophesying so regularly that people put trust in your words as coming from God himself. Philip had four daughters who were prophetesses (literally, “who were prophesying”). Would this circle of people who prophesy be included in this list that Paul is creating? Perhaps so.
The evangelists. Literally it means those who bear good news or bring good news. They are the next circle out, you might say, in the realm of spiritual authority. Philip was called an evangelist. Timothy was told to do the work of an evangelist. Could those men also have been considered to be prophets? Did they prophesy? Paul said his goal for the church would be for everyone to prophesy. But he didn’t say that he would have everyone be a prophet. In the same way, could we say that any preacher is an evangelist? Church planters? Must they speak from a pulpit? Could their work be one on one? We all are evangelists in this sense. And yet Christ has given a gift to the church of some who are called evangelists. So they have a specific calling and authority to do the spreading of the good news.
The pastors and teachers. Notice how the first four words included an article “the”, while teachers does not. This is subtle and might not be worth noting, but most scholars agree that the article missing here means that pastors are automatically also teachers. As some translate it, they are pastor/teachers. And again we’re asking the question as to whether a pastor is a professional sent-out person with singular authority in a church, or whether this is more generally a term for elders, shepherds or pastor/teachers. As with the others, once again we conclude that some in the church even today are called to pastor the people, to shepherd them all, to serve as a plurality of elders in each congregation. And as with the others, in a sense it doesn’t matter, as long as the members also take responsibility for one another’s spiritual lives, to teach them and to shepherd them. Pastor means shepherd.
So, having said all that, what is the purpose of these 4 or 5 offices or callings to serve? Let’s see what Paul says they are to do:
Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work
An office with a title implying great responsibility implies that there is great work to be done. But, did you notice something important here? The work of those fivefold leaders is to equip, but it is the work of God’s people to do his work. The pastor equips. The people work. Maybe that’s not how we are used to thinking about it. But let us pray to the lord of the harvest asking him to send more workers!
and build up the church, the body of Christ.
Don’t you love the description of the church as not being an organization, but being the body of Christ. A living, moving organism. With Christ as the head and every part doing its work. This is what moves a church forward!
Then we will no longer be immature like children.
We will grow up and become mature, functioning like the body of Christ. But I’m afraid that many of us who are in these ministry positions continue to keep the congregation immature. It’s a kind of job security, you might say, to keep the saints immature enough to be dependent on him.
We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.
Imagine church life before the New Testament was complete. There was not a “new testament” that could be read and memorized by the church. So in would come a sheep whose teachings differ from the majority. Having worked out a theological explanation, this new teacher promotes a whole different way of explaining what the members are to do. This is the very reason that God set in place those various offices: to equip the church so that new teachings that come along can be measured by the heart of wisdom.
Don’t be taken in. Be built up. Pray that God will send more workers. Pray that it might be you. Amen!
JUNE 21 = EPHESIANS 3
THE CRUCIFORM LOVE OF GOD
“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.”
Let’s explore today why Paul would describe God’s love in four dimensions. What is the significance of each of those directions of Paul’s description? And what should we have the power to grasp about it all?
Let’s try exploring this three-dimensional image that Paul uses. God’s love is wide, long, high and deep.
How wide is the love of God? It spreads from shore to shore. As John describes it in the Revelation, God’s love includes people from every tribe and language and people and nation. Every local sub-grouping, found as a tribe, or village, or extended family. Every culturally-distinct grouping of people who share a common language. Each language may be setting a people apart, but in the end, each one of those languages will be swallowed up in a new and better way, as God reverses the curse of Eden to bring all nations back together through the blood of His Son.
It also separates our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. Interesting that Paul and God both agree on which direction to describe width. If the psalms had told us that God removes our sin as far as the north is from the south, that would be a long way, but it’s still a finite distance. But east to west? That goes on forever. Which means, I guess, that God removes our sins So completely that you can just keep going forever and never dig a forgiven sin back up again.
Paul then says that the love of God extends, not just wide, but also “long.” I picture “wide” as going side to side (left to right), while “long” would go forward and backward. It is equivalent in distance, if you can measure such things. But it is long. Long, as in the journey of a thousand miles. Long, as in time.
God’s love would go so far as to chase you down. Like the Hound of Heaven, God pursues you as far as it takes to find you, in spite of how far you have gone astray. Like Adam, who had gone astray and lost fellowship with God. But God went looking for Adam, asking, “Adam, where are you?” Like Jonah, whom God pursued across the sea, bringing a great storm, preparing a great fish, and depositing near a great city, all to bring the people of that far-away city of Nineveh to repentance. Like the prodigal son’s loving father, who stood day after day scanning the horizon, waiting for a distant glimpse of his rebellious son, the young man. God’s love is LONG, as in distance.
God’s love is also long, as in time. His love is long suffering. He does not become impatient with waiting, even when he says that all day long he has held out his hands to a stubborn and rebellious people. His love goes back to before the foundation of the world, and extends for all of eternity.
How high does the love of God reach? In answer, let me ask, “How high is heaven?” As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God’s thoughts higher than our thoughts, and God’s ways are higher than our ways. In other words, you might say that just as with east and west, there is no ceiling to stop the height of God’s love. It reaches up to bring a simple, single person up to the throne room itself. As he called to John in Revelation, “Come up here, and I will show you what is to come.” In the same way, he calls us higher, up the mountain, up to heaven itself, to join in fellowship with him.
God’s love reaches higher than we can imagine. Mountains and hills bow down before him in worship. Beyond sun and moon and stars. Beyond the highest position on earth—kings and all those in authority. God’s love does not ever fall short, whether in integrity or intelligence, strength or beauty, service or sacrifice. Nothing is higher than the love of God. Nothing is higher.
Then Paul uses the word “deeper” for God’s love. No one can be so far in sin that he is not reachable. No one can be so far enslaved that he is not redeemable. Nothing is beneath the “son of man,” as Jesus referred to himself.
I’m saying that you cannot sin enough to be beyond the reach of the love of God.
The cross itself thus demonstrates the immense power of the love of God in Christ Jesus. The cross shows just how wide, and far, and high and deep is the love of God, especially when seen through the eyes of one watching the Lamb of God being slain from the foundation of the world.
He then urges for the saints there.
JUNE 20 = EPHESIANS 2
TROPHIES OF HIS GRACE
What follows is the story of grace and truth
And how we found favor with God
It is the tale about me and you
And how we are one in the Lord
And it is Ephesians chapter 2 set to verse
Once upon a time, You and I were dead.
because of disobedience and of our many sins.
We used to live in sin, just like all the rest,
Heeding the commander of the unseen world below.
He is the spirit who’s working in the hearts
of those who choose to not obey the Lord.
All of us were with them, following our desires
Following inclinations of our hearts.
We by very nature were subjects of God’s wrath,
just like all the peoples of the earth.
But God is rich in mercy, He loved us oh so much,
He raised us up as he raised Jesus Christ.
For we were just as dead as the crucified
Living under bondage of our sins
God made us alive when he raised Jesus Christ
(Only by God’s grace have you been saved!)
(He raised us from among the dead
along with our Messiah Jesus Christ
Then seated us with him above
Now ride with us in pleasure, united with Christ Jesus.”
“So God can point to us in all
The future ages as examples of
the endless wealth of all his grace
as shown in all he’s done for us
who makes us one with Jesus Christ.”
You and I now stand as trophies of God’s grace. I imagine a thousand years from now, an angel hanging out in the eternal vestibule in the sky, looking intently at all the trophies God had earned and placed in his trophy case.
He and some nearby angels had been in conversation on the topic for the last century or so, conjecturing as to which they think the Lord will say is his favorite? “Creating light?” “The rainbow after the great flood?” “The Cubs winning the World Series?”
And now the angel finds himself one-on-one with the king of the universe. The angel asks Him, “Of all the trophies you have won, which is your favorite?”
Without hesitation, Almighty God points to one of the smaller trophies. “That one right there.” The angel walks over to see the inscription. It is the name of one of the most notorious sinners in all history!
The Lord explains: “This guy. This trophy and its inscription shows how deep my love is. It stands forever as my favorite trophy of grace.”
The angel steps closer and leans in to see more exactly where the finger of God is pointing. And do you know what he sees? The name inscribed on the trophy is YOUR name! And under it is written: Had been dead in sin. Made alive in Christ.”
JUNE 19 = EPHESIANS 1
CHOSEN
Some things just happen. Other things are a conscious choice. I wake up in the morning. It just happens. But I choose whether or not to get out of bed.
Some of us grew up in a home of faith, and the path of least resistance for us is to go to church, believe the words being said, and follow the church’s cultural norms. But then there is the choice, where we knowingly become a wholehearted follower of Jesus Christ. We repent, change our path, and walk in a new way. As Joshua challenged the people of Israel, “Choose this day whom you will serve.” And the people all shouted back, “We will serve the Lord!” And then they didn’t. Not really.
As the book of Hebrews says, now is the appointed time; today is the day of salvation. We cannot decide today that tomorrow we will repent, when we get good and convicted. No, if the conviction comes today, then this is the appointed time to act on that conviction.
So far, we’ve talked here about us making a choice, today, to say yes to the Spirit’s nudging and make a change. But what about God? Does God make a choice? It’s hard to limit God to our vocabulary of finite mental decisions, but God tells us that he makes choices. Choices that involve you and me! Take a look at the concept of “chosen by God” found in Ephesians 1:
“This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.”
Thinking about the wording of this, he seems to be saying that it was not a matter of Paul choosing to be an apostle, but of God choosing Paul for him to be an apostle. The word “apostle” means someone who is sent. So implied by this verse, Paul is saying that it’s not so much Paul making the decision to do this with his life, as it is that God is the one who is calling him, having already determined what his will was for Paul.
How about you? Where have you felt the clear guidance of God for your life? Paul goes on,
“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”
There it is again: God chose us! He loved us! In Christ we are chosen to be holy and without fault in his eyes! All we have to do is to Say yes!
“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.”
Some people come into our families by birth. Like it or not, we have one another for life. But others come into our families by choice–adoption, foster, marriage, friends–and that gives them a certain advantage. They were chosen. Loved. At least by someone in the family. And so, we all who are in Christ have been adopted. Chosen. Wanted.
“This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
This is the part that blows me away: God made the choice He made to adopt me, because he wanted to do so, and it gave him great pleasure. I please God by saying yes to Jesus! There was joy in heaven the day that I gave my life to Christ.
“Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.”
You know what? You are not God’s Plan B. You were chosen in advance! And then God worked everything out according to his plan. And his plan was that Jew and Gentile would become one in his Son. His plan was to rescue you and me. And it was not an inconvenience to him to rescue us–it was his good pleasure!
As you and I were driving down the road of life, we saw a billboard. Jesus was beckoning and saying, “Whosoever will may come…” We thought about it. And , at the last second, we both swerved off of the broad downward-sloping highway, and headed onto the Exit ramp, up and away onto the ages.
The thing is, as we take that exit ramp, we glance back at that road sign and do a double-take. There is also a message on the back of the sign! The front invites “whosoever will” to come. And so we came. But on the back of the giant billboard is this message: “Chosen from the foundation of the world.”
Chosen. You are. Can you believe it? Amen.
MOCKING GOD
God is good. By nature, He is inherently good. By which, I mean God cannot/will not be bad. He conceived the universe and spoke it into being. He placed everything in it, so that planets align and forces balance. He established light in darkness, and He set seasons and planets, water cycles and circulatory systems. And he looked and noted that it was good. And He set “right” and “wrong” into the hearts of the crown of his creation mankind. He also established time and natural consequences to help the discerning heart to choose to do right, because sowing right things yields a reaping of right things.
It does take discernment to recognize the wisdom of cause-and-effect, though. Our selfish wills would like to imagine a world in which we can live as exceptions. I want to be able to lie and cheat and steal and do as I please, and to be able to get away with it all, because, well, I’m an exception. So I hedge my bets and take my chances and assume that I can get away with foolish behavior. After all, it seems to be working for the devil, right?
Day after day, year after year, the evil enemy of God mocks the righteous balance of the universe and says, “I can do what I please and nothing bad will happen to me.” And, sure enough, nothing happens to me—today, anyway. And I assume I snuck into the secret planning room and broke the mold. I believe what the serpent said back in the garden: “In the day that you eat of it you shall surely not die.”
Did it work? Did I sneak in uninvited to the wedding banquet, without so much as a piece of formal attire? I did! I ate the fruit, and I did not die! I win!
But keep in mind what Paul wrote: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Notice how Paul words it here: God CANnot be mocked. Not just God doesn’t want to be mocked. Or God won’t allow you to mock his rules forever. No, it says he CANnot be mocked. We mock God when we ignore the rules of the universe. And that moves us from being people of doubt and hesitation to being full-fledged God-mockers. Just like Adam and Eve back in the garden. They took the forbidden fruit and ate it.
Bad idea! You know it’s going to backfire, right?
Sure enough. Adam and Eve are banished from the garden, now facing their inevitable death.
Sure enough. God cannot be mocked. We mock God when we try to think of ourselves as exceptions to the rules of life and go against the commands of God. But Paul goes on with his line of thinking, when he says,
Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Talk about long-term and short-term strategy for gratification! Do what feels good in the moment, and it will destroy you. Go ahead. Try to think of anything that pleases your so-called “flesh,” and see where it leads if you over-indulge in it constantly. It leads to your destruction (or possibly to the destruction of someone else). In any case, the short-term gains are lost in some sort of flesh-driven drive that leads to self-destruction.
On the other hand, imagine what happens when you make investments of time and energy into things that will yield long-term results, and you will see it to be true that when you sow to please the Holy Spirit, you reap forever. And those habits are not self-destructive, but are usually good for making your body better, even while you focus on internal and eternal things.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
And so Paul wraps up the topic by cheering us on. It’s easy to become weary when you are doing what is not pleasant to you. Sometimes we need to discipline ourselves to say no to our flesh and say yes to the spiritual discipline focus God calls from us. But if we don’t become weary, and if we don’t give up, the harvest will come. It might not be in this lifetime, but it will be worth it all. So, it’s about time for Paul to start a sentence with “therefore.”
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Do good to everyone, says Paul. But especially be sure to be good to those who are your “family.” Amen.
SWEET MYSTERY (SONG OF THE WEEK)
[In the year 2010 I was creating a series of firsthand accounts of the gospel called Tales from Gal'lee County. This song was written and recorded to go with one of the audiobooks. It has been done by a few ensembles, but I don't seem to have any recordings of it. So this is me in a studio demo.]
Did you know that the little baby boy was born in Bethlehem?
Did you know that he grew into a man just to die in Jerusalem?
He was born just to die
Then he died just to live
By his life though we die we shall live
It's a sweet sweet sweet sweet mystery
Such a sweet sweet sweet sweet mystery
Did you know that they called his name Jesus Christ Emmanuel?
Did you know that He was God and he was man as well?
He was God sent to men
To bring men back to God
God and man man and God made as one
It's a sweet sweet sweet sweet mystery
Such a sweet sweet sweet sweet mystery
Such a sweet mystery
God and man
Slave and free
Man and king
Me in him
Him in me
Sweet sweet sweet sweet mystery
Such a sweet sweet sweet sweet mystery
LEARNING THE DANCE
Here in chapter 5, Paul strings together some really powerful, challenging and encouraging words for us. Let’s delve into each of them and then try to tie it together.
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.
In the battle of strong and weak faith, you remember how essential it was that those who are weak not judge those who are stronger, and that the stronger ones yield to defer to the consciences of the weaker. So Paul is basically summarizing that controversy. God is allowing us to be strong by removing the strict rules and permitting us to be free, without the burden of the law and the guilt that came with it. Freedom means that we are all on the “stronger” side again. But . . .
But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
The freedom of being a person of “stronger” faith does not yield so much freedom that God doesn’t continue to care about what we do. It’s like having been an heir who is still an underage child really having no true rights. But now Paul is saying even when you are grown up, you are still not really free to simply do what you want. Life is funny that way, ain’t it? You spend your childhood longing to be an adult, and by the time you get there you realize that the life of freedom you imagined is actually a life of adult responsibilities, not simply of freedom. You got a car, thinking you would use it to drive and get donuts every morning and have freedom to drive wherever you want whenever you want. But you discover that you have to pay for the gas and the insurance, and they require money for the donuts, and all of that freedom simply took you full circle back to having to do things you don’t want to do in order to gain this small measure of freedom. And you end up buying a dozen donuts and only eating one of them because you have other people that you are responsible for. Sigh. I guess that’s why mom and dad didn’t gush all over about how great adulthood is and how much fun you’re going to have when you turn 18.
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
It’s simple, really. Paul has said it before to the Corinthians. The Holy Spirit will always guide you to holiness, not to selfish choices and sinful actions. So we can try following a massive set of rules that will make us good people. Or we can simply follow the maxim, “Love God, and do as you please.” Notice how Paul words it, however: “you will not” gratify “the desires” of the flesh. Your flesh is still a part of your life, and the desires of this baser part of you do not go away. Paul elaborates further:
For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
The flesh and the Spirit are opposite poles in your life. And your calling is not to walk down the equator between them. No. You “do not do as you want.” That thing your flesh wants to do? You say no. The desire is still screaming. But you have your fingers in your ears and you are talking to yourself, drowning out the sound of your flesh’s voice by quoting Scripture you have memorized. And you discover, once again, that growing up into freedom is not a walk in the park, it’s more like running a gauntlet.
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
In conclusion, Paul summarizes our relationship with the Holy Spirit. We live by the Spirit, you know. The flesh did nothing to bring us life. It only brought guilt and shame and followed the road to death. But the Spirit gave us life and led us into the light, stirred our faith to believe and our wills to choose holiness. And when we keep in step with the Spirit, day by day, hour by hour, we find ourselves matching the Spirit’s stride, breathing in synch with the Spirit, speaking the words that the Spirit prompts us to say. It is a beautiful dance of discipleship, the wedding dance of the Bride with her Groom.
May you hear the Spirit’s invitation this day, asking, “May I have this dance?” And may you join in while the angels play your favorite song. Amen.
THE FULNESS OF TIME
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
The Greek language has two words that are translated “time.” One is chronos and the other is kairos. Chronos, from which we get the word chronological, which means a set time. Kairos, on the other hand, has to do with opportunity or circumstance.
I am blessed to think about the implications of God having set a moment in time for Jesus to be born. The date was supposedly the year 0 A.D., of course (A.D. is for Anno Domine, the year of the Lord). But the scholar who set the calendar was wrong in his calculations, and Jesus was actually born somewhere in the year of somewhere between 6 and 2 B.C.
In any case, the moment that Jesus entered the world was a particular moment, both in chronology and in circumstances. God had orchestrated the history of the world to prepare for salvation to arrive at just the right time. In the fullness of time, Mary had a baby.
Just as God had told Jeremiah that he had been called as a prophet “before I formed you in the womb. . . Before you were born.” In the same way, Jesus was “from the beginning.” There at creation, the name of God (Elohim) is plural, and God says, “Let US make man in OUR image.” You might say Jesus was there with the Father and the Spirit, even at that moment. Adam, the first man, brought death, and Jesus, the second Adam, brought deliverance from death. Enoch walked with God, and then he was taken up, rather than dying. If you look at the chronology, you see that Enoch lived until just before the flood in Noah’s day. Because Enoch was by that point in history the only person who walked with God, so God spared him from the devastation of the great flood.
Noah came and saved mankind from being totally wiped out in the flood. And God started over with populating the earth. People once again rebelled, and at the Tower of Babel God scattered the people by confusing their languages. So the people scattered and filled the earth, as God had commanded. Then we find that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all needed to establish the nation of Israel, set apart among the nations as the people of God.
Then God allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery by his brothers. And Joseph in Egypt suffered, and then he flourished because God told him about the future famine. And Joseph reconciled with his brothers just in time for them all to relocate to Egypt to live in relative peace and prosperity. Too much prosperity, in the eyes of Pharaoh. And so another leader of Egypt, who knew nothing of Joseph, began to oppress and enslave the Israelites, and they were held captive against their will for some 430 years.
Then came Moses and deliverance from Egypt and the Red Sea and the disobedience of the people, and the 40 years in the wilderness, and the giving of the law on the stone tablets, and the tabernacle and all that, leading them into the Promised Land. At last! The law and the land were both in alignment. But it was not yet the fullness of time. Israel needed to go through quite the stream of prophets and judges and kings, with a divided kingdom and captivity in Babylon and invasions by Assyria and more. It all provided opportunity for God to speak through various prophets and tell details of what God was to do through Jesus. And Jesus came and fulfilled/will fulfill all of them.
In the meantime, the ambitious Alexander the Great came and conquered the known world. That resulted in everyone having a common language (Greek) for the first time since Babel. And then Rome arose and expanded the empire even more, including the land they knew as Palestine. And there was Caesar (so they could say, “We have no king but Caesar!”) and there was Herod (so he could say, “kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem.”). And there was the destruction of the temple, and its being rebuilt by Herod the Great, completed just a few years before Jesus began his public ministry.
And there was John the baptizer, who was born six months before Jesus was. He was to prepare the way of the Lord. And there was the appearing of a star in the east, somehow hovering over the place where Jesus was born, leading the wise men (Magi) to find him in Bethlehem. And they went home a different way, which made Herod angry, so he slaughtered all the baby boys in the town that year. Except that the Lord had appeared to Joseph the Carpenter and told him to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus. Then the Lord told Joseph that he was free to return, and Joseph and his family did, “that it might be fulfilled, ‘Out of Egypt have I called my son.” And so the cycles of history all play together to bring about the right moment in time.
And God allows a woman named Elizabeth to remain barren for decades, and for her husband Zechariah to be serving in the Holy Place on a particular day, when He sends his messenger Gabriel to announce that the old couple will at last have a son. And it all happens just six months before a young virgin in Nazareth named Mary is found to be with child. And Caesar Augustus decides to issue a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world, so Joseph the carpenter takes his virgin wife Mary to his hometown of Bethlehem at a time when the days are accomplished that Mary should bring forth her child. And the kairos of pregnancies aligns with the chronos of rulers and stars in the east, and Jesus appears at exactly the right night of the right year in the right town with the right governor, and the rest of it unfolds according to the very specific will of God. For God is the master of details.
May you rest in the righteous will and timing of God this chronos. Amen.
THE BUS DRIVER
In this chapter and the next, Paul makes use of the metaphor of a child who is an heir and yet is underage. And he says that is how we were under the law until the time when Christ would set us free.
When a firstborn son comes into a family, he is in a sense already the heir of all that his family owns. House, land, animals, business, furnishings, transportation, servants, and all—it all belongs to him. Except, not yet. None of it, really, really belongs to him. For he is not yet of age. His parents are still alive. Things happen sometimes, to relationships, to fortunes, to fitness, and it simply is not yet time to pass along any of it.
So, what’s the practical difference between a son and a servant? Nothing, really. They both eat and sleep for free within the household. They both have to do what they are told. They cannot just go and sell something from the house and turn it into cash to run off to the movies with a friend. They are not free to travel or to move or to change households without permission.
Paul says it this way in 4:1: “as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.”
What is the point of this illustration? We were also underage when we were under the law. “In slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.” We were slaves to our addictions, imprisoned by legal claims against us, held captive by our own passions.
The law was there. As a Pharisee, Paul knew the law well. He knew what good the law had done him and his fellow Jews. Which was nothing but to induce guilt. The law served to daily remind us that we were unclean, with no way to dig ourselves out.
So what good did the law do for us (Jews, before Christ)? It kept us. It watched over us. It was like our own personal bodyguard. You might say the law was our guardian until Christ came. Paul says, “So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.”
Our guardian? There to be sure we make it to adulthood. But not to take us directly there. More like a school bus driver, and we are the student passengers. Are we driving? No. Giving directions? No. Finding milk money in her purse? No. The school bus driver is simply there to deliver children from one point to another.
Likewise, the law’s purpose is not to make us worthy of salvation. The law’s purpose is not to make us halfway holy, just requiring a little boost to get perfect before God. No. It was just there to keep us safe until the time was right. We were “subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.”
Paul says, “Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.” That means we are now the actual heirs of our Abba Father, inheriting all that he owns, living in freedom. In the next chapter, Paul is going to say, “So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.”
The bus has arrived. Everybody off!
CHANGING YOUR BELIEFS
What does it take for someone to change their belief?
What if you and I had God all figured out, with the same theological understanding of the Scriptures that our parents and their parents for uncounted generations had believed? And then someone came along and overturned our entire worldview, saying it had been revealed to him directly from God? Would we even be open hearing from him? But what if he came, doing miracles and confirming his words with signs and wonders? What would it take for you and I to believe him?
And then, what if someone else came along after him and told us that our original understanding had been right all along, so forget this new stuff? How quick would we be to return to the faith that we had originally inherited? Or maybe some combination of the old and the new? What would it take to convince you and me to change? Would an angel from heaven do it?
Paul had gone through the region of Galatia in all three of his missionary journeys. There he had been well received, and many Gentiles as well as Jews had come to faith in Jesus Christ.
However, apparently some Jewish agitators had come in to discredit Paul as being less than the true apostles, like Peter (Cephas). Those men really knew the truth about Jesus, so don’t trust Paul when he talks about salvation without circumcision and other aspects of keeping the law. So Paul feels the need to defend both his credentials as a true apostle and his doctrine as the true gospel. So he’s going to have to defend where his gospel came from (direct revelation from Jesus, as well as poring over the Scriptures that he had known so well.
He has scarcely opened his letter to the Galatians when he jumps right into the pressing matter before them: They had fallen for these Judaizers and were returning to a very “Jewish” version of the Gospel. Paul needs to set the record straight on several levels, He says,
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Notice the choice of words here: “astonished” “deserting” “different gospel” “no gospel at all” “throwing you into confusion” “trying to pervert”. Paul is not compromising or trying to be conciliatory here. He is sweeping in to rescue his converts from destruction, and it is not time to mince words.
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!”
“We or an angel from heaven.” That’s an interesting challenge, isn’t it? Paul is the apostle who was confronted directly by revelation of the Lord Jesus himself. His whole worldview was turned on its head in a moment. And here in chapter one, Paul refers to his direct miraculous conversion as part of his defense as an apostle. So he is so confident about that truth that he has learned that he says even if an angel from heaven appears and says the gospel Paul preaches is wrong, don’t fall for it.
Paul introduced the Galatians to grace, and it was such an unthinkable and radical concept to a Jew that they just couldn’t imagine that a person didn’t need to somehow earn salvation by working for it. “I know God and his ways. I know what God would say. I know the Scriptures. He would never open the door to Gentiles. He would never make it easy for them to enter into his realm without going through the law first. Paul claims that Jesus talked to him directly. God would never contradict what I know about him. So Paul must be an imposter!”
It would be hard for you and me to argue against that kind of reasoning today, wouldn’t it? We think we know the Bible. We think we have figured out how God works, because we have developed a systematic theology that explains every passage in the Bible. If someone—even an angel from heaven—would try to tell me otherwise, I would not change my mind, and I would doubt that I had really heard from an angel. So I get why those skeptics would be inflexible and oppositional toward Paul and his teachings.
When do we “lock in” our worldview? When should we be open to a change? Especially if it is a radical major change?
I suppose the determining factor is, or should be, whether what we believe is truly TRUE! If it is, then how it got to us, as well as the season we’re in, should help us to stand firm.
Paul’s answer is very clear: The book of Galatians has what we can lock in as truth. Don’t let yourself be dissuaded by anything else. Amen.
FINAL WATCH WORDS
You are familiar with watchwords from about two weeks ago, when Paul was wrapping up 1 Corinthians. Here, once again, he drops a series of short phrases, each designed to equip and motivate the true followers of Jesus to live as Christ would have them. Ready? Here we go:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice!
Wrapping up everything, let me say it before something else comes in to crowd it out. What I have to say is one word. . The word is REJOICE! Especially after Paul’s words about a thorn in the flesh, being a messenger from Satan, we want to know that something in our lives overrides the challenges and sorrows of our lives. That something just might be to consciously choose joy as our first attribute.
Strive for full restoration,
Whether it is a member who had been outcast and was now back, or you are sharing the gospel with someone who has never heard it, the word is RESTORATION. I like that word because the company I named and now work for uses the word in its name: Third Generation Restoration. Something used to be great, then I was broken or worn down and it needs to be restored again. That’s us. Work toward making people, helping to resolve arguments, and in other ways bring about restored families, friendships and lives.
encourage one another,
We don’t need to be scolded when we come to church (most weeks!). We do need to be encouraged. We need to know that we are loved. We need to catch each other doing good things and point it out when we see it. We need our insights to be affirmed (most of the time!) and our gifts recognized and our service needs to be thanked. I once heard that we need a 7:1 ratio of encouragement to correction, in order for that correction to be heard well. Otherwise, it becomes oppressive.
be of one mind,
In the things that truly matter, let there be no divisions among us. Remember how Paul had started 1 Corinthians with the admonition, “I hear there are divisions among you.” Unity is still a big theme for the church today. Not uniformity, but unity.
live in peace.
Again, remember that a lawsuit among members was addressed in his first letter. So this little reminder is like a mom reminding her child to “wear your gloves!” Or “don’t forget to …!” In this case, it is that we are to let certain non-essential things go. For the sake of peace. Why not rather be wronged, than to make something a big deal?
And the God of love and peace will be with you.
Yes, he will. He is the creator of love and peace. He is the lord of love and peace. He is the owner of love and peace. So Paul does the best job that our language will allow and he provides a third person imperative, telling the God of love and peace to be with us. Consider it done. Do we see him?
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
This seems out of the American culture enough that it’s hard to apply it. Perhaps we can replace the words “holy kiss” with “hearty hug or handshake.” Or in this social-distancing era, we find “kind words” or “eye contact” to be as connected as possible.
All God’s people here send their greetings.
God’s people. Do you like that title? I think it’s neat to know that people who belong to the church all together also belong to God. They are God’s people. And they are greeting one another over the miles through Paul. Do you ever send someone your greetings through a person? Do you ever receive such greetings? “Oh, so and so says hi, and they say they wish they could be here . . . ..”
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
This is one of the times in Scripture where each member of the Trinity is mentioned. That makes this sentence important for that reason alone. God is three. Yet one. Jesus Christ, God, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I HAVE LOVED A THING FORBIDDEN
(David and Karen Mains have written a series of books called Tales of the Kingdom with which I have had the privilege of doing some music. I so have been moved by the stories that I wrote a song for each one. This one is from chapter 10, Amanda and the Dragon, written in 2010. Please forgive the production and voice once again. Just placeholders of my own voice over and over.)
My brothers and sisters I must tell you a story
It's a story of battle, it's a story of sin
Of sin and of childhood and a dragon in battle
A battle I lost and a battle I must win
I have loved a thing forbidden
I have lost what I loved the most
This has been a hard fought lesson
Truth has been gained but only by loss
[Trust can be gained but only by loss]
WHEN THE HEALING NEVER COMES
You have heard the easy answers, I’m sure. Name it and claim it. Get ready for your miracle today. God’s will is to heal you, so just tell that old Satan to go back to hell because you are receiving your healing from Jesus today.
But what if that healing doesn’t happen for you? Is it your fault, because you just don’t have enough faith? Is it because God doesn’t exist and it’s all a sham?
Or even without the wild claims from faith healers, there’s enough disappointment from prayers that go unanswered and healings that never come, either for myself or for someone else whom I love. Why does the healing not come? Why, when the stakes are highest, do my pleadings seem to fall on deaf ears?
Sooner or later, all of us are tempted to ask the question, why me? We join with David who said, My God my God why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.” In fact, our Lord Jesus himself quoted those same words while he hung on the cross.
The apostle Paul reveals one of those very disappointing moments in his own life. He says,
“I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.”
Three times, Paul? You pleaded? Sounds like this was no small matter for you. A thorn in your flesh? It was from Satan, to torment you? Some wonder if it was an eye disease, or if it had to do with all those shipwrecks or flogging or stoning. In any case, it was a cause of suffering, not just of inconvenience. And yet God did not answer your pleas? Aren’t you the one who said if God is for us, who can stand against us? Why would he not respond lovingly in answer to your desperate request?
Well, unlike most of us, Paul actually heard an answer from the Lord in the silence of unanswered prayers.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
This might be a bit hard to decipher, but I think it will be worth it to explore what Paul is saying that he heard. He heard God tell him that his daily sustenance and his salvation in Christ (“my grace”) is enough. You don’t need a healing. You don’t need to live in comfort. You need to rely on me alone, and this “limp” of yours will help you both know and show your dependence on me. No one will be able to say, “I’d love and serve God, too, if he had blessed me the way he blessed Paul.” So his grace truly was sufficient, because that’s all he had.
And here is Paul’s conclusion and lesson learned:
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
I have heard these words juxtaposed before: when I am weak then I am strong. But I’m not sure I spent much time reflecting on it. I think Paul is saying that his tendency would be that if the sun was always shining, if God was always providing depth of insight and revelations, then Paul would inwardly be proud. He would judge others, as if their lack of faith keeps them back from becoming as powerful and blessed as Paul was. So this messenger from Satan was actually (allowed to be) sent to humble Paul, into not having easy, glib answers for others. No, Paul could not say if you follow Jesus you will be as blessed in every way as I am. He had to stand before others with an obvious flaw, but that human weakness helped Paul’s credibility when talking about the downhill side of the mountain.
And so Paul “delights” in weakness just as surely as he would have boasted in his strength. And with all understanding, Paul can say “when I am weak, then I am strong.”
May you be weak enough to be invincible in Christ Jesus today. Amen.
THE PRETENDER
Once upon a time, there was a person who held the office of a man of God. He dedicated himself to the betterment of mankind and the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And he was wonderful with people—men, women, children, everyone loved him. And he loved them.
He especially loved some of the women. And you know how the story turned out.
Or maybe he found himself to be so popular, his messages so well received, that over time he just sort of strayed away from Jesus as the only way to salvation. The messenger found common ground with the common man, and he didn’t want to offend. So he placed truth on the bottom shelf to make it easy to reach. The only problem was that Jesus was on the second shelf. And he led thousands of people astray, and most of them didn’t even know it.
Or maybe it was his lifestyle. At first, he was living with a small rent and his small family. But he found a formula for success, and with it came money. Lots of money. All he had to do now was to just hint at how God wanted to bless people, and all they need to do is to first be generous with the Lord. And his variation on a get-rich-quick scheme paid off. He drove a nicer car. Bought a second house. Started investing. And kept offering miracles for a dollar. He was last seen riding in the back of a limo into the fenced-off palace he now called home.
Actually, it could have been the miracles that God did through him. Healings. Tongues. Signs and wonders. And all seemed to prove that God was in the house and Jesus still did miracles. The testimonies confirmed that the healings were true—until a reporter did some digging and found out that virtually none of the miracles had actually happened. One guy in a wheelchair had been healed in each of the last six cities in which a revival had taken place, and it turns out that he had never needed a wheelchair in the first place. The man’s credibility, and the reputation of Jesus, were damaged for a generation in that part of the world.
You know the stories, because they seem to make headlines every few weeks. And maybe you wonder, “How can this happen over and over again like that? And how can we know for certain whether someone can be trusted?” Perhaps you have even been so betrayed by one of the imposters that you have given up on faith or in organized religion altogether.
If so, that’s exactly what Satan has been working toward. The enemy doesn’t have to do a direct attack on your faith. There’s too much evidence, too many witnesses, too much truth, for him to destroy the message of Jesus head on. All he needs to do is to distract a few of the Lord’s followers in order to undermine their ministry. And just as Jesus said, it will be worse for those false messengers for having caused the faith of one of these little children to crumble.
This strategy of the adversary is not new, either, is it? Back at the beginning, in the garden, he had masqueraded as a tame snake and brought doubt onto the word of God, saying, “You will not die . . . God knows . . . When you eat of it, you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
That’s it. That’s the strategy of the enemy of our souls. He seeks to kill and destroy you and me, but he won’t be easy to find as long as he poses inside the pulpit itself.
“And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”
Their end. It will be what they deserved. As Jesus said, if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away, let’s just say it will be very bad for him.
No wonder Paul says so strongly to be on guard and watchful. For, as he said, we are not unaware of his schemes.
UNWISE COMPARISONS (CONFESSIONS OF A RESPECTAHOLIC)
Throughout this second letter to the Corinthians, Paul has found himself needing to alternately scold and warn, explain and instruct, defend himself and apologize for 1 Corinthians being such a harsh letter. It’s a dizzying spin through all those emotions and topics. But there is a nugget in the middle of all this that has had a strong impact on me, and that’s what I want to share with you today.
As we have seen, there had been those in Corinth who were critical of Paul and his work, preferring the personality and storytelling of Apollos, or the “super apostles” like Peter and John, who had been followers of Jesus from the beginning. Paul then felt the need to commend himself and demonstrate his own defense. But he did not want to stoop to making comparisons and getting off the subject of Jesus because he is comparing himself with others.
He points out that some of these critics boasted of their own credentials by classifying themselves and then comparing themselves to those in another classification. Or they compare themselves to others by saying something like, “I have been in Christ longer than he has” or “My miracle-to-message ratio is 4.3 which is higher than all but one of the original inner circle.” Paul could choose to enter into such comparisons, and he would be likely to win. But he feels it better to take the higher ground. In the midst of it he says,
“When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.”
Here is the nugget of wisdom I want to learn: It is unwise to compare yourself to other people. More personally, I am unwise to compare myself with others. It might not be a sin. But it is unwise, just the same.
Hi, I’m Ken. And I’m a RESPECTAHOLIC. I am hopelessly addicted to myself and to what others think of me. Did I tell you that I am deeply competitive? The very word “compete” invites comparisons. And I join in on comparisons with a strong desire to make the comparison favor myself. Something deep inside me feels that I am unworthy or inferior, and if I can “win” at some comparison, then I can respect myself as being worthy to breathe air that could be in the lungs of someone more worthy, while I go crawl under a rock somewhere.
Why can’t I just be a child of God, you ask? Is it not enough to know that I am loved and have been raised well, and to trust that whatever God calls me to do, He equips me to do it. (Remember Moses at the burning bush?) There is no need for fear. No need for shame. Not for pride or a superiority complex, either. Right. But you’re talking to a true respectaholic here, and giving it up is not so easy.
So, what if I make comparisons only in those areas where I win? That means the only parts of my life that I can accept are those that are better than others. What does that do to my spiritual life? What if I am smarter than 95% of people. Is that enough? What about the 4% who are above me? How about if I am a better runner than 99% of others? Is that enough for me to feel good about who I am? What if I am a major league all star? Is that enough? My point is that NO, it is NEVER enough to compare yourself to others.
So I recommend you to not learn your I.Q. It is one of the purest comparison tools available. If your self esteem is dependent on “winning” the award as “smartest in the room,” what happens when you meet someone who is smarter than you are? And what happens when they turn you into a number that is less than 100, below average?
Whatever you do in life, avoid measuring yourself by comparing with others. Do not let your self esteem be determined by whether or not you “win.” Compare yourself to your potential, not to that of others. Compare yourself to Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, and the one in whose footsteps we learn to walk. How are you doing, compared to how you COULD be doing, how you SHOULD be doing? That is the only question to ask yourself.
Besides finding my esteem, why else would I want to use comparisons with others? Comparisons provide me with ammunition to PROMOTE myself, to raise support for myself, to spread the essential news that I deserve your love and respect.
So, you ask, how am I supposed to think of myself? Where does my self-worth come from? My answer to that question is, Your question contains the problem, when you said, “think of myself?” Your very problem is that you think of yourself. All day long you think of yourself. Stop thinking of yourself! You are not the main person in this movie! You are a bit player, and I mean not just a small part. You are “Storm Trooper #7” whose appearance was simply to jump around a corner only to be shot and fall down, while the hero runs over the top of my impressively-realistic dead body. But the good news is that because of the armor, I can also be “Storm Trooper #12” and “Storm Trooper #73.” Am I an important part of the King’s movie? No. Not important. But essential. Essential for demonstrating the amazing reflexes and aim of the hero of the movie.
As Paul says, “But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.””
If I have anything to say about myself, it is to marvel at the grace of Jesus. Amen.
GIVING AND RECEIVING GIFTS
One of the most difficult parts of any non-profit organization is the matter of fundraising. Paul has spent most of two chapters in this letter talking about giving, pledging and fulfilling, as well as generosity, needs and accountability. He talks from both a theological and practical perspective, and several of the verses here are quite familiar to those who have been in the church for a while. Let’s talk about some of those in chapter 9.
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
Some years ago, I heard these three principles of sowing and reaping, and it was very helpful to learn. You always reap WHAT you sow, HOW MUCH you sow, and AFTER you sow. It’s true in farming, and it’s true in life. You can’t sow beans and expect to reap grain. What you want to reap in the future is what you must sow today. Likewise, if you want a big harvest, you can’t get there by only sowing a small amount. And then, know that the harvest always comes after the planting is long past. Here Paul is reminding us of the second of those three principles. I trust that he is not trying to induce guilt in order to glean a large gift, but he is saying truth. And I know that someday I will need to be on the receiving end of someone’s generosity, so I am paying it forward, you might say.
A year ago, our home was broken into, by the same people, three days in a row. They took over $11,000 worth of electronics, games and tools. And because it was three police reports, our insurance company would consider each incident to be a separate claim, so we had a $3000 deductible for each of the break-ins, and the company would then drop us for having three claims in such a short period of time. As discouraging as that was, when some friends heard about our situation, they got together a fundraiser and raised over $12,000 in just a couple of weeks! We heard encouragements from many people, saying that we had invested in them in the past, and so they were glad to help us in our time of need. It was a happy reminder to us to keep focusing on giving to others, and don’t be afraid of being abandoned in your own time of need. It doesn’t always work out that way, but we sure saw the joy of reaping what had been sown in the past.
Paul goes on to say,
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
More principles of giving here. Don’t give what someone is dragging out of you, while you inwardly are reluctant or feel compelled to give. Give what you decided in your heart to give. In your heart, not to their face. This is a really hard thing for me to discern sometimes, because I have a hard time saying no to someone when they are right in front of me. But that’s a bad reason to give. An important mark of spiritual maturity is knowing when it is the Spirit calling you to do something, over against wanting to be a people pleaser. Paul calls it “deciding in your heart.”
Then comes the well-known adage, “God loves a cheerful giver!” As compared to a reluctant giver, or one who gives under compulsion. Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Do you know where He said that? Acts 20:35. Wait, you say. Jesus ascended into heaven back in chapter 1. How did he say that in chapter 20? Paul quoted Jesus, saying that Jesus had taught this truth. But in the gospels themselves, we do not find those words. Paul had heard some of Jesus’ teachings, even when Paul was still the Pharisee named Saul who was not a follower. And it sounds like something Jesus would say, based on Matthew 5.
But Paul’s point is not who said this expression or the other one. His point is that God loves us when we are doing something generous from our heart.
A few verses later, Paul wraps up this chapter by saying,
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
Indeed, let us give thanks to God. But in order to give thanks, we need to know what we’re being thankful for. In this case, Paul says it is “his indescribable gift.”
We can’t describe his gift, apparently. But we can note what we know of it. Have you heard about the three blind men who each approached an elephant. Each came to a conclusion about what the entire animal was like, based on the small part that he had examined. “This is a snake!” “It’s a tree trunk!” “It is leather!” In the same way, we begin to explore the indescribable gift He has given, and all we can do is piece together the little glimpses we see.
What IS His gift? A baby boy. Born to a virgin named Mary. Who grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Who lived a sinless life. Who taught us all the ways of the Lord. Who showed grace to the world. Who was unfairly graded as worthy of death. Whose crucifixion was, in fact, an atoning sacrifice on behalf of our own sins. Who brought us into right relationship with God. Who went before us to heaven, where he sits at God’s mighty right hand. Who is coming to judge the living and the dead. Who showed us how high and deep, and wide and broad is the love of God. God’s gift was spiritual. Eternal. It equips us. It fills us with joy. It guides us in our time of need and comforts us in our time of loss. What’s more, God distributed his gifts to all around the world, both past and present, that we might find pleasure and power and peace with God. And we are the primary recipients of this indescribable gift. All we have to do is receive it, just as we followed His lead in our own giving.
Let us thank him for all this, and far, far more. It is, truly, indescribable. Amen.
GOD AND EQUITY
We hear a lot about equity these days. The news and the media talk about it in terms of race and gender relations. Equity has to do with impartiality fairness and justice for all people in social policy. “Social equity takes into account systemic inequalities to ensure everyone in a community has access to the same opportunities and outcomes.”
So you may ask, what’s the difference between social equity and social equality? “Social equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. Social equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.”
Treating people exactly the same can lead to unequal results. For example, in the oft quoted words of Anatole France from The Red Lily (1894), “the law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread”.
What did Paul mean when he told the Corinthians that
“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.””
In order for us all to have equal access, we might need different levels of support.
Is the lottery fair? In a sense, yes. But overall it is the most unfair thing there is. Free wealth for one person, given to that person at random by everyone else who is part of that group of players.
Equality is when a teacher gives a test and grades blindly as to who is taking the test. Equity takes in mind that some people did not start from the same place in acquiring the knowledge being tested. “Considering where he started, he has done A work.”
Having said all that, Paul is NOT advocating for what we call “social equity” in society as a whole. He is talking about sharing within the church with those members who are in need. He is simply saying that he wants them to help someone else, but not if it will cause a hardship for them. And in support of that goal, he quotes from Exodus how when the Israelites were collecting manna each day, part of God’s supply to them was that when someone went out and collected only a little, it was enough, and when someone gathered a lot, they didn’t have too much.
First, why would God do that? And second, what is Paul saying we should learn from it?
Why, when He gave them manna every day, would God make it so that no one got manna-rich and no one became manna-poor? Keep in mind that this was a unique time in history when the people of Israel were isolated in the wilderness, and that raising crops or selling goods was very limited for a couple million people in the desert. They were not to have interaction with their neighbors, but eventually were to destroy them, so the only ones left to do business with would be themselves. It’s hard to make a living when you are simply trading stuff you already have among yourselves.
So, God provided the outside income, as it were, by taking care of their daily eating. But what if He did so by delivering, say, exactly 1000 bushels of manna each day? The most enterprising early riser could scoop up all of it and gouge prices on the others, and the whole thing would get ugly very soon. Likewise, the more ambitious would do extra collecting, for personal security and for selling to those who are old, or sick, or who weren’t able to get enough for their daily needs. “Here, I’ll sell you some of what I have in stock.” So instead, God took all motivation and incentive for greed away from the children of Israel, and he made sure everyone had enough for their daily needs.
Do we apply that unique situation as being God’s intended economic system for the world? No. For just one country? For the church? God-initiated communism, you might say. And the answer to all those questions is NO. God never said to continue this practice once they set foot into the land of Israel. The manna stopped and they were back to free enterprise and farming.
Paul’s point is rather simple, and we should not try to read more into it than was intended. When it comes time for the church to support one another, God’s intent is not for one to give so generously that they are doing without, but that all benefit. This is social equity within the church.
May the Lord bless you and provide for you, even as you are, at his leading, generous with others. Amen.
GODLY SORROW
Sorrow is never something we want to have. Yet, life on earth is not possible without a large amount of it. We have sorrow because of loss, or because of physical ailment. They are unavoidable, sooner or later. We also have sorrow because of offenses, both those that are done to us and those that we have done to others. Again, sooner or later, such conflicts are inevitable. And we have sorrow because of unfulfilled expectations and disappointments, which just goes to show you should never get your hopes up in this life, right? Well, no. And yet . . . It does make you think.
We pray against sorrow. We work to keep it away. But sorrow must find us, or (if you think about it), we will not know true joy, either. However, keep in mind that sorrow was not God’s Plan A for us. Plan A involved no death, and no sin. That means no loss, and no self-inflicted regrets. What’s more, keep in mind that Plan A gets restored in the end! In the New Jerusalem, where there will be no more tears, sorrow (no more sorrow! Hooray!) or crying, for the former things are passed away, and behold, he makes all things new.
So, since sorrow cannot be avoided, how do we make the most of it now? How does God, who seems to specialize in restoration, restore us in sorrow?
This introduces a term Paul uses: “Godly sorrow.” It refers to the kind of sorrow that the Holy Spirit brings upon us and works in us to renew and give hope. As Paul says it in this chapter, Godly sorrow brings repentance. And repentance leads to salvation. And salvation leaves no regret.
It is worldly sorrow that leads to death, and death is an unending sorrow, where there is bitterness and weeping and gnashing of teeth.
So, you ask, if I must face sorrow in my life, how do I pursue sorrow that is godly? Let’s see Paul’s paragraph about it. He wrote to the Corinthians and told them sternly to repent. It hurt to be told by their spiritual father that they had failed. But here is how Paul describes the outcome of that harsh letter.
“Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.” 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 NIV
Here is what seems to be the secret to sorrow that brings healing:
- It hurts. But only for a little while. The sorrow it brings leads to repentance for the part of the sorrow that is my fault.
- This is being sorrowful that way that God intended. When that happens, we stop looking around or casting blame on others, and we look inside to let the Spirit fix ourselves.
- This godly sorrow becomes motivation to find healing through earnestness, an eagerness to clear yourself. The pain is bad, but you have hope that it can be fixed if you have indignation about the effects of sin in you.
- Godly sorrow alarms you and sets within you a longing to go back to the Garden.
- Godly sorrow stirs up longing for the New Jerusalem to do its healing work. We love the day of His appearing. We hasten his return
- We feel a deeper concern, now that we have felt sorrow, and we have a readiness to see justice done. The pain is our motivator, for we remember life without sorrow, so we work to fix it.
- And, at last, we return to the state of innocence before the LORD that we once knew, and will know again.
Do we ever want to face sorrow? No, we don’t. But that sorrow that could have been avoided, had we simply chosen godliness, helps us to do the work of repentance, and to find the seasons of refreshing that come in its wake.
May you know abundant life and seasons of refreshing. And may all your sorrows be godly. Amen.
RIGHTEOUS WARRIOR
(While digitizing some of these old cassette tapes, I am coming upon old songs I haven't done or even remembered. I really like some of the lyrics showing the juxtaposition of characteristics of Jesus. This comes from late 1980s, recorded by Pauline Williams).
Righteous Warrior
Prince of Peace
Your kindness conquers all Your enemies
Mighty Lion
Gentle Dove
You are wild and fearsome, but You are love.
You are wild and fearsome, but You are love.
Hard-fisted, soft-hearted
Strong arms and gentle hands
Ruling over all the earth and all that we can see
You've crushed the tempter and lifted a fallen man
Strong enough to strike the foe and weak enough to bleed.
Righteous Warrior
Prince of Peace
Your kindness conquers all Your enemies
Mighty Lion
Gentle Dove
You are wild and fearsome, but You are love.
You are wild and fearsome, but You are love.
Pure Power, Strong Tower
Perfect in all Your ways
You have reigned in majesty with strength to match Your days
You can make the sea dry land
You can hold us in your mighty, loving hands
and make what's dead alive to give You living praise
Righteous Warrior
Prince of Peace
Your kindness conquers all Your enemies
Mighty Lion
Gentle Dove
You are wild and fearsome, but You are love.
You are wild and fearsome, but You are love.
You are love
Glory to the Lamb
You alone are victorious
You alone will stand
Righteous Warrior
Prince of Peace
Your kindness conquers all Your enemies
Mighty Lion
Gentle Dove
You are wild and fearsome, but You are love.
You are wild and fearsome, but You are love.
You are wild and fearsome, but You are love.
HOW TO COMMEND YOURSELF
Just a few chapters ago, Paul talked about how the church is his letter of introduction. Like a degree showing his qualifications, the people he had brought to maturity in Christ were his letter. Now we come to a similar moment, which is more like the job interview itself. It is time to “commend yourself.” Why would you be well suited for this job?
I am not so familiar with using this little phrase: I commend myself. To commend yourself is to present yourself for approval or acceptance. It is like “recommending” yourself, but there is not another person doing it for you, so you commend yourself.
So, how do I commend myself? Do I bestow on myself honors and accomplishments of the past, highlighting the best moments? Do I pad my resume, so to speak, to seek out jobs I long for that might be above my head? How do I introduce myself as experienced in what is most important? And how do I keep from distracting you from some boasting on my part that seems competitive and like showing off?
How would you describe yourself as being commendable?
Here’s how Paul did it: “We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.” Lest his own talents and accomplishments overshadow, or people think he is boasting, he keeps his commendations to only spiritual accomplishments and physical hardship.
“Rather, as servants of God” = we are not “professional” Christ followers. We rush to the bottom of the pyramid to serve, not to be honored.
“we commend ourselves in every way:” Okay, now it’s coming. Paul has a lot to boast of, and he’s going to start with his credentials as a Pharisee.
“in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;” Wait! I thought he was COMMENDING himself!? But I see here on his resume nothing about being biggest, baddest and best.
““in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;” Okay, I think you have made your point, Paul. You have suffered. Some of it voluntarily, and some was handed to you. But it all goes on your resume, right? What else do you commend yourself with?
“in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;” I am impressed that Paul would point out that in many ways he focused on purity when he could have been tempted to use his influence wrongly, both sexually and financially. So he commends himself with saying that no one can claim him as impure. Also the other areas that the Holy Spirit has worked in his life. This is his resume.
“in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;” Truthful speech. I would not be so confident to commend myself in this, but far less so to claim the power of God and righteousness.
“through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;” I guess Paul is saying that it doesn’t matter what others say about him. He knows what he is doing is for God and that he is genuine. But the results of his ministry among the enemies of Christ do not elicit praise from everyone.
“known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed;” Now I’m really seeing the contrast of the response of the crowds compared to his motives and his actions.
“sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” And just to top it off, these very strong opposites are paired.
This is how a first century apostle commended himself. Go thou and do likewise. Amen.
WHERE MY STRENGTH COMES FROM
Have you ever been to the end of your strength? It doesn’t happen too often, but perhaps you have reached that point where you really believed you could not go on.
I remember being in a track event in high school. It was a quarter mile run, just one time around the track. Four of us were competing. I set out at what seemed to be a comfortable pace for me, about the pace of two of the other runners. But my friend Mark took off at a sprint. I thought he was going too fast to keep up the pace, so I didn’t panic. Bide my time and make a move when we get to the final bend. But Mark kept flying, opening up quite a lead. When we got to about 100 yards to go, I turned it on, trying to time my catching him so that I would have the element of surprise and momentum with me. It was working perfectly. Except that the crowd noticed my move and started yelling, and we still had 50 yards to go. Mark looked back over his shoulder and from somewhere deep within, turned on the afterburner. The last 30 yards, the two of us were pushing ourselves to the limit, but neither of us was pulling ahead. Toward the finish line, I reached down in me to give it more than I ever thought possible. But Mark met my efforts and at the end, he edged me out as I lunged toward the line. Sure enough, the ribbon of the finish line was draped across his chest, while I stumbled and landed on my hands and knees in the cinders.
It was some minutes before I regained full consciousness. Then I was able to go over to the stands and sit and drink some water, feeling more expended than I ever had before. I had left it all out there on the track, as they say, and it was the first time in my life that I truly felt there was nothing more to give.
This is the moment of coming to the end of ourselves that we look to heaven and ask if there is anything from beyond that can help us.
To borrow a valid question from the psalmist, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?” (Psalms 121:1)
We look up at those big mountains and see that something is stronger than we are. Is there anything beyond those hills that can come to my aid?
He then provides his own answer: “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” And he says how the Lord will rescue him and help.
The apostle Paul came to the end of his own resources in many ways that I will never understand. And in his weakness, when he was at the end of his rope, he held on to Jesus. As the song says, “The arm of flesh will fail you. Ye dare not trust your own.”
Paul says it this way back in chapter 4: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (4:7)
It’s ironic, isn’t it, that the God who rules the universe should choose to interact with his creation to help us in time of peril and need? But it is one way for him to remind us that he is above, he is beyond, he is higher and stronger and infinite and unlimited. And so we fall on him, we cast our cares upon him, we rest in him, and we find our strength to be in him, even when it is not in us.
Paul revisits this theme other times throughout the book of 2 Corinthians. He says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (5:17 NIV) And he adds, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (5:21 NIV).
Whether it is physical strength, moral resolve, insightful wisdom or spiritual power, we rely on Christ, who is our strength, our example, our counselor and our victor. He has gone before us and made a way, and in the end, he will usher us into heaven itself.
When you reach the end of your ability to keep going, he invites you to let him be your escalator. Then you can we still. And you can know that he is God. Amen.
SPIRITUAL CREDENTIALS
How do you know if you are qualified as a minister of the gospel? What would you put on your resume? How would a particular congregation come to know that you are capable of handling the word of God and prepared for the responsibilities and privileges of the office of Pastor or Minister?
In our culture, the credential is easy to recognize. It includes a degree. The industry standard is an MDiv, which is typically 3 years of full time study after completing a liberal arts degree in college. A college degree traditionally involves a total of 120 academic hours of study. The MDiv requires 90 additional credit hours plus field experience. If you really want to gain professional trust, a DMin would be the professional standard. A DMin would historically require about 60 extra hours after the MDiv.
We would also expect that the education for a degree in ministry would also include an internship, or supervised field experience. In short, earning a DMin is pretty much the equivalent experience and academic hours for a medical doctor.
Another important part of preparing for ministry would be receiving ordination. The elders who know you best come and lay hands on you. Now you’re ready to go! Ministry, here I come!
But Paul likely would not have gone through such steps. He tells the Corinthian believers that his credential is not on paper at all.
So today, how would we go about hiring someone who was qualified for the office of minister? I think Paul would say, ask about the person’s converts, and who has been discipled and brought to maturity because of that person’s influence.
I’m saying that all of the academic rigors and practical experience are good. But they are simply not as necessary as seeing the fruit from a life.
In Paul’s day, a person would bring a letter, signed by the proper person of authority, commending them. It was similar to our diplomas that would be displayed on a wall. As a Pharisee, Paul would have received a letter from his teacher Gamaliel introducing him and giving whoever might read the letter his credentials. In more recent times, your ministerial credentials are found in the letters that come after your name. And the signature verifying it would be the name of the school that issued it. But Paul says that the letter is best written not so much by your spiritual father, but by your spiritual children, and the children who come from them, and so forth.
Paul would say, what is the fruit that has come from your life? Or he might say, “What does your letter say? That letter that you carry with you everywhere you go? And who signed that letter?” He says,
“You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
So Paul would say that any letter he might carry from his mentor Gamaliel which gave his academic credentials were life-shaping, but meaningless. Paul would say that any degree he had earned is meaningless, having been a chasing after wind. He would say that
So I’ll ask you, young adult, what does your letter say? Who wrote it and signed it?
Husband or wife, what does your letter say? Who wrote it and signed it?
Father or mother, what does your letter say? Who wrote it and signed it?
Or to put it a different way, when your life is over and you come to stand before the judgment seat, who will be there to vouch for you and say, “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for this person.”
Slightly different again. Who will be there to greet you and thank you and say, “I watched your life closely and modeled myself after what I saw.” Or “I heard about you from one of your spiritual children. They said so many things that they had learned from you.”
May God grant to you a spiritual credential in those you have affected for the Lord. And may He bring about your spiritual legacy, showing what a difference you have made. Amen.
BEYOND FORGIVENESS
Remember the guy in 1 Corinthians 5 who was sleeping with his father’s wife? Paul severely told them not to be proud that they tolerated the man’s sin, but that they needed to discipline him. Well, apparently the church did as Paul had instructed. The man had been cast out of the fellowship and was being shunned by the church now. And it had worked! He repented and changed his ways. Praise the Lord!
But some in the church continued to maintain the walls and block that sinner from being part of the fellowship. Paul has heard about it, so he addresses the matter:
“The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.”
The church should function like heaven does. Jesus says that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over many others who did not need to repent. The father of the prodigal son demonstrates the kind of restoration that God offers. So it is right for the church to restore the man, so that he doesn’t give up.
“Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”
The schemes of Satan are always for the destruction of human life, of the church and of Christ himself. He is always plotting for our downfall, both individually and as a body. And apparently it is possible for Satan to outwit us humans, even those who have the Holy Spirit abiding within. There is a strategic battle going on all the time. And not forgiving someone is part of that battle. We Americans need to keep that in mind as we continue to face the deep divisions among us. (Jesus said that any kingdom divided against itself will not stand. Any kingdom. Including ours.)
Satan’s schemes. Grudges. Bitterness. Unforgiveness. Divisions. Hatred. Arguments. Unresolved conflict. Repentance without Confession. Confession without repentance. Gossip. Slander. Silence. Mistrust. Betrayal. Resentment. Broken promises. Lingering anger. Let us no longer be unaware. Amen.
MAY 31 = 2 CORINTHIANS 1
SAYING YES AND NO
Paul had made plans to return to Corinth, that church he had planted, and which had so many interpersonal problems in its ranks. He wanted to come and rebuke some, encourage others, and equip them all. But, as we all know, life can get complicated, and Paul’s plans were changed. He tells them it just didn’t work out. Then Paul clarifies a detail:
“Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?”
A worldly manner, Paul? What do you mean?
Well, you know how it goes. Someone invites you to their party, and you don’t really want to go, but you say yes. But hidden inside, you know that you will just be looking for an excuse that sounds viable. Because you know deep down that you are not going to go. When the day comes, you tell your friend that “something” came up, and you weren’t able to be there. Nice and neat. You give the impression that your friend is important to you, and you didn’t exactly lie about the thing that came up. Everyone wins.
Except for that little matter of integrity. Jesus said, “Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Anything beyond that comes from the evil one.”
Anything beyond that, Jesus? You mean, like, pinky promises, right? Or cross my heart and hope to die? Or swearing on a stack of Bibles? Like that, right?
Not just that. Jesus says to let your yes be yes. Let your no mean no. In other words, don’t say it if you can’t do it. If you say it, then keep your word. Anything beyond that comes from the evil one. That’s because anything other than your word being your bond is evil. Simple and true.
That’s why Paul says that making plans that he doesn’t really intend to keep is “worldly.” In Paul’s case, it really was an unexpected interruption, which sometimes actually does happen.
Then Paul goes on to add another layer to this matter of planning and scheduling and doing life. He says that in Christ, the answer is always “Yes.” Here’s how he words it:
“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”
How I understand this teaching is that the Holy Spirit does not (usually) guide us by saying “No.” In Christ, if I am saying no to one opportunity, it’s because I am called to a “yes” in another. The leading of God is a positive call, not a lack of hearing anything. (I understand that in Acts 16 we find Paul and Silas trying to go to Asia, but the Spirit would not allow them. That’s actually how they ended up in Corinth to begin with. So maybe this is a general tendency and not an absolute. I’m not sure.)
This matter is far more difficult than it seems on paper, of course. Emergencies and changes of plans come up. James tells us that the proper wording for such things is, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” So we are always in submission to the active working of God in our lives.
May the Holy Spirit guide your next plan, or your next answer, and may he do more than give you a red light. May he give you a green light in a different direction. And may all your “yeses” mean “yes,” as you prove yourself to be a person of your word.
WATCHWORDS
Are you familiar with the term, “watchword?” If not, let me introduce you to it. And if you are, then please pardon my outsider’s view of its use and power.
If you are on night watch, you call out, “Eleven o’clock and all’s well.” If you are breaking the huddle to run the play, you might circle up and have everyone get their hand into the circle and say “go, team” on the break. Other watchwords have defined missions or whole generations. “Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do or die.” “For God and country.” “He is risen! He is risen indeed!” “Remember the Alamo!” Or the watchword for Israel in Joshua’s day was “Be strong and courageous!” Some churches, and most organizations, have some purpose statement, or mission statement that drives every decision in the organization. It’s like an advertising slogan, which captures the mission in an image and a word or phrase. A watchword emboldens and unifies a group.
Here is a multi-point watchword the Paul uses as he is closing his letter to Corinth:
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”
Let’s break it down:
“Be on your guard.” Paul had said to be watchful earlier in the letter. “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” We are told to be watchful in prayer, to watch out for the devil who prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. We are told to be watching for the Day of the Lord. And we are told not to be misled about relationships. When we let down our guard and coast, we are likely to lose control and end up somewhere that we never intended to be.
“Stand firm in the faith,” Do not “sit” or “lie down” in the faith. Do not “walk around,” either. “Stand.” “Stand firm.” Let nothing move you. Do not yield your ground. You don’t have to be mean to people around you. But if you don’t have your footing, then you are likely to be blown about by every wind and wave of doctrine that comes along. And be sure that where you have planted your feet is “in the faith.” Don’t try to stand in the goodness of men, or to stand in love, or to stand in your own goodness. The only foundation that can set your feet onto is that of “faith.” More particularly, “in THE faith.” Trust in the resurrected Jesus, in the Scriptures, in the power of the Spirit, and let that faith be your foundation and support.
“Be courageous”. This sounds like the watchword in Joshua.“Be strong and courageous.” In the King James version, he says, “quit ye like men,” which seems like a mysterious wording for meaning. “Act like men” is my favorite way to say it. As a man and a teacher of men, I like to think “what does a (true) man act like?” Compared to a boy? Compared to a “poser?” I think we all learn how to be men by watching others mimicking what we see in them. And so, most (not all) men learn how to gesture, to carry things, to pronounce their words, to dress, and so much more, like a man. It’s all cultural. It’s not genetic. So how else could you explain the amazing uniformity of those things I just mentioned? It’s because we imitate men who influence us. So my next question is, why not learn to imitate men in the most essential areas? How to pray, how to love your wife, how to talk to children, how to keep your word, how to resolve conflict, how to respond to potential sources of irritation. How to love. How to be courageous in the face of danger. What kind of danger? Why would we need to be courageous? What is there to be afraid of? I’m going to let that sit unanswered, assuming that the answer is implied by the question.
“Be strong.” Don’t be weak. Don’t back down in the face of temptation, or opposition, or doubt, or loneliness, or discouragement, or theological arguments, or depression, or corruption, or the company of immoral people (remember yesterday’s lesson about bad company corrupting good morals? It’s standing up to peer pressure.). Do not be weak. Do not compromise. Do not give in. Do not—what’s the word—loiter. or solicit. Instead, be strong. Be bold.
“Do everything in love.” After all those sort of manly admonitions about being on guard, and standing firm, and being strong and courageous, this one seems to head off at a different angle. Whatever you do, do it all in love. Which, again, was the point of chapter 13. It summarizes and balances all the rest by addressing the motive behind every other act. You can be strong, but be a spiritual bully. But if you do EVERYTHING in love, then you are never being oppositional or disrespectful, even when you are in the midst of spiritual battle. So if you are doing everything in love, you are always patient, always kind, never envious, never boastful or proud. You honor others, you don’t seek your own ways, you are not easily angered, you keep no record of wrongs. You do not delight in evil, but you rejoice with the truth. You always protect, always trust, always hope and always endure.
You will never fail. Amen.
May you learn to act like a man today and forever. Amen.
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP
Paul spends this entire chapter exploring and defending the efficacy of the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection is powerful in its application because it implies and promises for us eternal life. If Christ is raised from the dead, then what he says about life after death must be true. Which, in turn, affects what kind of lives we should be living while we are on this earth.
On the other hand, if there is no resurrection, why would we choose to live self-controlled lives in imitation of Jesus? If there is no resurrection, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. (Here Paul quotes Isaiah 22:13)
The next sentence is especially intriguing for a couple of reasons, and that’s where I’d like to spend most of our time today. Paul writes,
“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.””
As a kind of side note, I’d like to point out that Paul here is quoting someone. But it is not from the Bible, like his earlier quote. It is actually from a Greek poet, Menander. Paul did not use outside sources too often, so it is rather rare, but it’s good to note that he was not beyond using some secular source to illustrate with a commonly-recognized source. (Paul had done the same in Acts 17 when he was speaking to the Athenians, for what it’s worth to you.)
But the center of his point is the main focus for us today. If you have good character, having been born again and filled with the Spirit, meditating on God’s Word and filled with his love, but you hang out with the wrong kind of people, you will find your good character being corrupted.
So, Paul is saying, be careful who you spend time with. Your constant companions will change your culture, no matter how good your intentions may be.
All of us are called to love people and to care for their souls. That involves at least some degree of non-judgmental acceptance of them as a person, without trying to change them. But when that person becomes “company,” it can be that the one who is being changed is you, not them. I think that’s because, as strong as we may think we are, we also crave acceptance. And when we are trying to befriend someone and they say Opinion A about something, we want to share that opinion, for the sake of our friendship. So we find ourselves nodding in agreement, and being silent rather than to cause an argument or tension. The other person reads our silence as agreement, and they continue down that road, thinking they have found a kindred spirit. Now we find ourselves in a bind. It is becoming more awkward to bring up our differences, now that our relationship has gone this far. (Or am I the only one who has this experience?)
Eventually, our seeming agreement with our friend leads to actual agreement. We see life from their perspective, and we just might share some of their views.
So Paul says, “Don’t be deceived.” The peace and friendship we have begins to become more important than our own pursuit of holiness, or our very faith. And we discover too late that “bad company corrupts good character.”
I have heard the illustration before that you “are” your best five friends. Do you want to know about someone? Ask who their five best friends are. Do you want to know what kind of person you yourself are? Make an unbiased list of the five people you would most want to be with in any given week. Now make a list of the five people you actually HAVE spent the most time with in the last week. Like it or not, this is who you are at a very deep level, or at least it is who you are becoming. How do you feel about them and their influence on you?
Let’s pray about this:
Lord, teach us to be leaders and not followers. Turn our eyes only to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. And let us surround ourselves with those who are helping our spiritual growth and character. Ready us for your return. Amen.
INSTRUCTIONS ON WORSHIP
In this chapter, Paul gives what we might see as instructions on what to do during an assembly. Instructions for worship, we might say. Some of these are so essential, and yet so neglected, that it may come across as controversial, but I’m going to try to simply line out what Paul is saying about what to do and not do when we gather.
What to do: “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.”
This one sentence summarizes both chapters 12 (prophecy) and 13 (love). But notice the ending of the sentence: eagerly desire prophecy. He will go into much more detail about that simple call, but rather than repeat the same thing, let me try to define what the word “prophecy” might mean.
To prophesy is NOT simply to foretell the future, however. We have come to use the word that way often, but it is not limited to declared predictions. To “prophesy” (notice the “s” in the word, which makes it a verb instead of a noun, and is pronounced like “sigh”) is to speak before (pro), or to tell out. To speak before people, not to speak before it happens. In an of itself, it is not necessarily even a spiritual word (we have “professors” and “predictions” and other similar words). But when it is a gift of the Spirit, you might say it is supernatural. Even so, we might better define prophecy as authoritative teaching in the Spirit. Saying what God has given in front of people. How’s that?
So the most important thing that can happen in the assembly is to prophesy. And Paul contrasts prophecy with speaking in tongues, saying that prophecy is better because everyone can understand it.
“But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.”
Three great outcomes or purposes of prophecy: strengthen, encourage and comfort people. Paul is about to say that everything we do is to edify or build up the church. It starts with and centers around prophecy.
I guess I haven’t really defined prophecy yet. Let me try again. Some people take what I would call a “hard” definition of prophecy and consider it to be spiritual revelation from God, as in the Old Testament prophets of God. Such a “hard” definition would require that the prophecy is held to biblical standards, which means if it does not come true then we must stone the prophet. A more “soft” definition of prophecy would say that it is sincere and might be some direct revelation from the Holy Spirit to the person who prophesies, but that it could be wrong. For example, when Agabus came and prophesied about Paul being bound if he went to Jerusalem, and how everyone then urged him not to go. What Agabus said was accurate, but the application from everyone in the room was not. So we must be careful to avoid what I call prophetic abuse, which is overstepping your authority and declaring something as revelation when you have not actually had a direct word from the Lord. Anyway, we must move on with the other elements. I’ll go quickly through the rest.
The second point from Paul is this: Let everything be done to edify the church. He says it several times, such as “So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.”
The importance of this instruction from Paul is that I think many churches have focused their Sunday gatherings more on evangelism and outreach than on having literally everything focus on building up the church. If in doubt, ask yourself if it is edifying the saints. If not, cut it out.
Here is another important instruction from Paul: “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.”
Sing with your spirit, but also with your understanding. Paul is in the midst of talking about tongues again, but let me bypass that and get to the singing part. Let’s call “with your spirit” to be the equivalent of singing with emotional sincerity and authentic zeal. It’s great to be zealous, to be sure. But if you have an emotional connection but not intellectually grasp what it is you are saying, then you are only halfway there. As a songleader, I try to explain lyrics or in some way highlight the meaning and context of the words, so that people are singing emotionally connected but also with understanding.
While Paul is talking about prophecy vs tongues again, a little comment also slips through that would be easy to miss. But this is another aspect of an effective gathering: “But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!””
This point is so essential, and yet so subtle. Paul has said that everything we do is to be done toward the edification of the believers. Yet now he is talking about an unbeliever or someone who does not understand (idiotes in Greek) being among us. And he says that the very thing that does the most good for building up the believers (prophecy) is also the very best evangelism tool! This unchurched person comes in and everyone is prophesying, and they are convicted of sin, brought under judgment, the secrets of their heart is laid bare. Then notice that they fall down and worship! Worship and evangelism are put together in the right order here. If only everyone would prophesy, what a powerful impact that would have!
How do we all prophesy? How about during congregational singing? What if everyone around the newcomer is being wholly engaged and sincere, clearly singing with the spirit and with understanding, declaring the great things of God? The person looks around and sees the deepest intensity in every person’s expressions. Wouldn’t that be convicting? What if everyone, from the parking lot to the front door to the greeting time in every moment was speaking sincere, authoritative and Spirit-directed words? Asking questions and saying sincere things that cut through the veneer and speak directly to the heart. Praying with insight and effectiveness for the person. Wouldn’t that be amazingly powerful? May it be true for us.
We aren’t quite done yet. Here is another important point that Paul has to make about the assembly: “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.”
The last sentence we have heard already. But the application that Paul suggests is a powerful vision of what the assembly could be like. Now, when you picture all of these points, you would do well to imagine it in the context of a house church, with perhaps 40 people there in someone’s home. There is another house church just a few blocks away. But the dynamics of the gathering are a bit more like a large small group than like a crowd sitting in straight rows looking ahead at a stage with lighting. That kind of dynamic is what Paul is describing. Everyone has come with a hymn (the actual Greek word is “psalm”), and each person is ready to start leading out as the song overflows from their heart. Then everyone joins in to support and enhance the song of that individual. That is how we love one another. Likewise, someone has been thinking about something and has an insight that they think would build up others. So they share and the others listen and weigh it carefully, adding to it as seems right.
Then Paul talks about limits to the free-for-all that could easily poison the group dynamic: he says in any given gathering, two or three prophets should speak. Not 36 or 37 of the large group are speaking, but just 2 or 3. It keeps the meeting moving, and it avoids having too many “lessons” to try to remember. Note, however, that it is not limited to just one long sermon, either.
What’s more, if someone else starts in, interrupting the first persons who is prophesying, Paul says that the first one should yield the floor and sit down to let the other person talk. After all, the spirit of prophets is subject to the control of prophets. That is very important to know. Just because you have an insight from God doesn’t mean that you have to say it today. Surrender the mic and let the Spirit continue with the flow from someone else.
Just another one or two mentions. First, he says, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”
It’s good to know that this practice is not instruction into gathering in chaos, with a free-for-all that features multiple people talking over the top of one another and sounds like disorder. No, that would go against the nature of God himself, for he is a God not of disorder, but of peace. In a few verses later, he says it this way, “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” Amen
Lastly comes this controversial comment from Paul, but it seems as clear as all the others, so I should mention it: “Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.”
Oh, look at the time! I can’t stay to talk about this one. Sorry!
No, I must at least mention it for the same reason as I just mentioned a minute ago. But this is practical, in spite of going against the grain of our contemporary culture. When a husband is speaking authoritatively in the Spirit, and his wife interrupts him to make a comment or ask a question, can you see how it undermines the authority of her husband’s prophecy? She corrects her husband, and he yields to his wife. But the spiritual moment is derailed as people are dragged into a little tense moment between husband and wife. I’m just saying that I have seen these moments happen, and that perhaps that is what Paul is describing and instructing about.
To take this further might be crossing a line that has more to do with culture than was meant to be universally applied. There are three possible reasons for Paul to include it: It is corrective, meant to fix a problem, such as I described above. Secondly, it could be cultural. In that Jewish-influenced culture, women wore head coverings to show their absolute submission to their husband, but this is a different, more egalitarian, culture, and the instructions can be applied more freely and less strictly. Or, this could be universal and meant for all time, which means that our current culture is simply wrong in the matter, and we need to obey what is written regardless. I’ll let you decide which makes the most sense to you.
These are 9 or 10 instructions on what the guidelines for church gatherings are to be. May we all wisely apply what is from the Lord here. Amen.
DEAR LORD AND FATHER OF MANKIND
(Back in the mid-1980s, I was struck by the depth and beauty of the text for the hymn "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind." I wanted to personalize it and update the text a bit, but mostly I felt like it needed new music that would match what I was hearing in the text. Margaret recorded the song on her 1989 album, and when I was rediscovering the album I recalled this song, which I share here with you. Thank you, sister, for doing tis so beautifully.)
Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive my foolish ways
Reclothe me in my rightful mind, in purer life Thy service find
In deeper reverence, praise.
In simple trust like theirs who heard beside the Syrian Sea
the gracious calling of the Lord. Let me, like them, without a word
rise up and follow Thee.
Breathe through the heat of my desires
Thy coolness and Thy balm
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire
Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire...
Drop Thy still dews of quietness 'til all my strivings cease.
Take from my soul the strain and stress
And let my ordered life confess the beauty of Thy peace.
A MORE EXCELLENT WAY
Today we are going to talk about one of the most famous passages of Scripture in the Bible. The love chapter. 1 Cor 13.
In chapter 12 Paul had just been talking about how every gift is important, distributed by the Holy Spirit in order to build His body. He enumerated a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge, prophecy and other public speaking type gifts. All are important, and all are for building up the church, to equip and encourage the saints.
And then when he has made his case and issued his challenge, Paul turns the corner and says, “I will show you a more excellent way.” This is the more excellent way for the church than is having a great preacher or highly gifted leadership. It’s not just about generating a professional program or running a food pantry in order to bring new people into the fold. It’s about WHY you do those things.
“If I speak in the tongues of men …
You might say the tongues of men is referring to those speaking gifts just listed. He is saying that the ones who speak in the gathering contribute nothing if they are not doing so with the right motive inside.
…or of angels,
Paul is likely using this term as a way of categorizing speaking in tongues. What is the gift of tongues? I’ll tell you that I don’t think it is what we might call the language of heaven. The word ANGEL means MESSENGER. So any time that an angel is sent to earth, it is in order to deliver a clear message from God to people. So if you are thinking that people who speak in tongues are speaking in a language that only makes sense in heaven, I’ll just say that is unlikely. Though it does have a certain appeal, doesn’t it?
So, what IS speaking in tongues? Do you remember back in Acts 2 at Passover when the twelve were with a hundred or so others, and they were all praying together in one accord. Then there was the sound of a rushing wind, and tongues as of fire appeared over the heads of each person and they began to speak as the Spirit gave them words to say. People who had heard the sound of the mighty wind came running, and there they heard someone speaking in each person’s own language. They were each glorifying and praising God in a loud voice. Peter then got up and explained to the crowd that this was to fulfill prophecy and that it showed the Day of the Lord was at hand. This was the spirit of Jesus, whom they had crucified but whom God had raised from the dead. It convicted many there that day, and they asked what they should do, and Peter replied Repent and be baptized, each one of you, for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. That was the first incident of speaking in tongues. Glossolalia in Greek. He mostly wants to limit the amount of tongues speaking in the church, since if just one person is speaking, it is likely most people in the room will not understand what is being said. In my spirit, perhaps I’m saying “Thank you Lord. Praise you for the blood of Jesus.” But if the actual words that are coming out are in Vietnamese, my words do not benefit most of the people in the room—except perhaps for the one visitor from Viet Nam who just happened to be in attendance to hear those words clearly in their own language. That would be something, wouldn’t it? Not that it hasn’t happened. But Paul is telling the church in Corinth that the majority are not edified by what is said since it is nonsense to them. So don’t be speaking in tongues in church, unless someone is there who will also interpret for the rest of the congregation.
but do not have love,
Is it possible that you can do something profoundly spiritual, and yet not have love in your heart? Of course it is possible! We are humans, capable of saying anything while having at our core very selfish. So I can prophesy, I can give wise counsel, and I can do it without actually loving the person I am speaking to.
I suppose we would be wise to pause for a moment and be sure that we understand what the word LOVE is meaning here. We use the word love a lot of ways. I love hot chocolate. I love my neighbor. I love my wife. And I love God. But I don’t mean the same thing by the word each time, do I? I mean, I REALLY love hot chocolate! No. The word for LOVE is AGAPE, which refers, of course, to a sacrificial commitment to the good of another. God loved the world. Jesus loves me. I choose to serve instead of seeking my own way. This kind of love is a choice, not a feeling. This kind of love has nothing to do with me and what I get out of it, you might say. It is wholly absorbed into what is best for you. It is the strongest love.
Now, more likely is this: if I don’t have the strongest of love as my motive for saying something, I am probably not actually saying God’s best, truest words either. I have a little irritation in my voice or I’m rolling my eyes, or I talk a little too long, just to get my point across, you know? Here’s how Paul ended his sentence:
…I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
Bong. Crash. Blah blah blah. I may as well be speaking in tongues if I have not love.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
The gift of prophecy means I speak the very words of God to people. Fathoming all mysteries and all knowledge means I understand everything in the universe, which puts me on a level with Almighty God himself. Faith to move mountains, I have never known anyone with faith to literally do that. If I had that kind of faith, imagine what my prayers would accomplish? Put all these together, and I would be like Church Norris.
You know about Church Norris, right?
Is Church Norris holy? Oh, yeah....
Church Norris never says amen at the end of his prayers, because he never stops praying.
When Church Norris tithes, he gives 110% to God.
Is Church Norris holy? Oh, yeah....
Church Norris never sleeps; he lays prostrate before the Lord all night.
No, those aren't shoes. Church Norris has glued holy ground to his feet.
Is Church Norris holy? Oh, yeah....
Church Norris doesn't watch the weather forecast; he tells God what it will be.
Church Norris knows Jesus Christ's middle name. It start with "H" but he can't tell you the rest, or he'd have to kill you.
Church Norris has seen BEFORE the Beginning.
What do the pope, Billy Graham and Rick Warren have in common? They all preach from Church Norris sermon notes.
Is Church Norris holy? Oh, yeah....
The devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking to get away from Church Norris.
Church Norris just prayed for you. That’s why you’re happy right now.
If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Notice how sacrificial and giving this person is: give away everything I own, give my body and blood for others, but if I don’t actually love them, it bought me no points. And if I don’t have love, all I have is what will I get out of this?
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 NIV
Faith. Because we don’t see God yet.
Hope. Because we can’t see what happens the other side of death.
Love. Why isn’t faith the greatest? Doesn’t that get you into heaven? Well, how do I know if I have faith? Because of what I do. I act as if I believed what God said, and as if I didn’t have to pursue my own agenda. I live for God and others, and that’s the most important thing I can do.
CARING FOR THE WEAKEST
Do you ever find yourself rooting for the underdog? Do you know any good stories where the person who defies the odds ends up winning in the end? Is it because what others had regarded as a weakness turned out to be a strength when the character used that weaker power wisely?
Likewise, most of us tend to have a special reaction to a tragic event when it involves young children, as opposed to a public venue for the general public. In recent years, our society has learned to think more compassionately about those who used to be called crippled or lame or retarded. Now we say that they have special needs, or that they are paraplegic, or have developmental delays. A generation ago, some demographic groups were singled out for ridicule, and people laughed about them (blondes, Pollacks, drunkards, etc.). Today, such jokes come across as insensitive and mean, rather than funny. But they were always mean.
Why do I bring up all of this? Because this is how the church should be acting all the time. Watching out for the very young and the very old, giving to the poor and the sick among us. Caring for widows and orphans, and in general letting women and children go first. We show love when the protect and defend the most vulnerable among us. These are the points that Paul brings up with the Corinthians.
But the way that Paul introduces compassion in the church may be confusing to you, as it was to me. Then I read 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and I experienced a new way of viewing what Paul says.
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
A body needs different parts in order to function as a body. Eyes and ears and mouth and nose, head and shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes). You might think that the toes are unimportant, but if you try to squat and get back up again without losing your balance, you’ll see how essential toes are.
It’s like that with a family, too, isn’t it? Each person finds and fills a certain niche that keeps the family running right. Someone keeps everyone laughing. Someone is the organized one, or the dreamer, or the decision maker. Someone earns the money, and someone fixes the toaster. Someone takes care of the pet, and someone makes the appointments with the doctor. All of these things need to be done, but no one person has all those gifts. What is your role in your family? What do you think? Would the other family members agree with you?
All of us live in Christ together
None of us alone is complete
Each of us brings a gift to the others
Each of us carries a piece
All of us need all of us
The best of us needs the rest of us
No, none of us has it all together
But together we have all we need
Now let me comment briefly on what Paul says about the functions of the church as a body:
“On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.
Many churches have children’s ministry or outreach programs for addicts, food pantries for the poor and sign language for the hearing impaired. These are right priorities for a church, because those who are young and those who are overwhelmed do not have equal access, and those who are hungry and sick are not ready to find deeper fulfillment in nurturing their souls when there is a physical need in the way.
And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment.
This is the part that touches me the most, if I can find a way to describe it. We have parts of our bodies that we cover up, because they are not “presentable.” To be sure, some parts would be distracting to others, or embarrassing to us, and so we treat them with “modesty.” So who in the church body do we need to serve by treating them with special modesty? Those who can’t sing in tune, we don’t put them on the stage to be embarrassed and make others feel awkward. People who don’t have the gift of teaching we don’t dump an assignment to prepare and preach a whole sermon. But if they have a good testimony or if we give them some coaching and a microphone and keep someone standing right by them while they speak, then we are helping that person to succeed rather than exposing their weakness. Do you see how we protect our weakest members by treating them with special modesty?
But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
And so we prayerfully, carefully match gifts with responsibilities, and we protect someone from being humiliated when we protect them. These are decisions of love, not of punishment or limitation. And Paul is about to talk about love in teh next chapter.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
PROCLAIMER (SONG OF THE WEEK)
(This song was written around 1987 when Margaret Cloud (now Searcy) was beginning her recording career. Ellen and I were praying with her, and a phrase from a prayer stuck with her to mark her first project and serve as title and theme of this song. She then allowed me to write the music, and JD Miller arranged and produced the album. Within a couple of years, Pauline Mummert (now Williams) was also doing a first album and chose the song as part of it. Also, the Come Alive Singers of Cincinnati Bible College in 1989 did a recording of it. I wrote the arrangement of both of those recordings. This is a mashup of the three recordings, all on cassette tape, and not in the same key. Nonetheless, it is a powerful challenge to me, so I share it with you.)
(intro. Pauline)
(Margaret) Don't let my lips be silent
Don't let me speak in works alone
But tell of your lovingkindness
With powerful words that pierce the soul
(Come Alive) Why should I be silent
When the world is crying out in pain?
Empty hearts are listening
To hear me calling out His name
(Pauline) Proclaimer! Telling my world that Jesus lives!
Proclaimer! Speaking with power His Spirit gives!
(Come Alive) To let Him touch through me
To make the blinded eyes to see His glory
(Margaret) Proclaimer! Telling my world that Jesus lives!
Proclaimer! Speaking with power His Spirit gives!
(Pauline) To let Him touch through me
(Come Alive) To those who need Him desperately
Proclaimer!
(Margaret) Why should my joy be hidden
Why should I keep it locked inside
(Pauline) I'm not afraid to tell it
Powerful words that bring such life
(Come Alive) Why should I be silent
When the world is crying out in pain?
Empty hearts are listening
To hear me calling out His name
(Pauline) Proclaimer! Telling my world that Jesus lives!
(Margaret) Proclaimer! Speaking with power His Spirit gives!
(Come Alive) To let Him touch through me
To make the blinded eyes to see His glory
(Margaret) Proclaimer! Telling my world that Jesus lives!
(Come Alive) Proclaimer! Speaking with power His Spirit gives!
(Pauline) To let Him touch through me
To those who need Him desperately
(Come Alive) Proclaimer! Telling my world that Jesus lives!
(Margaret) Proclaimer! Speaking with power His Spirit gives!
(Pauline) Proclaimer! Oh, I'm a proclaimer! Telling my world that Jesus lives!
(Pauline and Come Alive) Proclaimer! Speaking with power His Spirit gives!
I'm a proclaimer! I'm a proclaimer! I'm a proclaimer!
c. 1989 Always Alive Music/LifeGate Music (Admin Gaither Copyright Management)
Remember how at the beginning of the letter to Corinth I said that the congregation was largely Gentile, and therefore many of the members were not familiar with the Jewish customs and standards? Well, one of the places that their ignorance is most demonstrated is in the matter of the church’s common meal.
The very first setting of the Lord’s Table was within the context of a common meal, the Passover Seder dinner. So it was common practice to have everyone share together in a meal, and to then consecrate a loaf and cup in remembrance of the Lord.
Our nation’s largely-Christian cultural heritage has treated Sunday as “the Lord’s Day,” which we treat as a day of rest. Of course, the Jewish Shabbat was also a day of rest, and it was the seventh day of the week, Saturday. So in our Judea-Christian culture, we actually take two days off every week, and call it a “weekend.”
Not so in the Jewish-and-pagan culture of early Rome. Saturday may have been a day of rest, at least among the Jewish members, but for both Jew and Gentile, Sunday was a regular work day. And a full day at that, especially for slaves and servants. Servants had to be up and preparing food for the family they served, and then they worked all day until sunset.
So, when did they have church gatherings, you ask? I’m glad you wanted to know. From early on, the church tended to have TWO separate meetings each Lord’s Day—one in the early morning, before the work day started at sunrise, and the other after the work day was over, after sunset.
Not only did they gather twice on Sundays for a morning service and an evening service—sound familiar?—but the purpose and actions were in each of the two gatherings also differed.
The early gathering was modeled after the synagogue, and was called the Synaxis. It was dedicated to the Word and to prayer. Scripture reading, prayer and instruction were the basic elements of the early morning gatherings, and visitors were encouraged to attend any given week.
The evening gatherings were for sharing a meal together, and they included the Lord’s Supper. The gathering was called the Eucharist (blessing. So-called because of the “cup of blessing” for which we give thanks. And while visitors were expected to attend the early morning Service of the Word and Prayer, the evening gatherings were specifically a Service of the Table, and it was only for the church members. Many churches even kept deacons at the doors in order to keep any blasphemers from bringing condemnation only themselves by taking the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner. As a result, what those Christians did during their meeting times was a mystery to most outsiders. Outsiders heard something about people eating the Body and Blood of Jesus, and the rumors began flying about cannibalism and incest (they talked about loving their brothers and sisters, and it sounded kind of creepy.
This the moment we are stepping into in verse 20: the evening gathering, for which there was no precedent among either Jews or Gentiles. A church potluck is very difficult to organize if everyone comes at a different time, just for starters. So the early arrivers decide to stop waiting for stragglers, and they go ahead and eat what they brought. Now the latecomers to the evening gathering did not have time to get their own food together, so they arrive late and go hungry. It is a recipe for disaster. Here’s what Paul says:
“So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!”
1 Corinthians 11:20-22 NIV
Good thing that in our generation you and I never meet thoughtlessly out of habit, huh?
KNOWLEDGE VS SIGHT PART ONE
The Exodus event is the story of the generation when God had the most direct interaction with his people. Imagine it: Every day they received manna. They planted no crops, and they did little outside trading. Their shoes did not wear out, and for forty years their clothes did not go out of style! (Okay, I made that last part up.) You get the point.: The Lord provided for them every single day. And yet, instead of God’s direct providence leading them to lives of MORE faith, it seems to have done the opposite quite often.
Ungrateful Israelites! How could God’s direct interventions be taken for granted like that? You would think they would be the generation most known for their faith.
And yet, despite all that God does supernaturally for the nation, we find Israel with less and less faith! Surprise! Some committed idolatry. Others committed sexual immorality Some tested Christ. And still some grumbled.
How can God’s direct intervention into human affairs become such a failure? Is it because “faith” and “sight” can be the opposite of one another? The only other time when God took such an active role in human history was when His son, Jesus, walked the earth. And we killed him. Literally. Wait! Could that be true?
Could this mean that the more God gives us “sight” into his ways, the less “faith” we have? The more we are provided for, the less impressed we are, and the more unimpressed and self-willed!
When I think of the book of Exodus, I think of it as being a story about national deliverance, and sin, and punishment, and restoration. And it is all that, and more.
But it is also given to us to teach us about sin and righteousness. More specifically, the book of Exodus is there to provide us with examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things. We find some of the people of God committing idolatry. In fact, becoming idolaters. Some commit sexual immorality. Some test Christ, and some grumble. All of them faced the death penalty, and their stories were written down for us, so that we will not make the same mistakes they did.
That’s when Paul makes the application statement: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”
1 Corinthians 10:12 NIV
I think I have my feet under me. I imagine myself to be mature and dependable, being led through life by the Holy Spirit within, being as cared for as if I were one of God’s people being led by God’s own hand through the wilderness, as if God himself was with me (“Emmanuel!”) and I was safe within his hand. And I say by faith, “Jesus, take the wheel!” And I sit back and take a nap spiritually while Jesus does all the work for me.
This is the moment of danger. Do you see it? I have become so used to God’s providence that I have become complacent. And because it has all come so easily, I am especially vulnerable to fall into sin. Think of all the famous Christian celebrities and preachers who have fallen in a big way, even while outwardly it seems they had it all together. “Be careful,” says Paul. Then he goes on:
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
It’s good to know that any and every temptation that I have faced is the same basic temptation that all other human beings have faced. It may come in a slightly different form, so that I missed being ready for it, but before long my flesh will lead me into sin.
The good news is that there is always time to repent! Amen.
GOING BEYOND
It is a universal experience, though not always talked about. It is the question of How much is enough? When is it too much?
It struck me a few years ago that I cannot really know where my limits are until I have gone beyond them. When indicators tell me I’m in over my head, that’s when I know that it was too much.
Seems kind of tragic, doesn’t it? Maybe I regret having reached my limit, because it causes me to realize how out-of-balance my life has been. I focus on words such as “balance” and “margins.”
All’s well. Right?
Let’s think on this metaphor just a bit more: Is this natural limitation something you should submit to? Or can—indeed, SHOULD—you push through and increase your strength and surprise yourself that you actually can do more than you once had been able to do. You strain your muscles, and in a few days, your muscles are actually getting stronger. You stretch your margins, and find that next time it is a little less difficult to do. So, maybe we are called by God to press ourselves harder than we thought we could, for the sake of the Gospel.
This seems to be Paul’s point, and his challenge to us all: Train yourself for battle and you will be ready when the time comes. Every athlete understands that if you want to compete on an advanced level, you must do more than you imagined you could do if you are to win. Because all the other athletes are doing the same. The effort you put out the first time will not win your tenth race.
Paul says that the call of God is similar to the athletic strengthening process and to working to break your own records.
Here’s how Paul words his challenge to us all: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”
Paul is saying that God calls us to go beyond our limitations for the sake of the Gospel. This is no jog in the park. Paul himself has already proved himself to have gone beyond his physical and psychological limits. And now he encourages us to go and do likewise: Go beyond what everyone else is giving is what God expects of us. Not that it is a competition. It is not. But that’s how hard Paul and Silas worked for Christ.
“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
After I have preached to others, how would I disqualify myself for the prize? I might break the rules. I might let up. I might take a shortcut to gloryg through bypassing uncomfortable effort.
Did God ever say that He wants us to experience comfortable Christianity? I think generations of churches that have been built by what we might call entry-level faith has created a false sense that following Jesus is easy. We have catered to immature believers and tried to win the crowds, and what we have harvested is a generation of Jesus followers who gently jog with the majority and imagine their level of dedication to be “good enough.”
God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun with out rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way;
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love. (Annie Johnson Flint)
COME LET US FLEE
About 20 years ago, cancer had returned in a family member, and she was going into her final battle. And I was reminded of Robert Webber's account of his best advice to someone who was struggling. He would tell them that he lacked in wisdom, but urged to "flee to the table." "Run, don't walk. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200, but flee to the Table. And when you get there, receive the bread, and bite down hard on it and claim the body of Christ for your healing. And when you drink the wine, feel it as it flows down into your throat, and know that the blood of Jesus is the truest healing balm you can know." I was deeply impressed with his counsel, and it was the best advice I could know. So, of course, I wrote it as a song.
You are broken
and I am undone
There is no comfort or purpose or meaning here under the sun
I have no wisdom
I have no words
to make any sense of this or heal any hurt
So all I can say is:
Come let us flee
Come let us run
Come to the table, the covenant, the Son
Come join the feast
Come drink the wine
Let it flow down in remembrance and heal us in time
Let us join in the song
Let us join in the dance
and remember the steps with our feet and our hands
Let us speak let us hear words so ancient and dear
And when there's nothing to say let us pray
Let us pray
KNOWLEDGE PUFFS UP WHILE LOVE BUILDS UP
Some in the church of Corinth had come to a logical conclusion based on knowledge of truth. It went like this:
- “An idol is nothing at all in the world.”
- There is truly only one God.
- All of those idols and names of gods are human inventions, not really gods at all.
- Food offered to an idol is simply food sitting in front of a statue.
- There is no reason to avoid such food, since it was dedicated to something that doesn’t exist.
- There need be no guilt for the Christian to eat such food.
- Those who are offended by this are merely being superstitious.
- If someone is offended, tell them the above points.
- If someone is still offended, tell them to grow up.
- Anyone should come to the same position, since “We all possess knowledge.”
Paul is addressing this issue in the church. He is going to tell them a different syllogism:
- Their thinking is not wrong.
- But it is insensitive toward those who are weak in this matter.
- Idols might not be real. But demons are.
- A person who goes against their conscience in these matters is susceptible to demonic attack.
- If you exercise your rights, it could be a stumbling block for the weak.
- Your weaker brother or sister is destroyed by your knowledge.
- You sin against them and wound their weak conscience.
- That means you sin against Christ.
- Now you are the one in spiritual danger.
- “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.”
Before he launches into the whole logical and spiritual mess, Paul starts with the stronger brother’s conclusion: “We all possess knowledge.” And then Paul says, “But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.”
I was well into adulthood when this verse smacked me in the face. Was this always in the Bible, or had they just inserted it onto page 262 of my New Testament? To be sure, knowledge puffs up. But I had been pursuing knowledge my whole life! I wanted to know the Scriptures. I had spent years pursuing education and credentials, and (now that I think about it) I was proud of my accomplishments. Knowledge had—dare I see it?—puffed me up!
That’s when it hit me between the eyes: I’m not even in Kindergarten when it comes to knowing about LOVE! It’s like I had been competing to win a race, only to find out that I was running in the wrong direction! Whatever knowledge I was dedicating myself to acquire only led me farther away from what God was calling me to do. Why wasn’t this the first lesson they taught me in seminary? Or in Sunday school, for that matter?
But it was true. For a deeply competitive individual, being knowledgeable only generates a perfect know-it-all. It takes genuine love to generate a true disciple. And how does a deeply competitive individual “win” at the contest of loving better than anyone else?
In the case of these Corinthians who held the true-but-insensitive position about meat sacrificed to idols, it led them to the relational opposite of where they needed to be. Relationships are what it’s all about. Not degrees. Not study. Even the knowledge of relationships themselves ends up leading to a puffed up head. Oh, who will deliver me from such a bondage to self?
Jesus. Follow Jesus. Just imitate what you see. Learn to love, and you will learn to build up those around you. Because love builds up, don’t you know? How do you win in a contest of love? Only really bad tennis players earn a score like that!
But I’m thinking, if I can really excel at knowing how to build others up, maybe I’ll win the annual MOST HUMBLE AWARD. And they’ll hang a gold medal around my neck. And then they’ll take it back again, because I would wear it.
I still have a long, long way to go.
A VERY UNROMANTIC DECISION
You know the Christian romantic ideal, don’t you? You both stayed single, while you prayed for that certain someone in your future. You knew that you were called to be married because you did more effective ministry together than you would if you remained single. You knew that God had known you since before you were conceived, and that he had the same kind of relationship with your future spouse. So you prayed and waited for “the one” to come along. Then you met, and you both felt the confirmation from the Holy Spirit that God had destined the two of you to be together forever.
What a great story. It makes a beautiful script. Sort of like Isaac and Rebekah, or like Jonah and the whale. You were meant for each other, and God had that certain someone in mind. When the both of you are in the center of God’s will for your lives, you find each other at the perfect time and you know without a doubt that God has called you to be soulmates together for eternity.
It is a beautiful story, to be sure. But it is not at all practical or logical, if you think about it. If God was such an intricate matchmaker, what happens if just one person misses their soulmate and marries the wrong person? That person has now been linked to someone else, for whom they were not destined, which means that the two intended spouses are left single for the rest of their lives. Unless they also marry, which would mean that they also married the wrong person, and now it’s really getting messy. Not only that, but any children who come from such a union were never intended to exist! Who do THEY marry now? Very quickly, the God-ordained Christian romance story falls apart.
But it’s not just logic and biology that runs counter to such a romantic theory. It’s also the Bible itself! Right here in chapter 7, Paul gives several mentions of getting married, and they don’t sound too romantic or God-destined. Here’s what Paul says:
“But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
How do you know that you should get married? Because you cannot control yourselves! In that case, it’s better to marry than to burn. But neither one is God’s destiny for you.
See? That’s not exactly romantic, is it? Practical, but not a very strong public story as to How I Met Your Mother.
But wait! It gets even more awkward, if you’re looking to know whether or not to marry.
“Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning.They should get married. But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.”
Did the holy apostle Paul just say “you are not sinning” if you get married? Did he just say that it is a myth that you can do more for the Lord together than you could do if you remain single? I guess it depends on how you view it, but from the angle of having undivided attention given to the kingdom of God, it makes sense that I can’t just say I’m going to quit my job and move halfway around the world in obedience to the call of God on my life. I have to consider the needs of my spouse. So, I guess it’s true that my heart is somewhat divided that way.
I love that Paul is so practical here. This is the best marriage advice we ever received, and that’s how Ellen and I knew we were destined for each other, and we moved our wedding date a few months sooner. Amen.
WHY SEXUAL SIN
It seems to be one of the most universal temptations, and very few people make the passage from childhood to adulthood without a fall in this arena. And as we fall, we make excuses, or we reason our way around it, or we keep the focus on other areas. But there is only one answer, and we would do well to give attention to it today.
I remember the first time I saw a “dirty picture.” I suppose I was 9 or 10 years old. Another boy had gotten hold of one of his older brother’s magazines. He brought it out and invited me to join him in looking at some of the forbidden pictures in it. I wavered between saying no and being accused of being a goody-goody two-shoes (whatever that meant). Even so, I was curious. Then I hung somewhere between the innocence of childhood and the guilt of adolescence. We looked at the pictures, and all I knew for certain was that it was somehow adult material, and I was seeing something I was not supposed to see, but at the time, I wasn’t quite sure what was supposed to be happening in me. Just a few months later, no one had to tell me about it. It was too late. I was filled with hormones and excuses, both of which continued to affect me, even after my baptism into Christ at the age of twelve. By then, the cognitive dissonance between conscience and practice was strong. So, I did what any adolescent would do. I tried to argue with my conscience, my Bible and my youth minister.
“I have the right to do anything,” I said.
“But not everything is beneficial,” he answered.
(I paused. Am I only allowed to do what is beneficial? What, exactly, does that mean?”
I repeat: “I have the right to do anything” (Brilliant strategy, isn’t it?)
He answers, “but I will not be mastered by anything.”
(I’m talking about rights, not about following orders from above me!)
I say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food.” (I’m trying to say that such things are perfectly natural.)
“…and God will destroy them both.” (Exactly what is happening here? Is this supposed to be somewhat helpful?)
“What am I supposed to do, then?”
“Flee from sexual immorality.”
“Don’t you mean ‘resist the devil and he will flee from you?’”
“Flee youthful lusts. Resist the devil. Don’t give Satan a foothold.”
“But what about that verse in the Bible that says, ‘Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world?”
“And the woman looked at the fruit and saw that it was pleasing to the eye and good for food, and desirable for gaining the knowledge of good and evil.”
“But why is sexual sin so highlighted, as if it’s worse than other kinds of sin?”
“All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.”
“So my body was made for something other than self-gratification?”
“So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
“And what about trying out different partners until you find one with whom you really click?”
“Let the marriage bed be undefiled and the relationship between a husband and wife be kept pure.”
“Even when I’m single?”
Be faithful to the wife you have not yet met. And do not take something from a person that can never be given back again.”
“But I just want to experiment and explore.”
“A wise man sees danger coming and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”
“You sound so, so, reserved and unloving.”
“Love is patient. Love does not demand its own way. Love bears all things, endures all things, love never fails. Consider this time of your life to be preparation for being faithful to your partner in future marriage.”
“So this is how I love my wife, whom I may not have yet met?”
“Now you are beginning to understand.”
“I would like to marry someone who has reserved herself for me.”
“Amen. Go and do likewise.”
AND YOU ARE PROUD
“And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning…?
What has caused such a moment that a church would be proud of something that should have caused them to go into mourning?
What’s that you say? A man in the congregation sleeping with his father’s wife? How could that be? What would cause a church to actually take pride in such an immoral thing? Is it not clear from both Old and New Testaments that any case of incest is sinful and forbidden?
We have to read between the lines to pick up on this upside-down response, but I think it is pretty clear. The church in Corinth was largely Gentile, and they had not grown up with the law of Moses being recited and memorized since childhood. In fact, in several of the idol temples around the city, there were official temple prostitutes. It doesn’t take much imagination to guess how these people “worshiped” their god. They would eat and drink, vomit so they could eat and drink more, and then go and worship the goddess of love and fertility, and all that such worship implies.
Since coming to Christ, these Gentiles were new to learning what “worship” really means. But both Jews and Gentiles in the church were very aware of the natural tension between Jews and Gentiles. Jews judged Gentiles, largely because Gentiles were idolaters who lacked any morals. Gentiles generally hated Jews, so Jewish people were pretty regularly slaughtered or enslaved every several years. It has been estimated that perhaps 20% of the Roman Empire was Jewish, so most Gentiles at least knew some Jews, enough to have those opinions, but not enough to call upon their God.
So imagine the eldership of such a church! We’ll estimate them as evenly split between Jews and Gentiles, perhaps a dozen men who are spiritually qualified for their position, but who are still trying to overcome the natural mistrust of the other group. They hear the challenge to love one another unconditionally, not to judge one another, and to find their unity in Christ. The Jews have largely memorized the Old Testament, and could chant any of the psalms by heart. The Gentiles, on the other hand, did not grow up knowing the Scriptures or the nuances of the laws of Moses. As these godly men seek to be of one heart and mind, they lay aside cultural differences and find common ground at the foot of the cross. And these dozen men learn to love one another and to accept one another in spite of their very different cultures.
They focus every day on love and acceptance, in spite of very different cultures. And they pursue the challenge of hearing from the Holy Spirit to bring them guidance and to bring them to unity in Christ.
Now imagine that into this setting there is a man who comes to Christ. He accepts Jesus into his life, and he is accepted with open arms. All is well, so far.
But before long, some of the man’s lifestyle habits begin to become known. He regularly eats meat that had been sacrificed to idols, he doesn’t do any ceremonial washings that the Jews are accustomed to, and he doesn’t know the prayers. All of that bothers some of the elders, but he is new to the faith and none of those determine a person’s salvation. He drinks, he hangs out with some of his old friends, and sometimes he curses. Some of the elders are uncomfortable with each of these matters, but together they do not all agree on which are truly sins.
Then comes this unfamiliar practice that slowly surfaces: the man shares in a sexual relationship with his mother. The Jewish elders know this to be forbidden and clearly lined out in the Scriptures. But to some of the Gentile shepherds, this practice is not unheard of. It is seen as a sign of love between a father and his son. So maybe this is one of those cultural differences between Jews and Gentiles, and they should live in peace together. They write a letter to Paul, using this as an example of how they have overcome their natural cultural differences and are fully accepting one another. “See how we love? We are open and accepting. We are affirming and non-judgmental. We have come a long way in the last year, wouldn’t you agree, Paul?
All this provides the possible backstory for this church and Paul’s written response to them.
He writes, “And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?”
Surprise! Didn’t Paul tell them to bear with one another, for the weak and the strong to accept one another and stop judging? Didn’t Paul write “Love bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things?” Isn’t this thing, a “thing” and a part of “all things?”
There is a difference between accepting someone’s cultural practice and ignoring their moral conduct. Amen.
FIND US FAITHFUL
My dad had a trust fund that he set up a few years ago, naming my older sister as executor. It takes a lot of trust in a person to entrust them with a trust fund. You have to trust that they will carry out your wishes when you are gone, that they will serve as a trusty trustee who benefits the beneficiaries in fairness. As Paul says in verse 2, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”
So, has God himself ever entrusted you with something? You know, like a million dollars or something of great value like that. Something like, a calling to share the mysteries God has revealed? Or something like a spiritual gift, or a talent, or life itself? You didn’t think that you generated those things on your own, did you? Paul opens this chapter clarifying his own calling: “This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.”
The Bible is not just another ancient book, filled with opinions and strange happenings, you know. And your own gifting and calling are not by chance, either. All of what you and I have is simply a gift entrusted to us to manage until we meet again.
My education, my vocabulary, my upbringing, my body, my brain, my stomach, my mouth, my ears, my eyes—they were all created for this moment, right now, when I can declare the things of God. I simply must be faithful. Faithful to the calling. A faithful steward of the gifts. A servant who carries out the wishes of his master. So I repeat: “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”
When you are given a trust, it is not your responsibility to be clever, or to manipulate or change the trust. You simply must carry out whatever the benefactor wants you to do. Your motives might be wrong. Others may not like what you do. You might have an opinion, so that you would change the way it is handled if you could. But that is not your duty. Your duty is only one thing: “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”
I might try to advise you differently. I might judge you as unworthy to manage what you were given. I might think you are doing a poor job. None of that matters a bit. The only thing that matters is whether you carry out the will of the benefactor. And that will only be known when you complete your work of being a trustee of that trust. Paul says in verse 5, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.”
I suppose you are getting his point by now. Being an apostle is not a chosen career for Paul. There is no ladder of success that he is climbing. Watch the money, and you’ll see that it is not flowing from the masses to Paul. He writes, “To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.”
So, how about you and me? Are we willing to go to the lengths that Paul followed to advance his Lord’s good news? If so, we will receive the same reward as he has been receiving for these many years. Is it worth it? Just ask Paul! Amen.
TESTING EACH PERSON’S WORK
Back to the matter of Paul and the preacher who followed him, Apollos. Flattering as it may seem, when Paul hears that some in the church are saying, “I am of Paul,” and another says, “I am of Apollos,” what Paul hears is a bunch of immature groupies, regardless of whose group they are in. Do they not see? It is Christ whom they should be following. He’s the one who brings life. Paul very clearly sees it, and calls it out. The church is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, not of any human.
That’s when Paul uses an illustration that I really like. Each worker builds with some material—gold, silver, gems, wood, hay, straw. Then he says,
“their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.”
Each person’s work will go through fire. Every one. Through fire. I always imagined “the Day” to be the coming Day of Judgment, when God will show with what material each person’s work was built. And I still believe that to be true. But actually, I think the testing by fire comes much sooner.
Having been in ministry for some decades now, I see the fire coming to each person’s work. You can be flashy and make a great first impression on your town, but what is left of your work when you are gone?
- Your work is tested when you have left. Is your legacy found in some fond memories? Or have you helped to place a burning love for Jesus in the hearts of those whom you reached?
- Your work is tested when the next minister comes. Do people show earthly devotion to you, and align against those who gladly follow the new person? This is the very case that Paul is describing with Apollos here.
- Your work is tested when the next generation takes over. When your spiritual children have their own spiritual children. Are they notably zealous, mature, reproducing Christ in yet others? What’s left of your spiritual legacy in two generations?
- Your work is tested when the culture shifts. The techniques or programs you used will not work in the next generation. That is one of the only sure things in the fickle business of ministry. So, was your work built around a program that is no longer effective? Or was it built on Christ alone?
- Your work is tested when persecution comes. Anyone’s faith is truly tested when it is no longer safe to believe. It creates a winnowing that truly seems like fire. You might say that our nation experienced a winnowing the last couple of years with the pandemic. Church attendance was no longer an option, and many never came back.
- Your work is tested when you are gone. You are experiencing your eternal reward, but what is left of your memory on earth when you are no longer a part of anyone’s current experience? In a hundred years, your life will be remembered in less than a sentence by even your own family members. What will that sentence be?
This is the test of fire that everyone’s work will go through. May your life’s work stand the test, and Jesus be the final word of all you do. Amen.
HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST
Apparently, after Paul left Corinth (where he had spent a year and a half), some other eloquent speakers came and wowed the crowd. Maybe Apollos was that guy. And now, here is the church, some months later, saying, “I am of Paul” and “I am of Apollos.”
Paul defends his approach to public speaking, and it’s interesting to see, though a challenge to fully imagine. But here is what I picture: Paul, who is speaking every day with someone, in small groups, house church meetings, prayer gatherings, at the market, to individuals, and more.
In doing all that speaking, he has three options: 1) repeat himself a lot, and preach from the barrel, as we used to say, reusing stories and messages that have worked in the past. 2) Spend less time among people and more time studying and preparing and rehearsing, refining and polishing to get it just right, speaking with power and entertaining education. Or educational entertainment. You get the point. Or 3) Pray without ceasing, speak spontaneously, trusting the Holy Spirit to give the words and provide the power. It’s pretty clear from this chapter which of the three Paul tended to use.
I’m imagining what this experience must have been like for Paul. Come with me and let’s imagine it together:
Paul is sitting with the congregation while someone is speaking. The person says something about someone having great potential and so forth, and the word “potential” reminds Paul of a story he heard once, about Sally and Her Potential. Inwardly, Paul smiles, remembering how influential that story had been to him. Should he share it? No. That’s not what they need to hear right now. “Lord, what would you have these people hear from You today?” He continues to pray for each person, and for the moment as a whole, not knowing what or even IF he is to be one of those who speak today.
The man speaking is growing louder and more animated. He says, “…and THAT is the reason that Jesus Christ had to die that day more than twenty years ago now, as some of you can testify.” Suddenly, the brother sits down. He has said his piece, and the Spirit is ready to use another voice. It comes to Paul in a flash, as an image more than a series of words, and Paul knows without a doubt that someone needs to hear what he is being prompted to say right now.
“I see a hand reaching down from heaven. A hand, not palm up to receive from us, and not palm down to stifle us, but sideways, reaching out in an embrace. The Lord is welcoming us into fellowship with him through the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ. Concerning Christ, I was there that day when he was crucified. I was among the crowd that day early in the morning, throwing stones, calling down curses, hating that this man claimed to know God and call God his Father, and yet he was always seeming to criticize Pharisees. . . .” And on Paul speaks, with Scriptures coming to mind, occasionally with a direct word to an individual. “God says this to you…” He encourages, he rebukes, he corrects, he instructs, at the leading of the Spirit. Paul is simply going with the flow.
One of these times was late at night, around midnight. A young man was sitting in the open window of this upstairs room. And…
“Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.
Just goes to show, doesn’t it? Better get a good night’s sleep before listening to Paul talk on and on. Paul was babbling on about Babylon, or was that baboons named John, baptizing their young, and on . . .
…and the next thing he knew, Eutychus is outside on the ground, with Paul’s arms around him.
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.”
Not always eloquent. But with power and in the Spirit. Not using clever stories and well-practiced illustrations, but going with the flow of what God seems to want people to hear. It is not the mind of an orator.
“But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV
Given a choice, I would rather walk in the Spirit. How does that sound to you?
UNITY AND DIVERSITY
So many things are in the opening chapter of 1 Corinthians. But let’s talk about a theme that will arise once again later in the book: It is the matter of unity and how a church is supposed to look.
You may recall that Paul and the others first visited Corinth during his second missionary journey, when he had the call to come to Macedonia. There were Paul and Silas and Timothy and Luke, and he first met Aquila and Priscilla there, where he stayed and worked with them. Apollos also came there from Ephesus as an evangelist who knew about Jesus and was learning about the Holy Spirit.
It was in Corinth that Jewish opposition became so heated that Paul shook out his clothes and told the Jews their blood was on their own head, but that he was going to the Gentiles. He was a year and a half in Corinth. And he writes to the church there while he is in his second-generation of having trained leaders there. When he writes his first letter to Corinth, Paul is living in Ephesus. Some of the same themes for this book are found in Ephesus. Paul was planning at this point to visit the believers in Corinth a second time.
Let’s get into the book, shall we?
“Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
If you recall, the church in Corinth was established with riots and revolutions all around. The believers there were strong in those miraculous gifts of the Spirit we sometimes refer to as “sign gifts.” We are going to see the topic of speaking “in tongues” come up a couple of times, and the unique aspect of tongues in Corinth seems to be that it was not an understandable language, as had happened at Pentecost, but is more of a private prayer language. The phenomenon is sometimes referred to as Neo-Corinthian tongues.
So as Paul begins his prayers in other letters, so here he starts with thanks to God for the people. He thanks God that they are not lacking in any spiritual gift. However, all of that diversity is tested by a lack of unity.
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”
1 Corinthians 1:7, 10 NIV
Diversity with love is the will of God, and serves as a model of heaven on earth. But diversity without love leads to mistrust and judgmental attitudes. Spiritual pedigrees, based on who first led you to Jesus. Spiritual gifts, comparing and adding a hierarchy to differing gifts. Cultural practice, arising from a cosmopolitan city, leading to assumptions about spiritual maturity. Keep all these themes in mind, because they will come up later in the book.
“Perfectly united in mind and thought.” Impossible? Yes. God’s will? Of course. And the Holy Spirit will guide toward that end, always.
May he bring us all to be perfectly united in mind and spirit. Amen.
KNOWING GOOD AND NOT KNOWING EVIL
Today we see Paul close his letter to the Romans with one of the simplest and most practical statements with regard to living a holy life that pleases God. In fact, the verse ends with a promise that we would all like to see fulfilled: “And the God of peace will soon crush Satan underneath your feet.”
I don’t know about you, but I’d love to have it happen that God would crush Satan underneath my feet. Sounds powerful. Sounds resolved. Sounds a lot like “It is finished” to me. To see my greatest enemy being utterly defeated beneath my feet would be awesome! All it takes is two simple things to live by. Ready for them?
1 BE WISE ABOUT WHAT IS GOOD. That’s right. Fill your mind with what is good. Let goodness saturate your thought life. Be excellent at what is good. Become an expert in goodness. Think on these things. Meditate day and night upon them.
To be more specific, we are told: “Whatever things are true. Whatever things are honest. Whatever things are just. Whatever things are pure. Whatever things are lovely. Whatever things are of good report. If there is any virtue. If there is any praise. Think on these things.”
We are told how blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the path of sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night.
We are told to pray without ceasing. Can you imagine having prayer continually running in the background of your mind? Lord, bless that person who just cut me off in traffic. He must be going through something and I plead the blood of Jesus to bring him peace. I hear an ambulance, and I pray for the situation that has brought that about. I pray during conversations and meals and movies and in every aspect of my life I am rehearsing words like “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy.”
We are told to take every thought captive to make it obedient to the gospel of Christ. We capture every thought and transform it from selfishness to being a captive of the Holy One. This, and more, is what it means to be WISE ABOUT WHAT IS GOOD.
Then Paul gives the other side of that coin, which is equally important: BE INNOCENT ABOUT WHAT IS EVIL.
Be innocent, like a baby who has no idea about such things. Live in ignorance about the dark ways of the tempter. Live as if you had a total disinterest in such things. Eschew even thinking about it. Flee from youthful lusts, and thus resist the devil.
It is hard to maintain this innocence. It is impossible without the Holy Spirit’s help to accomplish this blissful ignorance.
My flesh says, “But I want to be aware of the enemy's strategy, so I sort of go underground as a spiritual spy, you might say.” Oh, really? You think that you can outsmart the demons? You think that being more experienced in SIN will make you a better spiritual warrior? Think about that again.
So I reply, “But it’s just curiosity, to see how the other half lives. Once I see it, I’ll just put that little thing back in its box and pretend that I still have spiritual power over the devil and his ways.
“Right,” I say. “But really, I want to be able to witness to my neighbor, so I am learning his language in order to remove any cultural barriers.” Did we learn nothing from our ancestors Adam and Eve? The fruit was pleasing to the eye. It was good for food, And it would give them the knowledge of good and evil (especially the evil!). Curiosity is an excuse. But the day I eat of it, I will no longer be curious. Instead, I’ll be guilty. And I’ll sneak back in to revisit the forbidden thrill. And it will become a habit. And then an addiction, as it will take more and more of my life. And addiction leads to death. Simply don’t go there.
“Just give me a second. In a few minutes I’ll stop. Tomorrow I will give it up forever. After I establish myself, then I’ll change. This is just for a season, and then I’ll take on a more innocent voice. Maybe when I retire I’ll have time to focus on holiness; until then, I sort of need this to cope.” You know how it goes. Don’t you?
No. God says to be innocent about what is evil. He doesn’t say to change later, he says that today is the day of salvation. Be innocent about evil.
Which leads to the question, what is evil? What does Paul mean by it? In light of the rest of the letter, it would be fair to guess that WRONG DOCTRINE would be one of the ways of evil. We teach or believe things that are contrary to sound doctrines.
Of course, the lordship of Jesus is not just from the neck up. He also would have us to correct our behavior. So watch out for WRONG BEHAVIOR just as much as wrong doctrine.
John tells us of three kinds of sin: The Lust of the flesh. (Food. Sex. Possessions. Any desire/passion). Lust of the eyes. (Greed, envy, covetousness, house, car), And the Pride of life. (Jealousy, ambition, accomplishment, respect, admiration.)
Give it up! Do you hear me? Give it up. Do not give the devil a foothold. Be innocent of evil. Innocent. You don’t gotta know nothin.
THE GOD OF PEACE WILL SOON CRUSH SATAN UNDERNEATH YOUR FEET. Jesus already has. Your confession at the judgment seat will crush him for good. Our unity as a church will destroy his hold on the city in our lifetime.
Let’s get ready by being excellent at what is good. And let’s give up knowing anything at all about evil. What do you say? Is TODAY the day of salvation for you?
THIS IS THE PLACE
(Ellen, Ted Troxell and I wrote this a couple of decades ago, and yet I just made this rough recording to be able to share it. I really like the message, and included it with the sermon today. So here it is.)
Is there a place for starting over?
Is there a place for trading old for new?
A place where we can be servants who are free?
Can we dare to live unselfishly?
Is there such a place?
Is there a place to learn to trust again?
A place where human hands just help and hold and heal?
A place where we can belong?
That's a place that I've been longing for
For a long long long time
I know a place where love is
It is a place where Jesus lives
It is a place for learning how to love and to forgive
It is a place for sharing
It is a place for people caring
This is the place
This is the family of God
So let's learn to serve like the Master
And let's follow in His footsteps all the way
Oh, if we could only be blind enough we'd see
that we can help this world survive
When we show Your body is alive!
Let's make a place where love is
Let's make a place where Jesus lives
Let's make a place for learning how to love and to forgive
Let's make a place for sharing
Let's make a place for people caring
This is the place
This is the family of God
BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER
Paul was not quite done with his conversation about accepting one another, in spite of different convictions about non-essentials. So far, he has told us not to judge one another in our cultural standards. Do not judge, do not quarrel, do not treat with contempt, and accept one another. Strong words to guide our relationships and affirm our differences.
But he has one more angle on this matter before he leaves the topic. You see, it’s not just about Christians learning to be polite over differing opinions. Paul writes,
“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
Paul referenced the concept of someone’s faith being stronger or weaker in the previous chapter, but he didn’t spend much time explaining what it means for each person to be strong or weak in faith. So let’s start there.
The context of this conversation is God providing a righteousness that is not of the law. Remember how in the book of Acts the matter of Gentiles had come up multiple times in the early days of the church? And the first sticking point had been circumcision. It just seemed like an unfair shortcut to let Gentiles into the Kingdom without first going through the door of becoming Jewish. I mean, the Jews had been “the” chosen people for all these generations, called out to separate themselves from the rest of the world and to be holy unto the Lord. Eventually, God made his plans clear, and Gentiles were allowed in with a free pass—except to “abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. (Because Moses was known in every city.)” Acts 15:20 NIV
Let’s say that some years later in a distant city, some new Gentile believer was going through the markets, looking to buy enough meat to feed himself and some traveling stranger who was staying with him. He sees some meat that is on sale. It turns out, this was meat from an animal that had been sacrificed to an idol. The believer buys the meat, thanks God, feeds his guest, and doesn’t think much about it.
That’s when some Jewish believer in that same church hears about it. Offended that this Gentile would be so cavalier about God’s standards, the Jewish believer brings it before the church elders. At this moment in church history, who would have the stronger faith—the one who believed that Gentiles could enter the kingdom while still eating meat that was on sale because it had been sacrificed to an idol?
That’s right. The weaker faith says I have to contribute my part to meet the Lord as He is coming to save me. It takes a stronger faith to trust that God accepts me into the kingdom without doing some works along the way
Keep in mind, however, that the strength of a person’s faith is not the same as the spiritual disciplines of that person’s life. As a person matures in Christ, they may come to higher standards of giving, of serving or prayer. They may dedicate another aspect of their daily lives to the lordship of Christ and lay aside some of the things that were getting in their way. Now we are using the “strong” and “weak” terms, but applying them to disciplines, not to the strength of a person’s faith itself.
Is that confusing enough? The point is that we are called to live at peace with one another, and nothing short of that will do. As Paul goes on to say,
Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:1-2, 7 NIV
At this point, in a sense it doesn’t matter how we define terms. What matters is that we respect and affirm one another for whatever choices they are making in response to the Holy Spirit in their heart.
It is harder than we think. Maybe it is impossible, without supernatural love to guide us. The other guys are damaging the reputation of Christ on the earth, and endangering their own souls for eternity. Or it feels that way sometimes.
Each person must stand—alone—before the judgment seat of God and answer for their deeds done while in the body. At that moment, the questions will dissolve before those penetrating eyes, and there will be only one answer that counts. AMEN.
LOVING A VEGAN
In this chapter, Paul addresses what I think is easily the number one reason for failures and splits in the church today.
Some of us have more sensitive consciences than others. Or, you might say, some of us are more spiritually mature than others. Maybe it’s more accurate to say that some of us are more committed to a higher standard than others. But maybe the most accurate way to say it is that some have a weaker faith than others.
Weaker faith? Sensitive conscience? Higher standards? Spiritual maturity? Which is it? And what is it about those vegans that makes them so, what, judgmental? They think they are better than the rest of us.
Right. The rest of us. The ones who have never really seen the reason to avoid any kind of food. The ones who don’t think twice about having a beer. And in public and everything. Why would anyone do something that could cause a weaker believer to lower their standard and go against their conscience?
Stronger faith? Hardened conscience? Lowering the bar? Spiritually immature? How would you describe these people? Perhaps this group best represents the majority of American Christians. You know. Shallow. Compromised.
Do you see what happened in these descriptions and commentary? They shifted from simple descriptions and acceptance to judgmental and unsupportive. Using phrases and words that I have heard among church people.
But here is what Paul is saying throughout this chapter:
“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.”
The unexpected plot twist in Paul’s descriptions and directions is that he doesn’t introduce the theological reasons as to why people hold each of the positions. He uses non-judgmental language and words about feeling, not about truth or doctrine. How each of us gets to their sincerely held belief is a matter of conscience, and is as much a matter of culture as it is of doctrine.
The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.
Paul talks about two hot topics in this epistle: whether to eat meat or eat only vegetables, and whether to keep Sabbath or other special days. But we would have many others today, which seem to divide us and cause us to judge and mistrust one another: Use of strong language (curse words), size of family, home education, child rearing, alcohol, smoking, marijuana, politics, musical styles, and on and on. In each case, as Paul says, we must not treat the other group with contempt or judge them. Why not? “For God has accepted them.” He goes on.
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
Whatever my position and standards, I must stand before God and answer for my choices on earth. I must not live by someone else’s standards, which leads to cult-like pressure and control. And I must not isolate myself from the others and form my own little fellowship of those who live by my standards. After all, we are dead. Remember?
For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.”
The only thing to watch is your own conscience.
To eat, or not to eat. That is NOT the question. The question is, “To love, or not to love.” And the answer must be obvious by now.
LIMITS OF AUTHORITY
“I don’t have to submit to my parents, because they aren’t Christians.”
“I didn’t vote for him, so I can talk bad about him.”
“I know that technically it’s against the law, but everyone is doing it, so what are they going to do?”
“He actively tortures and kills Christians. It’s time for us to rise up and let him know we won’t be bullied.”
Have you heard any similar stories? Perhaps you have said some of them yourself. In any case, we would do well to have an answer for each one. And I think all of them are answered in this brief teaching of Paul:
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Romans 13:1 NIV
Let’s run each of the above statements past the first verse of Romans 13 and see what comes up.
“I don’t have to submit to my parents, because they aren’t Christians.” Parents are a governing authority, just as there are governing authorities in the civic, church, or organizational arenas. But what if they are unbelievers? Then certainly some of their decisions are counter to the will of God. And yet, Paul seems to say very clearly that “there is no authority except that which God has established.”
“I didn’t vote for him, so I can talk bad about him.” In America, this seems to be the unwritten rule of politics and news media. And some are going so far as to take action against a politician whom they do not trust. Yet, the Bible claims here that “the authorities that exist have been established by God.” Not by unanimous human election. Not by a quorum vote. Paul uses a word that seems counter to any selective disobedience on our part: EVERYONE. “LET EVERYONE BE SUBJECT TO THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES,” Paul wrote. If EVERYONE is subject, then we don’t have a lot of wiggle room to give us permission to divide ourselves.
“I know that technically it’s against the law, but everyone is doing it, so what are they going to do?” There might be a second challenge found near the end of this statement: What are they going to do?” The implication is that if they can’t enforce it, we don’t have to follow it. But clearly that is a bad idea. The main point has not been addressed yet: “technically against the law.” If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you join them? That’s the question that was asked of previous generations. Today, the question has to do with getting caught, say, speeding or using marijuana, when you are within tolerance levels.
“He actively tortures and kills Christians. It’s time for us to rise up and let him know we won’t be bullied.” This one again seems to have more than one point. But the main point is this: If someone is ungodly and not Spirit-led, then do they cease to serve as “God’s servant for our good?” There seems to be no such margin in this passage. Do you know who was Emperor at the time when Paul wrote to the church in Rome? Nero! You know, the guy who used to burn Christians alive and use them as torches to light his gardens?! If Paul can write such strong commands to the church while Nero was hunting down and killing Christians, how much more should we pray for our leaders and follow their commands, and simply obey them while we pray for them.
There is a reason that Paul felt the need to write these words to the church at Rome. It was like writing to the believers in Washington DC, I would guess. They were all far more aware of politics and authorities and persecution and rebellions, as well as to the enemies and friends of the state. There must have been factions among the believers who advocated for breaking free of repressive government, while at the same time there were government workers and servants in homes of government officials. Put it together and you can see why there would be a special tendency in the church there to debate and/or reject certain authorities.
And so, my friends, let us all be subject to the governing authorities, whether those of civil government, or those of family, or those of church, or of a professional workplace—be subject! Amen.
THEREFORE . . . WORSHIP
We arrive at last at the “therefore” of the first 11 chapters of Romans. He has talked about the flesh, the law, the Jews, the Gentiles, the way of death and the way of life, the death and resurrection of Jesus, the bad news of sin and the good news of salvation. And now, he says, “Therefore, in view of God’s mercy…” I would love to hear this, the practical application of all that doctrine and theology. What is it, Paul? What are we to do?
Here’s the short version of what Paul writes: “Therefore . . . Worship.”
When we think of the word worship, the first thing that most of us think of is “music.” Therefore, in view of God’s mercy, show him your thanks by singing praises to God. And so we sing, “Thank you, Father, for taking care of my sin problem. In exchange, I say thanks by raising my hands and singing.”
No, it goes much deeper than a song of thanks. Remember, Paul had said we have been united with Christ in his death, that we are to count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. That we have been released from the law because we are dead, and that we now live in accordance with the Spirit. So when we get to this great therefore, it goes way beyond singing a song. This is a matter of life and death. A matter of fulfilling the law and replacing animal sacrifices and making the death of Jesus our personal state of life.
So here is how we worship in view of God’s mercy:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 NIV
He’s not saying anything new, really. But he’s summarizing, and it’s good to see the center of our response in a few words. In view of God’s mercy, I offer my body as a living sacrifice. I count myself as dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Yet, though I am dead, and I have been sacrificed, I am still a “living sacrifice” making moment-by-moment conscious choices to continue on the path of self-denial and absolute service to God.
And through this action, the sacrifice becomes more than the Lamb of God taking away the sins of the world; it becomes me offering my own self as a sacrifice to God. I am the lamb. I am the one who is offering it on the altar. I am dead to myself and alive in Christ. God is my creator, and I am his creation, made to show his glory and love. So when I lay myself on the altar over and again, I am holy and pleasing to God—the kind of worship offering that is accepted, and even brings pleasure to the Father.
Remember how God said that the burning of animals on the altar were pleasing to him? How much more must He take delight in my surrender to his will.
This then becomes my true worship, and my right relationship with my creator. I purposely choose not to conform to the pattern of this world, but I let the Lord transform me by the renewing of my mind. The world has pressed me into its mold, pressuring me from the outside in. But the Spirit changes me by renewing my mind from the inside out. And his good, pleasing and perfect will includes me testing and approving His grand plan for me.
It is a glorious, life-giving relationship with my creator, offered through Jesus Christ, my savior and my God. Romans describes so well how and why of our relationship with the Father.
May you offer yourself on the altar today, and know that your doing so brings the Lord pleasure. Amen.
DOXOLOGY
Before Paul wraps up his long treatise on the nation of Israel and their relationship to the Gentiles, he launches into a beautiful doxology. Let’s explore this poetic song of praise from the apostle and the prophets.
A doxology is a poetic expression of praise. The word “DOXOLOGY” literally means glory (doxa) words (logoi). So the well-known Trinitarian doxology, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow” is, indeed, words of praise. But there are other, longer, more artistic and beautiful expressions of praise to God, and this one that closes out Romans 11 is one of the best.
Paul launches into this poetic praise after he has unfolded this long explanation of sin, grace, judgment and salvation through Christ Jesus. Here it is:
Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.” Romans 11:29, 33-36 NLT
Putting the words into this context, Paul might be saying something like this:
Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! “God has chosen Gentiles! It was part of His plan since the beginning! And His Spirit leads you and me! Oh, how great is our God!”
How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! Two laws?! The one that we call the law of God leads to death! But He has made a new way for all! Praise the Lord!
For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? Here Paul is quoting Isaiah, but placing those words into a new context of God’s mysterious change of standards! Who is the clay calling the maker unfair? We have no idea what goes on in that infinite mind. Praise the Lord!
And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? God created everything, and therefore owns everything. This is a line from the book of Job, the man who learned the hard way that God has secret plans that are too much for us to know all at once. Praise the Lord!
For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. He made it, he owns it, he sustains it, he is glorified by it, and we admire it. What is “it?” Everything! Every little thing. Every big thing. All of it. Praise the Lord!
This passage shows why the word doxology is appropriate to categorize the text. The word “glory” appears twice, and the whole theme is “praise.” Truly, God is worthy of such adoration and thanks for eternity. Amen.
SAVE ME!
(Walking down the street. A stranger walks up.)
“Hi, there.”
“Hi.”
“Are you saved?”
“Saved from what?”
“Have you been born again?”
“How many times is normal?”
“Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?”
“Oh, that. I’ve gone to church since I was a little baby.”
“”Which church?”
“The one on the corner down the street over there.”
“Oh, THAT one? Wrong church. You aren’t saved.”
(Turning toward another passerby): “Hi, there. Are you saved?” . . .
“Saved.” The term is used a lot. But what exactly does it mean to be saved? I guess you have to be in danger in order to be saved from it. What is the danger, exactly? And how do you get yourself saved? Let’s explore that topic today.
To be saved. The term is pretty consistently found in passive/middle voice: Be Saved. This might not be such a big deal, but Paul does not word it, “Save yourselves.” (Not such a big deal, perhaps, because Peter said to the crowd at Pentecost, “Save yourselves…”) So it’s not a biblical absolute, but perhaps it captures the heart of the Father most clearly. We need a Savior, not just an encouraging word.
What are we saved from? What is the danger? From this body of sin and death. From sin. From addictive behavior. From hell. From the kingdom of darkness. From God’s wrath. From judgment based on the law. From foolishness and unbelief. From bondage and captivity. We are saved from being on the wrong path, facing the wrong way, and being imprisoned by our own earthly ideas or fleshly lifestyles. Delivered. Indeed.
And who is that savior? Paul had said, “Who will deliver me from this body of sin and death?” Then he gave his answer: “Thanks be to God through Christ Jesus our Lord.” So it is God who saves us, and He does so through Christ Jesus our Lord. Christ=the anointed one, Jesus=an actual historical figure whose name means Jehovah is Salvation, our=we are now a family united in Him, Lord=owner, boss, supervisor, leader, master. Peter had said there is no other name by which we must be saved but the name of Jesus Christ.
And then comes the important question: HOW do we get saved? Paul gives several clues in Romans 10. So let’s focus on his message and see if it still resonates with us in this day.
First, Paul writes, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
It seems there are two aspects of saving faith: openly declare Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart, and you will be saved.
To “openly declare” is the same as the word “confess.” And the word “confess” means to say the same thing (con=with, fess=say) or agree with. And what we declare is that Jesus is Lord. He is Lord of the Universe. And He is the master of my own life, as well.
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. . . .
Again, Paul uses two phrases to tell us about this salvation: Believing in your heart, and openly declaring (“confessing”) your faith.
Apparently, believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth are at least two of the essential factors in being saved.
In this chapter, however, Paul includes a For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” . . Here is a new factor in being saved: Calling on the name of the Lord. It is an interesting concept that we will have to elaborate on some other day, but calling on the name of the Lord also brings us salvation.
We are like the apostle Peter, in the boat, late at night, in the middle of a storm, when we see Jesus walking on the water. If we are bold and decisive like Peter, we will ask the Lord to invite us to come and join Him, walking on the water. But as we do so, we see the wind and the waves and we begin to sink. It is genuinely frightening as we go down without a hope in the world. So we call out with Peter, “Lord, save me!”
That’s it. We have recognized our need of salvation. We have called on the name of the Lord. And He has reached down and saved us. Amen.
WHY ME? ELECTION
It comes up far more often than you might think. The concept of God predetermining someone’s future. Especially if that future is not one of blessing and salvation. I mean, why Jacob and not Esau? Before they were born, even! Why the nation of Israel and not the Gentiles? Why would a God of love send people to eternal punishment? While we’re at it, why are some creatures insignificant (mosquitos, for example) and others are worthy of saving (endangered species, for example)?
I think the matter of people having free will is a bit confusing, but at least it leaves a person’s fate completely as their own responsibility. So I’ll take another running start at it:
Tell me if each of these pairs of things is acceptable or not, and why.
An artist creates an exquisite painting and then destroys it. Then creates a simple logo for a product and sells it for a million dollars.
A chef creates a hundred versions of a recipe, trying to get the balance of ingredients and the baking process refined to perfection. The chef threw out some of the early products, and gave some of them to a homeless shelter.
A doctor has developed a new surgical procedure, with amazing success. He operates on a 90-year-old billionaire, but refuses to do the procedure on a 50-year old undocumented immigrant.
A woman has an abortion in her second trimester because the doctors tell her the baby has a deformity and will likely have a low quality of life. A woman’s husband pressures her into aborting their baby because he wasn’t ready to be a father yet.
A farmer lets his land go fallow for a year, while he leaves to go on a year-long tour of Europe. An angry protester sets a store on fire, destroying the contents of the building and causing the store owner to go bankrupt.
Is that enough? What common themes did you notice in your answers? I hope that something you realized you often said was, “If it is theirs, they can do anything they want with it. Someone who doesn’t rightfully own it has no jurisdiction over it, and can voice an opinion but not touch someone else’s property without permission.”
A hidden question behind all these things is this: “Are we gods, or not?” Try going back through the questions and ask yourself if the particular action stated, or a nuance added to the scene, puts a certain ownership on the property. If so, then the Creator of that property can do whatever pleases the Creator. You might not LIKE what the person did, but you would defend their RIGHT to do it.
Now we are there: If God loves us, why would God create a person who is destined for anything less than a positive life? If God is righteous and just, why love Jacob; more accurately, why hate Esau? If God is all-powerful, why create someone whom He knew would not be in heaven? For that matter, why would God create anyone who is below average? What gives Him the right to destine someone for poverty, or political oppression, or chronic disease? What did the person do to deserve such ill treatment from their creator?
Now let’s get back to the questions at hand, and see Paul’s answers:
“So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.” Romans 9:18 NLT
“Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?” No, don’t say that.
This is such a profound insight into our relationship with God, and I’m struggling to put it into words. If, in fact, God is the Sovereign One over his creation, why would we criticize his actions?
Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction.”
Romans 9:19-22 NLT
The Old Testament prophet Job faced unspeakable loss, and then in his suffering Job dared to ask God some similar questions. “Why me? This is unfair! I am innocent! God, why don’t you speak to me about this?”
God responded by demonstrating his awesome power and saying, “Who dares to ask me questions about things you do not understand? Can you take care of the universe for even a day? Can you create all this?” God’s answer strikes me as similar to what Mom used to say: “Because I said so, that’s why!”
Then Job replied, “I have spoken, but I was wrong. I put my hand to my mouth.” And God proceeded to tell Job and his friends that He was sovereign. But God never told Job that he had gone ahead and made arrangements with Satan to test his friend Job. It was far too complex for Job to wrap his head around.
Time to stop talking and start listening. Amen.
A MOTHER'S DAY IS NEVER DONE (About 30 years ago, Ellen came upon a phrase that said children bind a mother's feet, and as a young mother, she resonated with the wording. We also knew--and know--of situations where the simplicity of mothering gets clouded with children as they grow older and break loose. So I wrote this poem, and, of course, turned it into a song. May it encourage mothers and all caregivers on this Mother's Day.)
A Mother's Day is never done
It hardly ends and it's begun
From goodnight kiss to nighttime fears
It's Mommy's love that drives away the tears
The endless chores will always come
To keep a house and make it home
It's all within her duty line
No clock to punch no log of overtime
She bears with joy these childish things
That bind her feet to give them wings
But seasons change and children grow
From little babes to rebel fools
They leave behind their crystal eyes
To fall and fail and tell their lies
She bears again these willful teens
Who break her heart and steal her dreams
And when they're grown, they're binding still
With grownup needs and grownup wills
For children once are children yet
And mothers never can or will forget
So tell me mothers young and old
If you could change your story told
If you felt then what you feel now
Would you still make the choice you made somehow
To bear again these troubled years
To pay the price to shed the tears?
Just ask the Father up above
If life is worth the price of love
A NEW LAW
Paul opens chapter 8 with some of the most powerful words in Scripture, profoundly life-altering, and it summarizes what he spent the first 7 chapters setting up. Ready?
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”
The old Law measured mistakes, and marked down from perfection to where you were in your behavior. And since a perfect score was required to be in good standing with God, all of us stand accused, rather than to feel like we were pleasing to the Father. We lived under the weight of condemnation, and did our best to avoid being sent to the bad place.
But if we belong to Christ Jesus, there is NO CONDEMNATION. None! We are not counting our positive points and subtracting sins and then adding in sacrifices and hoping that the numbers add up. But that’s not what Jesus came to do for you and me. He came to set us free, if we merely belong to him!
Paul goes on:
And because you belong to him, the law of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the law of sin that leads to death.
Paul has spent 7 chapters talking about the law and how it can end up in death. And how he turns a corner here to say there are two laws. It’s like one set of rules has been in play for all these years, and we have been playing golf, where the goal is to get as low a score as possible, but now we switch to baseball and are trying to get more runs, not less. It is that radical!
Paul goes on:
The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our flesh (sinful nature).
We live under a new law. The old law was marred by my desires and led to sin and death. The new law is simple: live in the Spirit. He will guide you to do right, and will never guide you to do wrong. Don’t be afraid that you will mess up. Just walk with God. Jesus promised that he would give the spirit and that the spirit would lead them/us into life and all good things.
I’m saying that the Old Testament law had us facing in the direction of death. What to avoid, what to do to make up for sins committed, how to keep clean from touching unclean things. Our flesh used the law to lead us to death. But the Spirit has us turn around and face the other way. Rather than facing the source of our death, we face the other way (that’s the meaning of the biblical word, “repent.”) Walk in the moment. The Spirit will never guide you into sin. That’s why he is not the law of sin and death but the Spirit who gives life, don’t you know?
To use a different metaphor,
MOTHER RULES…WHAT WERE SOME MOTHER RULES?
God was parenting his people. First, he carried them where they needed to go (Exodus, etc.). Then, as a parent would do for young children, he gave them his law, his rules, so they would know how to avoid and fix their sin problem. By the time of the Spirit, God’s parenting went beyond rules and laws. By the time a child is old enough, they don’t need house rules and chore charts and curfews. They have your words and your example in their head, so that your rules are no longer needed.
WHAT MOTHER RULES DO YOU NOW KEEP AS AN ADULT?
Let’s keep going with what Paul wrote:
So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
The mistakes we make? Jesus took them away on the cross. He lived the perfect life in our place, and then received the penalty we owed in his death. And then gave us the Spirit. (More on that later)
JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD AND LIVED A LIFE THAT NO ONE HAD SEEN BEFORE. A LIFE OF POWER AND OF LOVE AND OF GRACE AND OF SINLESS PERFECTION. THEN JESUS SAID THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US IF HE WENT AWAY, BECAUSE HE WOULD SEND THE SPIRIT WHO WOULD GUIDE US INTO ALL TRUTH.
Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. JOHN 16:7
He did this so that the just requirement of the law would now also be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.”
So what is left for us to “do?” Nothing! We simply follow the Spirit now. As Jesus said, He will guide you into all truth. No worries. Just follow the leader.
So let me go back to an educational philosophy. The educational plan of Jesus himself. The plan was not, lecture-then-test. The plan was follow-then-go. More is caught than taught. What you discover for yourself remains yours for life, while what you hear someone else dispense is likely to be forgotten. The Holy Spirit becomes our guide, and he leads us to do righteous things and to hear the voice of God in a moment by moment walk that does the same thing for us as Jesus did when he was here in the flesh.
I’m saying that when we walk in step with the Spirit, when we are filled with the Spirit, when we do not grieve or quench the Spirit, when we follow the Spirit of Jesus,
So I urge you, turn around! Repent! Face the other direction from where you have been facing! Like back in the Garden, all you need to do is to walk with God.
YOU AND YOUR HEART PROBLEM
Yesterday I paraphrased chapter 6 in first person. Much of chapter 7 is already in first person, so I will try to paraphrase it in second person. Here we go:
You, my friend, seem to have a problem with doing so much wrong. You break God’s rules of life daily. But it’s not the rules’ fault that you fail, you know. Of course not! That would be like claiming if you had no rules you wouldn’t be breaking them.
No, the rules of God simply help you to measure just how messed up you are. For example, one of the rules says, ‘you must not lust after what you can’t have.’ But your heart says, “Did you say I’m not allowed to do something? That’s exactly what I want, now that you mention it.”
You might think you would be better off, then, with no rules. No rules means no guilt, right? After all, when you were a baby, you didn’t need rules, because you weren’t able to break them. or to keep them, for that matter!” I’ m saying, when you were a baby, you did wrong—wanting what you can’t have, rule or not. But when you heard the rules, your conscience came to life, and you died. So God’s good rules ended up bringing you death instead of life.
I’m saying the rules themselves are good. They are holy and right and good. So how can good rules lead to death? Did the rules cause your death? Of course not! Don’t blame rules for making you imperfect. But that wrong that’s inside you, that’s the enemy! Can you see how terrible it really is? It uses the good rules for its own evil purposes. The trouble is not with the rules themselves, the trouble is with you—for you are all too human, and a slave to doing wrong.
Can you explain why you actually want to do something right, but you don’t do it. Instead, you end up doing what you hate. You know that you are doing wrong, which proves that the rules themselves are good. And your heart wants to follow them, which proves that you are not really the one who is doing the wrong. You have a heart problem. Your heart within you has chosen wrongdoing, and there is nothing good in you because of that.
And you know that nothing good lives in you, that is, in your heart. You want to do what is right, but you can’t. You want to do what is good, but you don’t. You don’t want to do what is wrong, but you do it anyway.
So now, if you do what you don’t want to do, then you are broken inside. When you want to do what is right, you inevitably do what is wrong. You can love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power inside you that is at war with your heart. This power makes you a slave to the wrong in your heart.
I can see that you are miserable, aren’t you? ! Do you wish you could be free? Do you know who will free you from such a prison of such evil? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In your mind you really want to obey God’s rules, but because of your heart you are a slave to doing wrong.”
Romans 7:7-25
DEATH AND RESURRECTION
I was talking to myself today about Romans chapter 6. Here is what I said.
I’ve just been thinking, I was quite a scoundrel before I came to Christ. But God’s grace is endless, so there is no limit to how much wrongdoing is forgiven! It makes me wonder sometimes. I think, if grace is endless, why not just do wrong as much as I want? I mean, the more I do wrong, the more He forgives, right?
But then I realize that I’m thinking backwards. Why would I ever want to go back? I am forgiven, sure enough. But I’m also made alive! And if Christ made me alive, that should mean that I am dead to doing wrong.
At my baptism, I was lowered under the water. It was like I was joining Christ in His death and His burial.Then, when I came back up from the water, I was raised back to life, as He was. Now I live a new life in Him. It was like a promise: Since I joined him in his death, I also get raised to life as He was. My old nasty self was nailed to the cross with Christ, which means that all my nasty wrongs were killed there. Those wrongful habits don’t control me anymore. And if I died with Him, I’m sure that I will also live with Him, and my old nasty self no longer has to listen to that voice telling me to do wrong. I was set free from the power of doing wrong when I died with Christ. And since I died with him, I know that I will also live with him, because Christ was raised from the dead and will never die again—death no longer has power over him! This was the whole point of His death: He died once to break the power of wrong, but now he lives for the glory of God. So I guess I’m dead to that power that once held me down, alive to God through Christ Jesus.
I don’t have to listen to that voice inside of me anymore, and I don’t have to give in for a moment to the old things I used to do. Instead, I live using my whole body as an instrument to do what is right to give honor to God. Wrongdoing no longer owns me, for I now live under the freedom of God’s grace.
It brings me back around to think, I’m under God’s grace. That means I am not under the law! So, does that mean I can go back to doing wrong? Surely not! Because then I’d be a slave to my favorite selfish choice. Being a slave is not an option for me. I am a slave. My only choice is which of the slave masters to serve. Once I make my choice to obey someone, I serve them because I am a slave to whoever I obey. I gotta serve somebody. I can choose the road to death by doing wrong, or I can choose the road to life by loving and obeying the right things God does. It was easy to be a slave to doing whatever I want. I end up in impurity and lawlessness, and on my way to death. I don’t want to follow God’s laws, and I am not able to, even if I wanted to.
When I was a slave to doing wrong, I guess you could say I was free from having to do right. Yet I’m ashamed of the things I used to do, which were leading me to eternal doom. But now I am free from the power of doing wrong, so I guess you could say I have become a slave of God. And I am glad for the things I now do, which are leading me to eternal life. Because when I do wrong, I have earned death. But the free gift of God is life without end through Jesus Christ my Lord.
BEING GOOD ENOUGH ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH
Some years ago I read a book with the catchy title Being Good Enough Isn’t Good Enough. That phrase captures the argument that Paul is making in the early chapters of Romans. He illustrates it with various examples, including these:
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 NIV
It was not AFTER I even WANTED to get my life together than Christ died for me to lift me up as a kind of heavenly self-improvement act. No, it is clear that he died while I was still a sinner.
It strikes me that Paul would have been especially aware of the power of this sentence for his own life. He calls himself the chief of sinners. He thought he was pleasing God, living a life of self-defined righteousness, but directly and violently opposing God’s people on earth. He was an enemy of Christ, even while Christ was dying for Paul himself! I suppose that put an end to any vestige of self-sufficiency that Paul might have been tempted to have when he was a Pharisee. He wasn’t even facing in the right direction, much less being righteous!
But while he was still a sinner, Christ died. And he not only died, but he died FOR HIM. For us. Christ was not just a victim. He was a sacrifice, with the likes of you and me in his mind as he gave himself up on the cross. It was, and is, the most astounding moment in history.
Paul goes on to say,
“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” Romans 5:10 NIV
Christ sacrificed himself. But when he came back to life, that was also for the likes of you and me. He came to save us, not just take punishment for us. He came to bring us life, not just pay for us by his death.
Have you ever reconciled financial records? It can take a long time of sorting through records, trying to figure out what the figures mean, and trying to remember what happened for this note to say what it does. Reconciliation is being made right. The numbers add up. Both sides of the column agree.
We are saved! Not just forgiven, saved! Saved by the resurrection!
Then Paul writes this:
“The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:20-21 NIV
Paul is saying that the point of the law was to help define just what sin is, so that we will not take anything for granted. Just as with family rules, so God made a set of rules by which we can know for certain that this is right and that is wrong. Sometimes we do right, but when we do wrong we can know it for certain, not just because of our conscience, but because there is something written that clearly defines it.
We have written laws in our land in order to clarify exactly what is okay to do. But mostly those laws are in place to give teeth to those who enforce them. “Hey, I think the speed you are driving seems unsafe.” “I disagree, but thanks for the advice.” “Sure thing. Have a nice day.” Does that help someone know just where the limit is for speed or reckless behaviors? Without a number, a written law, or a very burdened court system full of differing opinions, we would not even know what we can and can’t do. So the law tells us where the hard line is.
The Old Testament laws does the same thing for us. If in doubt as to whether I am doing the right thing, I can consult the commands in the law, and the law tells me when I have done wrong, and just how wrong it is. The more I have laws, the more guilty I become.
But all of that brings us to the immense generosity of the grace of Christ. The deeper the hole we are in, the more we are blessed by the hand up from out of that hole.
Thank you, Jesus, for keeping the law, and then bringing us with you forever! Amen.
I BELIEVE YOU
“I’m giving you this gift.”
“This? You’re kidding, right?”
“No. I’m serious.”
“But, why would you give me this?”
“Because I want to bless you.”
“But I can’t begin to pay you back for it.”
“I know. It doesn’t matter.”
“Well, at least let me do this.”
“No. Really. It’s not a payment. It’s a gift.”
“To be honest, I don’t feel like I deserve it.”
“That is not the point. It is a gift, not a reward.”
“How about I give you my old one in exchange?”
“It’s not a trade, it’s a gift.”
“What can I do?”
“You just receive it.”
“I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“Trust me. I want you to have it.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I do.”
“I . . . Believe . . . you. Thank you.”
“What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.””
Romans 4:3 NIV
It’s called grace. I didn’t earn it. I don’t deserve it. I couldn’t be good enough for God to owe it to me. Grace makes my standing with God to be “as if” I were righteous. As if I had not sinned. As if I deserved to be in his family forever.
Those who are parents know about this. You love your child, not because they have been good enough, or because they have earned it, or because they love you back. No. The parent loves their child.
Having adopted children has taught us to appreciate this matter a little more than we did before. A birth child is in the family by blood. An adopted child is in the family by choice. In truth, every day we choose to love each member of the family, whether they are cute or loving or happy or not. Love is a choice.
Do we see that about our relationship with God? His love for us is a choice. Purely his choice, not ours. The best that we can do is to believe him when he tells us that he loves us and he wants what is best for us.
We can’t pay him back. We can’t be deserving. We are not on even ground with God. Neither was Abraham. He was simply chosen. Not worthy. Chosen. Not good. Chosen.
Do you feel it? Do you know the unconditional love of God? Do you believe that He wants to be with you? That He would die for you? It’s unbelievable. Too good to be true. That’s why the only thing we can do is to give up trying to be worthy, and simply receive God’s declaration that you and I are right with him. Amen.
Well I’ve wandered past the borderland of God’s intended will, where the wilderness of grace has just begun. And I’m drowning in an ocean deep of mercy and of justice. I’m going down and can’t escape the love.
And I’d like to do my part and start to meet You halfway coming. But I cannot take a step without a fall. And I’d like to think I’ll pay You back as if it’s just a loan. But addictions and amusements and accouterments will garnish every wage I’ll ever earn, and I find that I have nothing on my own.
So here I stand with nothing in my hand. And here I fall before Your glory. Now here I rise by your death and through your life, for I believe. Yes, I believe.
I believe, that I’ll receive the deed of love you offer me written there upon the cross in blood. And I will kneel before the place where justice kisses mercy and believe that love is more than just a word, and amazing grace is more than just a song.
TRYING A FATHER’S PATIENCE
Let’s zero in on a nuance of verse 2 in chapter 2 of Romans. Then we’ll talk about human parenting. Here it is in multiple translations:
“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” NLT
“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” NIV
“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” ESV
“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” KJV
Maybe I’m seeing something here that is not parallel at all. And maybe I’m seeing clearly a parallel that is supposed to be true. Paul says God is kind, tolerant and patient, because he allows us to walk in sin without destroying us immediately. In effect, he is a Father who does not run his own house with an iron fist.
So whether it is Adam and Eve, where God used words to warn, but did not execute immediate punishment. Of course, there was punishment, and it was very significant. But there was not an immediate striking down of the man and the woman.
Here’s what I’m seeing: Sometimes a parent puts up with behavior that is really unacceptable in a child, and the child just continues to get worse. We sometimes call such a child a “spoiled child.” Because there is not a clear and consistent cause-and-effect relationship between their behavior and the parental response, the child continues to press against the patience of the parent.
One day the parent snaps, and a long lecture surprises the child. “Where did THAT come from?” The child asks. “Why was it okay all those other times, and suddenly it’s a big deal?”
Maybe when that happens, we call it poor parenting. Of course, more accurately it is poor child-ing. But we don’t have such a word, so we blame the parent. Would we also blame God for patiently allowing us to sin? Yes, I think some do. They say that the concept of “hell” to hold people in line seems archaic and unfair.
What would be “fair?” Would it be fair if God gave us a hand slap every time we do something wrong? If He did that, would we start to obey him, and would we love? I think the unintended result would be outward compliance but no love. If there were not a certain randomness in life, we would function like well-behaved little robots and living with a theology that includes instant karma.
Instead, God is patient and loving, and he puts up with sinful behavior while giving verbal warnings again and again. All the while, he is whispering to us, “If I love you more, will you love me less?” “Now give me your heart, dear child.”
God’s kindness leads to repentance. May we recognize it, appreciate it, and live within it. Amen.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Here is the puzzle of the day: Why did God give us the Ten Commandments and the rest of the Law, if He knew we were not going to obey it? What is the purpose of the Law? To guide us? Or to condemn us?
It would guide us, if we were capable of keeping it. And sometimes we are capable. But ultimately, when we consider the higher standards of Jesus, as outlined in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, we realize that all of us are bound to break virtually all of the commandments, at least by the higher standard that Jesus gave.
So now I have two problems, highlighted by the law. The first problem is that from the day that I broke the first commandment, I am a lawbreaker. As James points out in his general letter, if we break just one point of the law, we have broken THE law. So we stand guilty. I am a lawbreaker. If I think I can make up for missing one commandment by doing extra well the next day, I misunderstand the point of being a lawbreaker. I CAN’T make it up by doing two good things tomorrow, because any act (or omission) that breaks one point means that I have fallen short of perfection. So now it is clear that I have broken the law, and I must pay the penalty for breaking it. The penalty goes all the way back to the Garden, when God told Adam not to eat from the tree, or he would surely die.
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Verse 23 NIV
But as I say, I am in double trouble. The first is that I am a lawbreaker. The second problem is that I am not CAPABLE of keeping the law, whether it is my first sin, or somewhere down in the quagmire of my messy self. I cannot keep the law. I can’t do it, even if I wanted to. And I don’t want to. Not really.
In short, you might say I’m in trouble with the law, and I’ve got a bad disease. I’m guilty and I’m dead. The law tells me I broke the rules. And my nature tells me that I am not capable of keeping the law, even if I wanted to.
This is why the hymn writer of “Rock of Ages” included the “double cure” line, “Save me from its guilt and power.” The guilt is for breaking the law, and the power is my inability to keep it anytime in the future. This, then, is what we need. We need to hide ourselves in the Rock of Ages, cleft for us. We need to let the water and the blood which flowed from his riven side to be the double cure for our double trouble: Save us from its guilt and its power.
“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” 3:20 NIV
HOW TO BEGIN A PRAYER FOR SOMEONE ELSE
“Heavenly Father, please bless and heal this person. May the eyes of their heart be enlightened to see you in everything, and may they know the peace of Christ, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
What’s missing from a prayer such as this one? Hint: It is not what is being requested of the Father for that person. It’s how the prayer starts.
Some years ago, I wanted to learn how to pray for other people. I felt that I repeated myself with phrases that ended up sort of being my heavenly online order. “I want one of these and some of that for my friend.” So I decided to examine how Paul structured his prayers, as found in most of his letters. As I looked at all those prayers, one thing jumped out at me and has affected my prayers ever since.
I won’t tell you what I noticed. Instead, I’ll just copy the opening of several of Paul’s prayers.
Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.
1 Corinthians 1:4 “I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 1:16 “I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,”
Philippians 1:3 “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.”
Colossians 1:3 “We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 1:2 “We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly.”
2 Thessalonians 1:3 “Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.”
2 Timothy 1:3 “Timothy, I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.”
Philemon 4 “I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon,”
That’s right: every prayer has the words “you” and “I” and “God.” But there’s something else that you probably noticed as I had.
Especially if the person/people is a believer, it is probably best practice to start with thanking God for his work in that person’s life, as well as to thank God for that person themself. “Thank you for that person.” “Thank you that this person has faith in you and is your child. Thank you for rescuing them from darkness and bringing them into your kingdom of light. Thank you for the ways that this person has blessed my life, and that you have allowed our paths to cross.”
So, in summary: Thank God for the person, usually including something specific for which you are especially grateful. See what that might do for your prayers. Amen.
PROVIDENCE
Today’s reading provides us with an excellent example of Providence. You know about Providence, right? It is God’s “provision” (that’s why they call it providence, don’t you know) for people.
God regularly provides universally for mankind, with air, water, seasons and soil, health and happiness. Indeed, the sun, moon and stars agree with the rest of God’s creation that He provides what he deems to be in our best interests. But He also sometimes provides more particulars for someone. In God’s kindness, He gives special provision for his child in the form of unusual timing, special resources and improving health, insight and understanding.
Everyone lives with Providence, but not everyone sees it. Some see Providence as merely a happenstance of time, energy and matter, and all of life is a set of evolutionary battles, in which the fittest survive. Providence is chance.
Others interpret Providence as a kind of battle of the gods, with a kind of superstitious cause-and-effect to explain the twists and turns of life. Providence is superstition.
Perhaps Providence is best seen as a loving Creator who chooses to bless his creation from a motive of love and grace, while trying to steer them from immoral and sinful lives through what he provides. Providence is loving provision.
The story for us in this chapter involves Paul after the shipwreck near the island of Malta. Here it unfolds:
“The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us.”
God has provided for Paul and his companions by rescuing them from the sea, and then bringing them to a friendly tribe of people. What are the chances, huh? God is good!
“As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.”
The people of the island are of the second group of superstitious people. Paul is shipwrecked, and he survives. But the gods wanted him dead, so they sent a poisonous snake to bite his hand and kill him. Seems pretty straightforward, right? The gods are angry!
But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.”
Now the superstitious theology of provision turns on its head. The snake may have been a punishment sent by the gods, but apparently this stranger is stronger than the gods! That must make Paul a god himself! A god has come to visit us on Malta! Such providence!
Of course, there is another way to see the hand of Providence in this account. Which is that natural things occur—a snake is driven out by the heat and goes to hide in a woodpile. Paul just happens to pick some up. He is bitten. All of this was not a punishment, but a set of natural circumstances, explained by nature. Sometimes car wrecks and cancer, or war and famine simply happen.
But there is One who is stronger than nature, stronger than a poisonous snake He is One who is able to conquer and heal. And He is the One who is with Paul, as a follower of Jesus Christ. So the name of Jesus is the “natural immunity” that some might write off as coincidence or luck, and others might see as the active war between forces of good and evil.
But this particular set of Providential events is the backdrop for Paul to preach about Jesus, and the snake was a way of drawing attention to the power of the name of Christ. Paul doesn’t miss the moment, I’m glad to report. After healing the daughter of the chief official of the land, many showered honors on them.
And then when spring came, and it was time to sail away and complete their journey to Rome, guess what the people of Malta did? They “supplied us with everything we would need for the trip.”
How’s THAT for Providence?
SEE I TOLD YOU SO . . . IT’S OKAY
Paul is on a ship heading to Rome, placed under the custody of a Roman officer named Julius. They had several delays due to strong headwinds in the first parts of their journey. The captain has been trying to push through so that they will not be stuck in a distant, dangerous port through the winter.
Here’s how Luke describes the situation: “We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship’s officers about it.”
And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor—a poor place to spend the winter—most of the crew wanted to go on to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure.”
If I had been a Christian advisor to this group, I probably would have sided with the captain. Here’s a quick summary:
Paul: I believe there is trouble ahead if we leave now.
Julius: Captain, what do you think?
Captain: Fair Havens here is an exposed harbor. Let’s compromise. We should go on to Phoenix, on up the coastline.
Julius: So what do you think we should do?
Captain: I’d say let’s make a run for it
Julius: Sounds good. I’m with you.
Captain: Look! A light wind just began blowing from the south!
Julius: Sounds like the gods are telling us we’ll be okay!
Captain: Let’s go!
Julius: We’re with you all the way!
Paul: I’m telling you, troubles await.
Captain: We’ll be fine. We’ll just sail closely along the coast. What’s the worst that could happen?
(Later…)
Julius: Hey, we’re finally making good time. I’ve never been in a ship that went so fast! Well done, captain! Wait! Why are we going THIS way?
Captain: The storm is driving us out to sea! Lower the sea anchor!
Julius: The gale-force winds are continuing to batter the ship!
Captain: Throw everything overboard!
Julius: It has been days now!
Captain: All hope is gone! No one has eaten, we are exhausted, and we just might all die!
Paul: “Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss.”
Captain: You are right! All is lost! Alas! I’ll go down with the ship!
Paul: But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.
and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’”
Captain: What are you saying, Paul?
Paul: I’m saying I told you so, that’s what I’m saying. That’s because God told ME so. But now an angel of God has told me that I will surely stand trial before Caesar! And whenever God calls me “surely” I know it will happen as he said. . . . But, by the way, we will be shipwrecked here.
Captain: Huh?!
Paul: I told you so! But it’s okay. God’s got this.
As I say, I think I would have sided with the captain on this, being anxious to get home rather than spend months away due to bad sailing season. I might have taken the moment of good weather as a sign that we could sneak in the trip before the seasonal storms arrived. But, of course, I would have been wrong.
But God’s got this. I would have lost my ship and all that was on board. But my life would have been spared–spared to reflect all winter on Paul’s “I told you so.”
APPEALING TO A HIGHER AUTHORITY
If you have been following the podcasts of the last few days, you will recall my theory that Paul was intending to introduce the good news about Jesus to the leaders of the Roman government, including Caesar himself. So he went to Jerusalem, having been warned in city after city that being bound and imprisoned awaited him there. Once he arrived there, sure enough, trouble arose around him, and Roman soldiers had to whisk him away and then bring him to be questioned by the Jewish high council. From there, he has been taken to three different Roman authorities, defending himself and talking about Jesus to each one. They all have found him innocent, but drama still seems to follow him everywhere he goes.
And now he has come before Festus, the Roman governor. Festus finds nothing wrong with Paul, and he would be willing to let him go free, but there are mobs of angry Jews who would get all vigilante on him. Festus is walking a fine line here. He thinks maybe the best route is to send Paul back to stand trial in Jerusalem again. This is a religious matter, after all, and there is nothing in civil law that has been broken.
Festus asks Paul, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?”
But Paul replied, “No! This is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty of harming the Jews. If I have done something worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!”
Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!”
We are going to find out that Paul ends up in house arrest for two years, and then when there is a change in government, he is kept in prison indefinitely. Eventually, Paul is beheaded there in Rome, though that occurs after the time covered in the book of Acts. He appeals to Caesar, and it begins the end game for Paul.
It leaves me wondering about my own dedication to the good news about Jesus. Would I be willing to forfeit my freedom, my reputation, and my very life in order to be a witness in Washington, D.C. among staff members and lawyers and political fundraisers there?
Did it wear on Paul, the human? Yes, it did. While he was in Rome, he wrote “Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. . . . The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them.”
And yet, Paul knew why he was there—in Rome, on earth, among the living—and he did not give in to despair. He kept his eye on the prize and continued without equivocation to view the greater good being to serve a kingdom that is not of this earth.
Here are his next words in that same letter from Rome: “But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death. Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.” 2 Timothy 4:9-18 NLT
“Lord, help me to live from day to day in such a self-forgetful way that even when I kneel and pray, my prayer will be for others.” (Charles Meigs)
RIGHTEOUSNESS, SELF-CONTROL AND THE COMING DAY OF JUDGMENT
What would you say are the essential marks of the faith? I mean, what behavior or what attitude is vital to being in a relationship with God? More particularly, if you were speaking with a Jewish person about the gospel, what three topics would you speak about? Even more, what if that person was a government official? An official who was also your prison warden, and who had the power to set you free or to condemn you? Faith, hope and love? Grace, the cross, and the resurrection? Fulfilled prophecies, miraculous signs, and personal healing?
What I’m thinking is if I were before someone who had authority over my life, and that person were to ask me to defend myself, I would be talking about positive aspects of the Good News about Jesus. Things that would make the person think well of me, want to set me free, see that the other guys are the bad people in this series of events.
But that is not the conviction and practice of Paul. He truly demonstrates that his agenda is not his own safety or reputation, that he deeply cares for the eternal life of the person he is talking with, and that he knows human nature. He also shows at every step how he is coming closer to reaching Caesar himself with the good news of Jesus, just as had been prophesied earlier.
Here’s what Luke records about Paul’s conversation with Felix and governor and his wife:
“they listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus. As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened. “Go away for now,” he replied. “When it is more convenient, I’ll call for you again.”
It seems counter-intuitive, to be sure. Yet if we reflect on it, maybe we’ll see why It makes sense to talk about these three things: righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment.
Righteousness. A Jewess is going to understand about the quest for righteousness. God requires everyone to be righteous, to do what is right, and to be in good standing with God. Righteousness is not achievable through keeping the Law, you know. Righteousness is granted to us by faith in Jesus Christ, the righteous judge.
Self-control. This is the second central topic of Paul’s explanation of the scriptures. When Paul wrote to Titus, he told the young evangelist to teach each of the groups of adults in the church: Older men, Older women, Younger women and Young men. Do you know the one thing that is in common for all four of those groups Titus was ministering to? Self-control? That’s right! How did you know that? Self-control is the art of saying no to the tempter and of guarding our language and thoughts. Self-control is the spiritual weapon we hold. Wisdom from above teaches us self-control. Without it, we will not see God.
The coming day of judgment. This is a central part of the gospel. It is not just a self-improvement course, after all. It is about salvation. Salvation of our souls from eternal condemnation. The coming day when all of us will be rewarded for what we have done while in the body. The day when Jesus reveals his lordship over the universe, and he sits in judgment of all souls. Some he will set on his right, and some on his left. He will then say to those on his right, “Enter the joy of your master.” But to those on his left he will say, “Depart from me! I never knew you.”
So, when I think about it further, it seems that those three words become essential parts of the good news about Jesus. Well done, Paul.
Notice the reaction of Felix: Felix became frightened. “Go away for now,” he replied. “When it is more convenient, I’ll call for you again.”
Why would he be frightened? After talking about those three topics, I would think that it would generate a genuine fear in me. Yet, the procrastination of Felix is clear: He tells Paul to go away for now, and when it is more convenient, he will call for him again. It’s the response that many of us give: “That’s sobering. I need to do something. But not now. Let’s talk later.”
May we all hear, repent and believe the good news on the only day that we have: today! Amen.
This is a song I was trying to complete recording for Good Friday. It is a powerful hymn from Johann Heermann back in 1630, translated beautifully by Robert Bridges in 1897. I hear it in my mind as a 5-part set of layers of counterpoint, with each stanza working with the others. An ensemble at CCU did the song live in concert, but I don't have a recording of it.
Ah, holy Jesus, how did You so offend us
That sinful men condemn the one who would defend us?
You had the right to judge us all and to reject us
Protect us, Jesus.
Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered
The slave has sinned and yet the son has suffered
So men are brought near bride of Him who bought her
Oh how He loves her
So who was guilty? Who brought this upon You?
Who did the treason? Who could be so untrue?
Am I surprised to find the traitor who denied You?
I crucified You.
For me, for me, kind Jesus was Your incarnation
Your bitter sorrow Your final obligation
Your bitter passion anguished death and final station
Were all for my salvation
I see kind Jesus that I could not repay You
But I could love You serve You and obey You
Think on Your pity remember Your love unswerving
Not my undeserving.
HAVING A CLEAR CONSCIENCE
Paul, the Pharisee formerly known as Saul of Tarsus, stands before the Jewish high council with the leading priests.
Paul knows about the high council. He was friends with several of them, studied under at least one of them, and he knows what this meeting is all about. He knows intimately what the Sadducees and the Pharisees believe, and what is of highest importance to them. Now the question is, who does Paul want to be the center of this trial? Is it him? Or is it Jesus?
So Paul decides on a strategy. He needs to establish that he is just as much on God’s side being a Christian as he had been when he was a Christ-persecuting Pharisee. His motive has always been to obey and serve God. That has remained the same, even though his opinion about Christ and his followers has made a radical reversal. He makes a declaration before the Jewish high council.
“Gazing intently at the high council, Paul began: “Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!””
That was a controversial statement, because Paul’s days B.C. were very different from after he knew the Lord. For his words, the high priest has him slapped on the mouth. How could he possibly have a clear conscience after becoming a Christ follower? After all, it is those Christians who are undermining the Jewish faith.
Time to cut to the chase. Less than a minute later, Saul makes this statement, and it brings even MORE tension and anger in the room: Paul shouts, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!””
Wellsir, them are fightin’ words in the Jewish community, because there is a strong division among the leaders of the movement. The Pharisees say, “Maybe God really DID show Himself to this Brother.” But the Sadducees believe that God does none of those spiritual things beyond the physical realm. Angels, afterlife, demons, the whole lot seems kind of like superstitions and wishful thinking to the Sadducees. And that’s why they are sad, you see?
Judaism was something like America today: we have red states and blue states. And various incidents serve to reinforce each group’s already-perceived ideas. The miracles from Jesus, and now from his followers, would not convince a Sadducee that Jesus was the Messiah, because they would explain it away. And the resurrection is the most unbelievable of all.
So, the argument quickly escalates, the benches empty and the players rush the field to join in a no-rules game of capture the flag, with Paul as the flag. The Roman guards recognize that this is dangerous for their prisoner, so they rush in to rescue Paul and bring him out to safety.
What was accomplished by those two declarations of Paul? Did any of the Jewish leaders change their minds about Jesus? Had Paul made Jesus the center of the conversation? I don’t think anyone in that room changed their position about Christ. On the other hand, maybe the bigger strategy wasn’t to stand trial in Jerusalem—again.
That night the Lord appears to Paul and lets him know that just as he has been a witness to Jesus in Jerusalem, so he must preach the good news in Rome as well.
So perhaps Paul’s strategy was to leverage his local trial into one that will enable him to share the good news with those who are high up in the Roman government. Sure enough, that’s what happened. Though Paul was a prisoner, he was going to testify before the most powerful people in the known world, and he did it by having his case brought before a higher court.
Later, we find Paul writing to the Philippians (4:22) that “the members of Caesar’s household” are sending their greetings to the church. Paul spent a long time under house arrest in Rome, which gave him access to the servants and family members of Caesar himself.
After all, Paul never had cared about his own safety, but only that Christ is preached. May you and I be so committed to the cause of Christ. Amen.
GOD MOVES IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY
Paul is at the temple in Jerusalem, giving his testimony to an angry Jewish mob, presenting his background as a Pharisee and a persecutor of those who followed Jesus the Nazarene. They listen intently as he describes his zeal to destroy followers of Jesus, thinking maybe he was a good guy after all. They silently listen to the amazing vision, the conversation, the call from Ananias, his baptism and more. And then Paul turns a corner and includes this detail: ““But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’””
Suddenly the crowd is offended again and they clamor to tear him apart for claiming that God would send anyone to the Gentiles. The Jewish people were the called-out nation, after all, and they had been persecuted and overrun by Gentiles for generations. They were a people bound together by a common experience, sharing a common enemy of anyone who was not Jewish. If anything, God would send a sincere Jew to go oppose Gentiles, not to reach out to them. This is how they know Paul is an evil man, worthy of death at their hands.
It is a brief moment, but it gives me pause as I reflect on the unexpected ways of God. Why would the God of Israel send ANY Jew to go talk to Gentiles, much less send A PHARISEE, of all people? That just can’t be right!
William Cowper captured the phrase in a hymn that said “God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform.” In the hymn, he makes the point that God’s will sometimes seems severe, but he is actually loving and is supportive of us through it all. “Judge not the Lord by feeble sense but trust him for his grace. Behind a frowning Providence he hides a smiling face.” It’s hard to fathom the mysteries of His ways, to be sure. We are far too trapped in time and space to understand the eternal.
In this case, I want to point out that it is not always easy to predict how God will guide a person’s ministry. The case in point today is that God called Paul to go to the Gentiles, while he used people like Peter and Matthew to reach the Jews. Did the Father not know that Paul was a Pharisee, fully educated in the Scriptures and in the nuances of Jewish faith and practice? Who would be better at knowing how to reach his fellow Jews? Hde certainly had the credentials. Wouldn’t the role of going to Gentiles be better suited to Peter or Matthew? Peter, the one who had denied Jesus before members of the high priest’s house. Peter, who had been harvesting grain in his hands as they passed a field on the Sabbath. Or Matthew, who had already compromised himself with his fellow Jews by being a tax collector, partnering with the pagan Romans and betraying his own people. Why not send those guys to the Gentiles, and leave the Pharisee to reach the Jews?
It sure seems like God would do it the other way around. But God knew from long before Paul shook the dust from his shoes as a sign against the Corinthians, saying, “Your blood is upon your own heads—I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.” That was not just a spontaneous reaction from Paul, but the deliberate will and calling of God on his life.
Isaiah wrote this truth in chapter 55: For my ways are not your ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
We might think we know where God is headed in a certain area. But we are stuck in a singular time and place, and we don’t see what God sees. So we are wise to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” For everything is subject to the will of God, whether it makes sense or not.
And so we find the Pharisee reaching Gentiles, and a publican proving to be very effective in reaching his fellow Jews. Who knew, huh? And we find the likes of you and me going places we never dreamed, and doing things we never would have done, if not for the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If you find yourself called to something that causes you to say, “Why me? Why there? Why that?” Know that you are in good company. God moves in a mysterious way, indeed. Amen.
THE LORD’S WILL BE DONE
Jesus taught us to pray, “May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven.” We always pray for God’s will to be done, just as we seek to fulfill the part of God’s will that is our individual role. But sometimes hearing and doing God’s will presents a conflict of interests. This chapter provides a perfect illustration of the conflict of interests that can come about from our pursuit of God’s will. Okay, let me just get into it.
First, we find a group of local believers in Tyre, who prophesy about Paul. They even prophesy “through the Holy Spirit,” which seems like a clear indicator of God’s will. So far, so good, right? Here’s what they said:
These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem.
The group traveling with Paul moved on, stopping in Caesarea for some days.That’s when the prophet Agabus comes by. “He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’”
Now, if you were the one about whom this message was given, what would you conclude? Between the prophecy in Tyre saying that Paul should not go to Jerusalem, and this one from Agabus saying that he will be bound by the Jewish leaders and turned over to the Gentiles.”
I would suppose you and I would conclude what the group traveling with Paul did: When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
Seems like a perfectly reasonable conclusion to draw from these messages which come from the Holy Spirit, doesn’t it? If you go, you will not be able to further God’s mission on earth, so His kingdom will not come, and His will will not be done. The whole group heard Agabus and would have voted unanimously against Paul going to Jerusalem. After all, if Paul goes to Jerusalem, then God’s will is blocked from being done.
Right?
But here is Paul’s immediate response to the words from the Lord: he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.”
Oops!
Maybe I got the will of God and my own wellbeing kind of mixed together. Paul’s response kind of puts a damper on that on/off switch that I think of as God’s will. I think Paul knew the key to discerning the difference between God’s will and mine. He had said it in the last chapter, but I skipped over his declaration then. Here is what he said:
I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
Oh, yeah! I remember now: it’s about the MISSION, not the SAFETY of the worker. God’s will can be advanced, whether or not I am the particular tool for God to use in carrying it out. Indeed. But after trying all of those arguments with Paul, the group resigns to let Paul have the freedom to mess up, or whatever.
When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
Yes! Let the Lord’s will be done. Let the apostle sacrifice himself, if that is what is needed for the kingdom’s advancement.
May you and I see it so clearly, and may we make advancing the kingdom of God our only priority. Amen.
THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS, PART 3
Paul is traveling through the region, rushing to make it to Jerusalem in time for Passover. He had invested about three years of his ministry there, and they had gone through much together, but he didn’t have time to go back through Ephesus. Even so, he is in the general region, so he sends for the elders of the church to come meet him at the ocean shore at Miletus. The elders all make the two-day trip, which is about 63 miles by land.
When the elders arrive, Paul reviews his ministry among them. He reminds them that he had invested many tears with them, having endured the trials from the plots of the Jews. He tells them that he never strank back from telling them what they needed to hear, both publicly and in their homes. All of these details and more underscore the credibility of his work, because it shows he did everything for them, not for himself. He says, “I declare today that I have been faithful.”
Paul gives the center of his message. If you boil down all that he said into one word or phrase, what would that be? He had differing starting points when talking with Jews than with Greeks. But when he summarizes his message it is this: “the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.” Repentance and faith in Jesus. A bold but clear message.
Then Paul lets them know that jail and suffering lie ahead for him. The Holy Spirit has been warning him in every city. (We will see more about this soon.)
And then he gets to the center of his concern for the elders at Ephesus. I suppose it could be a universal message for all church shepherds, even though it is specific for them. But it has some very particular warnings, which we want to note and then see if these things came to pass, since we know something of the history of the Ephesian church.
“So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders. I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. Watch out!”
- Guard yourselves. Watch your own heart first. It may be the very one most tempted to try to draw a following.
- Guard God’s people. Monitor the spiritual hearts of God’s people. Protect them from being led astray.
- Feed and shepherd God’s flock. This is the job of a shepherd: feed them (teach truth) and shepherd them (guide behavior).
- The Holy Spirit appointed you as leaders. So if you are a leader, go in the right direction so that those who follow you will not go wrong.
- False teachers will come in among you. They are teachers. They are spiritual. But they are false. A qualified elder is not an automatic lifelong role.
- They will not spare the flock. This is the opposite of being a shepherd! Rather than guarding, you destroy, because you pursue your wants rather than what is best for them.
- Some of your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. This may be the central temptation: to distort the truth in order to draw a following. What?! You are supposed to be a leader, but not to draw a following? That’s right. You lead them to the Chief Shepherd, not to your own power base.
- Watch out! This underscores how easy it must be to have this failure happen. He opens with guard yourselves and ends with watch out.
I have noticed that church problems usually come down to control and power. Do you see how that is true, based on Paul’s warning? I will sacrifice the purity of my message in order to gain control. In some small way I begin to compromise my message to inject myself into Christ’s story.
All of this is why Paul reminds the elders of his sufferings and his financial purity. There was nothing in it for him. Beware when someone gains from you. If they have no gain, they are doing it for your sake. But follow the money. If they have something to gain from it, they no doubt have mixed motives for all that they do.
This must be very subtle, possibly a gradual slippery slope in which we don’t realize that we have the disease until it has already taken over. We will take special note of it in our scrutiny of Ephesus. But I need to watch my own life and doctrine carefully, as well.
When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they escorted him down to the ship.
I HATE MUSIC TRILOGY (SONG OF THE WEEK)
[I wrote this medley of songs as a sarcastic parody of the infighting within the church over styles of music. It has been through several arrangements over the last 30 years or so, but this is one. Please hear this to the end, or trust my heart to be making a very spiritual appeal to the church. Thanks to Margaret Cloud Searcy who encouraged the first line, "I ain't what You is," which led to the rest of the medley. I'm also grateful for the contributions of The Refreshment Company, which performed the medley live and broadcast at Music Minnesota many years ago.]
1
Lord, you know my heart, You know every part of me
What I feel inside is clearly seen
So there's no need to say what I'm feeling deep inside
yet I'm telling you this secret and I hope You'll pardon me when I say
I hate
Country Gospel music
Country Gospel music
It just seems so shallow and so insincere
All that talk of by and by and some mansion in the sky
Well it sounds like broken records playing year after year
I hate
Country Gospel music
Country Gospel music
And I hope You'll pardon me this time
If I tell You from the start what I'm feeling in my heart
I hate Gospel Quartet southern country western gospel music
And I know you hear it sweetly if it's coming from the heart
and I know them good ol' boys have been around
But when we get our harps of gold and sing a brand new song
Please don't let them pickers start to make a sound
I hate
Country Gospel music
Country Gospel music
It just seems so shallow and so insincere
All that talk of by and by and some mansion in the sky how some day we're gonna fly and we're never gonna cry and we'll never never die favorite pronoun is an "I" so though I often try and I can't really say why
I hate straight-tone, harsh-R, modulating diphthong steel guitar pickin, banjo twanging Gosple quartet southern country western gospel music.
2
Hour after hour day after day passes by
I look at my watch: it's 11:03
another endless Sunday morning
and the choir still sings another endless high church song
The kind where you could never sing along
Week after week year after year passes by
You've heard it before they'll sing it again
They say that it's a classic and I say it has no end
They say that it's been loved for years
that it's classical, it's classical
I hate I hate I hate I hate the classical
The high the high the high church classical
It takes.....
It takes.....
So long.....
It takes so long...
It takes so long...
Takes so long to say one sentence
And then.....
And then.....
Then they just
Then they just
Then they just repeat the whole thing!
And I know you hear it sweetly if it's coming from the heart
And I know those choir folks could be sincere
But if there is a message I can't reach up that far
It's only meant for high brow ears to hear
I hate I hate I hate I hate the classical
The high the high the high church classical
It takes so long...
to say one sentence
the melody is sweet but still I must repeat:
I hate I really hate the
musically replete but spiritually void
composed by music masters who never knew the Lord
filled with convoluted obsolescent King James English stuff
All head no heart all milk no meat it's spiritual fluff
So though I hate to say it and don't mean to complain
I really really really really really really really really hate
I really hate the classical
3
God's music is wonderful happy and gay
its melody thrills me each time that it's played
But there is a music I can't tolerate:
The music of Rock and Roll
It gets on my nerves with its primitive beat
I'm out of the kitchen yet still feel the heat
So if You'll permit me I'd like to repeat:
I hate the contemporary sound
Well you know the music of rock and roll
won't carry a message that will bless the soul
that's right, oh, that's right
Well, it's wholly unholy it's black and white
It's like using the darkness to carry the light
and that's not right
You know that's not right
Well if there's one thing I learned in school
It's that wisdom won't come from the mouth of a fool
Living water won't flow from a solid rock
and the traffic shouldn't go when the lights says, "STOP!"
So if you want to grow in Christ
stop listening to music that just ain't right
Say "I hate rock and roll"
Say "I hate rock and roll"
And I know You hear it sweetly if it's coming from the heart
and I know those tattooed freaks could be sincere
but they don't look like Christians before they even start
and their music's far too loud for human ears
Well you know the music of rock and roll won't carry a message that will bless the soul...
It seems so shallow...
I hate the classical...
Well it's wholly unholy it's black and white it's like using the darkness to carry the light...
It sounds like broken records playing year after year...
It takes so long...
water won't flow from a solid rock and the traffic shouldn't go when the light says stop...
The melody is sweet but still I must repeat
And I know, You hear it, sweetly if it's coming from the heart
...I know, I know, I know...
4
Why would the Spirit choose three words to reveal
what kind of music to use to teach, to admonish, to heal
he said "Psalms hymns and spiritual songs"
All kinds of music so all could sing along
It takes all kinds to win all kinds
with Psalms hymns and spiritual songs
THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS, PART TWO
As I mentioned in yesterday’s podcast, the history of the church at the city of Ephesus in modern-day Turkey is going to be a focus when it comes up in the New Testament. Today, we have the second snippet of the church’s history.
There are several happenings in this chapter, so we’ll have to be brief with each part. Remember how Apollos had come to Ephesus, preaching powerfully, but with an incomplete gospel, not knowing about a baptism of the Holy Spirit? We might call that Little Problem #1.
That leads to Little Problem #2. Paul returns to Ephesus, where he meets a dozen believers who had not heard about the Holy Spirit yet, having received only the baptism of John the Baptist, who of course was gone before the Spirit had been given to the disciples. They were baptized, then Paul laid his hands on them, which was a common practice among Old Covenant priests, and of Jesus himself. They speak in tongues and prophesy. Paul stays in the city, preaching in the synagogue for the next three months.
But as has happened often, there is controversy within the Jewish community, and some Jews oppose Paul’s message. Sounds like Little Problem #3 to me. So Paul moves over to the lecture hall of Tyrannus, an impressive building with space for plenty of people. And here Paul has perhaps his longest ministry, staying two years in this arrangement. And Ephesus, being an influential city, affects the region around it, as well. All’s well, in spite of a little controversy among the Jewish community.
Now we see Little Problem #4: the Seven Sons of Sceva. Scevas was a leading priest, and his seven sons were traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. We can assume that they did so in the name of God, and that they were having some success in using their prayers and incantations. But when they got to Ephesus, they saw powerful miracles being done by Paul in the name of Jesus, and they were impressed. So on their next exorcism, they used the formula, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” The evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit attacked and beat all seven of them up, so that they ran out of the house, naked and battered.
So much to say about this story, but I’ll only ask one question from it: If I were to try such a thing, would a demon know my name? Or might that evil spirit say, “I’ve never heard of you, and I don’t have to obey what you command!” Know that in the hierarchy of spiritual power, demons are at least 7 times stronger than a human. But, thanks be to God, the name of Jesus is infinitely more powerful than that of any demon, including the prince of demons himself. And, best of all, any wholly devoted followers of Jesus tap into that same spiritual power. Just don’t try calling on the name without being fully committed to him, or what happened to the sons of Sceva could happen to you.
If you think that’s kind of scary, you are not alone. The whole city, Jews and Greeks alike, came for a spontaneous bonfire, just to burn any books of sorcery or with incantations. It turns out, many people who follow Christ also seem to have a second secret life. They want to follow Jesus and call upon his name, but they have backup plans of other sources of spiritual power. Suddenly, they realize that this is no game! The books were worth several million dollars in today’s currency. That’s a lot of side hustle for believers to engage in. In any case, they rid themselves of these forbidden things, and the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.
So Little Problem #4 was resolved, right? Well, you see, those books that had been worth several million dollars means there was some source of those books making good money. And the sellers of idols and incantation books were none too pleased to have their income disappear. They all get together and vilify Paul and the Christians, especially offended that their great temple of Artemis was being undercut. A riot broke out, to the shouts of “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” There was confusion as to what it was all about, or who the enemies were, partly because there was no sound system with technology to get the word amplified and broadcast. Anyway, a riot was breaking out. Happily, the mayor was able to quiet it down and disperse the crowd. It had been quite a day, but things are settled down for the moment.
Asking the question a different way: Does your god need you to defend it? Or is vengeance the Lord’s, and he will repay? Would you and I cause a riot because of our strong alignment with Jesus, or are we just nice people with a Bible?
THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS, PART ONE
We know more about the history of the church at Ephesus over its first hundred years of existence than we do of any other church. We get little snapshots in Acts, in Paul’s letters to Timothy, and even in the book of Revelation. Beyond the years of the New Testament itself, we even have some written records of the church in the next generation after the book of Revelation. And we know what eventually happened to the church and the city a few hundred years after that. We even have a very strong archaeological record of the city and its church.
Here in chapter 18 of Acts, we get our first small look at the founding of the congregation. Over the years, the church at Ephesus serves as both a model and a warning for us today.
The city of Ephesus stands near the west coast of what used to be known as Asia Minor (now Turkey). The city was constructed on a bend of the River Cayster, near its mouth, where it opens up to the Mediterranean Sea. It was a wealthy city, serving as an example of the height of Roman civilization and architecture. It was a cultural center, and it contained several temples for idols—most notably, “Artemis of the Ephesians,” as we shall soon see.’ Even at its beginning, the church has some doctrinal division and is tested.
Paul is returning from his second missionary journey, back to the church at Antioch in Turkey, which had sent him out a few years before. But Paul is a man on a mission, and even on this short layover on his way back home, he heads for a synagogue to reason with the Jews there.
“They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews. They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. As he left, however, he said, “I will come back later, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.”
So the first part of the story of the church at Ephesus is a very brief encounter as Paul meets with some Jews there in the synagogue. From what little is written here, we can assume that these Jewish men were not yet fully convinced about Jesus. But they were interested, and wanted to hear more from Paul.
The first year in the life of a church is important, because it sets the tone for the personality of a congregation. “What you win them WITH, you win them TO.” Will the church be zealous, conservative, loving, accepting, family-oriented, doctrinal or something else? It’s hard to know much about this church’s founding, because we are told so little about it. But what little we see might be significant. Paul went to the “synagogue to reason with the Jews.” And then he left. So we might assume that the church would be starting with a Jewish core that was somewhat “reason”-based, committed to knowing truth about Jesus as the Messiah. Hold on to that thought until tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s what came next:
Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
Apollos was a Jew, who was from another great cultural center on the northern coast of Egypt, in Africa. He was a deeply committed student of the Word and a follower of Jesus, as well as a bold preacher. But he had been a student of the early ministry of Jesus, and wasn’t up to speed on the new movements that had taken place; namely, that the Holy Spirit had been sent, that baptism for the Spirit, as well as the baptism of repentance,and the resurrection of Jesus so that he would send the Spirit from the Father for our behalf. That was all new to him.
Apollos moved on, and he was a better evangelist from this point forward. But there was still something of a mess to clean up among the followers. We will see more about it in the next chapter. In the meantime, let’s look at the wonderful response of Priscilla and Aquila to the incomplete teaching of Apollos. Notice that they recognize Apollos to be well instructed in the way of the Lord, and that he taught about Jesus accurately. So there was no need to confront him as a heretic or an enemy of the gospel. However, his message was incomplete, because he had not been caught up to speed on the doings of God since Pentecost. So they invite him to their home. What a great idea! There, possibly over a meal that they make for him, they can share with him privately, without dishonoring their new friend.
There is a time for everything under the sun, as Solomon says. There is a time for angry confrontation, severe correction, public debate and strong arguments. But this is not one of those times. This is a time for private explanation and for asking and answering questions. Well done, team!
Paul told Titus, These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. Later, he added, But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.
May you know the ways of God fully, including when and how to confront or correct. Amen.
APRIL 17 = ACTS 17
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Know your audience. That’s essential for any author or speaker or especially, as it turns out, evangelist. As any missionary could tell, part of the secret to success in sharing the gospel is to be able to say it in the other person’s language. I don’t just mean the sounds they make, but the cultural heart language of a person.
This chapter includes a couple of cultural adaptations that make a good study for us. Paul shares a brief account of Jesus with a Jewish audience, and then later in the chapter he does the same with a Greek audience of philosophers. What we find is that his approach is quite different for each group.
In a city where he could speak with an exclusively-Jewish audience, Paul’s message is summarized like this: “As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.
He starts in the synagogue.
He waits until the Sabbath.
He reasoned with them from the Scriptures. (The Old Testament)
He was convincing them about the Messiah (his suffering and resurrection)
He concludes by saying that Jesus is the Messiah.
All five of these talking points indicate that Paul is addressing a group of listeners who are Jewish. I probably don’t need to explain further, but let me know if you are not making the connection.
Later in the chapter, Paul is speaking with Athenian philosophers. To be sure, these men are coming from a very different place with their logic. They aren’t in the synagogue. They don’t observe the Sabbath, either. Sharing Scriptures would not be a wise starting point with a group that has no knowledge of the Old Testament. And they certainly are not looking for the Messiah. So all of his talking points will go in the opposite direction as they went in the Synagogue.
And now we find Paul at the Areopagus, atop a hill just outside the city of Athens talking with Stoic and Epicurean philosophers. Here is how Paul shares with them:
He starts in the marketplace, not the synagogue.
He speaks day by day, rather than waiting for the Sabbath.
He still spoke about Jesus and the resurrection.
Some of the philosophers then took Paul to the meeting at the Areopagus, atop a hill, where philosophers of all stripes were practicing their logic and listening skills.
When he begins his message, “I see that in every way you are very religious.” Their religion may have been quite varied from one another, but Paul is finding a common ground with them.
“I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. . . . and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” Rather than proving that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, he presents Jesus as the unknown god.
Now Paul must give some background information, because not everyone there acknowledges a single, all-powerful God. So he can’t start with the Athenians the same place he started with the Jews in the synagogue. He says, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.” He goes on with some basic background information about who God is and what he has done. Such background information is not needed with a Jewish audience, of course.
Now Paul begins to swing it around toward Jesus. He says, “God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.”
Then Paul does something that is even more impressive. He is so culturally aware that he supports his message with quoting a secular philosopher. He says, “As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” What a great bridge to build, crossing over to their side, so that they can follow him back again.
Soon, Paul’s message calls for repentance. But it is not repenting for having put the Messiah to death on a cross, but repenting of the ignorance of making idols and worshiping them.
When Paul introduces Jesus into the flow of his talk, he says it this way: “he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.” So Jesus is a just judge who is approved, rather than an anointed prophet.
And, sure enough, Paul finishes with talk of the resurrection. But when speaking to these philosophers, he says that the resurrection is proof of his being the judge of all the earth “He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
May you and I know how to share Jesus with each person we meet, speaking in their heart language and starting with their cultural view. Amen.
THE MYSTERIOUS WILL OF GOD
There are several amazing stories in this chapter, and they all underscore the mysterious ways of the leading of God’s Spirit.
Wouldn’t you like to know unmistakably what the will of God is for you? To know without a doubt that God sent you here, told you to say that, led you to do this? Not that it is easy–remember how we must go through hardship to follow Jesus–but it can be certain, even if it is unconventional.
Paul and Silas begin a second missionary journey. They start by revisiting a couple of cities they had been to before. The churches were strengthened in their faith and grew in numbers day by day. Must be God’s will. Then they moved on, but were not sure which way to go. Being experienced in the ways of God, they did not wait to know all–or any–of the details, other than to head north. They traveled for several days, not knowing where they were called to go; only knowing where they were NOT called to go, which was the province of Asia. Sometimes the will of God is not given as a green light (go here, do this) but rather as a red light (don’t go here, don’t do this). Somehow the Holy Spirit “prevented” them from preaching in Asia. So they kept moving, just not toward Asia. I’m guessing that Paul had it in his heart that Asia was, objectively-speaking, the next logical place for them to go with the gospel. But though his heart might have been set on it, the door was shut, at least for Paul, to be the one to go.
So they kept moving. And now they came to another red light. Don’t go north anymore. So, they were not to go east or north. And they had come from the south. West seems to be all that’s left, so they head that direction, and go all the way to the coast, where there is nowhere left to go. Had the Spirit led them to this place? Seems awkward, especially after all the signs and wonders he had been doing through them to this point. But when the flow is not there, you don’t try to push it. And you wait for clarity.
And sure enough, that very night Paul has a dream. A Macedonian man pleads with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So here is the amazing part: After that dream, “we” decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling them to preach the Good News there. Several things about this: 1. Paul has a short dream. That is enough to know it’s the call of God. Wow. 2. The others with Paul all conclude that God is also calling them to go with Paul to Macedonia, based on a dream that only one of their party had. No confirmation. No fleeces set out. Just a quick decision for the whole group to go. 3. Suddenly and subtly, Luke shifts from talking about “they” to saying “us.” He has joined the group, even though he never mentions his own name here.
Sure enough, they board a vessel and set sail by faith, knowing only one word: Macedonia. They go and stay for a bit in the town of Philippi, and while there they decide to go to the river, where they might find a prayer meeting going on among women. Sure enough, there they are. Which begs the question, was this the miraculous leading of God based on some prophecy? Or was this simply strategy for finding people, who just might be spiritual enough to have an interest and respond. And, sure enough, whether by leading or by logic, they find a woman who responds to their message right away, and she and her household are all baptized. God is good!
Then it gets confusing. They are doing their routine, when they get spotted by a girl who has a spirit of divination. In other words, she sees things in the spiritual realm through the influence of demons inside her. She calls out truth, but it is truth that was revealed by demons. It “irritates” Paul, until finally he casts out the demon. The girl is free at last! That seems a bit odd to do deliverance out of irritation. That doesn’t seem to be a mark of the Spirit of Jesus. But the result seems to show that this was God’s leading, right? And yet, it’s the very thing that gets Paul and Silas stripped, beaten and thrown into prison. Hold on! Are we still on the same page with the Holy Spirit here? God’s leading isn’t confirmed by blessing this time. What’s going on now?
Paul and Silas are undaunted by this turn of fortune. There, in spite of pain and open wounds, they pray and sing psalms until midnight. (Good thing they memorized those psalms, isn’t it? Hard to open your Bible when you are in stocks and chains.) And the other prisoners are listening. Their worship in the midst of trouble earns them an earthquake! And the doors fly open, and their chains fall off of all the prisoners! But no one escapes, because they are captivated by the worship of these two innocent men in bad circumstances. The jailer get converted because of all of them remaining. And he and his entire household are baptized that very night (remember, it’s after midnight by now).
Bottom line application from all this: How do you know you are in the right place, following the leading of the Holy Spirit? It is not because your path is smooth. It is not just because of conversions. It is not because you found it in your Bible. But there is something secret, something mysterious and mystical, and Paul and Silas seem unwaveringly willing to follow Jesus wherever he leads. Amazing!
Red lights. Green light dreams. Increasing numbers. Healing and deliverance. Beating and arrest. It’s all God’s will. Just keep going, or you will analyze yourself to death.
May you sense the Lord’s pleasure and leading today, and may you say yes to it. Amen.
BY GRACE. NO EXCEPTIONS.
You knew it was going to happen: The moment of heaven on earth has come to an end. There is division in the church, as groups arise with differing views. It’s going to split the church and hurt the cause of Christ, once this first faction arises. So it must be dealt with.
Some of the Jewish believers could not fathom the idea that Gentiles got to enter the kingdom without submitting to at least SOME of the Laws that governed the Israelites. I mean, what’s the point of thousands of years of history if it’s all going to be thrown to the wind? It simply CAN’T be that easy, can it?
And so we find some men coming to Antioch–the church that served as a model for diversity and for having Gentile members. The men are from Judea–meaning, they come from the center of the Jewish faith. And they begin teaching the believers that it is not possible for Gentiles to get in so easily. Unless you are circumcised (as required by the Law of Moses), you cannot be saved.
The teaching makes sense, if you are Jewish. The salvation bus has always been Jewish, and you can’t find any Scriptures that say the Law is going to be abolished. Jesus himself said that he had not come to abolish, but to fulfill the law. Barnabas and Paul argue vehemently with these men, but the church has not yet established a central governing authority to define denominational (oops! There’s that word!) positions. So Paul and Barnabas don’t have enough authority to command them not to teach their views any more. At this point, there are no books to make up the New Testament yet, so there is no central written authority to resolve the disagreement. Notice that the disagreement is not explicitly because people didn't love one another. You can love someone and still disagree with them. So it is, here in Antioch.
How can the church make such a momentous decision? Take a vote? No. A congregational vote is a recipe for disaster. Have you discovered why that is so? Because when you have a vote, especially a secret ballot system, you are creating two groups, which forces some to be “losers” and some to be “winners.” How long will unity prevail there? I know it’s the American way. But not so the early church, or many other churches and orders today. In the early going, they cast lots, of all things, and entrusted the outcome to God’s will, rather than to see who was most popular. A second system that works and still preserves unity, is to seek “consensus.” Or, this one uses a third option, which is to turn it over to a higher authority and submit to their decision. And now, this foundational truth sounds like a job for the apostles, who are still located in Jerusalem. So Antioch sends a delegation to Jerusalem, and the apostles discuss the topic civilly, and then submit to the final decision that James decrees.
But not without a long discussion, which Luke conveniently records for us. Another group has arisen in the city, made up of Pharisees who have converted to Christ, but who still hold certain beliefs. “The Gentiles converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.”
What evidence is admissible in this debate? Not Scripture. Not precedent. Not law or video. What they DO have is the Holy Spirit, and He will help to guide them into all wisdom. The evidence is in the experience itself. God has clearly been working wonders and doing miracles among Gentiles, the same way he did among Jews. “So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?” Someone then shared a Scripture from the psalms that predicted this moment in church history. So James makes a declaration, and the matter is settled.
There is one more disagreement in this chapter, and it is worth talking about for a moment. Paul and Barnabas split up before going on a second journey. The word for “split” is the same word in Greek as a Scripture that says the heavens will be torn asunder. Paul and Barnabas are torn apart, never to reunite. Paul takes Silas with him from now on. God can use even our mistakes and our splits and turn them into something positive for his kingdom, if we let him.
So, the church is no longer heaven on earth. But it is still the Bride of Christ, his body, and spotless and beautiful in the eyes of God. Behold, he makes all things new. Amen.
MUST WE SUFFER?
What an odd message this would be for the American church today: “We must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” Seems harsh, doesn’t it? I think that most of us who are trying to convince people to come to church are way over on the other side of that fence. We say, “Come as you are.” “A place where everyone is welcome.” “You are loved.” “Something good is going to happen to you today.”
It would be like advertising all the hard, more advanced parts of the gospel. “Don’t you dare to come without a tithe.” “God wants all of you.” “Today’s sermon: repent or die!” “Come and change.” That’s how it sounds when Paul and Barnabas encourage the new believers to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. (v. 22)
What is the context for such a counter-intuitive exhortation? To begin with, remember that Saul, now also known as Paul, had been putting Christians into prison and having them executed.
But after his conversion, Paul/Saul also experienced the other side of suffering for the good news. They had been sent out from Antioch, they came to the island of Cyprus. When they got to the city of Paphos, they met with the governor, who would soon become a believer. In the meantime, a certain man who was a sorcerer tried to argue with them and undermine their message. That led to Paul confronting him and declaring him blind for perverting the ways of the Lord.
The next town they came to, they came to the synagogue, as usual, and there they were given a request to speak. “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, come and give it.” Paul did. And as often is the case, jealous Jewish leaders stood in strong opposition to these two apostles. They slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said. The apostles turned to preach to the Gentiles. So the Jewish leaders in town “stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town.”
The same thing happened in Iconium. Great initial success in the synagogue, but some of the Jews “spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas.” A mob was coming to stone them, so the two apostles fled. And they preached the gospel elsewhere.
In the next town of Lystra, Paul healed a crippled man in the name of Jesus. The miracle was overwhelming. And it led these idol-worshiping citizens of Lystra to conclude that they were gods, and they started to make sacrifices to them. They were barely able to convince them to stop, when some Jews from the last two towns came in and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and “dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. But as the believers[c] gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.”
They made many disciples in Derbe, and then went on a whirlwind tour back home by going through the towns they had been to on the first half of their journey. That’s when they said what they did about entering the kingdom through hardships. And, I’m sure, it’s also why the people there believed it to be true. They had seen hardships.
A few years later, Paul reviewed all of his sufferings while presenting his apostolic credentials. It takes strong convictions to knowingly enter into such dangerous places and to keep you hopeful at the end of the day.
What shall we say to this challenge, church of America? If Christianity became illegal, would you still choose to follow Jesus? And if they caught you, would there be enough evidence to convict you? I find these questions to be nearly impossible to answer for me. I have strained some friendships by my stand on certain issues. I have been called Jesus Freak. But I know that I’m not one.
I wonder why I’m not enduring such strong persecution for Christ? Hmm. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I’m not converting half of a town in one week. No one would have a reason to be jealous of me and my converts.
Maybe it’s true. Maybe you really DO have to endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. May you be bold and speak the truth without compromise, being filled with the Holy Spirit when you do. Amen.
UNITY IN DIVERSITY (A MOMENT OF HEAVEN ON EARTH)
We have been talking about how the church grew, and how God’s will was made known to enlarge the circle by including God-fearers and Pharisees and Gentiles and Ethiopians. They were wealthy and connected, and they were poor and common servants, but they were one. One in heart and mind, sacrificing their time and money and energies for the common good. It was a moment of heaven on earth, even with the persecution and the challenges around them.
That’s when we come to the church at Antioch, a brief moment when the leadership of the church shaped its direction, and it is beautiful. The church had grown from twelve Galileans to an international Jewish body overnight, and now in less than a year, it had spread to much of the known world, just as Jesus had both predicted and commanded.
It brings us to a principle of principals. The principle is this: Whatever you want your church to become or grow into, model it in your up-front leadership. As the most evident example in American evangelical churches, if you are a church in a changing neighborhood and you want to reach the new group, you need to be ahead of the curve with who is on stage, who is speaking, what stories and people you use as illustrations, and so forth.
To illustrate: Latinos are increasing in our community, and we want to show them Jesus. By all means, provide translation by one means or another. Have a food pantry, if that is needed for the socio-economic center. Have after school programs or other outreach events. But if you don’t have anyone up front, or on your leadership team, all of your efforts will feel like tokenism to the people you say you want to reach. You need to change your music and even your musicians, not just provide a translation of your own songs. You must be inside the culture, not just touching the fringes of it.
Having said that, take a look at the team of prophets in Antioch. See if it doesn’t feel like God wants the church to be a multi-cultural network of house churches. The five who are mentioned are these: “Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.”
Antioch is in Syria, and was founded by the Greeks as they conquered the region. It was a main center for Hellenistic Jews (remember them? Jews who spoke in Greek during the week, and whose culture resembled more secular ideals.)
Barnabas was sent from the apostles in Jerusalem to check on the Gentile outreach at Antioch. He was a Levite (of the priestly tribe of Levites) from Cyprus (an island in the Mediterranean Sea which is a mix of Syrian, Turkish and Greek culture) who lived in Jerusalem, and was a “good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.”
Simeon (a Jewish name) has the Latin nickname of Niger (“the Black”). His name is Hebrew, so he is Jewish, and may have been from the strong Jewish presence in Ethiopia (remember the man from Ethiopia whom Philip introduced to Jesus, and how he was reading from Isaiah?). In any case, his skin was darker than most.
Lucius is a Latin name. As such, he was more likely than not a Gentile. He is from Cyrene in North Africa. Remember how a group from Cyrene had first come to preach the gospel to Gentiles in Antioch? (11:20) Perhaps he was part of that group.
Manaen is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Menahem, which means “comforter.” It says he was brought up with Herod the Tetrarch. Herod was a Roman governor who was nominally Jewish. He was the guy who put John the Baptist in prison and then to death. If he was brought up with him, it seems he had some sort of connection with government and wealth in his background.
Saul is a Jewish name, and, of course, Saul had been a Pharisee of Pharisees, being an active enemy of Jesus and a persecutor of Christians. He was from Tarsus, which was a city in western Turkey, but had lived in Jerusalem while studying under Gamaliel. After his conversion, Barnabas had introduced him to the church in Jerusalem, but there was some controversy among the believers in Jerusalem over his loyalty, based on his past behavior. So Barnabas had ushered him back to safety at home in Tarsus. But now Barnabas has gone to fetch Saul and have him join him in ministry to the Jews and Gentiles in Antioch.
Such a diverse group of prophets! I imagine that they traveled among the various house churches in Antioch, both Jewish and Gentile, and of various ethnicities. In any case, they stayed and taught there for a year.
So the stage is set for the next stage in this brief moment of heaven on earth. In the first place, the ideal moment is that the prophets and teachers were worshiping the Lord and fasting. (Did you say worshiping?) In the second place, they heard from the Lord while they were doing so. What’s not clear from the text here is whether Barnabas and Saul had already felt the call, and the church all knew what it was: to reach out and plant churches throughout the world. Or perhaps the call was just coming to everyone in that moment. Either way, it is clearly the leading of the Holy Spirit to bring them to this point.
May God grant his church today to rediscover evangelism, missions and multi-culturalism. Amen.
A PRAYER MEETING IN ACTION
Perhaps you remember when Wednesday evenings at many churches had what was called “Prayer Meeting.” I remember singing “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” and being amazed that the hymn writer spent a full hour praying—and LIKED it! On Wednesday evenings at our church, we certainly didn’t spend a full hour praying, and I couldn’t imagine liking it.
Since that time, I have experienced a few times of extended worship and prayer, and I have marveled at the insights and the “coincidences” that arise. But miracles these days are relatively rare. And even if they happen, I often scrutinize the incident to be sure I’m not being deceived in some way.
So when I read in Acts about ten days of prayer and waiting, I am especially aware that the apostolic church was living on a much higher level than the one I tend to settle for.
Maybe it’s good to get a small snapshot of a good old, old, old fashioned prayer meeting. Like the one at John Mark’s Momma’s house. It was Passover again, about a year after Jesus had been crucified. Many were gathered there for prayer, and they were going far into the night. Among other things, they were praying because the apostle James had just been killed with a sword by Herod. Less than a year into this new world, and the persecution was really getting real.
They were also praying for the beloved apostle Simon Peter, who had been thrown into prison and was likely to meet the same fate as James when he would be tried before Herod in the morning. Long into the night they travailed in prayer, asking God to deliver their brother, to change the outcome, to give him peace, to help him to be strong. On and on they went, singing a psalm, reciting a Scripture, voicing a prayer, chanting the memorized prayers of the synagogue. Then someone might share a word of insight or revelation with the group, and then they started the cycle all over again.
On and on the vigil went. Seven o’clock. Nine. Eleven thirty. No one had felt any particular breakthrough, but there was still time before the trial itself. Earnestly they kept it up. Around midnight, the atmosphere seemed to change. A wave of hope stirred in the room. But no specific revelation. So they kept at it, with a renewed vigor. “Lord, stretch out your mighty hand to deliver Peter from the hand of the oppressor!”
Some time after midnight, there came a soft, hurried knock on the door in the gate. Who could be coming at this hour? Most likely it wasn’t good, given the current situation. Well, at least the soldiers hadn’t broken the door down. Let’s keep on praying, but in softer voices. A twelve-year-old girl, Rhoda, who was a servant to a family in town, quietly got up to take a peek and see who or what was there.
Suddenly, Rhoda laughed and came running back into the middle of the room. “Peter is standing at the door!” she cried.
Some laughed. Some cried. Some prayed. More than a few said to her, “You’re out of your mind!” And one extra-spiritual woman suggested that “It must be his angel.” Someone else prophesied, “behold, says the Lord, I stand at the door and knock.” They went back to praying.
And the knocking continued. Did Rhoda not open the door? Is whoever it was still standing at the door and knocking? Whoever it is, they are certainly being insistent.
This time, a handful of people from the meeting went out to the door, amazed to see–care to guess who it was? Yes, you in the back, you have a guess? Pizza delivery guy? Anyone ELSE have a guess? It was PETER! Oh, it was obvious, was it?
Peter himself standing there. Peter, who was imprisoned in an underground cell with one guard on either side of him, attached by chains to each of his hands. Other soldiers stood guard at the prison gate. Four squads of four soldiers each. Nobody was thinking of a jailbreak, to be sure.
Anyway, sure enough, it was Peter himself, miraculously delivered by an angel to walk right out past the guards and make his way here to the meeting. Everyone was clamoring to get close to Peter, to hear his story, to be of help in some way.
Peter motions for everyone to quiet down, and tells the story of how he was led to open the door of his cell, and walk to this place right here. It was God’s doing, from beginning to the end.
REWRITING THE RULES: GENTILES!!
The door had been opened for Gentiles to enter the kingdom of heaven alongside Jewish believers. Praise the Lord! But every matter needs to be established at the testimony of two or three witnesses. So if the community of faith is going to include Gentiles, such a momentous change needs initial confirmation by being scrutinized and approved. That’s the positive side of this new development.
The negative side of it is that when Peter returned to Jerusalem, word had already reached the Jewish believers that Peter, the one on whose testimony Jesus is building his kingdom, has just changed one of the basic rules: He entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!
Peter goes through the whole story again. His vision, the three visitors, the Holy Spirit falling on all those in the house. He concludes with, “since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?” It was a valid question. If God himself confirmed this exception, why continue to insist on keeping the old? Is this new wine, meant for new wine skins?
“When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”” (V. 18) And so a new era was both launched and approved. It would yet need to be refined, as we may see in a later chapter.
And so, the page is turned. The door is opened. The circle is enlarged. The family has a new addition. And the next thing you know, we find the first Gentile-majority church! Believers were scattered by the persecution which Saul initiated, and they went back to their homes, or perhaps on to new places where the persecution of believers had not yet come. And when they scattered, some went to Antioch of Syria (now in southeast Turkey). Some of the believers were preaching only to Jews. But others, from Cyprus and Cyrene, began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus.
The message about Jesus comes across differently to a Gentile, you know. Most of them were not already familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures, the Law of Moses, the prophecies concerning Christ, the Roman occupation, the Messianic expectation, and so much more. So, the question will soon become, do we try to catch them up on all that they have missed, so that they can appreciate the Messianic fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth? More on that later.
In any case, “The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord. [When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith.] And many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)”
And now, rather than being (Jewish) believers, these who belong to the church at Antioch are given a new name: Christians. Christ followers. Little Christs. Amen.
DID YOU SAY GENTILES?!
Today we are reading one of the most detailed accounts of the Holy Spirit working in the early church. He appears to Cornelius in a daytime vision. This is especially significant because Cornelius is a Roman centurion who was a God-fearer, but clearly was a Gentile. Not that God never spoke to Gentiles in a dream, but this is a vision from an angel calling him by name! (Notice how often God has called to someone using their name?) And this is aimed specifically at the salvation of Cornelius and his household.
Cornelius is a God fearer. He has prayed Jewish prayers, and has given generously to the poor. He has been as good a Jew as most Jews are. That doesn’t mean he has earned anything, but that his heart is already right with God.
The angels tells him specifics: send men to Joppa. Find Simon Peter. He is staying at Simon the tanner’s house by the seaside. He sends three God-fearing men.
Meanwhile, God is speaking to Peter. He goes up onto the (flat) roof of the house to pray. He was hungry, and the tanner was downstairs preparing a meal. But this was not just a hunger dream for peter. He sees animals, which are unclean and forbidden for him to eat, he is told to rise and eat. He says no to the invitation. Then has the vision happen two more times, and go back up to heaven.
Peter is inwardly perplexed by this confusing message. Why would God tell him to eat unclean meat? Oh, right! He said, “Do not call unclean what I have made clean.” Maybe that’s a significant detail. Why didn’t God explain himself? What is this all about?
He’s still thinking about it when the message comes from downstairs: three men are at the door, specifically asking for you by name. Could this be related to the strange vision? Hmm. Peter goes downstairs.
The men explain Cornelius’ vision. Could this be related? It must be, but how? He invites the men to stay the night and tells them he will go with them in the morning.
They enter Caesarea and go to Cornelius’ house. At this point, Peter would normally just call to him from outside his house, because a Gentile’s house is unclean. But something about the clean/unclean line has blurred in the last day for him.
He enters the house and Cornelius falls down to honor Peter. The apostle tells him to stand up, because he is a man just like him. It turns out that the house is filled with family and friends that Cornelius has invited. And Peter tells them his life-changing story. He says it’s against their laws for him to enter a Gentile home or to associate with them. But (here Peter has put the puzzle together for the first time): “God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean.” (It was PEOPLE, not animals, that God was talking about!)
So, there is Cornelius. There is Peter. And Peter begins by sharing his new insight that “God shows no favoritism.” He then delivers a 60-second presentation of the Gospel to those in the house.
Then, even as he is saying these things, the Holy Spirit falls upon all those who were listening to the message. They are speaking in other tongues and praising God. And it’s clear that this was the same thing that happened on Pentecost to the apostles and other Jewish believers. Peter and his Jewish companions are dumbfounded. In fact, they had received the Holy Spirit before they had even been baptized!
So Peter concludes, can anyone object to these people being baptized when they receive the Holy Spirit the same as we did? And they baptized the whole household of people, and stayed for several days—in the home of a Gentile (who is a BROTHER!)! They teach. They share. They fellowship. As one body in Christ.
The barrier has been broken, and it took supernatural revelation to bring it about. But the church is now, and forever, ONE BODY! This will not go without being questioned and tested, because it is such a profound change. But the answer from the Lord is, “Enlarge the circle! These people, also, are my people!”
WE ARE A FAMILY
This song was written about 30 years ago, but has been modified several times since then. This is one of the later versions, designed for congregational singing, but with a bit more of a choral setting. I believe in the value of antiphonal singing (in this case men and women echoing one another) as a means of making us aware of each person in the room. The message is very significant to me, and that's why I keep revising it, trying to get it just right. Hope it encourages you.
All of us live in Christ together
None of us alone is complete
Each of us brings a gift to the others
Each of us carries a piece
All of us need all of us
The best of us needs the rest of us
No, None of us has it all together
but together we have all we need
We are the family of God
We are the body of Christ
Born of the Spirit of life
United in love
We are a household of faith
Built as a temple of prayer
Working together in hope
United in love
*(I apologize for the singing. That's all layers of me, as a placeholder for others to learn the part.)
WELCOMING A PHARISEE INTO THE FAMILY?
We recently saw the introduction of a young and zealous Pharisee named Saul, who was an enemy of Christ. As far as I can tell, Saul had been there in Jerusalem for most of the time of the ministry of Jesus. He heard about the miracles, and he certainly knew about the teachings of rabbi Jesus in the temple area, no doubt about the cleansing of the temple, and likely he was even there for the trial at the home of the high priest, and mocking Jesus while he hung on the cross. Now we find him in the midst of him actively chasing down Christians to have them punished. It is easy to see how Saul would look back on his life and call himself, “the chief of sinners.”
In the north wall of the city of Jerusalem today, there is an ancient gate called the Damascus Gate. It was through that same gate that Saul passed on his way to persecute Christ in Damascus, a city about 136 miles north. And while he traveled that road, nearing the city of Damascus, Jesus appeared to him in a blinding light. He called Saul by name. Told him that he was “Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” And Saul the Pharisee had his whole world turned upside down in a moment. Jesus told him where to go, and Saul fasted and prayed for the next three days, trying to figure out what to do with this dramatic turn of worldview. Perhaps Jesus revealed to Saul how much he would suffer persecution himself for his name’s sake, and maybe the Lord was simply silent, allowing Saul to work through all this drama. Either way, apparently Saul needed some soak-in time. And Jesus kept the young man blind for those three long days.
The third day, Jesus appeared to Ananias, a believer there in Damascus. Ananias hears his name called out, and gives the perfect response: “Here I am.” He told him to go and pray for him to receive his sight. He told him Saul’s name, and even the address of where he was staying, what he had seen, and what Ananias was to do. Ananias has one important clarifying question: “Isn’t this the man who is persecuting your followers everywhere he goes?” Ananias had perhaps heard that Saul was on his way to the city, and he and the church there were preparing themselves for the onslaught that Saul had threatened.
But Jesus assures Ananias that Saul has a changed heart, and that he needs someone to lay hands on him, heal him, pray for him and send him on his way. So Ananias seeks no further clarification, hesitates no more, but simply goes in obedience to the call. Sometimes it works that way—we risk it all on the Lord.
Ananias arrives and declares the gospel to Saul, and then asks him why he hesitates to be baptized, washing away his sins. Upon hearing this, Saul is baptized and begins a new walk with the Holy Spirit as his guide. Saul stays in Damascus, now persuading people for the other side! In fact, I love that it says he was “proving that Jesus was the Christ.” This guy, Saul, who had been such an enemy of Jesus, nonetheless could not dismiss what he remembers of the teachings that he had heard, the evidence of the risen Christ.
And now Saul becomes the persecuted, rather than the persecutor. He becomes a follower of Jesus, and needed help to escape by the local brothers. He then moves to Jerusalem and speaks boldly to the leaders there.
The brothers there in Jerusalem were afraid of him. Understandably so. I mean this is where he had been putting members to death.But Joseph, called Barabbas, which means “son of encouragement,” introduced Saul around, and soon they all trusted Saul as a full brother. They even protected him and sent him back home to Tarsis to save him from the police. Considering what enemies the Pharisees were to the church, it is miraculous that someone like Barnabas comes along! And yet, when Jesus called, they all left everything for an even better future.
So let’s try some application:
Who is a modern day “Pharisee” in your opinion? What are you doing with those Pharisees in the modern church? How can we follow the example of Saul and Barnabas if we were to move as boldly as they did?. Who in your circle would you say are like Ananias and Barnabas today. What can you and I learn from this jam-packed chapter of Scripture.
May we all love well, risk well, and preach well. Amen.
WELCOMING SAMARITANS INTO THE FAMILY
You might have noticed that the first multitude that came to Christ back on the day of Pentecost were described as “God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.” Other translations call them “devout men.” As you may recall, Jerusalem had so many visitors that week because it was the time of the feast of Pentecost.
And so the church began, growing from a group of a dozen men, all from Galilee, to a multitude of 3000 souls from every nation under heaven (15 nations are mentioned as being among the crowd of listeners when Peter spoke). The church was all of one heart and one mind, to be sure. Yet it seemed to be widely diverse, at least in their languages. God had truly reversed the division of language just as surely as he had caused it back at Babel.
Widely diverse? Yes, they were. At least, they were diverse as long as you are only measuring language. Their unity had been real, but their diversity was actually somewhat lacking, in that everyone there was a devout, practicing Jew.
Then came the first test of unity: Hellenistic Jews. Jews who were in the city for the feast of Pentecost, who spoke Greek and lived a more secular-appearing culture. The real test of unity occurs when people from different backgrounds try to live in complete agreement..
That unity was about to be tested again here in chapter 8. One of the twelve, Phillip the Evangelist, had just baptized an official from Ethiopia, and now found himself going to the region of Samaria, where Jewish practice had been compromised many generations ago. What would the Holy Spirit do among these outcasts and strangers?
The short answer is that the Spirit would say, “Make the circle bigger! Include those Samaritans who are not already committed Jews. There’s plenty of room in the family!”
Phillip found himself in the spiritually-barren wilderness of Samaria. So, he preached there. And people responded there,too. Imagine it: Samaritans coming to faith in Christ!
The apostles decided to send Peter and John to Samaria, where they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Who would have seen that coming? John, the brother who had urged Jesus to send fire and brimstone down on a Samaritan village that slighted them, sent to Samaria to bring them the Holy Spirit! And so the church grew.
We may aspire to have a magnetic fellowship, inclusive and open to any who genuinely seek the Lord. But there is a price to being open like that. Can we pray together as of one mind? Can we invest ourselves into a disabled individual to bring him full healing in Christ? Can we then speak boldly to teh religious leaders who stand in opposition to us? Can we pray earnestly for boldness to preach and work signs and wonders? Can we live in such a way that we have everything in common, and no one claims that items are their own? Can we confront those who lie to the Holy Spirit, and resolve conflict among us? Then maybe we will be ready for the next step, which is to begin to reach out to the marginalized, who are of a different heritage than ourselves.
May the Lord shape us into such a magnetic fellowship that foreigners receive the Holy Spirit from our hands. Amen.
WHAT IS AT YOUR FEET?
“The witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.” (v.58)
He was there that day. He never threw a rock. But he saw it all, nodding his approval, shouting his venom. But he was too young to throw a stone, so he helped in a small way by keeping safe the coats of the executioners.
Saul had come to Jerusalem from his home in Tarsus some 350 miles to study under the revered teacher Gamaliel. He had recently completed his training, and he had been appointed and ordained to begin his vocation as a Pharisee. His life was in order. Except for this one thing. And it was consuming him.
On this matter young Saul departed from the ways of his mentor and teacher, Gamaliel. The old man had grown soft in his waning years. But not so his student. Saul was filled with growing rage at this new movement of followers of Jesus, that itinerant preacher from Nowheresville in Galilee. Nothing good can come from Nazareth. Everyone knew that. But this man was more than just a traveling motivational speaker. He created a powerful magnetic pull by his many teachings on grace, his railings against the (ahem!) Pharisees, and especially those miracles and wonders that he did. It all only served to make Jesus more dangerous, the way he disrespected the nation, the Pharisees, and the Law itself. Especially the way he insulted the very group to which Saul had always aspired to attain. Could this man be the Christ? Of course not! He insulted the most honored council in all of Judah, said that God was his Papa, and was turning the whole world upside down. He deserved what he got. He had it coming, that’s for sure. Good riddance, You Nazarene.
And now, here was Stephen. Lecturing the leaders on the history of God’s dealings with Israel. And then suddenly interrupting his needless talk and he turns on the crowd of holy men, yelling, “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!” Stephen finished his speech with these fighting words, making him worthy of death: He said, “And now you have betrayed and murdered him–you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”
This is the third time this week that the Pharisees have been guilty of crucifying Jesus. Peter had presented a whole shopping list:
“You handed him over to be killed.
You disowned him before Pilate.
You disowned the holy and righteous one
and asked that a murderer be released to you.”
He had said very similar things back on the day of Pentecost.
Talking about Jesus again: “Whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.”
And now come these scathing words from Stephen.
And so, Saul stands with the coats piled up around his feet.
What was it Gamaliel had said? If it is from God, nothing will be able to stop these men. Well, young Saul decides that he has been on the sidelines long enough. It is time for action! He will step out, to be found mowing down Christ followers. Saul the Pharisee will help to put some fear of God in this group that some have come to call The Way. And God will have his day once again. Saul would see to it himself. He will round these heretics up, and they will all tremble in fear at the mention of the name of Saul of tarsus. Because when Saul comes to town, heads will roll.
He hadn’t done anything wrong yet, according to Gamaliel. He was just letting it happen.
Let me ask: Do you have anything at your feet? Any silent permissions for sin in others? Any passive participation in wrongdoing?
To the one who knows what is right to do, and doesn’t do it, to him it is a sin. Any sins of omission in your life? What coats are at your feet?
If you are not a peacemaker, then you are a peace breaker. If you are not bringing yourself and others closer to God, then you are backsliding. If you allow violence, disrespect and crime to flourish in your town because you don’t want to get involved, then coats are piling up at your feet.
No, they aren’t YOUR coats. The coats belong to someone else. But there is a reason they are here, and not somewhere else, isn’t there? You are endorsing evil by saying nothing. As the saying goes, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,”
There is only one way out of this: Repent! Repent and take action for Jesus, rather than letting actions against him go on around you.
Ready? Let us flee to the cross and lay down our burdens there. Only then can seasons of refreshing come.
THE FIRST CHURCH CONFLICT
Well, it was great while it lasted, wasn’t it? Unity. Love. None needy. None greedy. All of one heart and mind. Heaven on earth. Church, the way it was supposed to be.
I have often said that the church would be a great place to work, if it weren’t for the people. That’s my secret joke, because the church IS the people, of course. And “church” and “conflict” go together like “pizza” and “cheese,” or maybe like “sermon” and “boring.” (I can say that now that I am preaching every week!)
So, what happened to the peace? The church was growing by leaps and bounds, and miracles were happening, the Holy Spirit had control, and everyone was hitting on all cylinders. Here’s how Luke introduces it:
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
We must understand what Luke means by Hellenistic Jews. Jews are a particular ethnic and religious group of people. Children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. One of the twelve tribes (two tribes are left by this point in history). They read the Hebrew Scriptures and they speak in Hebrew (or Aramaic, which is like an old version of yiddish). They are the chosen ones, set apart unto the Lord to be His people.
But some of those Jewish people need or choose to function in the secular culture, where the primary language for most people is Greek. So when these Jews go to the marketplace, and everyone is speaking Greek, they join in, for expediency’s sake, if nothing else. They still participate in synagogue and in the temple just like every Jew does. But they might dress and talk like a Gentile during the week. And you know how the slippery slope works, don’t you? You let a little pragmatism creep in, and next thing you know you are living a compromised, idolatrous life, just like the Samaritans or Galileans. Best to stay away from cultural compromise. They act like Reformed Judaism, rather than Orthodox Jews.
I know, that’s a lot to assume out of someone just because they speak a common trade language. But you can never be too careful, you know. They are like the church people who sing the hymns and quote in King James English on Sunday morning, but during the week you’ll find them listening to secular music, soaking in electronic entertainment, eating and drinking like pagans, and in general compromising with the world. So, they are not to be trusted.
One aspect of Jewish culture back in that day is that they were very focused on honoring their father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise: that it may go well with you and you will live long on the earth. It was already built into Jewish culture to take care of the widows in the community, so in the early church it was perfectly natural to care for these honorable saints.
But the Jewish believers had suspicions about the Greek-speaking Hellenists. They weren’t opposed to them, as such. But they did overlook the Hellenistic widows in the food line. So a murmuring arose. That’s what the Greek word sounds like. Some gossip, some complaining, some arguing, it was all arising, until after a little while the word got to the apostles. There is complaining in our midst!
How would you deal with the division in your congregation? Many preachers will deliver a sermon on the topic, trying to persuade certain people through their presentation. But what happens when the most egregious among them happen to not be there that particular Sunday? And what happens when they hear you, but they don’t change? What next?
Well, happily, the church in Acts 6 was still being led by the Holy Spirit, so the apostles called a meeting involving both parties. They learned firsthand about the neglect and the grievances among the Hellenists. And they announced their decision.
Remember, up to this point, people gave their gifts and “brought the money to the apostles’ feet, and they distributed it to anyone as they had need.” So the twelve said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.” Waiting on tables was not beneath them. They had already been doing so every day. But you can only be in so many places at once. So it was time to give this over to those who were more available.
They went on: “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
I love that the twelve knew their attention needed to be in prayer and in the ministry of the word (preaching and teaching). I also love that they required certain qualifications for these people who were simply going to be waiting on tables or doing door dash. They needed to be known (by those who know them) to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.
And so seven men were brought forward who met those qualifications. The apostles prayed and laid their hands on them. Today, we might assume that these men were “deacons.” That means those who serve.
In any case, tragedy and church splits were avoided that weekend. And the Greek widows were taken care of at last.
By the way, I think it is no coincidence that the names of all seven of these men were NOT “jewish” names, but were Greek names! Let the representatives from the neglected group be the ones who will best attend to their own.
Wisdom over splits. Round one goes to Jesus.
WE MUST OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN
There are famous hypothetical dilemmas of ethics, in which the situation seems to make the participant question their guiding principles. You are in a life raft and three people are dying of hunger and thirst; who would you eat first? Your kidnapper forces you to shoot either a stranger or your wife; who would you shoot? You are in a prison camp and you must steal in order to eat. Would you commit suicide in order to protect your family?
The Jewish high council was trying to contain this new Jesus movement, to put a stop to the rapid growth of the message of a risen Christ. They had already arrested Peter and John and questioned them. Then they charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered, “You must judge whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God. For we cannot help but speak of what we have seen and heard.” In other words, they must obey God, rather than men. The Jewish leaders ought to know about such choices, don’t you think? They had to make them all the time with Rome. Indeed.
So, they further threatened them and let them go. And the church only became more bold and continued to grow in spite of their lockdown. It was only getting messier for the Jewish leaders.
Now the high priest and the Sadducees are filled with jealousy, so they arrest Peter and John (again) and put them in the public prison, ready to bring them to trial the next morning. During the night, the Lord released them and told them, “Go.” “Stand.” and “Tell.”) Go to the temple. Stand right there in the crowd. And Tell the Good News about Jesus. And so, Peter and John obey the Lord’s command to Go, and they Stand, and they Tell.
The council brings them back again. And for the second time in as many chapters, the council speaks a warning: “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” Acts 5:28
What would you do in that moment? What would I do? I know that as a people pleaser I would try to find some compromise, would apologize in some way for being so firm in my words, and would tell them that I will back off and stop offending them. It’s hard for me to imagine speaking any other way to an authority figure who is so confrontational.
But how did Peter respond to the moment? He answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
The Jewish leaders certainly must understand this principle of obeying God rather than men. They have faced it before, many times. And yet, what they claim God is saying to them seems so backwards to them. They are used to thinking that they stand on God’s side in this and every matter.
Gamaliel calms them down and convinces them to let the men go, and see whether or not it is God who is providing these words. They agree to his test. But just to be sure, before they let Peter and John leave, they beat them one more time, with another warning.
Do you know yet what you would do? The ethical question seems easy enough to answer: Obey God, rather than men.
But isn’t it God who places all authorities in their positions? So, as Paul tells the Romans, “Submit to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” If this is true, then there should never be a true choice that you have to make between obeying God and obeying men. So do not be too hasty to make yourself into a martyr and continue to stir up trouble. Don’t stir up trouble, that is, unless God has told you otherwise. Then you must obey God, rather than men.
May you always obey God. May you obey earthly authorities as long as you are able. And may you have the wisdom to know the difference.
In Numbers 6, God tells Moses the words that Aaron and his sons can use to bless the people of Israel. A couple of years ago, I tried my hand at writing a tune that could work with both Hebrew and English texts and then recorded it. May these words be true for you.
May the Lord God Adonai
Bless you and keep you
May the Lord God Adonai
Make His face to shine on you and show you His grace
May the Lord God Adonai
Lift up His face toward you and give you peace.
HOW TO PRAY FOR OUR ENEMIES
There is a special category for some of the psalms, called imprecatory psalms. Psalms that are vindictive in their tone. They do not take vengeance, for vengeance is mine I will repay says the lord. However, they do ask God to take his righteous vengeance on enemies. They are honest, candid psalms, and i appreciate their sentiment. Because when we are wronged and hurt by someone, we want to express our anger, even in our prayers. For example:
Psalm 3:7 “Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.”
Psalm 69:22-28 Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. . . . Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.
However, at least when being persecuted for the cause of Christ, this chapter shows a very different response. Peter and John had been arrested and taken before the high counsel, then threatened and warned before being released. Then Peter and John gathered with the church, which was still in its infancy, and they prayed in response to the situation. But here is what they prayed:
Acts 4:29-31 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Rather than asking God to take vengeance on their enemies, they pray for boldness, that they will be able to keep proclaiming the truth in spite of the opposition. Where’s the beef?
I once heard someone speak to the church before he was deployed with the Army to be in a dangerous place. He said, if you want to know how to pray for me, you can pray for my safety if you wish, but really what I want is for you to pray for the success of the mission.
That’s what the church was praying in this passage. Not for vengeance or justice. Not even for safety and health. But for the success of the mission. Pleading with God to work miracles, to fill them with boldness and to help them succeed in passing on the name of jesus.
And as reinforcement of the wisdom and spiritual discernment of this prayer, the Lord responded to their prayer in a powerful way: Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Lord, let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray for the success of your work on earth, rather than to pray for vengeance or even for safety.
Jesus said that if someone strikes you on the cheek, turn and offer him the other one as well. It’s not the way our flesh naturally responds to unjust persecution. But if our job is to prepare the way of the Lord, then persecution is nothing more than an extra layer of conviction for us.
Jesus taught us to pray, “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” And then he followed up on the topic after his model prayer by saying that if we don’t forgive others, we cannot ask God to forgive us. And he told us to bless those who curse us. To bless, and not to curse. And to pray for those who misuse us.
May the Lord grant you strength and love, grace and peace, forgiveness and joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
WHAT I HAVE I GIVE
Peter and John were on their way to the temple, because it was about 3:00 in the afternoon—the hour of prayer. There were three hours of prayer each day—sunrise, mid-afternoon and sunset. The prayers mostly consisted of a series of memorized prayers, each of which opened and closed with blessing God for one of his actions or attributes.
One of those prayers said this: “Heal us, Adonai, and we shall be healed. Save us and we shall be saved. For You are our praise. Bring complete healing for all of our ailments because God, King, a faithful and compassionate healer are you. Blessed are you, Lord who heals the sick of his people Israel.”
The words were prayed every day, and devout Jews truly meant the words. Peter and John were on their way to say that very prayer. And yet, there was this man just outside the gate, begging for alms from those who prayed for his healing. But he had been paralyzed from birth, and nothing had ever changed. Not even Jesus the Nazarene stopped to heal him. The man, no doubt, had wondered over and over, had he sinned, or had his parents, to make him paralyzed from birth. But there was no answer, no healing, no hint that God saw and knew and cared and had the power to heal him. He likely had become a skeptic after so many years of being ignored. Bitter toward the God who mocked the man’s suffering through His silence.
It was worse when he met a joyous man about a year before. The man said that he had been born blind, and the disciples had asked Jesus whether he had sinned, or his parents had sinned, in order to make him blind from birth. But Jesus had said it was neither. Said that he was blind for the glory of God. And then Jesus healed him, right then and there.
Why him and not me? Why is God ignoring my cries for help? But God was not ignoring this man. And the man was about to discover just how much the God of Abraham was aware of his condition.
He caught Peter’s eye and then turned his gaze downward, according to custom, as he stuck out his palm and he asked for an alm. And this is what Peter did say:
“Look at us!”
Before Peter said his famous line, he declared this command. He was saying, Don’t miss this! Don’t think that you have reached the end. Pay careful attention to what I’m about to say, because the very way that you think about God, and your relationship to him, is about to explode. Are you watching? Here it comes:
“Silver and gold have I none.”
So far, that sounds like an excuse for ignoring the man’s request. But it was true. He had no money. But Peter did hold something far greater than what money could buy.
“But such as I have give I thee.”
What a challenge for we who follow Christ today. I have no money, but I will give you what I have. I would expect something like, “God bless you” or “Have this stick of gum from my pocket” or “Here’s a pamphlet explaining how Jesus wants you to change your wicked ways” or “Come and drag yourself to the hour of prayer and we’ll tell you how to be truly happy.” But Peter has something far more valuable to offer. He is saying, I am not being selfish or greedy. I genuinely have no money. But I can tell that your needs go far beyond what a small coin or two will cure. So, I will give you what I DO have:
“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I say to you, get up and walk.”
Then Peter reaches out his arm and extends his strong right hand to help the man to his feet. And, just like that, the man’s world is turned upside down.
He is healed instantly, and sees that God really DOES care for Him. So the man is walking and leaping and praising God, and he continues to cling to Peter and John as they make their way to the temple as planned. But this trip to the temple does not draw attention away from the prayers! No, it actually helps to guide the pray-ers themselves, creating a physical and intellectual answer to their prayers.
Soon, we are going to see how the believers were all together and shared everything in common. We are going to see how the world responded to them, saying behold how they love one another. We will see them sell property and give that money to the group, to be distributed to those in need. We will see them share food together from house to house, with glad and sincere hearts, and distribute the food daily to those who are in need. And the Lord adding daily to their numbers those who were being saved.
Perhaps our church is not growing like the early church, with the corps of believers being of one heart and mind, because we are not being as radically committed to one another.
Generosity. Hospitality. That’s what marked the early church. May it mark the church again today. Amen.
WHAT HAPPENS IN BAPTISM (WHY BE BAPTIZED?)
When asked what his listeners should do, Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, for the forgiveness of your sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The word for baptize means to plunge, to dip or to immerse in water. So Peter is telling the people to be plunged under the water and then brought back up again, symbolically joining Christ in his death and also his resurrection.
I understand that when the King James Version was being written, the church was practicing infant baptism, in which a baby was sprinkled with water, not immersed in it. So when they came to this verse, they knew it would be awkward to say “repent and be immersed,” if that was not their practice. Instead, they transliterated the Greek word baptizo and thus invented a new word that had no inherent meaning: baptize.
Peter’s Jewish audience that day were well familiar with the practice of dunking in water. There were multiple baptistries in Jerusalem, in which people would dunk themselves in water as a means of purifying themselves before they would enter the Temple grounds. Some of those in-ground tiny pools are still there, having been uncovered in recent years. Baptism for them was a ceremonial washing to purify the worshiper, and it was done by baptizing yourself, you might say.
John the Baptist had taken baptism to another level when he offered a baptism of repentance. And this is subtle: baptism was presented in passive voice: Be baptized. You don’t immerse yourself. You allow someone else to do that. It was also not a big step to modify the meaning of baptism from a purifying of the body and soul, to a baptism of repentance. But John said, “I indeed baptize you in water, but one is coming after me who will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.” So John predicted that Jesus would come and provide the ultimate meaning for the practice of baptism: a baptism that is more than physical. It is a spiritual immersion. So this is what Peter means when he tells his listeners to repent and be baptized . . . And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Peter and the other apostles, as well as the 120 who were together, knew well the experience of a spiritual new birth through being baptized in the spirit. It had just happened to them. In fact, the reason the crowd had gathered in the first place was because there had been a sound of a mighty rushing wind, and they had come running to see what it was. (The word for “spirit” is the same as the word for wind.) What they saw when they got there was all of these believers in Jesus speaking in their own language, and all were speaking of the great things of God. Likely the miracle of these Galileans (with a reputation for being backwards and uneducated) speaking in their own language was intriguing at the very least. For those who had ears to hear, it was the first of many signs and wonders from the Lord to confirm the message of the story of Jesus.
We, too, are told to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sin. This is the familiar baptism of John. You might say that John was the last of the Old Testament prophets, for the resurrection of Jesus had not yet happened, and the new spiritual layer of meaning for your individual baptism had not been fulfilled. Until this day. And now, there it was. And they who were baptized received the Holy Spirit. As Peter said, “This promise is for you and for your children, as well as those who are far away, as many as the Lord calls.” And so here I am, a Gentile half a world away, almost 21 centuries later, receiving that same promise at my baptism as they had. The Holy Spirit.
It would be wise to clarify the role of baptism in salvation. We are told that we are saved by grace through faith, or by faith through grace. Our faith and God’s grace combine to offer forgiveness. But to enter into this new relationship with God requires a bigger commitment to life change than Israel had known. This was more than a washing. More than a statement about repentance. It was the moment of the gift of the Holy Spirit. When we die, are buried with Christ in baptism, we are then raised to walk in the newness of life. It is a gift which had been unknown to this point in history.
Let me clarify: Baptism might be the moment of salvation and forgiveness, as we join him on he cross. It may be the MOMENT of salvation, but it is not the MEANS of salvation. We declare in baptism that the burial of Jesus is also the burial of my own sinful self. So it seems that faith comes first, which we solidify when we confess it. Then comes repentance, which is usually accompanied by the outward expression of baptism. Two attitudes: believe and repent. Two actions: confess and be baptized.
May you know the experience of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit, this day and always. Amen.
WAITING FOR POWER
The book of Acts is an historical account, as are the Gospels. But Acts sort of picks up where the Gospels end, with the Commission and the Ascension of Jesus. It then continues the history of the early church for the next several years, mostly following the ministry of Peter, and then of Paul. Notice that it begins with mention of “the first book” and of Theophilus. If that sounds familiar to you, it is because the book is a continuation of the gospel of Luke, and he opens his Gospel account writing to the same audience.
Luke actually appears in the book in a subtle way, when he sometimes refers to “we” instead of “they” or “he.” So he is still the historian, doing a careful account of the work of God, but this time he is one of the eyewitnesses himself. And though he does not identify himself by name, scholars are confident that he is the author of both books.
So, you may ask, why are Luke’s two books not placed back-to-back? Why is John placed between Luke and Acts in the order of the Bible books? The short answer is that Luke is one of the synoptics, and John was written later and is a different approach to the story of Jesus. So Luke is included with Matthew and Mark, and John is placed after the synoptics. Then chronologically comes Acts. There you go.
The next question you might be asking is why it is called Acts. That word is not really in the book. And these are not written as in acts of a play or something. You might say that the one-syllable title is a short way of saying that the book contains the “Actions of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles.” you might say it. But you don’t need to. Because I just said it myself. And there it is.
Today in chapter one we find Jesus saying that the twelve (and other witnesses) were not to leave Jerusalem, “but to wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. . . . You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” A few verses later, He says “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses . . ..” And then Jesus leaves. And the disciples stay. And they meet. And they wait. They don’t witness. They wait. They don’t preach. They wait for power. What would that power look like? How would they know if it had come? Would it be gradual or sudden? Jesus didn’t say. He just said to wait. Wait until.
And so, they waited. This is amazing to me, but they all waited for ten long days. Imagine. Ten days! After a few hours, I’d be thinking, is that a tingling sensation in the back of my head? Is this the power? After a day or two, I’d be getting antsy, certainly wondering how I would know. But ten days! That’s a long time to be patient and wait for something you can’t predict. Especially for 120 people to all remain and wait together.
So, what did they do while they waited? Play some video games? Watch some TV? Play some card games? Luke doesn’t mention any of those actions. But he does say that they were devoting themselves to prayer, with one accord. (And notice that Jesus’ brothers are back. Now they are believers, too!)
After some days (days!) of praying, Peter called a business meeting. Because, you know, it was church, after all. He had been reflecting on Scripture and remembered the phrase “let another take his office.” Remember, the Holy Spirit had not yet descended on Peter and the others. So we don’t yet have the assurance that this was a Spirit-directed idea of Peter’s. Maybe God intended for the Scriptures to be fulfilled later, by Paul. We’ll never know. But Peter’s proposal led to two men being brought forward who met the criteria. And then, of course, everyone voted for their favorite and the one with the most votes was counted as one of the twelve. No? They didn’t vote? No. They prayed and cast lots. Threw dice. Drew straws. Played rock paper scissors. It doesn’t say what kind they used, but they gave God two options: A or B. No third option of “neither one! Wait for Paul!” Again I say we’ll never know. But this drawing lots was a common practice, and Proverbs tells us that every decision, even of lots, is controlled by the Lord. So Matthias was added to the twelve.
Then they went back to waiting. And waiting. And praying. Would their prayers bring about the Spirit sooner? Could they hasten the Lord’s timing? If not, then why pray at all? That’s what is mysterious and essential about prayer. Sometimes prayer makes God do things in response. And sometimes prayer is how we get our hearts ready for what God is about to do.
As it turns out, it was the latter. Chapter two opens with “when the day of pentecost had arrived.” Other translations say when it had fully come. God wasn’t going to send the Spirit two days before Pentecost, or even just a few hours ahead of time. Wait until the fullness of time. And then . . .
As my Mom said to me about being ready to marry, “You’ll know when you know.” Yeah. She was right. There was no doubting if the moment had arrived! The power that Jesus promised came!
But that’s in chapter two.
PETE’S ORDINATION
by now it prob’ly ain’t no surprise that the first pope weren’t elected by a congress a Card’nals, with pomp n circomefrence, announced to the cheers of thousands in St. Peter’s Square. Fact, he shore had no idea at the time that he was “Saint Peter” himself. He was back to bein Sy Johnson, local fisherman, fallen failure of a follower a Jesus.
Jesus had showed Himself twice—both times on Sundays—n toad us to head on back to Gal’lee n wait for Him there.
now, Gal’lee ain’t a big place, unless’n you’s lookin for a Man what only shows up about once a week. where would He be? Capernaum? on the hillside near Bethsaida where Jesus gave that famous sermon a His’n? maybe the hill where the 5000 was fed? Naz’reth? Mount Tabor, where He was transfiggered? near the shore, where we first got callt to be fishers a men?
since Pete had the boat, we all went where he did. N he went back home to Capernaum. After a couple a long, awkward days, Pete up n says, “I’m goin back to fishin.” like a line a little ducklings, we all say, “we’ll go, too.” n we all waddle down to the water n pack in the boat early in the mornin, then head out into the fog.
Pete ain’t been talking much ever since the whole denial incident, n none of us knows how to snap him outa his funk. But out here, in this familiar place, the quiet of the early morning fog in his boat on Lake Gal’lee, the words begin to come out.
i ask him, “whatcha thinking, Pete?”
“dont call me Pete no more, Boomer John. Jesus callt me that when He trusted me to be a Rock. I ain’t no rock. I denied Him. Call me Sy.”
i let that have some soak time, then quiet-like, I say, “whatcha thinking, Sy?”
“I’m thinking how much this is like the day He first called me. Remember how we’d been fishin all night? nothin.”
(let me add here that it ain’t a proud moment to admit you been outsmarted by a fish. Specially when your livin depends on me bein able to outsmart something with a brain no bigger’n you’re thumbnail.)
Pete—Sy—slowly unfolds the story. How Jesus borrowed the boat to preach. How when he was done, he told Sy to push out to the deep n let down the nets. How Sy (always quick to speak up) started to argue with Him. Clearly, Jesus don’t know nothin about fish. Fish ain’t close enuff to the surface to catch em out there in mid-day.
Sy says, “but there was sumthin authoritative in Jesus’ eyes. I stopped in mid-complaint, and says, ‘but if you say so.’ seems so long ago, when I last done what He said.”
he sorta faded out for a spell, reflectin on that day, how in the most unlikely of places, we all had the biggest catch of our lives. I know what he’s thinking, though. While Boomer Jim n me is heppin Andy with the fish, Sy stops his work to fall at Jesus’ feet and says, “depart from me, Lord, for I is a sinful man.” (guilt n shame ain’t never been far below the surface in ol Pete’s life.)
Sy picks up the story again: “He told me not to fear. Told me i’ll larn to catch men. Changed my name right then n there to Pete. Like i’d be somebody solid. Yeah.”
“I’m Rocky, al’right. My walk is rocky, at best. Inconsistent. Impulsive. Poor leader. Worse foll’wer.”
wellsir, the whole while Pete’s talking, the boys is silently castin nets, gatherin nets, castin n gatherin, castin n gath’rin, real quiet. N never once do they catch a thing. Sumthin’s beginning to feel familiar about this.
the fog’s beginning to clear, n we see a man on the shore, with a little fire built nearby. We’re a ways out, so it’s hard to make out much, but over the expanse a water, the Man calls out, “got any fish, boys?”
we-all take stock of one annuther. All thinking the same thing: everybody’s a comedian. Pete uses his polite, sarcastic voice: “no, we ain’t ‘got any fish!’
then the tiny Man in the distance shouts a suggestion: “try the right side of the boat. You’ll find you sum!” that’s just crazy. Nobody from that far away can see no fish to . . . Hold on. Sumthin about His confidence. Could it be . . . ?
we drop the nets off the stern side, n instant-lack our nets is full of one of the biggest catches, since . . .
i says, “it’s the Lord!” I was always quicker to see stuff than Pete was. But Pete was always better at bein impetuous. He throws on his cloak n before I can say, “Pete, you can’t swim worth a lick!” he jumps outa the boat. N sinks like a rock. Then he sputters to the surface, n somehow manages to swim—yep, I said Pete done swum—all the way to the shore, which was about 200 cubits away. Outa sheer willpow’r n stubbornness, or miraculous healin, i’ll never know. The rest of us stay n struggle with the net.
shore nough, it’s Jesus. Already cooked some fish for us all. He don’t even know how to fish! He don’t NEED to know—the fish come to Him.
Pete heps us drag the net ashore, n then he comes back to Jesus. I can tell he wants to say it all again: “depart from me, Lord, for I’m a sinful man.” stead, he sits down to eat in awkward silence.
now, we’re all thinking how important this moment is for Pete. What’s Jesus gonna say to the man who denied Him three times? what will Jesus do to the friend who so confidently had boasted, “even if all the others desert you, I never will.” (Pete always was the competitive one. Not me. That’s why Jesus likes me best.)
Pete sits n nibbles, and waits for the hammer to drop on his sorry head.
at last, the Lord breaks the silence. Jesus says, “Simon Johnson? (d’ya want Me to call you by your ol fisherman name, Pete? hey, how’s that goin for you on your own, by the way?)
“I have a simple question for ya, Sy: D’ya still think that’cha love me more’n all of these others? more’n John? more’n all them that fled into the night? more’n you’re nets, n family, n boat, n job? would you lay down you’re life for Me? you got that kinda love for Me?”
the man formerly known as Pete pauses. What can he answer honestly? he can’t say an unqualified yes to any a them questions. He swallers hard. “yes, Lord. You know that You’re my friend. I love You like a brother.”
Jesus replies simply. “if I’m you’re friend, then take care of my lambs.”
we-all hear this conversation, n know it’s the most important thing bein said in Jesus’ whole time. Pete’s hanging in the balance here. A reflective silence hangs over all of us’n.
after a time, Jesus come back with a even more basic question: “Simon Johnson, d’ya love Me sacrificially?”
more quickly, Pete replies this time: “yep, Lord. You know I’m of You’re friend.”
“shepherd my sheep.”
in the long silence, Pete’s tryin to solve this puzzle. Jesus calling him by his old fisherman name. Yit he just showed him that Simon weren’t even good at doingthat job. Not compared to the Lord of the universe. Jesus can control nature, n Jesus had offered to teach him how to fish after men.
nobody ate. Nobody slept. Nobody talked. Nobody left. We all just layed low on the Sabbath, listenin for the sound a soldiers’ footsteps, thinking a ways to sneak outa town, whatever.
on that Sabbath day, Martyr come up with an idea, n she talks to the other women: somebody orta honor the body a Jesus, n give Him a proper send-off. Things had been so hasty n sloppy on Friday. She don’t want to say it out loud, but you know, it was men what done that preparation, n you know no man ever done a job like that proper. So her and the three Marys make a plan to take about 75 pounds a spices to do the job right. First thing Sunday mornin, before the sun comes up, they head for the tomb with their heavy loads.
they was expectin nothin, a course. They’d alreddy lost it all. But on the way, they’s talking about some practical matters: who’s gonna move that huge stone? who’s gonna break the seal? how would them four squads a soldiers react to em? would they hep, or would they block em? don’t rightly know, but this seems like the right thing to do. Overlookin whate’er fear’s in em, they keep goin.
sudden-like, there’s a violent earthquake! knocks em all down. They spill some a the spices. Get a few bruises. But they’s okay. All right, they’s now on Plan B. Petrified, but determined. Keep goin to the tomb, n see what kinda damage mighta been done.
in the early mornin light, as they arrive at the tomb, the ladies are shocked to see that all them guards—sixteen mighty men—look like they all been killt. Layin down, scattered about. What could of done this? the earthquake? marauders? grave robbers? musta been a big army of em, if so. Now the women are on Plan C. No soldiers to hep or harm.
what’s that? the tomb ain’t even sealed no more! the stone’s rolled away! Plan D. They rush in, just as the sun’s comin up, n see that the body’s missin. No body. But not nobody: there’s two men there, shiny n wearing white robes. Strong men. Strong enuf to overpower all them guards? the women are beyond petrified now.
“don’t be afraid.” says the angel. “you are seeking a livin person where dead people are kept. Jesus ain’t here. He is risen. ‘member how He told you all about how He’d be killt an on the third day He’d live again? well, it happent. Hurry and tell His disciples that He is alive!”
Plan E. No need for spices. Or to worry about the stone. Or the guards. New plan! joyous plan! confusin plan! good news, at last! the women all take off. All but one.
Mary, the Phitin Philistine, hangs back while the others run ahead. She ain’t processin all this too good yet. Somebody’s got the body of that Man she had come to love so much. Then she sees somebody there. She figgers he’s the groundskeeper or gard’ner. Maybe he’s the one that stole the body, but she’s gonna give im the benefit of a doubt in the way she asks him, “sir, if you know where He is, please tell me.”
her eyes is all clouded over, n she’s so much not expectin to see Jesus, that she don’t recognize Him right in front a her face. Jesus looks at her. Then He says her name, with a tone a voice only Jesus could have: “Mary.” the way He says it, suddenly she knows, it’s the Lord. Nobody else ever said her name like that. She runs to Him n throws her arms around His feet. Thinking she ain’t never gonna let Him go again. He had cast seven demons outa her way back, n she had followed Him ever since. Now at last He’s back, alive forever.
Jesus reaches down n stands her to her feet. “dont keep clingin to Me, Mary. I’m alive again, but I still ain’t gonna be here forever. Here’s what I wantcha to do: run n tell Pete n the others that I’m alive, n I’ll go ahead of em to Gal’lee.”
obediently, she turns to run. Jesus catches her arm, n with a catch in His voice, He says, “be sure you find Pete, will ya?” n off she runs. Finds Pete n me holed up in a dark room, hidin from the authorities.
outa breath, she says, “i seen Jesus! He’s alive! n Pete, He wanted to tell you special.”
no more words needed. Pete n me take off to the tomb. Now, I ain’t sure how to say this, but I’m younger’n Pete, so let’s just say I can run faster’n he kin. That ain’t boastin, just fact. But it’s a little detail. Boomer John outrun Pete. That’s all I’m saying. What I’m saying is, I run to the tomb n get there by myself. Stop at the door n look inside. N I believe it’s all true. He’s alive!
fin’lly, Pete come huffin n puffin to the tomb. I says, “what d’ya think, Pete?” he runs right past me into the chamber. He sees the graveclothes, still there where they had bin. Then he scritches his neck, shakes his punkin head, n walks back out. He got no idea what to think.
he emerges from the empty tomb, brushes past me, n says in a voice drippin with doubt n sadness, “i ain’t Pete.”
in the meantime, all them guards has gone to the Phar’sees to tell em what happent. The Phar’sees tell em to report to Pilate that they all fell asleep, n Jesus’ disciples come n stole the body durin the night.
the guards say they’ll be automatically killt if they fell asleep on watch. But the Phar’sees say they’ll take care of it.
all the rest of us, the disciples, both men n women, get together in a secret room, to talk this through n figger out what just happent.
dont know what happens from here. But this . . . This changes everthing.
LONGEST DAY-ANBD-A-HALF
that last twany-four hours had been the longest a my life to that point. But the next therety-six hours was even longer. By twelve hours. But what I mean is, time seemed to stand still from Friday nite all the way to Sonrise on Sunday.
from Thursday to Friday evenin, there was a turn a plot n a new activity ever few minutes, it seemed. But after Jesus was laid in the tomb, almost nothin happent. Nothin, except inside our confused heads.
soon as Jesus was laid in the tomb, the last of us boys was long gone. Run away n hide, was our bold strategy. The Marys stayed around to be shore Jesus was taken care of, n them rich men laid him in the tomb. I had to be polite n wait for Mother Mary. But otherwise, all of us had taken off, scared a some roundup by the Romans or something.
meantime, the Phar’sees go to Pilate n urge him to guard the tomb, so’s the eleven of us scaredy-cats wont steal the body. That’s about the most humorous thing that happent during that weekend, considerin how brave n bold we was long about then. We didnt even stick around to see him buried, we’s so scared n outa sorts.
so, there’s a squad a sixteen highly-trained Jew-killin Roman soldiers standin guard over the grave of a Man who never hurt a flea in His lifetime, to keep his body from bein stole by eleven men who’re hidin for their own skins. That’d be funny if it weren’t so pathetic.
you know, all them Sabbaths when Jesus was workin, in the eyes of some folks. I guess He more’n made up for all them on this partic’lar Sabbath. He was definitely takin His well-deserved rest at last.
all day long on Saturday, none of us talked to one anuther. Still in shock, we didn’t know whether we was at a memorial service to talk about the past, or a planning session to work on the future. So each of us just sat, starin into nothin, with our own set a thoughts.
here’s some of that conversation we wuzn’t havin:
me: I can’t believe He’s gone.
Pete: it’s all my fault.
Boomer Jim: if I could get my hands on Judas, i’d kill ‘im myself!
Andy: I think . . . Hey, look! a chicken!
me: I miss Him so much.
Pete: I was so sure of myself.
Boomer Jim: except’n Judas alreddy done that to himself.
Andy: I ought to . . . Sumthin smells like waffles . . ..
me: His words. His healin. His gentle ways.
Pete: three times I denied that I even knew Him!
Boomer Jim: serves him right, the traitor.
me: so, do I become John Fulagrace? or does she become Mother Boomer Mary?
Pete: I ain’t never gonna use the name Pete again.
Zealous Sy: it’s them Romans that done this. Bloodthirsty barbarians.
Thomas: we’re all gonna die.
Pete: I don’t deserve to be called Pete. I is only Sy Johnson, a lousy fisherman.
Zealous Sy: maybe I was right all along to rise up again em all.
Thomas: they’ll be comin for us any time now.
Pete: how’d they figger out I was from Gal’lee County, anyhoo?
Zealous Sy: the militia’d prob’ly take me back.
Thomas: when they take me, I ain’t gonna beg for mercy.
Zealous Sy: we’ll start by takin out Pilate. Wonder if Barabbas’ll be up for it?
Thomas: this is the end of it all.
Andy: if only we had . . . I wonder what time it is?
Nate: how is this gonna affect poor Phil?
Phil: Jesus was a nice man.
Nate: should I carry on His work?
Phil: Jesus shore was nice.
Nate: what exactly was His work, I wonder?
Phil: I liked Jesus.
Nate: if I do His work, should I let myself be killed like that?
Phil: Jesus was my friend.
Little Jimmy: I’m gonna go right up to them guards at the tomb n punch one right in the kneecap.
Little Jimmy: no, I ain’t.
Andy: what we could do is . . . Somebody’s playin a harp over yonder. Or is it over that way? lemme check . . ..
TRISAGION HYMN (FEATURING TITUS CHAPMAN)
[About twenty years ago, a group of students and former students and friends got together at the invitation of Dustin Shell to produce a few of my songs. I am blessed by this collaboration and support. I have better friends than I deserve.]
This is one of the most ancient extant hymns, with a powerful prayer that is part of the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and is the text sung and prayed in Orthodox churches at the beginning of every gathering. We used it in our family worship times with children and grandchildren for a few years. This recording is cut off near the end, but the raw emotional expression of my dear friend Titus Chapman makes it worth the inconvenience. Trisagion is Greek for "Three Times Holy."
Holy God
Holy Mighty
Holy Immortal One
Have mercy on us
Have mercy on us
Have mercy on us
Have mercy.
"O our God, Holy of Holies, O only holy one, who rest among the saints, in whom is that glory which cannot be surpassed or equalled by any other. Holy are You who made everything merely with Your word. Holy are You whom the four-formed living beings worship with unceasing voice. Holy are You who are adored and praised by the angels and archangels who hover before Your invisible presence. Holy are you who never sleep to behold and hear the never-silent praise of the many-eyes cherubim. Holy are you who are borne aloft on the six-winged seraphim as they hover about singing the victory hymn. Holy are You whom the principalities and powers and dominions adore in heaven while we praise You and serve You on earth. In Your love for us, accept from our sinful mouths this thrice-holy hymn and grant us Your abundant rich mercy and compassion. For the sake of all your saints who have pleased You from the beginning. For You are holy, O our God.
THE LONGEST DAY
a day lasts for twany-four hours, right? but some of em pass by so quick, you’d think it was just a few minutes. Others is so full of sorrow n fear, they seem to last forever. Jesus’ last day on earth was the longest day ever for me.
it begun nice enuf. Passover. Thursday evenin in Jerusalem. saider meal. Little Jimmy asks, “how come this night is differ’nt?” Jesus gives the traditional Jewish answer: we was slaves in Egypt, the Lord delivered us from death through the blood of a perfect lamb, we et unleavened bread, n escaped into the Promised Land, where we now dwell.
course, we fuss over who gits the best seats. I’m a bit ashamed to say I wun ‘n was sittin on Jesus’ right hand. Then Jesus gits up n starts washin all of our feet. Oops. There ain’t no slaves to do that courtesy. Except One. Jesus reminds us one last time, the way up is down.
Jesus says: “a new command I give y’all: love one anuther, as I love y’all.” love ain’t nothin new. But lovin like Jesus loves, that’s a whole new level downward mobility, I guess you’d say.
Jesus takes the bread and wine, explains ‘em in a new way. They’s His body n blood. Tells us to remember Him.
He says somebody gonna betray Him. Somebody dippin in His bowl with Him. We-all declare, surely it ain’t me. But I’m wond’rin: did I done invade the Lord’s personal space bubble one too meny times, like Pete says? He tryin to say He’s tired sharin His bowl with me all the time? Judas up n leaves. Turns out, he’s the one.
Jesus says Pete’ll deny Him. Pete, course, denies that he’d deny Him. Says he’d die for Him. N us-all believed we would, too. Well, that didn’t work out, neither.
we sing a bit. Head to the Garden. Sunset. Jesus starts prayin n weepin. Asks us to stay with Him. Tells us to pray for ourselves, so we don’t fall into temptation. Wellsir, we fall into temptation before we even start prayin not to, cause we all fall asleep, with all the sadness round us. Nine o’clock. All’s not well.
midnight. Suddenly, an unruly mob. Temple poe-lease, Phar’sees, your general run-the-mill miscreants n ne’er-do-wells, n . . . Who’s that? . . . Judas. One of our own. Kisses Jesus. Mob grabs Him. Pete uses a sword. Jesus tells him stop. We all take off like spooked rabbits.
Jesus is tried by the high priest. I sneak in. Pete comes with me. Pete keeps openin his mouth. when he does, he sounds like somebody from Gal’lee County. “Gl’lee!” people’s ready to throw him in there on trial with Jesus. Pete denies Jesus. Three times. Shore nuff. Runs off weepin bitterly.
they accuse Jesus of lots of stuff. Nothin worthy of death. Then the high priest says, “if you claim to be the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
“couldn’t a said it better Myself,” says Jesus. High priest flies into an indignant rage. They got the crime: He claimed to be God. High priest is so upset, he rents his robe, even tho he already owns it. They decide what they already’d decided: Jesus gotta die.
i guess it’s the worst of sins to claim to be God Almighty. Unless You is. Then, You’re just tellin the truth.
so, they gonna kill Jesus. But they got a problem. for one thing, it’s pretty much again the Ten Commandments. But the bigger problem for them: the Promised Land in which we dwell is run by pig-eatin, idol-worshipin Romans, n the Romans say it’s illegal for anybody to kill anybody unless the Romans get to do it theyselves.
they beat up Jesus some more so He looks like a crim’nal. Then they march Him over n wake up Pilate, the Roman Head Hoo-Hah.
they say, Jesus claims to be king, steada Caesar.
ain’t that something? them Phar’sees absolutely hate Caesar, n Pilate knows it. Whate’er works, I guess. Pilate interrogates Jesus. Jesus is silent.
Pilate comes up with an idea! ever year at Passover, it just so happens that Pilate releases any pris’ner the Jews choose. That very day in jail there’s a notorious man named Jesus. Jesus Barabbas. He’d led a terrorist uprisin n killt a Roman officer. Pilate shore don’t want to release a no-good like Barabbas. But he got him whatcha call a loopy-hole. He can release Jesus n kill Barabbas.
after all, Jesus is poplar amongst the people. Right? all them folks singin hosannas five days before. But the Phar’sees stir up the crowd to ask for Barabbas. to have Jesus crucified. Pilate give in—but he washes his hands of the whole thing. He don’t want all this on his sorry head.
they whip Jesus again. Lead Him off to be crucified.
i can’t describe what Jesus looked like as He was bein crucified. Already beaten near to death. Forced to carry His cross up to Skull Hill. They strip off His robe. Crucify Him completely nekked. No dignity left whatsoever. Nail His wrists n His feet to the wood. Stand it up n drop it in a hole. Pulls his bones outa joint. Pain. Loss of blood. Lack of breath. Sufferin. Hours. It’s the ugliest, most horrific death ever invented. Leave it to the Romans.
silent at His trial, when He could get Himself released. On the cross He speaks. But all He says is, “forgive em all, Father. They don’t have no idea what they’re doin.” forgives the man hanging next to Him. Silent in the face of them that mock Him. No, I don’t know how He done it.
looks down at His momma. Asks me to take care of her. I did, for the rest of her life.
summons His strength. Yells, “it’s all done!” gives His spirit over to His Father. Breathes His last.
two rich men ask Pilate for the body. Cover it with spices. Wrap it up tight. Get Him in the tomb before sundown.
twany-four hours. Seems like a lifetime. Jesus goes from eatin a sacrificed lamb to being One. Us boys all go from laughin to cryin, and from tryin to get closest to Jesus to tryin to get farthest away. All the Jewish leaders, who hate Rome, end up pairin up with the Romans on this one matter. Jesus is silent when it could hep Him, n speaks when it can hep ever’buddy else. He’s despised n rejected, n by His stripes we are healed.
the ugliest, most beautiful day of my life.
TO LOVE YOU
(The verse of this song came to me in a dream one morning over 25 years ago. Here is an a cappella arrangement being sung by Katie and Daniel Read, and Samantha and Josh Rutledge.)
To love You, Lord my God
with all my heart, with all my soul
with all my mind, with all my strength
This is my highest prayer.
This is my dream
My sacred passion
My highest Goal to love the One for whom I'm fashioned.
HE LIFTED HIS EYES
When you hear someone say, “Let us go to the Lord in prayer,” what is your natural posture? For those of us who have become used to the practices of evangelical Christianity, our natural inclination is to bow our head and close our eyes, perhaps folding our hands somehow. What does that posture mean? Does it have biblical support? Why do we choose that posture? Those are three different questions, so let’s deal briefly with each one in turn.
What does it mean when we bow our head and close our eyes and fold our hands to pray? Thinking about that posture in prayer, I suppose it would represent contrition and humility, repentance and brokenness.
Does it have biblical support? Surprisingly, the best support for such a posture in prayer is in the story of the Pharisee and the publican, both praying at the temple. There, Jesus said that the tax collector (the publican) “would not even look up,” but beat his breast. That’s because he was particularly broken and repentant before God, so that he humbly chose not to follow the prayer posture of his people.
Jewish prayers were done looking up to heaven, with eyes wide open and hands extended in the air. This was the posture in the synagogue, while all the members stood and faced toward Jerusalem. They looked up because that’s where God seemed to be located—in heaven, don’t you know?
So, why do so many Christians today face downward when they pray? Is it because they imagine their Heavenly Father to be below them? Certainly not! Is it because they are following the example of the publican who would not even dare to look up, but smote his breast and said have mercy on me a sinner? I don’t think so. Otherwise, they would also be smiting themselves on the chest as they pray. But I do have a theory as to how this tradition started. Want to know what it is? I’ll tell you anyway: I think it’s a matter of crowd control in junior church. The leader would say to them, “Now I want every head bowed and every eye closed, and keep your hands to yourself, and we are going to pray now. Every . . . Head . . . Johnny? . . . Every eye . . . No, Susie. We’re praying now.”
In any case, Jesus, when He prayed this beautiful, extended prayer for his followers, “lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come…’”
How do you think it would change your relationship with God the Father if you normally spoke to him with your eyes open and looking up? As the call-and-response of the ancient liturgy says, “Lift up your hearts.” “They are with the Lord.” And you see in that worship space that an image of Jesus has been painted on the ceiling, of all places!
Maybe we find it easier to concentrate when we pray with our eyes closed, so we don’t get distracted quite so easily. But maybe we will find it is easier to pray when we worship with our eyes open, lifting our eyes unto the hills, from whence comes our help, or looking unto Jesus the author and perfector of our faith, or looking to heaven as we address our Heavenly Father.
Maybe as we join Jesus in our prayers, we will find that things are really looking up.
THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS
John 16:7-12 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Jesus came into the world to call all to “repent,” for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. If his message is reduced to a single word, that word could be “repent!” That might seem a bit unfriendly or unloving, but in truth it is the most loving thing that Jesus could ever say. As Proverbs 27:9 says, “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.” Other translations call it “sincere counsel,” “earnest counsel,” “true friendship.” In other words, the greatest joy one receives from a friend is when that friend is telling you something hard.
So when Jesus went away and returned to heaven, He left the counselor here on earth to be our guide. The unexpected part of that prediction from Jesus is that there are three applications, all of which speak of the Spirit bringing conviction.
A convict is a person who has been convicted of a crime. In this case, they didn’t necessarily confess to their wrongdoing. But they were nonetheless found guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt, and so were declared to be guilty of the crime.
So are we, you know. Regardless of whether we have yet acknowledged our guilt, we are convicted by the One who knows both our hearts and our actions. So we are convicted by the heavenly court, objectively speaking.
But in the case of the Holy Spirit, conviction is felt within. We feel the conviction, know it in our hearts, fall under the judgment of the Holy God. This is the job of the Spirit whom Jesus says He will send in His place. When the Spirit comes, it doesn’t take Jesus going from town to town to say, “Repent!” The Spirit is in every conscience, and He declares the news. He convicts us (the world, before becoming members of the kingdom) of sin, righteousness and judgment.
We are convicted of sin because we do not believe in Jesus. We realize that our behavior has been quite contrary to the holiness of God.
We are convicted of righteousness because Jesus has gone to the Father. We have a measurement by which to know what righteousness is, and to know that we have not met that standard.
We are convicted of judgment, because the ruler of the world is judged. When the Spirit enters our lives, we see the end for the devil, and realize that Satan is our enemy, not the friend we had imagined. We see that the serpent of old is cursed, and he is not our friend at all. The Spirit helps us to distance ourselves from the evil one with whom we once were aligned.
This is the joyful, blessed work of the Holy Spirit on earth. He convicts the world, everywhere, all at once. And the gift of conviction is that it is the only way to reconciliation. The Spirit brings us to a right relationship with the Father by convicting us of our sin, of His righteousness, and of coming judgment. The conviction brings us to repentance, and repentance sends us in a new direction.
To be clear, know that conviction is not the ONLY work of the Spirit. The Spirit will bring things to our remembrance, He will lead and guide, teach us, help us discern truth, give us words to say, even work signs and wonders. So the work of the Holy Spirit is multifaceted. But you might say that the FIRST work of the Spirit is to convict us.
Thank God for the effective work of the Holy Spirit in the world! May He bring you to a right relationship with God, even this day. Amen.
ABIDING IN THE VINE
John 15:1-6 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”
Jesus so often used metaphors and common experiences for his listeners to understand an abstract concept. They were drawn into the common knowledge of the word picture, and then were better able to make the leap to understand the metaphysical teachings of the ways of God. So he spoke of fishing, of sowers and harvesters, of seasons and servants, of plowing and pruning, of servants and masters and lost sheep and a man with two sons, all of these practical matters of daily life, all to explain spiritual truths. I notice how seldom Jesus started his analogies with talk of Jewish worship, such as sacrifices and festivals, except when He was talking to the religious leaders.
So here Jesus uses a rather extended metaphor of vines and bearing fruit, with which the vast majority of his listeners were well acquainted. I can’t explain about vines from the viewpoint of an experienced vinedresser. But we are here to understand the spiritual truths behind the earthly metaphor. So let’s see if we can find a parallel illustration that will illustrate the same principles.
Jesus says that he is the true vine, and his father is the vinedresser. Believers are branches of the vine, who “abide” in the vine. If we bear fruit, it is because of our connection with him. If we do not bear much fruit, we are pruned by the vinedresser, so that we will in time bear more fruit. Pruning might seem painful, but it is for the good of our goal as branches in the vine: to bear much fruit. If, on the other hand, somehow we detach ourselves from the vine, we bear no fruit and die. Then the vinedresser gathers us and throws us into the fire to be burned.
Let me try a musical metaphor and see if it helps me to understand the story as more of an insider to the principles. I am an orchestra player. Jesus is the conductor, and the Father is the composer and/or owner of the concert hall. If I follow the conductor’s directions and fall into synch with the orchestra and him, then the music we make will be beautiful, and the more we are as one the more beautiful the art we make. If I get off the beat or play out of tune, I will be told to pay more attention and to practice with a metronome or something. If I follow the correction, it will make me a better player. But if I decide to play a solo in the middle of the work, I will be escorted out and cut from the orchestra. It is only in following the conductor to embody the music that he hears in his head that will yield results that sweep us all away into rapture of the collective music we have come to create.
Or, since it illustrates everything in life, let’s try baseball. Jesus is the manager and his Father is the owner. I am a baseball player on the team. Coach Jesus has trained us and drilled us until we can be ready for any situation. I am really no good on my own, but thanks to his careful instruction, I am a valuable five-tool player, helping the team to win it all. Sometimes I go through a slump or get the yips, and coach might bench me for a few games and go back to work on fundamentals. It will serve to make me a better player in the end, and the team needs me to be at my best every game. But if I decide not to follow coach’s instruction in practice or his directions during the game, I’ll be released from the team, and no other team will want me, either. I will be robbed of the very game I claim to love so much, because you can’t play baseball by yourself.
May you wrap yourself around Jesus, drawing your life from deep within his, and becoming what He alone can help you to become, this day and always. Amen.
THE WAY
If you recall the book of Exodus, it covers the miraculous event of the children of Israel escaping from slavery in Egypt. It starts with the Passover and the flight in the night, the parting of the Red Sea, various stops along the way, Mt. Sinai and the giving of the law, including the ten commandments, and some forty years of wandering in the wilderness waiting to enter the Promised Land. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, the book is named Exodus. Ex = out of. Odos = road, way, path.
Jesus and others used the Septuagint when they spoke, using the common trade language of the people, rather than to try to communicate in Hebrew in the first century. (Note that they did not use Latin, even though Palestine had been conquered by Rome at this point.) So it is especially significant that Jesus uses the word “odos” to describe himself here. After all, He is The Way Out.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Our Lord does not just point us to the way or tell us the way. He does not help us find the way. No, he IS the way. He himself is the road that we travel from captivity of sin to the promised land of freedom and grace. What’s more, Jesus does not say that He is A way, being one of the paths to God. No, he says that he is the only way to the Father. And just to be more clear, he says that no one comes to the Father except through him. There is salvation in no other name than the name above every name, the name of Jesus.
Jesus also called himself the truth. And, again, not just saying that he speaks or tells the truth, but that he IS the truth. And not just A truth, but THE truth. There is no other who is truly true. He is the Only True Way to the Father. There are many who speak truisms, or who tell the truth. But there is only One who IS The Truth itself. All the others are imposters and liars.
And then Jesus refers to himself as the life. Not just alive, and not just life. Not just that he leads to life or that he keeps from death. Not just that he is a way that leads to positive results. But he himself is the one and only life, saving us from sin and death. Soon, Jesus would die and be raised to life again, and be able to raise us again to eternal life. And he is the only one in history to have such a power.
And just in case you didn’t catch it, Jesus clarifies that no one comes to the Father except through Jesus himself. Because, he is the way. He is the truth. And he is the life. Amen.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
What are the two greatest commandments, according to Jesus? Love God and love your neighbor. That’s right. He says that all of the law and the prophets is summarized in those two principles.
Those are the two most important Old Testament commandments. And yet Jesus now issues a new commandment. What are the subtle differences between this “new commandment” and the one that was already established? Let’s look at it.
Jesus had just washed the feet of his disciples when we said these words. And John notes that in this way, Jesus, “having loved” them, he “showed the full extent of his love” by washing the feet of these men. And then He gives them a new commandment about love. Coincidence? I think not.
Jesus says in verses 34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
What is “new” about this commandment?
- “One another.” It is not just love God and neighbor, but does involve loving “one another.” The church, the followers of Christ, become family. And family takes care of family. We show kindly affectionate brotherly love and defer to one another in this extended family circle. We have each other’s back,
- Reputation. All people will know that we are Christians if we have love for other believers, and it shows that this is our natural love language. But if we only love naturally, and without the Holy Spirit, then our message will not be convincing. Not many churches have actually undertaken such radical love and fellowship.
What remains of this command, then, is to pursue the question, “And what is love?”
Love is not warm fuzzy familial feelings. There’s another word for that in Greek, and this is not it.
Love is not erotic emotional sexual attraction. There’s another word for that in Greek, and this is not it.
Love is not being good friends and neighbors. There’s another word for that in Greek, and this is not it.
Love is sacrifice. Love is surrender. Love is service. Love is laying down my life to choose what is best for you, not what is best for “me,” or even for “us.” Love is not a feeling; it is a choice.
This love is the right goal for every married couple to strive for. Not when they are dating and trying to attract each other. Not on their honeymoon. Not after living together for decades and taking one another for granted. But by diligent study of the love language of each other, maybe after fifty years you begin to achieve this kind of love. The love that is faithful for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until you are parted by death. And it only begins to kick in after seeing both sides of each of those promises.
So Jesus commands his followers to love one another. Not just one-on-one, but collectively to put one another before ourselves. Just as Jesus showed all of us his love for us. He laid down his life for us, his bride, and he did it long before he died. Jesus loved us in his daily schedule.
As we will see later in the New Testament, this kind of love is patient and kind. This kind of love does not envy or boast. This kind of love is not arrogant or rude. This kind of love does not insist on its own way. This kind of love is not irritable or resentful. This kind of love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. This kind of love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
This kind of love that Jesus commanded is the last thing standing, even after faith and hope are gone. It never ends.
This is what Jesus wants his followers to choose. Make no mistake about it; love is not a feeling. Love is a choice.
Let us choose this kind of love. Amen.
SEEING HOW PRAYER WORKS
Jesus was nearing the end, we could tell. Though we didn’t see clearly how it would unfold, Jesus knew His time was at hand. The atmosphere was foreboding, to be sure.
That was when we overheard the Master praying. It was full of so many emotions, and after I had some time to reflect on it, I realized that it contained every theological and practical matter of prayer. Let me explain it to you.
I thought I knew how prayer worked. We begin our prayers with reflectively addressing God, revering His name, noting His attributes, rehearsing His history, and honoring His holiness. It was how Jesus had taught us to pray. “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” That sort of thing, you know.
But Jesus broke the mold when He fell to His knees, lifted His hands and looked to the sky. His voice was choking back tears as He spoke, saying, “Now my soul is in turmoil.” I had not heard a prayer begin with such a self-aware confession of emotion and inner conflict. It wasn’t even clear whether the prayer had yet begun, really.
I guess that was when I first realized that it’s okay to be honest and transparent with God about my feelings.
I also thought I knew the purpose of prayer. Prayer was to bring our petitions before the Throne and plead our requests. We were to be like the widow and the unjust judge, and just keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. God would respond to our sincere requests, if we asked and did not waver or doubt. Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us our daily bread,” and all that.
But Jesus did not ask or seek or knock that day. He did the opposite. “And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’?” Certainly, His soul wanted to say just that. And if He had said it, maybe His Father would have delivered Him in answer to His request. But Jesus stopped to discern the Father’s will, not just His own.
I guess before the “give us” comes the “Your will be done.”
I thought I had even understood God’s will. God’s will is to deliver us from evil. So our prayers should say, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” The Father wants to bless His children. So we pray with confidence because that’s His will.
But Jesus knew God’s will is more complex than that. He went on to pray, “But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” He knew that in order for God to bless the billions, One would have to be rejected. He would need to suffer the agony of His Father turning His face away, of being forsaken by His God.
I guess my purpose is to serve Him, not to have Him serve me.
And I thought I understood how God answers prayer. Slowly, through natural process, silently, through impressions and dreams, nudges and coincidental timing. My prayers end with, “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.” It ends with my speaking, right?
But this day, God answered prayer in a way that I had never heard before. A voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” We had heard that voice twice before—at His baptism, and on the mountain. But those occurrences were declarations, not responses to prayer.
I guess prayers do not always end with the Amen.
There was a crowd there that day. They didn’t all hear the prayer, because it wasn’t delivered for thousands of people to hear it. But thousands heard the response of the Father! Some, because they didn’t know the context, thought that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
Jesus hadn’t needed to hear the sound. He answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.” It was for my sake, and those who heard the prayer, to realize that God the Father is actively listening and involved with every prayer I pray, even when I don’t know what to say, when I am asking for something that is against my will, when I am about to do a hard thing.
The prayer of Jesus was a brief touchstone between Son and Father as they headed into the final stretch of Christ’s purpose for coming to earth. I came to know those kinds of prayer well over the remaining decades of my own life.
So. Did I ever tell you about the time I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day while in exile for Christ? Did I tell you about how I heard a voice like a trumpet behind me? And the rest, as they say, is what is yet to take place.
RAISING LAZY RUSS
Lazy Russ was dead: to begin with. There’s no doubt whatair about that.
it wasn’t that he was just lyin there r-e-l still that was the clue. Russ could lay still-lack for hours on end, doingnothin tall. But Martyr and Mary knowed he was bad sick this time, on account of he was groanin and all hot n feverish. N then after a couple a days, Russ got quiet. Still lying there, just like always, but he wasn’t feeling so hot to the touch. Fact, he got to feelin just like room temperture. After a while, the sisters concluded he must be dead, cuz he wan’t eatin nothin no more, and he got kinda stiff-like.
so, they wrap him up and put him in a tomb and roll a stone there.
permit me to repeat: ol’Lazy Russ was deader’n a doornail. That was for sure. This must be distinctly unnerstood, or nothin wonnerful can come of the story I’m gonna relate.
meantime, up in Gal’lee, Jesus says to us Russ’s sleepin and He’s gonna wake im up. Then He says, Lazy Russ was dead. We was confused, but we figgured we go along, cause either way it would be something to see.
‘cept for Tommy. Tommy can find the black linin behind any cloud. You catch a record-size bass, n Tom’ll tell you the little ones taste better. In Tommy’s eyes, the glass is half empty, and it’s on account of it’s got a leak in it. Anyhoo, bein’ the eternal pessimist, Tom figgures if we head back near Jerusalem, Jesus’ll get killed. So he says, “let’s go too, so’s we can die with Him.” Tommy knows how to ruin a party.
couple days later, we get to Judea. Martyr runs out to meet the Lord, while Mary stays behind and prays n cries a while. Martyr glances at us-all with a look that says, “y’all et all my pretzels,” then she gets to blamin Jesus. Well, she was distraught. We’ll cut ‘er some slack.
“if’n you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t of died.”
there’s a nice greetin for ya.
to make a long story short, soon Prayery Mary come and says the same, n Jesus keeps saying’ he’ll live again n they keep saying it won’t be till later, n He says just believe, you’re gonna see something. Then Jesus says for one of us to roll the stone away from the tomb. Pete starts right in on it, long with Zealous Si.
before we can get started, Martyr thinks of something real practical. She says, “it’s been four days, Lord. Surely he stinketh much.”
Jesus, said, “no worse’n usual. And I ain’t Shirley. Go ahead and move yonder stone.”
(now the truth is, Russ never did smell too good. I’m thinking that’s why Jesus started cryin right about then.)
anyways, Pete n Si move the stone and come scamperin back with the group. Jesus prays n hollers, “Lazy Russ, come forth!”
kin I tell you what I was thinking right then? to be honest, I was rememberin the last time we seed Russ n the girls up in Gal’lee before they moved, when they was in their teens. Jesus n the girls n Russ was racing up a hill, like kid’ll do, n ol’ Lazy Russ, he was so slow, everybody beat ‘im up ‘ere. But Jesus wouldn’t say, “you come in last, Lazy Russ.” He says, “you come in fourth,” like Lazy Russ had actually done something good. So it had been kinda a joke amongst us all that Jesus was too polite too call Russ a loser.
so I was thinking Jesus hollered, “Lazy Russ, you come in fourth!” n I figgured He was tryin to encourage Russ again. Don’t know what I ‘xpected to happen, really.
but shore nuff, here come forth ol’ Lazy Russ, still all wrapped up in white cloth.
he looked like he’d been tee-pee’d, rolled up in toilet paper as part of some college prank. N there he was, trying to walk outa that tomb. Teeterin back n forth with little baby steps, sorta hoppin from time to time, not able to see where he’s goin.
I’m saying for bein a miracle, it weren’t the most impressive scene ever. Most of us was watchin, catchin sidewise glances at each other, with little snorts comin out our noses, tryin not to laugh out loud. I don’t think Martyr liked it.
least we wasn’t eatin her pretzels.
at last ol Russ falls down, n Jesus says, “that’s just pitiful. Somebody unwrap that boy!”
Martyr was already there, n Pete n Si join in to hep. N in a minit, Russ is there, good as new. He weren’t even stinky, any more’n usual. In fact, with them spices they had on im, he was smellin better’n ever, like he splashed about a gallon of Old Spice on Himself.
maybe that was the greatest miracle ever. But if i’d had a video cam’ra, I bet a million people be watchin it on YouTube right now. “Resurrection Fail.”
Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. And people said, "How He loved him!" How do I know Jesus loves me? He wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Amen.
A CORD OF THREE STRANDS (Read Family children version)
(This song was written almost 40 years ago for the wedding of our dear friends, Bill and Lynette Prosise. Three years ago, our children blessed us with a recording of them singing that song. A precious testament of our heritage.)
Build around the Master
Build upon the Rock
And you will be built on a firm foundation
A home that the storms will not rock.
You've grown to love each other
Two dreams have grown to be one
And witnesses know that your love still will grow
As long as you live in the Son.
A cord of three strands is not easily broken.
A cord of three strands has unusual life.
And three joined as one makes a perfect new union:
Just husband and Jesus and wife.
With faith you can move mountains
And hope will help you be strong
And love never fails it endures to the end
In these three abide your life long.
A cord of three strands is not easily broken.
A cord of three strands has unusual life.
And three joined as one makes a perfect new union:
Just husband and Jesus and wife.
I IS
by this time, the Phar’sees is all pretty hot under the collar. They’s decidin that Jesus oughta be killt, on accounta He’s drawin some attention from the Romans. See, them Romans can get a bit testy about Jewish uprisin, n they was always lookin for an excuse to use them lethal weapons they carry round, just in case. Better that One Man get killt, than that a whole nation dies, says the high priest.
course, that priest had no idea just how right he wuz. One Man shore was gonna die for a whole nation. But none of us seen it comin at the time. Don’t know why not. The evidence was all round us.
Jesus’d be walkin round, talking, n the Phar’sees would start up a theologizin argument.
then Jesus’d say something about God bein His Father, or about His sheep knowin His voice, or about the Son settin folk free. Well, that’d get the Phar’sees’ loin cloths all up in a wad, n they’d argue til the cows come home.
funny how they could be so holy about some stuff, n so blind to their sin in other areas. Like, they revere God so much, they never say His name; then, when they fin’ly meet Him face to face, they plot to kill Him. Or, they’s so particular about the Ten Commandments that they don’t let nobody even do good on the Sabbath; then they plan to break the command not to kill. Yep. They loved to teach others all about God. Then they killt His Son.
they’s fussin with Him one day, n the Phar’sees say, “Do You think You are better than Abraham?”
(now, Abe was considered the father of our faith, on accounta he obeyed God. Kinda a funny story, really. Abe was married to a woman named Sarai. That’s the name Sarah, only with one “i.” we callt her “one-eyed Sarah” when we was kids. Anyhoo, God says to Abe one day, “take your wife n leave Ur.” now, to a young boy, it sounds right peculiar to think that God would say, “take your wife n leave ‘er” like that. Then I got old nuff to read it for myself n realized that Ur weren’t the word “her.” true story. Now you know.)
Jesus says, “I’ll tell you what: ol’ Abe rejoiced when he looked ahead to see Me comin! then he seen it, n he was glad.”
they says, “You aren’t even fifty years old! How can you say You have seen Abraham?”
Jesus answers, “here’s the truth: before Abe wuz, I is.”
now, that might not seem like something to get all riled over, but cha gotta unnerstand the grammar here. Grammar ain’t really my specialty; I write in koine Greek n all that. Whatever. It’s all Greek to me. But I can tell ye this much: when Jesus said them words that way, “I is,” it was like speakin the worst cuss words ever to them Phar’sees. If Jesus had said, “before Abe wuz, I wuz,” that woulda been bad, but because He said, “I is,” them Phar’sees all pickt up rocks to stone Him right then n there.
gotta explain a bit: God’s name is so revered that the Phar’sees never use it. They never write it. They never say it. They got special ways round it, so’s they never break that commandment to never take the name a God in vain.
you know what God’s name is? “I is.” that’s right, God’s name is a verb. In Hebrew, it’s callt Yahweh or Jehovah. But when it’s translated, it come out, “I is.” God calls Himself “I is” cuz He’s always the Bein One. Never didn’t exist, you know.
back to the story: so when Jesus says, “I is,” He’s cussin on two levels. First, He’s using The Name. Second (in case you didn’t catch this), He’s saying that The Name is Him! to be honest, when He says them words, all a us took in a breath like we just all popped a peppermint into our mouths at the same time. We was lookin at each other, lack, “He just went there, didnt He?” or “did He just say them words?”
so, the Phar’sees all pick up rocks. N us boys get to runnin before the rocks start flyin. But Jesus, He just stands there in another one a them show-downs. Nobody throws a rock. N Jesus walks out right through the group.
later, when He finds us hidin, we ask Him why they didn’t throw nothin at Him. He just says it ain’t His time yit.
i just hope I ain’t standin directly behind Him when His time does come.
now, that claim wuz a doozy, but it werent the only time Jesus pronounced a bodacious “I is” claim. believe it or not, over the course a three year, He made lots of em, n all of them claims got Jesus in hot water.
first, He sez, “I is the bread of life.” sez He’s lack the daily manna in the wilderness from Moses, providin daily wisdom and power and sustenance. sez we gotta eat His flesh and drink His blood, and we’ll get life in Him. n a bunch a folk wuz offended n left Him then.
then He sez “I is the light a the world,” the light a life, n whoever fallers Him’ll never walk in darkness. sez His word is a lamp, providin light for everbuddy, shinin in the dark. sez He’s frum above, n He’s dun seed the Father’s presence. n the Pharsees got ready to kill Him.
what’s more, He sez “I is the gate for the sheep,” n whoever enters thru Him’ll be saved. only thru Him kin we cum in n go out, n find pasture. He sez “I is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep.” sez all others wuz thieves n robbers, but that He knows His sheep n His sheep know Him n faller His voice. that really burns the religious leaders, to be callt thieves n robbers.
sed “I is the resurrection and the life,” n that whoever believes in Him will live, even tho he dies. sez He’s got menny rooms in His Father’s house, n He’s a-gonna prepare rooms for everbuddy, then cum n get us. sez “I is the way, the truth, and the life.” sez nobuddy cums to the Father ‘xceptin thru Him. sez He’s in the Father and the Father in Him. Sez “I is the true vine,” n we’s the branches. that we can’t bear no fruit ‘xceptin’ we remain in Him. sez apart from Him we caint do nothin.
i hear all them “I is” claims frum Jesus, n i think aint nobuddy ever made such bodacious claims bout Hisseff, ever. not even Caesar makes all them claims. now, THAT’S bodacious!
but then again: enny man that walks outa His own grave i reckon is exactly whoever He sez He is.
THE FIRST APOSTLE
over the course of three years, we seen Jesus heal a lot a folk. Sometimes He’d go into a village, n spend all day healin everybody in town. Or, sometimes He’d go outa His way just to find that one somebody He knowed needed healin. But one thing I can say about Jesus’ healings: He never healed the same way twice. Ever’ healin was like a snowflake er a fingerprint, unique n personal for that one needy soul. I’m pretty sure He did it that way on purpose.
lack I say, we seen Him do a lot a healins: sometimes we seen Him just speak a word, n somebody miles away’d get healed at that very moment. Sometimes, He’d touch somebody, or somebody’d touch Him, or He’d spit or speak or tell a man to get up or to reach out. We even seen Him bring folk back to life.
but I think if we was takin a vote on which healin was the strangest, we’d all recollect the same feller: the first apostle, that blind man from Siloam.
i gotta tell you a story about Siloam. If’n you remember you’re hist’ry lesson, then you remember about how the Assyrians wiped out S’marya. Well, when Hezekiah was king of Judah, they was zeroin in on Jerusalem, too. Them Assyrians was the most fiercest, most strongest fighters in the world at that time. You might say the sitiation was as Assyrian as a heart attack.
everybody knowed the routine: lay seige for months until the people is dyin a thirst n hunger, build ramps n then run over the wall n conquer the city, easy as pie.
well, Hezzy knowed the routine, too. So he decided to reroute the water supply to the city. ‘stead a havin a stream run outside the walls, he dug him a tunnel ’neath the city, n the water run there n gathered in the Pool a Siloam. Then he built him a second wall outside the city to enclose the pool.
pretty smart, huh?
so when them Assyrians come n lay seige to the city, they was having to haul water in from sumwhar else, whal the citizens was sneakin down through the tunnel n drinkin from the pool.
now, on account of that hist’ry, the Pool a Siloam had become something of a place a pilgrimage for folk.
in other words, it was a tourist trap. Folks’d come from miles around to drink from the well, n to get a tour through Hezzy’s tunnel, thankin God for sparin the city way back yonder.
you know it’s dark in a tunnel, right? who do you think would be the best guide in a pitch black tunnel? somebody with a light? well, yep. But what I was gettin at was two words: “born” and “blind.” yes, I am aware that there are three words there. You gotta ignore the little one in the middle.
I’m tryin to say that somebody who was borned blind is as comfortable in of that tunnel as he were outside it. In either place, he’s countin steps n rememb’rin turns n such. Fact, through most of the tunnel, he can touch both walls, so he’s actually more secure there than most places.
so this feller is part beggar, part tour guide, n he’s somehow survivin.
only big problem for the pool a Siloam is, it’s at the foot a Mt. Zion, whal the city a David sits like straight above it. So it ain’t no walk in the park for nobody.
wellsir, this blind man hears that Jesus is in town, so he leads his final tour group of the day up through the tunnel, where they come out near the temple, an he spends the night right there. First thing in the mornin he starts lookin for Jesus. Which ain’t easy for a man what’s never seen. What would Jesus sound lack? how would he reconnize Him?
well, it just so happens that Pete catches a glimpse of that blind man, n he n the rest of us boys have us a friendly theologizin wager. Pete asks Jesus another of his deep theological questions: “Lord, see that man who’s been blind from birth? who sinned to make him like that? was it him, or was it his parents? me n the boys got a pool started up, n we figgur You know the answer. can You hep us out? I’m saying it’s his parents, since it was from birth.”
Little Jimmy’s voice cracks as he says, “n I’m saying it’s him, on account of God don’t punish a child for the sins of his parents.”
we all start in on our speculations, all talking at once. Jesus lets out a sigh, the kind He makes when we all done something stupid again. When He talks, we all feel like we’re back in kindygarden all over again.
“boys,” He says, “not ever bad thing in life is the result a sin. It weren’t his sin. It weren’t his momma’s nor his daddy’s sin. That feller was born blind so God could be glorified. Right now. Today. While I got a chance, I’m here to be light, n this is his time to see it.”
Jesus walks up to the man and don’t say a word. In silence, He spits on the ground n makes Him some mud. Then He smears the mud on the man’s eyes. (kids, don’t try this at home.) then He says His only words to the man: “go wash in the pool of Siloam.”
now’s where I come to callin that blind man the first apostle. The word “apostle” means “one who got sent.” the twelve of us was all called disciples, an soon we’d become apostles, but this feller was sent out by Jesus before we wuz. (now, don’t be gettin “apostle” confused with “epistle.” an epistle ain’t the wife of an apostle. It’s a letter, dontcha know. An what happens to a letter? it gits sent. That’s right. So, an epistle and an apostle is, uh, never mind.) so Jesus sends the man away to wash his face at, of all places, Siloam. Now get this: want to guess what the word “Siloam” means? “sent.” that’s right. I’m not just makin this up, you know.
what kinda strange healin is that? sendin a blind man off on a mission, with no clear word a what that mission is. Jesus never e’en toad the man that he’d be able to see if’n he washed.
well, we figgured we’d prob’ly never see that man again. An we was even more sure that he’d never see us, if you know what I’m saying. He went away, n so did we, scratchin our pointy little heads over what we just seen.
thar’s a whole lot more story to all this. But here’s the quick version: shore nuff, it worked. The man went, he washed, n he saw. If’n he’d been a blind carpenter, i’d say he picked up his hammer n saw. But he weren’t. So I won’t.
what’s especially odd about this here story is that the man never seen Jesus, had barely heard His voice, n by the time he was healed, Jesus n him was long separated. for some reason, that’s the way this one had to go.
oh, yeah. The zinger: “and it was the Sabbath.” surprise, surprise, as Pete might say.
so this feller not only is the first to be an apostle, but he also about to be the first martyr, of sorts. The Phar’sees is hoppin mad about him workin on the Sabbath. Mad at Jesus for making mud. Mad at the man for washin it off. Don’t seem like either of them acts was much work to me, but I ain’t no expert. They knows the rules.
Pete asks the Lord, “hey, Jesus? how come you up n break all them Sabbath traditions? is we supposed to keep that there commandment er not?”
Jesus answers, “Pete, the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. We’s to keep it holy. That means takin a break from work once a week. It means givin extra time to prayer n doinggood. But listen: since the creation my Daddy’s always been workin, keepin the universe goin. Ain’t cha glad of that?”
“shore. But why not just say the word n tell that man to see, instead a drawin attention to makin mud and makin him walk n all?”
“Pete, if you had you a cow, n she fell into a gully on to Sabbath, would you leave er there til the next day?”
“i guess not.”
“so, do you think it’s better to do good for somebody on a Sabbath, or to do em harm? don’t cha know that if I don’t hep this man, I’m doinghim harm? besides, how much work do you think I did there?”
(ya gotta know that the Phar’sees had all the measurements for what constitutes “work.” it’s a tricky subject. for example, if you want to give a man some bread, ye can only do it if the man is in his house, n iffn he don’t reach out the winder to ya. You can reach in the winder to him. Then it ain’t work. Or how’s this: if a chicken lays an egg on the Sabbath, you can eat that egg, but only if you kill the chicken, cause she done worked on the Sabbath. Otherwise, don’t eat no egg layed on the Sabbath. Got it? that’s why it takes a smart man with the rule books in hand to know whether or not the Sabbath’s been broke. Them Phar’sees is sorta like Sabbath umpires. Okay, now back to the story.)
so, they call the man n his parents in, and interrogate em. In the end, they kick the man outa the synagogue on account of he identified Himself as a foll’wer a Jesus. That’s how he got to be the first martyr, see.
a couple days later, Jesus sees the man in the temple. there, Jesus introduces Himself as the Messiah, n the man believes n worships Him.
the Phar’sees could see, but they was blind as bats. The man hadn’t never seen nothin, but he saw clearer than all of em.
imagine that.
THE FIRST TRAP
Yesterday, while Jesus and the twelve had been traveling toward Jerusalem, there had been quite the debate raging in the temple courts about whether He might be the Messiah or just a man. The Jewish leadership council was very divided on the matter, but it didn’t seem to be garnering too much momentum among the masses.
Early the next morning, Jesus comes to the temple and sits down and begins to teach those who were gathering. It was quite a crowd. It was, after all, the Feast of Booths, and thousands of zealous believers are already milling about the temple area, eager to talk about the things of the God of Israel and to worship in the temple. Every day during the feast, dozens of rabbis station themselves at one of the rabbi benches set around the courtyard, and folks congregate around them and participate in the discussions.
But today, some days into the feast, there is only one rabbi drawing a crowd. Though Jesus had come quietly and without fanfare, it turns out he didn’t need one. Hundreds of people drift over to just one of the benches to hear Rabbi Jesus speak, and eventually the other rabbis themselves give up and join in on the center of attention, the curious itinerant preacher from Galilee.
Apparently, whatever doubts the leaders had been trying to stir up yesterday had yielded the opposite results from what they had intended. More and more people pack into the courtyard to get a glimpse and hear a sample of the Nazarene.
It was time for those scribes and Pharisees to set their first trap with a bold move, guaranteed to split the crowd and dissolve the popularity of this young upstart rabbi.
Suddenly, there’s a bustle-and-noise from behind the crowd, and a whole mob of Pharisees and other religious leaders comes muscling into the middle of the group, half-dragging a woman behind them. She is sobbing and moaning, and is almost completely naked. Her hair is all astrewn like a stork’s nest, and what little clothes she had on had been torn. She had dirt on her face and tear streaks making tracks down her cheeks. Looks like she had been treated pretty badly by somebody. Anyone can guess who.
The teachers of the Law push her to the center, forcing her to stand there, sobbing and ashamed, trying to cover herself until she crumbles into a ball on the floor, struggling to make herself disappear. Then one of the Pharisees shouts the challenge: “Jesus, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery just now. Moses commands us to stone such a woman. What do You say?”
The crowd is stunned into an awkward silence. Looks like the trap has been set, and Jesus is caught in it. No matter what He says, He loses. He either takes a side against Moses and the Law itself, or He condemns a woman at her most vulnerable. The Jewish leaders are standing in a semi-circle around her, facing Jesus, with fists clenched and shaky breathing. They have brought a wall of angry energy designed to draw Jesus into a shouting match.
But Jesus says nothing. Slowly, deliberately, He stands and walks to the woman, to put himself between her and the angry mob of men. Then, just as slowly and deliberately, Jesus removes his outer cloak and drapes it over the woman. Her sobbing stops, and she huddles beneath the protection of His gift. Then He slowly bends down and starts drawing with his finger in the dirt.
After a while of this silence, the leader of the Pharisees can’t stand it any more. “Should she be stoned, or should she not?”
Jesus is in a real pickle now. Looks like this is the end of the line for His popularity, no matter what He says. A slight shifting begins in the back of the crowd as people wait to hear his answer. The opinion of the majority of the men has become one of holy indignation.
Some of the Pharisees lean forward to see what Jesus is writing there in the dirt. “other gods” “graven images” “name in vain” “Sabbath holy.” “father and mother.” “murder.” “adultery.” “steal.” “lie.” “covet.”
“Hey, you self-proclaimed hillbilly prophet! Does she die or does she live?” The mob of men begin picking up rocks, ready to show their love for God by carrying out His vengeance on this sinful lawbreaker before them. The only question is whether to throw them at the woman, or maybe at Jesus. The disciples scoot around to get out of the line of fire, just to be on the safe side.
Finally, Jesus straightens up. He makes careful eye contact with several of the men, and the mob grows quiet again. Jesus says, “If she’s guilty, then stone her, as the law says. But how about this idea: We let the man with no sin throw that first stone?”
Then He stoops down and starts to writing again. It soon becomes clear that He is adding to His list: “lust.” “greed.” “pride.” “judgmental.” The men in the crowd sort of glance sideways at one another and shift uncomfortably in place.
Then in big letters, Jesus writes a name: “Joshua” As He’s finishing the last letter, one of the young men gasps and drops his rock. Several men around him nervously glance over at Joshua, and one at a time it dawns on them what just happened.
Then He starts writing down some women’s names: “Abigail.” There’s a sudden look of surprise on the face of the oldest man there. He drops his rock right there and slinks away. As Jesus continues to write, more and more men give up and silently leave. Before long, it’s just the twelve and Jesus there with this adulterous woman.
Jesus is kneeling down, half naked in the dusty courtyard. He stands up and turns to the woman, who’s still in a heap, with tears and snot just running down her face. Jesus gently places a hand on his cloak covering her back, and he walks around and squats to look her in the eye. He whispers, “Hey, lady, isn’t there anyone left to condemn you?”
She turns around and looks. “No . . . No one, sir!”
He looks her long in the eye so she grasps all that’s happening right now. Then He whispers, “well, then, I don’t condemn you, either. Now go on your way, and stop sinning.”
She stops crying. No, actually, she keeps crying, but it’s a whole different kind of crying, as you can imagine. She stands, gives Jesus a long and grateful hug, gives Jesus back His cloak, goes back to blubbering, and runs off a different way from the way she came.
Different.
Yep. A completely different way.
BROTHERLY ADVICE
One day in mid-fall, a group of young men came to Jesus in Capernaum. Walked into the house where he was staying and announced that they had a plan for him. The oldest one spoke for the rest: “Brother Jesus! We have come here today with an idea for you. We call ourselves The Little Brothers of Jesus, and we are here to help manage and promote your ministry. We have already created a for-profit agency for you to be the prophet who makes a profit. You like how that sounds? We are ready to sign you to a book deal where you can write your own memoirs and speeches, and we guarantee that you become a wealthy man overnight! Imagine it: No more living in obscurity and poverty, hopping from one small town to another up here in Galilee, begging for a living just to make ends meet. We will take care of your schedule and get you before the most important people around. Just sign this contract and head down with us to Jerusalem for the feast of booths. Now is the best strategic time to launch this new phase of your ministry, and we have just the right ideas to bless everyone while still protecting You.”
“Thanks, but no. My time has not yet come” answers Jesus.
“Consider this: Let all of your followers see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he wants to be known openly. If you are doing these miracles and signs, show yourself to the world!”
“You go on up to the feast. I’m going to stay in Galilee, for my time has not fully come.”
“We’ll leave you with this contract. It’s your chance to leave a lasting impact on the world, and to have everyone love you forever.”
“I think the world can love you boys. But the world hates me because I tell it that its works are evil. So, thanks but no thanks, Little Brothers of Jesus.”
“Suit yourself. We’re just trying to help. By the way, Mom says to tell you hi for her.”
“Tell her I love her, too, and that she is still most highly favored in the Lord’s sight.”
And the Little Brothers of Jesus headed to Judea to celebrate the Feast of Booths without their big half brother Jesus.
Then one of the twelve stepped forward.
“That does sound like a great idea, Lord. Think of it: if you charged people just one denarius for each healing, we could feed every hungry person in Galilee, and still make a handsome living for you and your followers. Charging a nominal fee would be good for everyone. Don’t you see?”
Jesus says, “If I have freely received from my Father, why not freely give?”
“Oh, but it DOES cost You, Jesus! It costs you in time and energy, and you deserve to be compensated for that.”
“Really?” says the Lord.
“Of course, really! You don’t want people to take advantage of you!”
“Why not?”
“Well, because. Because people will just take and take and then take some more. At some point, you have to have boundaries.”
“Who says?”
“I suppose God says it. Doesn’t it say somewhere, ‘Withhold gold from those who need it,’ or something like that?’”
“Does it?”
“Okay, maybe not directly. But the principal is there.”
“Is it?”
“I think–I think so, yeah. Anyway, Jesus, You know that people take for granted things they get that they don’t have to pay for. We’re only thinking of them.”
“Really?”
“OK, I’m also thinking of You.”
“Really?”
“All right! I’m thinking of us, as well. All of us who are sacrificing so much to follow you!”
“Truly?”
(pause. Silence.)
“Okay, okay, I’m mostly thinking about myself here. Does that make you happy?”
“What do you think?”
“Well, no. But listen to me, Jesus! You can’t do this itinerant ministry, serving others and bringing in no income for the rest of your life!”
“I can’t?”
“No, you can’t! You will burn out! People will only take advantage of You! You must shift the emphasis of your ministry to the movers and shakers of Judaism, if you want to have a lasting impact.”
“Really?”
“Sure! Influence the influencers. It does no good to pour yourself into a bunch of Galileeans and cripples and poor people. They will do nothing for you!”
“Nothing?”
“Well, next to nothing, I guess. They are pulling down your public image, Jesus! You change the world best by changing the power people. Instead, you have seemed to alienate those leaders at every turn.”
“Hmmmm.”
“Keep this up, and I’m telling you, someone will see to it that you are silenced and never heard from again!”
“Do you think so?”
“I know so! I only want what’s best for you, you understand.”
“I understand completely. Thank you, Judas.”
It turns out, Jesus did indeed go to Jerusalem for the feast of booths. But he went later, without drawing attention to himself. And the rest of the twelve followed along, scratching their pointy little heads in wonder.
THE OTHER GOOD CONFESSION
Most of us are familiar with Peter’s statement that is called “The Good Confession.” It says, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)
Peter also gives this confession. It is worded a little differently and is more thorough, but contains details that are worth scrutinizing and meditating on.
John 6:68-69 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
Let’s break these confessions down and see their components. Jesus is:
- The Christ. The word means the “anointed one.” Anointing is a word with a couple layers of meaning. There is literal anointing with oil, such as happened to Aaron the high priest. The oil was poured over his head, and it was symbolic of God’s special blessing on him. Remember the 23rd Psalm? “You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.” Oil was a healing balm, often with a overwhelming, pleasant aroma. But there is another layer of meaning behind being anointed. It is that the Holy Spirit is the one covering, pouring over, bathing, christening (see the word Christ in that word?), and specially marking and empowering the one who is being anointed. It’s on an invisible, spiritual level that God is blessing the one who is anointed. Another detail of this is that he is THE Christ, not just AN anointed one, but THE anointed one. God has uniquely gifted this person to be one in a generation, or one in all of history. Not just A Christ, but THE Christ. He had been long awaited, predicted, expected, looked for, anticipated, prayed for, and speculated about. The single most important person in history is THE CHRIST.
- The son of the living God. The son is subservient to the father. But the son is also of the same essence as the Father, and in a sense is also God. We know a Trinitarian formula, in which we refer to the “Father, Son and Spirit.” Jesus said, even in this chapter, that he and the Father are one. So that’s the Son of God. Again, there is one more little detail. The God of whom he is Son is living! There are plenty of idols and gods in the world. But only one is truly LIVING. So we are saying he is in this current time alive, and he is God. Especially after the resurrection, the detail that he is alive is of critical importance.
- The words of eternal life. He has the words. John opens his gospel saying that Jesus actually IS the Word, the representation of God to mankind, the intermediary communication between heaven and earth. What’s more, he HAS the words. What He says comes from God Himself, and it leads to eternal life. If we heed what Jesus says, we live with him in heaven forever. And not just SOME words of eternal life, but THE words. Just as Jesus is THE way, THE truth and THE life. So we can absolutely trust what Jesus has to say to bring us eternal life.
- The Holy One of God. Holy means set apart, sanctified, separate, above and beyond. The One. He is The One who is all those things. There is none like Him. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, full of wisdom and truth. And if he is THE one, then there is no other. And He is of God, not of the earth and not of the evil one.
Paul tells Timothy about “the good confession” in his letter. He tells Timothy that he made “the good confession” with regard to eternal life in the presence of many witnesses. He continues in saying that Christ Jesus “in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession.” The good confession that Jesus seems to have given was when He was asked if He was the king of the Jews, and Jesus said, “You have said so.” Paul goes on to say this about Jesus: “he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”
To “confess” means to “say the same thing,” or to “agree with.” Con = with. Fess = say. When we say the same thing about Jesus that the Father says about His Son, then we are saved. Just as when we confess our sins, we say what God says about them. Confession and repentance lead to salvation.
Watch what you say. Your words could condemn or save you. Let us confess Christ with our words. Amen.
STORM THE GATES
(This song is from the same album as "Just One More," recorded by PAULINE WILLIAMS. I had forgotten about it over these years, but I really like the words, and the music is special to me, being one of those rare opportunities for jazz piano in a Christian song. Hope it strengthens your resolve and faith.)
Holy war. Losing ground.
A soldier of the Lord against the forces of the night.
Victorious Lord. I can hear His trumpet sound.
But still I cower back in sin and fright.
Woe. Woe.
I've seen enough!
I've had my fill of all the devil's killing.
He steals my peace and gladness and he
and he comes to take my soul
Gonna call the devil's bluff.
Defeated still. And I am unwilling
To let Christ win in heaven while I
While I'm losing here below.
This means war!
Give me the sword!
I need the shield of faith!
Prepare my feet with the gospel of peace.
The battle is the Lord's and it is mine to take.
I'll pray for peace. I'll take this fight.
I'll storm the gates of hell tonight!
Four billion souls are captive at this hour.
Waiting to be told. Waiting to find some piece of news.
Who will go? Who will share His holy power?
I'll get down on my knees and run
Run the devil into flight!
This means war!
Give me the sword!
I need the shield of faith!
Prepare my feet with the gospel of peace.
The battle is the Lord's and it is mine to take.
I'll pray for peace. I'll take this fight.
I'll storm the gates of hell tonight!
SATURDAY SWIM MEET
Sabbath in Jerusalem! It’s a first for most of us, and We’re visiting a synagogue that Judas knows about, and here we are in the center of the universe to experience it.
And Jesus didn’t give a sermon, nor do any miracles there that day, which, to be honest, was a great relief to most of us. Seemed like every Sabbath Jesus had a way of stirring up something, and we were glad to not be the center of attention for a spell.
For a Man that never sinned, Jesus sure does seem to be soft on sinners. He seems to break the Sabbath every week, as if He was just looking to draw a rise out of the Phar’sees. The surprise line of every healing seems to be, “And it took place on the Sabbath.” Man. There are six days for riling up folks. Why not give it a rest one day a week?
Anyway, we get done at the synagogue and come back to John Mark’s momma’s house for some after-church eating. One of us asks Jesus, “So what’s on the agenda for the rest of the day?”
It’s a Sabbath, right? So we ain’t allowed to do much. But we’re in the Holy City. So long as we don’t wander more than about half a mile or so, we hope to do a bit more sanctified sightseeing, at least. Jesus doesn’t disappoint us. In fact, He surprises all of us by what He says:
“I’m thinking we should all go to the pool.”
Well, I mean to tell, He didn’t have to say the “P” word twice. Everybody runs off to get ready, a whooping and a hollering like little boys.
We go about ten blocks over and take a left into the pool area, just a bit in from the Sheep Gate on the east side of town. Jesus and His posse of twelve clowns, chattering, shoving, and joking, come through the gateway and into the pool area.
At first glance it looks like everybody here is sunbathing around the edge of the pool. But then you notice right quick that everybody here’s old or crippled or sick.
Jesus zeroes in on one particular man and walks over to him. He stoops down and says, “Do ya want to get well?”
The man starts blubbering excuses right off: “I’ve been a paraplegic all these long thirty-eight years, and I have no one to help me.” (It’s his well-rehearsed beggar’s speech, I can tell. You hear them all the time.)
Jesus gets him back to the subject: “Do you want to get well?”
“I would be well, except that I am so alone in this world. No one will help me when the angel stirs the water, and so I have never been able to be first into the water.”
Jesus speaks again: “Look: if you want to be well, then act on it. Take up that pallet of yours and go home.”
“But I . . .”
“That’s true. You never have before. But today’s the day.”
“You won’t fail. Just do it.”
“What will I do for a living from now on?”
“This will be a whole new start for you, buddy. You can stop being a victim and start learning responsibility. You can stop using your problems as your excuse to keep sinning. I know God’s been whispering to you that this is your time. Just get up. Pick up your mat and go home.”
Well, can you believe it? That man, he up and done it. Stood right up. Bent over and picked up his mat and walked right out of there. Everyone staring in silence.
Well, then, Jesus don’t hang around the pool. He straightens up, smiles at the man, walks over to the twelve of us, and says, “Let’s go on back home, boys.” Another man calls out as we’re leaving: “Hey! How about me?” And then some others echo the call. But this was the day for only that one man. That’s how it works sometimes.
We leave the Pool of Bethesda in awed silence, 13 dry men, heading back home, having somehow had more fun than our boyhood swims ever gave us.
What was that we just saw? It wasn’t some easy, name-it-and-claim-it, mail order miracle. It wasn’t some man being good enough or doing enough good to somehow earn a new lease on life. It wasn’t some hocus-pocus public show to gain prestige or favor or money or a photo opp. But all of us were thinking, whatever it was I just saw, I want that.
Some call it faith.
Oh, yeah. And it was on the Sabbath.
EATING SMARTIAN FOOD
Well, now, let me say this right off: There ain’t no such thing as “fast food” in Sychar.
Unless you mean that you have to FAST until they finally get you some food. After forty days and forty nights, you just want to repaint all the signs in this town: “SLOW FOOD HERE!” I ain’t bitter. Just hungry.
So, if you went against my better advice and you are still reading this book, I’ll tell you, we’re breaking every rule of Jewish protocol by walking through S’marya, Jesus seems to think it's on our way. I suppose it could save us a couple days of walking time, but even so . . .
And we come to a village called Sychar.
Okay, I’ll admit that some of the delay was our own fault. We all came into the town of Sychar in S’marya around noon. We’d been walking through mountainous country since leaving Jerusalem yesterday, and only had some bread and water with us, which we finished up early in the morning. So when we got to Jacob’s well, we were happy to find a source of water. But more than that, we were twelve hambre hombres (that’s a little Spainish lingo there). You’d figure thirteen of us would hungry, but Jesus had that look that said His Spider sense was tingling again, and He was fixing to focus on Kingdom business. We were getting used to that look, I’ll tell you.
So, we say, “We’ll go on into town and pick something up for You, Jesus.” And He says that will be fine. So we head off to find the fastest fast food place in town.
Now, any time you get twelve men trying to find something, it ain’t a simple process. In the first place, we can’t decide on what we’re looking for. Some want this, some want that, most say they don’t care. They don’t care, until they see something, of course, and then they say, well, not that. We function like a congressional committee. Which means we make the opposite of what you might call progress.
Pete wants fish, of course. It’s all he ever eats. And he’s all set, looking for a “Fresh Fish” sign. Can I give you a little insider information? In the year A.D. 27, in the mountains of S’marya, twenty miles away from the nearest body of water, there ain’t no such thing as “Fresh Fish.” But you can’t tell Pete nothing. Some folks have got to learn for themselves.
Meanwhile, Matt’s feeling especially kosher today. Nate’s got a hankering for lamb, and Little Jimmy and Sy agree. Andy’s done wandered off again. But we all have got to stay with Judas, who doesn’t want any of those things, because Judas has the money bag. And he won’t stop until we find a kebab and falafels.
At last, Andy comes back saying he’s found us a dream come true: What they call a “Food Court.” Which, as it turn out, is where they apparently put food on trial. Today, they seem to be suing turnips. “Try Our Turnips” says a big sign. I was looking around for lawyers when my stomach reminded me of why we were there in the first place: To get something in our gullets before our belly buttons glued themselves to our spines.
By the way, in the trial, I think the food lost. It all looked pretty beat up to me. But it did the trick to stop the gnawing in our bowels. At last we all ate and were satisfied. And we collected up twelve baskets full of leftovers to bring back to Jesus, in case He wanted a little something. (I know, I know. We should have brought Him our firstfruits. Our spirits were willing, but our flesh was weak, you might say.)
All right. So, now we’ve got our leftovers, and somehow we have to retrace our steps and get back to Jacob’s well. We manage to do it as a group of real men, using our superior orienteering skills (rather than asking for directions like girly men). Okay, actually, there are tourist signs all over town, pointing the way to the well, and after half an hour or so of walking around, we saw one. We make it back to find Jesus sitting at the well, just like He was when we left Him. We offer Him some good leftovers and He says He already ate. That He had some food we didn’t know about. That doing His Father’s will is His food and drink.
While we’re still scritching our heads about that, Jesus points yonder to the town. Folks are coming our way, and Jesus says something about how others have done the work and here comes the harvest.
Sure enough, here come all these S’martian folks, each one with a dozen questions. At the front of them all is this woman. Frankly, she looks like she’s had a hard life. Anyway, she’s saying to all the folk, “Hurry! Come and see the One who told me everythin I’ve ever done!” (He’d done told her about her past love lives, and that got her attention, sure enough. There it is again, that one well-placed prophetic word. How does He do that?)
Let's discreetly say she'd been indecisive in her search for a life partner (5 times over!)
They all start asking questions about living water, about worship in Jerusalem and S’marya, and about true worship. Jesus answers their questions one at a time, and keeps going—for two days. Yep. You heard me right: two days! Amongst S’martians!
So much for saving travel time.
Maybe you’re already ahead of me in thinking about this. But do you want to guess whose house Jesus and us stayed at that night? That’s right: Mrs Mrs Mrs Mrs Mrs Miss S’marya herself.
I reckon He didn’t eat our leftovers, on account of He’d been holding out to eat food from an idol-worshiping, non-kosher, compromised S’martian sinner woman. Didn’t wash His hands to get the cooties off or nothing. Acted like they were regular people people. But the bravest thing Jesus ever did? He ate the food of a woman whose cooking had been through five-and-a-half husbands.
The rest of us ate our leftovers, just to be on the safe side.
NICK AT NIGHT ‘Twas the night before morning And all through the house Not a creature was stirring Not even Andy (who was prone to wander about) When what to my wondering eyes should appear But a Pharisee named Nick, who was sneaky and scared Well he came to Jesus and says, “God’s with You For I saw all those miracles and such that You do.” Then Jesus, He answered in riddles and words “Unless you’re born again, you can never see God.” Ol’ Nick scritched his head, then he scratched at his beard. How can an old man be born again? That seems weird. So Jesus replied, “It’s a spiritual thing That water and Spirit make a man born again. For Spirit ain’t something that can ever be seen. You can tell where He’s been, like with trees blown by wind. Then Jesus explained that new life He would make When He’s raised on a pole just like Moses’ snake. For God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son so we can have His life everlasting by believing in Him And no one will perish who’s no more condemned. “You’re making my head swim,” complained Old Saint Nick Who then disappeared from our story right quick. But then shows up later, a follower of Christ, Saying, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” (Or was that the other Nick? Never mind. I’ll get it right.)
WHATEVER MEANS WHATEVER
John 2:5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
What a great single sentence to summarize what it means to be a follower of Christ! It is just a passing instruction in the midst of a wedding celebration, when His mother was urging Jesus to find a way to get more wine for the celebrants. Sort of a strange miracle in the first place. But this open-ended direction is very fitting: If Jesus is “Lord,” then his subjects simply do “whatever He tells.”
Whatever?
Whatever means whatever.
But Jesus’ mother tells the servants to do whatever her son says. That’s a command that has tremendous implications.
I mean, what if he tells me to sell all my goods and give the money to the poor? Whatever means whatever.
What if he tells me to go wash in the pool of Siloam? Whatever means whatever.
What if he tells me to take up my cross and follow him? Whatever means whatever.
What if he tells me to be silent, but go immediately to a priest to verify my healing? Whatever means whatever.
What if he says no to my request for a healing? What if he says my grace is sufficient for you? Will that be enough? Whatever means whatever.
What if he compelled me to walk a mile with him, carrying his bag? Would I go a second mile? Whatever means whatever.
What if he says, “Come, follow me?” Whatever means whatever.
What if he says to fill these large jars with water and then draw some out and bring it to the host of a wedding? Seems like a pretty small ask, even though it doesn’t make sense. So, the servants do as Jesus had said. They fill the jars with water, then dip out some of the water and bring it to the host of the feast and the honored guest. He drinks and finds it to be wine. And not just any wine. It is the BEST wine! Instead of being humiliated for running out of wine, the host is honored for bringing out the best well into the celebration. Funny how it works sometimes, isn’t it? But Whatever means whatever.
Ironically, the sardonic use of the word “whatever” has become a common disrespectful criticism of the younger generation toward parents. “Whatever” means “your words are not important to me, and no matter what you say I will not try to argue because it won’t do me any good. I am trapped. But know that my heart is not with you, and even if I comply on the outside, I am rebelling on the inside.” That’s a lot of meaning behind the mere tone of a voice while saying a single word.
But such is the nature of sarcasm. It means the opposite of what it says. Can you imagine Mary saying her instructions to the servants using that tone of voice? “Whatever he tells you, do it.” And the servants all say, “Whatever” and walk away to do something else.
But no. That’s not what happened. Whatever simply means whatever.
So let me encourage all of us: whatever he tells you and me to do, let’s do it. Without question. Without pause. Without delay. Without a word.
I would not be surprised if doing the “whatever” we are told to do, we will find a surprise blessing on the other side of it.
IN THE BEGINNING
In the beginning, way back at the start
was a great big God-sized THINK that He thought
That thought that He thunk well He said it out loud
and the Word that it formed as it turns out was God
Yes His Name and His Nature is God
That Word started it all
It all started with Him
And without Him ain’t nothing that is would have been
And it outshines the dark and the dark cannot hide
For it fills every corner with the brightest of light
Yes His name and His nature is light
And that true light who gives true light to all men
Came to enter the world he’d created for them
He was there in the world with the Word and the light
He came to His kin but some preferred night
Yet to all who accept him, to all who believe
He turns into children not born of man’s need
or a husband’s decision or the plans of a wife
But born of the Spirit of God who gives life
For his name and his nature is life
So the Word put on skin and He settled right in
and His eyes shone the radiant glory within
We took a good look and we all were amazed
At the trueness of truth and the graceness of grace
For his name and his nature is truth and his nature is grace
So when God has a word that He means for the crowd
He’ll whisper it softly He’ll shout it out loud
and He’ll write it all down and display it above
You ask what was the word?
I knew him as Jesus
You might know Him as love
For his name and his nature is love
Yes his name and his nature is love
BEFORE THE BEGINNING “I tell you the truth: Before Abraham was, I am.” ~John 8:58 WHERE DO I BEGIN telling about Jesus? I suppose it’s best to begin where any good story begins: Before the beginning.
After all, who else could rightly say, “Before I was, I AM.” So, you’ve got to know that the man is older than dirt. Seriously. Old-er. You might say that when God spoke all those worlds into being, what He said was,“Jesus.” Or, more accurately, He was talking to Himself, saying, “Do You like this universe I’m making? It’s all for You.” Now, I don’t know much about how God works, but this much I can tell: wherever Jesus went, He spoke truth. Whenever Jesus spoke, folks lit up. Whoever Jesus touched, was made alive. He’s like having a Coleman lantern in your tent on a foggy night, lighting up the whole place. Jesus grew up as a good Jewish boy. (The rest of us weren’t what you’d really call, well,“good.”) He’d spent most of His life in Gal’lee County. Most everybody living around here is Jewish, and we all look and talk and believe the Bible like Jesus does. But some of those Bible believers were the very ones who ended up hating Him the most. Jesus was the gentlest man I ever knew, and yet He had a way of getting under some folks’ skin right quick. He could make enemies out of religious folk faster than anyone I ever met. But then there were those who followed. Crowds of thousands of people who found a whole new life waiting. It’s as if God had become flesh and dwelt among us. As if He had torn open the curtain in the Temple, done away once and for all with animal sacrifices, and had come to live right here with us. As if we had seen the Shining One and lived to gaze upon the image that would slay any mere mortal. As if we had been welcomed into the inner council of the Holy One Himself. I mean, we Jews had grown up praying the same way every day. We’d stand and face south toward the Temple in the Holy City, and we would say, Baruch a ta, Adonai. Blessed art Thou, Lord. We used titles like King of the Universe, Maker of All, Almighty One, The Holy One. We called Him King. We called Him Lord. We revered His name, to be sure. But when Jesus prayed, He called Him “Father.” His Abba. His Papa. His Daddy. And not just His. OUR Father. A name like that makes it seem like we are much more than just rebels whom God barely tolerates. More, even, than those who have been welcomed to be His people, and to have Him as our God. If we call the God of the Universe our Daddy, it implies that we are His very children, and that we are invited to eat, drink and sleep in the Father’s house, and to inherit all that He owns—which is everything, in case you’re wondering. I’m telling you, that is as profound as it gets right there, boys and girls. Where was I? Oh, yeah. I was telling you about how we are truly Jewish. But this here’s what you might call genteel country living. Others would say it’s rough country living. But we ain’t Gentile, just to make that clear. The hill country of Gal’lee County is about sixty miles up north of Jerusalem, the Big City, as the crow flies. Now, when a crow goes north from Jerusalem, first he’s going to fly over Samaria County, and them S’martians ain’t what we call “real” Jews. But after you come through there (or go around it if you know what’s good for you), up here in the northern hills, we’re the real deal. Kosher as a jar of baby dills. That’s something I’ve got to make clear to you, or lots of these stories won’t make so much sense. See, those Big City folks don’t give us much respect. Maybe on account of they get us mixed up with S’martians. Maybe on account of what they call our country accents. Either way, folks from the Big City tend to call us things: hillbillies, rednecks, country bumpkins, and even ignorant, no-good cursed (gulp)Gentiles! “Galilee of the Gentiles,” they call us.
That’s why our Council of Tourism and Trade added a slogan to our welcome signs:“Galilee County: A Kosher Community.” They were hoping to turn opinions after many generations of bigotry (which is a fancy word for hating someone in advance, before they even did you wrong). Ready for The Big Surprise? Jesus chose to associate Himself with our kind. Which is right big of Him, if you ask me, considering He’s God and all. I mean, He could’ve been a big shot, if He’d wanted to. But He needed to be called a Nazarene. Because He was. A Nazarene. From Gal’lee County. You know. Anyway, I guess Jesus was saying that it doesn’t matter where you’re from; it matters where you’re going. I don’t know about you, but as for me, I’m going wherever He does.
DO NOT PASS ME BY
Luke 24:28 “So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, . . . “
Did this little detail strike you as odd, considering that Jesus was a model of ethical behavior and straight talk. He said what he meant, and he meant what he said. So, why would he “pretend” to be moving on, when He actually had nowhere to go? I know we all do such things to be polite, to not impose, to give someone an easy out from offering us hospitality. But when I read Jesus doing such a thing, it suddenly seems, I don’t know, but like He is being dishonest or something.
There was another time when Jesus did something similar. It was when he was walking on water in the late night during a storm. Mark tells us:
Mark 6:48 “And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them . . . “
Mark says He meant to pass by them, but he doesn’t give a hint as to why He would do so.
There are plenty of other times when Jesus “was passing by” or “passed through their towns” on preaching tours. Did Jesus know that there were two blind men outside of Jericho as he was “passing by” the town? Do you think He knew they were there, but He was letting them initiate? Maybe He went there just to see them and bring them healing.
But even so, it is the pretending that seems out of character for the Lord. What’s up?
Do you see what I just did? I just asked a question, for which I might have already had an answer. But I want you to go ahead and join me in exploring the logic by asking an open-ended question, rather than lecturing you on what I might already know. Remember how we noted Jesus opening with questions so often? I think that’s a way of involving someone else in the answer, so that it becomes theirs, rather than mine. I have long said that when you discover the answer for yourself, it becomes yours for life. “Those who teach learn best,” as the saying goes.
In this way, Jesus is involving these two disciples in the hospitality of inviting Him to stay for a meal. As I say, when I do this sort of thing, I know that I’m wanting the other person to not feel pressured into helping me. Inside, he is rolling his eyes, feeling obligated to do what’s “right.” But when there is not pressure from me, he genuinely makes an offer, because it is his own generous offer, and not a reluctant agreement out of obligation.
Maybe Jesus already knew the answer when he asked those blind men, “What do you want me to do?” And maybe He specifically joined those men on the road to strengthen their faith, to have their hearts burn about the truths from Scripture that He shared with them, without being distracted by the miracle that they were in the presence of a celebrity.
Might Jesus pretend to pass by us in order to give us the chance to put a voice to what we want in life? He doesn’t walk up and say, “I am going to heal you now.” He stays attentive and waits, like the father of the prodigal son, for me to come to my senses. As I’ve heard it said, the Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He only enters upon invitation.
Remember the unjust judge who granted the widow’s request, even though he neither feared God nor liked people. And Jesus said that His Father was far more ready to answer us if we persist. But He waits for us to persist. Because we need to receive his answer as our deep cries out to His deep, and we become fully engaged in the process.
Fanny Crosby was a famous woman of more than a century ago. While she was helping in an evangelistic meeting in a prison, many people had responded to the altar call and were inquiring of the Lord to receive salvation. She heard one man in particular begging the Lord not to pass him by. She was touched by the man’s quest, and she wrote the words to this song:
Pass me not, O gentle Savior. Hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by. Let me at a throne of mercy Find a sweet relief; Kneeling there in deep contrition, Help my unbelief. Trusting only in Thy merit, Would I seek Thy face; Heal my wounded, broken spirit, Save me by Thy grace. Thou the Spring of all my comfort, More than life to me, Whom have I on earth beside Thee? Whom in heav'n but Thee? Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry: While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by
May you know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life this day. Amen.
A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES
Yesterday, we talked about evidence in support of Luke being “the beloved physician,” as Paul calls him in Colossians 4:14. Today, let’s pursue the other possible detail about Luke, that he may have been a Gentile. Cornelius, in Acts 10, was known as a “God-fearer,” which would have been a Gentile who respected Jewish practice of faith, but who had not been born a Jew, and who had not been circumcised.
The theory that Luke was a Gentile comes from the same passage in which Paul calls him the beloved physician. Here’s how it gets pieced together:
Colossians 4:10-14 “Aristarchus . . . and Mark . . . and . . . Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God . . . Epaphras, who is one of you . . . Luke the beloved physician greets you, . . ..”
Is there any evidence in Luke’s gospel that would show that he comes from a Gentile perspective? He uses a high and cultured form of Greek, which probably indicates that at the very least he was a Hellenized Jew. More on that later.
Either way, what is clear about Luke is that he is writing for a Gentile audience, and not to those who are insiders to Jewish culture and ways.
Remember when I said that Luke might be considered to be the Gospel of Paul, in the same way that Mark is the Gospel of Peter? Paul was called to reach the Gentiles, and Peter was called to preach to the Jews. Paul was more educated, his logic and grammar more sophisticated than that of a fisherman from Galilee.
Luke might give a small clue that he is writing to a Gentile. He addresses his reader as “most excellent Theophilus.” “Theophilus” means “lover of God,” and “most excellent” was a title for an honored person in government or other secular arenas.
Luke includes the detail that Zechariah’s turn to serve in the temple was “according to the custom of the priesthood.” There was a way to determine who served and when, and a Jewish reader would have already known that.
Luke also lets Theophilus know that Nazareth was a city of Galilee. And he includes the detail from Simeon’s canticle, that Jesus will be a light for revelation to the Gentiles, as well as glory to his people Israel.
In chapter 7, we find the Gentile Roman centurion asking for healing for his servant. Others had tried to present him to Jesus as being “worthy” because he built their synagogue, but the centurion himself sent messengers as Jesus came near, saying that he was not worthy of Jesus coming into his house. That man rightly understood spiritual authority. But he also understood the relationship of Jews to Gentiles, and he did not try to force Jesus to enter a Gentile’s home.
You might say that the “freedom bus” of salvation is Jewish, “for salvation is of the Jews.” Gentiles were permitted to freely get on board, which is a tremendous privilege. And over the years, so many Gentiles have boarded that they far outnumber the Jewish riders. But we who are Gentiles must remember that it is not “our” bus.
At the same time, Luke also gives a much stronger emphasis on the failures of the Jewish people, and the coming destruction of the Jewish nation, which gives way until the season of the Gentiles is over.
In chapter 4, Jesus was rejected in Nazareth, just after they had been saying about him that “he does everything well.” Why did they suddenly turn on Him and nearly throw him off a cliff? Because he quoted three times when God chose to bless Gentiles, and it seemed blasphemous and heretical to the faithful in the synagogue crowd.
In chapter 6, Luke records multiple times when Jesus talks about loving neighbors and enemies, and about forgiving and being forgivable. In chapter 10, he told stories about Samaritans and other “sinners” who showed their hearts to be responsive to the message of Jesus. He was and is the Jewish Messiah, but he had come for the sins of the whole world, not just of the Jews.
Jesus was the king of the Jews, as Luke notes several times in chapter 23 alone. But Jesus was also the savior of the entire world.
THE BELOVED PHYSICIAN
There are a couple of extra things we know about Luke the gospel writer that we have not yet explored. One is that he was “the beloved physician,” according to Paul in Colossians 4:14. There are small details that Luke includes here and there in his account of Jesus that give hints of a physician’s perspective.
Most people, especially in antiquity, become physicians because their thinking leans strongly toward two things: compassion and cure. Luke shows in subtle ways that he cared about people, their suffering, their feelings and their health. He also uses terms that are specific to medical people in those days. For example, today, most of us might say someone “has a fever,” while an insider to medical terms might say something about “pyrexia” or a “transient elevation in body temperature.” So we find Luke using those kinds of terms here and there in his writing. Let’s take a look at some of them.
22:45 “. . . the disciples . . . sleeping for sorrow . . ..” Luke compassionately addresses some of the reason as to WHY the disciples were sleeping. He sympathetically notes that sorrow can contribute to sleepiness.
22:51 “Jesus . . . touched his ear and healed him.” Peter cut off a man’s ear, but Jesus touched that ear and healed him. That’s a detail that the physician notes.
13:11-13 “. . . there was a woman who had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.”
Luke notes that she had an infirmity (astheneias) and includes the patient’s history of having it for "eighteen years." He diagnoses her condition of a curvature of the spine (sugkuptousa), adding that she was not able fully straighten herself. Jesus tells her “you are freed” (apolelusai), using the ancient Greek medical term for relaxing tendons and membranes and for taking off bandages.
10:33-34 “But a Samaritan . . . had compassion . . . bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine . . . and took care of him.” Luke uses a first aid term for binding up wounds, including the medicinal use of oil and wine.
4:38 “Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever . . ..” While Matthew and Mark both also refer to her fever, Luke uses a term that was used by medical professionals (sunechomene pureto megalo).
5:12 “While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy.” The other gospel writers say that the man had leprosy, but Luke gives the detail that he is “full” of leprosy. It’s an advanced stage of leprosy, as a doctor would note.
5:18 “. . . a man who was paralyzed . . ..” The other writers call him a paralytic, but Luke rightly diagnoses that he was a man who had a condition, not that he was the condition that he had.
8:27 “a man . . . who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.” Luke includes the detail that a man who is not in his right mind will not be doing self-care, such as wearing clothes and living in a house.
8:43-44 “a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. . . . immediately her discharge of blood ceased.” Luke makes note that physicians had been unable to heal her. And when she was healed, he uses the precise medical term used for the stoppage of bodily discharges.
6:6 “a man was there whose right hand was withered.” Luke notices that it was specifically the man’s right hand.
24:22 “Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked . . . and explained the Scriptures to us?” Another little detail that seems like a psychological nuance of what they said that they felt.
So, that is our friend, Luke, the beloved physician.
A side note: Luke gave up the comfortable life of a physician to travel with Paul and research the workings of the Spirit and preach and pray for healings.Yet, in spite of being so familiar with so many miraculous healings, Luke continued to be known as a physician. Science and faith were not at odds for him. In other words, the solution for everyone is not just “read your Bible and pray and all will be well.” Sometimes you need to go to a doctor, or see a therapist, or in some other way find practical help. Mary and Martha are both important to the team. And those who work for the cure are as vital as those who pray for the miracle.
But I guess it’s not a surprise that he would become a follower of the Great Physician.
May God bless those practical heroes of our generation, the modern-day Lukes, the “beloved physicians.”
LO! HE COMES WITH CLOUDS DESCENDING (WESLEY 1758)
1 Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
once for ev'ry sinner slain;
thousand, thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Christ reveals his endless reign.
WHEN HE COMETH (1856)
When He cometh, when He cometh
To make up His jewels,
All His jewels, precious jewels,
His loved and His own:
Refrain:
Like the stars of the morning,
His bright crown adorning,
They shall shine in their beauty,
Bright gems for His crown.
BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC 1862
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
Refrain:
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
HALLELUJAH WHAT A SAVIOR! 1875
When He comes our glorious King
All His ransomed home to bring
Then anew this song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
WILL JESUS FIND US WATCHING 1876
When Jesus comes to reward His servants,
Whether it be noon or night,
Faithful to Him will He find us watching,
With our lamps all trimmed and bright?
Refrain:
O can we say we are ready, brother?
Ready for the soul’s bright home?
Say, will He find you and me still watching,
Waiting, watching when the Lord shall come?
THERE’S A GREAT DAY COMING 1886
1 There's a great day coming,
A great day coming,
There's a great day coming by and by,
When the saints and the sinners shall
be parted right and left,
Are you ready for that day to come?
Refrain:
Are you ready? Are you ready?
Are you ready for the judgment day?
Are you ready? Are you ready?
for the judgment day?
IS IT THE CROWNING DAY 1910
Jesus may come today,
Glad day! Glad day!
And I would see my Friend;
Dangers and troubles would end
If Jesus should come today.
Refrain:
Glad day! Glad day!
Is it the crowning day?
I'll live for today, nor anxious be,
Jesus my Lord I soon shall see;
Glad day! Glad day!
Is it the crowning day?
ONE DAY 1910
5 One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glory will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine! [Refrain]
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely, forever;
One day He’s coming: O glorious day!
WHAT IF IT WERE TODAY 1912
1 Jesus is coming to earth again--
What if it were today?
Coming in power and love to reign--
What if it were today?
Coming to claim His chosen Bride,
All the redeemed and purified,
Over this whole earth scattered wide--
What if it were today?
Chorus:
Glory, glory!
Joy to my heart 'twill bring;
Glory, glory!
When we shall crown Him King.
Glory, glory!
Haste to prepare the way;
Glory, glory!
Jesus will come someday.
JESUS IS COMING SOON 1942
Troublesome times are here
Filling men's hearts with fear
Freedom we all hold dear
Now is at stake
Humbling your heart to God
Saves from the chast'ning rod
Seek the way pilgrims trod
Christians awake
Jesus is coming soon
Morning or night or noon
Many will meet their doom
Trumpets will sound
All of the dead shall rise
Righteous meet in the skies
Going where no one dies
Heavenward bound
WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE (1955)
What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see
And I look upon his face
The one who saved me by his grace
When he takes me by the hand
And leads me through the Promised Land
What a day, glorious day that will be
COMING AGAIN 1957
Marvelous message we bring
Glorious carols we sing
Wonderful words of the King:
Jesus is coming again!
Coming again, coming again
May be morning may be noon
May be evening and may be soon
Coming again coming again
Oh what a wonderful day it will be
Jesus is coming again!
YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH 1970
Years of time have come and gone
Since I first heard it told
How Jesus would come again some day
If back then it seemed so real
Then I can't help but feel
How much closer His coming is today
Signs of the times are ev'rywhere
And there's a brand new feeling
In the air
Keep your eyes upon the eastern sky
Lift up your head
Redemption draweth nigh
THE KING IS COMING 1970
I can hear the chariots rumble
I can see the marching throng
The flurry of God's trumpets
Spells the end of sin and wrong
Regal robes are now unfolding
Heaven's grandstands all in place
Heaven's choir is now assembled
Start to sing Amazing Grace
O the King is coming
The King is coming
I just heard the trumpets sounding
And now His face I see
O the King is coming
The King is coming
Praise God He's coming for me
IT WON’T BE LONG 1972
It won't be long
Then we'll be leaving here
It won't be long
We'll be goin' home
Count the years as months
And count the months as weeks
And count the weeks as days
Any day now we'll be goin' home
SOON AND VERY SOON 1976
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! We’re going to see the King
WE SHALL BEHOLD HIM 1980
The sky shall unfold preparing His entrance
The stars shall applaud Him with thunders of praise
The sweet light in His eyes shall enhance those awaiting
And we shall behold Him then face to face
And we shall behold Him
We shall behold him face to face i all of His glory
O we shall behold Him
We shall behold Him face to face our Savior and Lord
COME QUICKLY JESUS 1985
Come quickly Jesus take Your bride away
Come quickly Jesus oh and may this be the day
That you come through the clouds
You come shining
Victorious in power
Jesus how we long to see You face to face
To be one with You and to thank You for your grace
We’ll wear robes of white and day and night we’ll sing your praise
But Lord sometimes it gets hard down here
With all our pain and all our fears
But there’ll be no more death or tears
When those things have passed away
DAYS OF ELIJAH 1996
These are the days of Elijah
Declaring the Word of the Lord
And these are the days
Of Your servant Moses
Righteousness being restored
And though these are days
Of great trials
Of famine and darkness and sword
Still we are the voice
In the desert crying
Prepare ye the way of the Lord
Behold He comes
Riding on the clouds
Shining like the sun
At the trumpet call
So lift your voice
It's the year of Jubilee
And out of Zion's hill
Salvation comes
THE LION AND THE LAMB 2015
He's coming on the clouds
Kings and kingdoms will bow down
And every chain will break
As broken hearts declare His praise
For who can stop the Lord Almighty
Our God is the Lion
The Lion of Judah
He's roaring with power
And fighting our battles
And every knee will bow before Him
Our God is the Lamb
The Lamb that was slain
For the sins of the world
His blood breaks the chains
And every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb
Every knee will bow before Him
KEEP ALERT
“Teacher,” they asked, “when will all this happen? That’s one of our first thoughts, isn’t it? Will this happen within my lifetime? Will I be ready when it does? As it turns out, being ready for it is the whole point. It’s like the end for each of us. We know that death is coming. But we think if we just knew WHEN, then we could somehow be more ready. It’s just not how the universe works. All we can do is to be ready NOW for what might not happen for a long time. What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?” How do we know this is really, really the end?
He replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, because if there is money to be made or power to be grabbed, people will do it. It’s easy to claim that God spoke to you, if it can make you feel powerful, for many will come in my name, even though it seems hard to believe, people use the name of Jesus to gather followers for themselves! claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ which means the anointed one. God has spoken to me, and I can pretend to do miracles and have words of knowledge that seem impressive. There are too many examples for me to even have to explain this. and saying, ‘The time has come!’ We all want to know that it’s happening right before our eyes, and we have become a very impatient people with a clear desire to have end-of-the-world panic all around us, But don’t believe them. Always ask yourself, “What’s in it for them? Follow the money, and you’ll see who truly believes and who is pursuing their own selfish agenda. And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Be concerned for those who are victims, and for the aggressors, but know that it’s not about you. There is a very big picture of history that unfolds, showing what mankind does when they make their own decisions. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.” People have been predicting the end of the world since Jesus ascended. Even these signs Jesus provides are no predictors of the final chapter. In my lifetime, the last 50 years have been filled with end times predictions, seeing the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39 as being fulfilled, when Gog from the north in Russia and Magog from the south in Iran come to invade Israel, a people living peacefully in cities without walls. Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Russia will invade the Ukraine, and there will be increasing divisions within our own country, leading toward another civil war. Currently, there are wars or minor conflicts in around 40 countries today, most of them in the middle east, many of them ultimately focused on and surrounding the modern nation of Israel. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, let’s just go ahead and call it global climate change, and recognize that we have had a lot of changes in the patterns of weather on the planet, including 6 earthquakes in the last 18 years of 8.1-9.1 in magnitude, all in the Pacific. Famines are increasing on earth, due to climate change, ongoing wars, and the pandemic. At least 155 million people in 55 countries faced acute hunger in 2020 — 20 million more than 2019 famines, and now they say there has been a Six-fold increase in people suffering famine-like conditions since pandemic began. And I think it is fair to call COVID-19 a plague. and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven. Terrifying? That’s why they call them terrorists! Miraculous? I suppose surface to air missiles would be miraculous signs to the ancient witness of them.
. . . For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people. Can you say Holocaust? Diaspora? The Pale of Settlement? There always have been enemies of the Jews, and today is no exception. The current modern state of Israel, with the angry eyes of the whole world focused on it. They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. This began in A.D. 70 and continued in the ensuing centuries. By far, there is no nation on earth that has been so singled out to be scattered and driven away as the nation of Israel over the years. And yet, they have still been identifiable for all these centuries. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end. Perhaps you remember my telling you that the Romans in the year 70 defiled and destroyed the temple, but they also drove out Jews from being allowed to live in Jerusalem. They renamed the city Capitolina to have a secular name, and they named the land Palestine, which was a derogatory term, meaning “Land of the Philistines,” the known enemies of Israel. During the Persian period, the total Jewish population in all of Palestine was less than that of New Richmond. About 1500 Jews in what we know as Israel. In the 1870s, the total population of the city of Jerusalem was around 17,000 people. Jerusalem had the population of Loveland Ohio. And yet, in 1948 the state of Israel was re-established and Jews from all over the world returned. And today the Jewish population of Israel is almost 7 million and the city of Jerusalem has almost a million citizens. Has the period of the Gentiles come to an end?
“And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. Would you consider large meteors coming near, satellites in space or data stored in the cloud to be strange signs? And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. The sea is rising, almost 4 inches in 30 years, and predicted to continue rising as the polar ice caps melt. Tsunamis have increased, as well as major hurricanes and monsoons. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. You can hardly turn on the news without hearing how terrified people are at what they see coming upon the earth. Of course, they believe that it is due to carbon emissions! As if our greatest sin is to emit carbon dioxide. But there is coming a judgment from God for reasons far more morally evil than unknowingly leaving a carbon footprint! Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. And at last there is the return of the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. I don’t know what image comes to your mind with this. Is he riding on a cloud like a surf board? Is he circling the earth so that all can see him? Are cameras focused on a UFO—a little man-sized anomaly that they eventually see is Jesus, complete with white robe, descending from the sky? I don’t know. But I trust that everyone will see it, and all will see that he has power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” Notice what is near? Your salvation! These days, we talk about the future with an invented end of the world. The most popular now is a Zombie Apocalypse. I am embarrassed even to say it. There is no biblical or scientific prediction of such a thing. It is completely made up. Others see nuclear explosions covering the earth and wiping out life as we know it. We predict pollution destroying the planet, or carbon emissions bringing about global disasters, or incurable disease spreading like a plague. Any number of scenes that we have painted. But make special note of this: when these things begin to happen, you can stand and look up, for your salvation is near! Not your doom or mankind’s extinction! Your salvation!
“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. This is why we are talking about this chapter today. It is not to predict politics or weather. It is not to prove that the Bible is true. It is not to tell you to build a bomb shelter. No. It is to help us all to be aware, and not to become complacent, with the worries or pleasures of this life taking over our lives. Listen: video gaming and self-entertainment are far greater dangers to our planet than greenhouse gas emissions or even world war! The danger Jesus warned against is to let your heart be dulled by self-indulgence or the worries of this life. We become unaware. Like a trap.
For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. This is more than even world war 3 or a nuclear disaster. There is no one escaping the appearing of Jesus. Keep alert at all times. Not to scare yourself or others with dire predictions. Keep attuned to the Spirit of God. Memorize Scripture. Read it every day. Discipline yourself to pray. The one who guards at night is vigilant to particular movements and sounds. You let some go and focus on the important ones. Your job is not to think world politics but to watch for immediate dangers. This is us. Jesus gives us the big picture, but then tells us to be alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” This is the end of his talk on the subject. Let us pray that we will be strong enough to escape the coming horrors and be firm in our faith so that we can stand before the Son of Man, rather than falling before him being judged for what we did while we had the chance on earth.
THREE BLIND MICE AS A WORSHIP SONG
(SARCASM WARNING! A few years ago in class, I was talking about melodic formulas, the most common of which is scale degrees 3-2-1. I said that, in effect, most worship songs boil down to "Three Blind Mice." That launched into a spontaneous exploration of the traits of contemporary worship songs, if the song were a worship song.)
Three blind mice
Three blind mice
See how they run
See how they run
Oh, how they run
Run into Your arms
I'm talkin' 'bout three blind mice
Sing with me about three blind mice
They could not see how they run (they're kinda clumsy)
See how they run (but it's really funny)
Oh, how they run run into Your arms
Running on the waves
into your embrace
finding all your grace
and look into your face
but they cannot see a thing
'cause they're three blind mice
yeah they're three blind mice
(pray for the mice!)
FALLING UPON OR FALLEN UPON
Jesus is telling a variation of a story that we have heard him say before in the gospels. But this version is especially dark. A vineyard (the kingdom) is leased out to tenants (the religious elite), and the owner (God) expects to receive a share of the fruit (faithful followers) at harvest time (the coming of the kingdom). But the tenants (the religious elite) are really messed up in their thinking, and they reject his requests and violate the ones he sends (prophets). At last, the owner of the vineyard (God) decides to send his own son (Jesus), thinking that the best representative of his interests would be treated with due respect. But the tenants (the religious elite) are completely backwards in their logic, and their hearts are somehow set against the owner (God) to the point that they want to kill his son (Jesus) and thus somehow they think they will inherit the vineyard (faithful followers) for themselves.
What is the outcome of this story, in earthly terms? Even the Pharisees knew what Jesus was going to say.
Luke 20:16-18 “He (God) will come and destroy those tenants (the religious elite) and give the vineyard (church) to others (Gentiles).” When they (the religious elite) heard this, they said, “Surely not!” (God would never abandon Israel in favor of Gentiles) But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone (Jesus) that the builders (the religious elite) rejected has become the cornerstone’?
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” This is the twofold warning that I’d like us to reflect on today: Falling on, or being fallen upon.
It’s not the first time that Jesus gave some harsh depictions of the relationship between God and these men who think they know Him. Here in Luke 20, Jesus says, “He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
In the last chapter, Jesus had said, “But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’” Luke 19:27
In Matthew, we find this ending: “the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:50-51 Another reference to eternal torment, compared to eternal life.
Of course, Jesus is not just making up such hard sayings out of his imagination. There are many in the Bible, both Old Testament and New. But this one is worth focusing on, before we move on: “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
It seems there is no way out of this. Either I fall on the stone, or the stone falls on me. And when that happens, I will either be broken to pieces, or it will crush me. Doesn’t sound like either option is very pleasant. It doesn’t end well for me, does it? Is there a third option, I wonder?
Jesus is saying that He is the chief cornerstone. The builders had rejected Him, saying that He was not square enough. The cornerstone is the one that needs to have perfect right angles, and be perfectly level. If you don’t find a good stone to start with, your building will be out of alignment. So the builders found a stone that they thought was imperfect. They threw it away, on the cross. They stumbled upon the stone, and they will soon be crushed under it.
The confusing passage is about the scribes and the Pharisees in first-century Israel, to be sure. But there is a sense in which it had very much to do with you and me today, as well. We really have just two choices in life: we can repent, or we can be condemned. We can fall upon the Rock and be broken and die to ourselves, or we will have the weight of his judgment fall upon us and crush us in the final judgment.
But the Good News is that the judge of our souls is also the savior of our souls! He has become the chief cornerstone! It turns out, that rejected stone was perfect! And now, we are Christ’s building, all of us stones built into a holy temple to the Lord. Praise God!
But if we miss the cornerstone, then we have no foundation that is worth building upon. We stumble, as did the Pharisees, and we fall on it and are broken to pieces. The other option is that the stone falls on us. In which case, the truths that Jesus taught, the perfection that He demonstrated, and the sacrifice that he made all come down upon us, and our unworthy sinfulness is smashed under the weight.
The time has come to build! You just have to decide on your cornerstone in order to begin. It’s the most important decision of your life. And after.
I think I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold. I’d rather have that perfect cornerstone than to have anything this world affords today.
AIN’T NO ROCK
There aren’t too many times that Jesus allows this to happen, so maybe it’s good to pause and recognize just what he is saying. We are nearing the end of his time on earth, the beginning of his final week, the time of “the passion of Christ.” He must fulfill many Scriptures regarding his suffering, humiliation and death. But first, there is an important event that will fulfill a different set of prophecies; He must be honored, praised, riding into Jerusalem, humble, and riding on a donkey.
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion. Sing aloud, Daughter Jerusalem. Look, your king will come to you. He is righteous and victorious. He is humble and riding on an ass, on a colt, the offspring of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)
He doesn’t need to script this for people, you know. He simply stops holding them back, and lets them do what comes naturally. And a whole multitude begins to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice. They do it because of all the mighty works that they had seen him quietly doing for the last three years. The mighty hero has now arrived in the heart of it all, here in Jerusalem, and just in time for the Passover celebration. The multitudes are already gathering for the feast, and hearing that Jesus of Nazareth is coming today kicks off a spontaneous parade of jubilance and expectant praise. The cheer soon arises, heralding Him as “the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
The King has come! How did they come to start calling Him “the King?” Had Jesus been using the title of “king” for Himself before this point? Did they know He was born in Bethlehem? That He was of the line of David? Had they been reading Zechariah? Or was it that obvious? This was the rightful king of the Jews, after all, this gentle man riding into town.
And I imagine who is in that crowd: people from all over Israel have gathered here. But especially there are the ones who had heard, who had been following, who had been healed. And I picture Jesus nodding to each as He rode down the hillside and through the gate into the city. He sees the ten healed lepers, the one whom he healed in the Jerusalem synagogue, the paralytic from right over there at the pool of Bethsaida, the blind man whom he sent to the pool of Siloam, the woman who had been caught in adultery, the young man whom he had brought back from the dead, Jairus and his daughter. And there is Legion, with dozens of eager friends and relatives from the Decapolis region. And the children–oh, the children! He quietly mouths the name of each person, now so vehement in their thanks and praise, and He rides, humbly on the back of the foal of a donkey.
As it turns out, for all their praises of Jesus as King, they only know a part of it. He is the King of kings, he is. This man is also the long-awaited Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God. The Word of God, the deliverer of Israel, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Prophet, the eternal high priest, and the Lord of lords.
And soon this man will be the atoning sacrifice for the sins of all.
Of course, some of the Pharisees are offended by this display of honor for one whom they regard as a mere human. It would be blasphemy to say “glory in the highest” before any man. But, of course, Jesus is not just any man!
Luke 19:36-40 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
And so, Jesus allows the accolades to come streaming down, like anointing oil on his head, running down his beard and onto his robe. These words are what he will hear in eternity, but it will be a long week before he gets to hear words of worship and adoration again. He knows the truth, that if he were to shut this jubilant party down, the very rocks themselves would cry out.
He knows it because they already are silently giving their never-ending worship even now. The heavens are telling the glory of God. The mountains and hills bow down in worship. The earth is the Lord’s, and all the fullness thereof. The trees of the field clap their hands. The wind stirs, and the whirlwind carries the praise aloft. Mightier than the thunder of the mighty waters, mightier than the crashing of the seas the Lord on high is mighty. The stars declare his faithfulness through all generations.
Day after day they pour forth speech. Night after night they display their knowledge. There is no speech or no language where their voice is not heard.
So, if creation sings Your praises, so will I. If creation still obeys you, so will I. If everything exists to lift you high, so will I. If the wind goes where you send it so will I. If the rocks cry out in silence so will I. If the sum of all our praises still falls shy, then we’ll sing again a hundred billion times.
Ain’t no rock gonna cry in my place. Amen.
THEY DID NOT GRASP
Have you ever been in a conversation with someone, and the other person simply did not grasp what it was that you were trying to say? You kept using words, being as plain as you could be, and it was clear that the other person simply wasn’t hearing you. They weren’t hip to your jive. They weren’t moving with your grooves. They weren’t stepping in what you were putting down. Know what I’m saying?
Take heart. Jesus, the greatest teacher in the world, had that problem, too. His closest friends were clueless, even when He said things to them multiple times that were as clear on this side of their unfolding as they could be.
Luke 18:31-34 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
As I say, on this side of their fulfillment, all of his predictions seem perfectly clear. It had happened earlier, as well.
Luke 9:44-45 Jesus said to his disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
Here’s what was happening: something seemed completely out of step with what they expected of the Messiah, the king of Israel, the prophet who will usher in the great and dreadful day of the Lord, in which the idolatrous nations would be crushed for good. Notice who they thought would be doing the crushing.
Psalm 110:1 The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
Daniel 7:14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Psalm 8:6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,
1 Chronicles 17:10-14 I will subdue all your enemies. . . . When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. . . . I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’”
On and on it goes, prophecy after prophecy, predicting the future reign of this coming king of Israel, who will usher in the golden age of political and military dominance over the world.
You know how you hear what you were expecting to hear? The disciples were expecting to hear Jesus talking about victory in this newly-established everlasting kingdom. They were fighting for who would get the best seats when it began. They simply could not comprehend that it was going to come crashing down around them. They were so convinced of it that one time when Jesus said that they were going to Jerusalem, where He would be killed, Peter took the Lord aside and told him that he was not going to die. Jesus had told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
You’d think that would have been enough. But you know how hard-headed and closed-minded “they” can be.
“They” did not grasp that day.
Will I?
MARCH 2 = LUKE 17
REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE
It is the second-shortest verse in the New Testament: “Remember Lot’s wife.” The reminder from Jesus is easy to remember, but not so clear to understand and apply.
What about Lot’s wife are we to remember? About all we know about her is that she turned to look back at Sodom as she and her husband fled the fire and brimstone falling on the city, and she was turned into a pillar of salt. But there must be more back story to it. I mean, the lesson we are to learn can’t be “don’t turn around or you will be turned into salt.” Can it?
There is, indeed, more back story, both in Luke and in Genesis.
First, the context in Luke: Jesus is talking about how the kingdom of God is invisible and not so tangible that its center can be found, for the kingdom of God is “in the midst of you.” Just as God is with us in Emmanuel, so His kingdom is found among us.
And yet, that kingdom comes secretly, through the suffering and death of the Messiah, and no one seems to be ready for it. Remember just a few chapters ago, the foolish man who was building bigger barns for his riches was saying to himself, “Then I can say to myself, ‘eat, drink and be merry.’” Jesus says almost the same words about how it was in the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. And before the destruction of Sodom, people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. In other words, life was going on with no hint that it was all about to come crashing down in a single act.
Jesus says that “on the day when the Son of Man is revealed,” it will be a devastating experience for those who are not ready. “On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back.” That’s when Jesus says to remember Lot’s wife.
So, what happened with Lot’s wife, that we should remember her, in particular? For that we need to go back to Genesis.
We are told that life was going on as usual in Sodom, except in Lot’s household. The morning of the destruction, it says “the angels urged Lot, saying, ‘Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.’ But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, . . . And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. . . . lest you be swept away.”
“Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”
Now, Lot had already hesitated. But his wife disobeyed more deeply when she turned around to look back. Why would she look back? Didn’t God specifically say to them not to do just that? Well, yes, and that’s the point.
But they had lived there many years by then, making it their home, putting down roots, raising their daughters and having a connection with the city. Lot was even something of a city leader.
So as she fled, I imagine Lot’s wife was broken-hearted to have it be destroyed. And maybe curious. But definitely disobedient. Maybe she thought she heard a voice of someone she knew pleading for help. So she clung to the past and rebelled against a direct order from God. And it was her undoing. She ended up suffering the same fate as all those other people who had been eating and drinking, living their lives as if there were no God in heaven as a just judge over them.
Baseball can be an illustration for everything in life, I think. It is a challenging sport, requiring instant decisions based on ever-changing events as they unfold in real time. Think about the complications of being on first base. “Take a three-step lead” turns into “come back” followed almost instantly with “go!” A player is thinking about stealing second, watching the pitcher’s move, seeing his teammate swing, watching it go through the catcher’s legs and then bounce off the screen right back to the catcher, who throws the ball to second, but the shortstop bobbles the ball and then fires back to first. Where should the runner be going at any moment? There isn’t enough time to describe the moment as it unfolds.
Because of all the layers of information that need to be processed, young players need to listen intently to the voice of the coach and instantly do it, trusting that the coach will make the right decisions. You don’t have to understand or agree with the directive. There simply is no time for hesitation.
This is the kind of single-mindedness that the Lord needs to happen with us. Whether or not it is an end-of-the-world cataclysmic event, once we hear His voice, we need not stop to try to understand, or to hesitate while I consider whether I agree or disagree. This is what it means for Him to be Lord, you know. We obey. Just obey. We take a step in faith, and let the understanding follow.
I used to keep a handwritten sign in my office that said, “Obey first. Then you’ll understand.”
When the moment comes, I wonder how quickly I will respond? Will I give a backwards glance at what the world has to offer? Or will I remember Lot’s wife?
STORMING THE GATES
Today’s verse is related to several others, and I’d like to combine them all here to talk about an essential concept of spiritual warfare.
In verse 16, Jesus says, “...The kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it.”
What did Jesus mean that everyone is forcing their way into the kingdom of God? Here are other translations: “everyone is eager to get in.” “every man presseth into it.” “everyone tries forcefully to go into it.” “everyone is urgently invited to enter it.” “every man entereth violently into it.” “everyone is pushing to enter it.”
The statement takes on even more dimensions in Matthew, where Jesus is quoted as saying, “the kingdom of heaven is forcefully advancing, and forceful men take hold of it.” That verse is even more subject to multiple translations, as to whether the kingdom is suffering violence or is forcefully advancing. My choice is to see the kingdom as being “forceful” and being taken hold of by “forceful” men.
I say that because there are other references to the aggressiveness of the kingdom’s advance. For example, Paul says he has “fought the good fight.” He may have been a pacifist in the political realm, but spiritually Paul was a warrior.
In Revelation, Jesus speaks to each church about the believer who “overcomes.” The ones receiving those letters are enduring persecution and attack, to be sure. But they are enduring to the end and thus overcoming in the end.
Jesus talks in all of the synoptic gospels about ransacking the strong man’s house, referring to himself breaking in and robbing the devil’s house. He acknowledges that the devil is a strong man, but places himself in the role of overcoming the “strong man,” tying him up and then doing whatever he likes to plunder the strong man’s house. In all of Jesus’ healings, as well as his teachings, we see him plundering his enemy’s strongholds.
Demons screamed that they knew who Jesus was, and pled with him, “Have you come to torture us before our apointed time?” They know that they are on borrowed time, and their defeat is eternally decided already. In Revelation, the devil and his angels are thrown into the pit burning with fire and brimstone to be tortured for a thousand years. They are tortured forever and ever in the place that was prepared for them, says the Lord.
Don’t be deceived. We are in a battle. It is not an easy one. Satan roams like a roaring lion, seeking to devour our souls. We are to resist him, standing firm in our faith.
When the disciples return from their short-term mission that Jesus sent them on, they report that demons even obeyed their orders, Jesus says that he saw Satan fall like lightning from the sky. And he is filled with joy and gives thanks that he has revealed his truths to little children. Not too long after that, when Jesus rose from the grave, he led captivity captive. Which I think means that he defeated death, rendering its captivity to be null, with death’s captives set free. Peter says that when Jesus died he preached to the souls who are now dead, which is sometimes interpreted to mean that he descended into hell, as the Nicene Creed states.
Jesus tells Peter that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against” the kingdom of heaven. Notice which kingdom is being the aggressor here. It is not the gates of heaven withstanding an attack from the forces of hell. No, it is the GATES of hell being overwhelmed by the forces of heaven.
So, how do we win in this spiritual warfare? By faith, through humility, in peace, we take back dominion of all the strongholds that had been controlled by Satan. By this means we allow the Spirit to set people free!
The sting of sin is death, and the power of sin is the law. The power of sin and death has been erased by the Spirit. Both sin and death have been rendered powerless, shut down by the forceful invasion of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus. And this is our victory; even our faith. Thanks be to God, who gives to us the victory!
(Thirty years ago, Pauline Williams recorded an album, for which this was the title song. I had the privilege of writing most of the songs and producing the album. I have tried to transfer it from cassette tape to digital. Her voice more than makes up for the missing fidelity. It's a theory as to why the second coming of Jesus has been postponed.)
Two thousand years have come and gone
In heaven just two days
Generations come and go on earth
In heaven it's unchanged
But now the Judge has seen enough
He's standing at the door
The patience of a holy God will bear His wrath no more.
He signals to His captain who gives the victory sign
Ten thousand soldiers draw their swords and mount their steeds to ride
The Lamb who's seated on the throne now stands to take His bride
Anticipating long this day to bring her to His side
He's seen too much of war and hate
Too much of sin and death
He readies for the signal as all heaven holds its breath.
And as the trumpet starts to sound to give the victory cry
Again the Father raised His hand and a tear comes to His eye
And he says,
"Wait!
Just one more.
Let just one more precious child come home to call Me Lord.
Let just one more person hear.
I'm not willing one should perish.
So wait.
Wait for
Just one more.
Wait. Just one more . . .
For two thousand years I've waited to avenge this world of blood
But two thousand years of waiting can't decrease a Father's love
There's a soul that's in the balance
One I've loved enough to win
I'm not willing one should perish
So let's wait again for him.
And wait.
Wait for
Just one more . . .
So wait . . .
Wait for . . .
Just one more . . .
One more . . .
Just one more . . .
THE PRODIGAL BROTHER
Perhaps you already know the story of the prodigal son. A man had two sons. It was normal for the oldest son to receive all of the inheritance from his father, and of course that would happen after the father had passed away. But this son, the younger son, demanded of his father that he receive his share of the inheritance immediately. We assume that he is young–perhaps in his early twenties, with plenty of time to discover the world and learn about himself. We can also assume that his father would have had to sell much of his property in order to give the young man what he called his share of the inheritance. It is the ultimate adolescent rebellion, right from the start. But, inexplicably, the boy’s father yields and gives him the money, knowing full well that he is likely to waste it on wild living, since he had not learned any discipline or respect so far.
And, sure enough, the son goes off to a far country, no doubt slamming a door and saying something about dad never seeing him again. His plan was to make a name for himself, break all the rules, and prove them all wrong about him.
But Solomon had written in Proverbs the truism that an inheritance quickly gained in the beginning will not be blessed in the end. It is one of what we might consider to be certain unbreakable rules in life. Among them are rules about wild living and spending money and receiving an inheritance quickly before learning the value of money. Another of the unbreakable rules has to do with fools suffering for their foolishness. And so, the father, being wiser than his son, does not chase him down. Instead he stays home and daily scans the horizon, ready to run and greet his returning son.
In addition, the boy’s heavenly father is watching out for him. He causes him to lose his job. He makes sure there is a famine in the land. And he makes sure that no one helps the young man. The son has truly burned all of his bridges at this point. At last he gets a job doing the lowest of the lowest of jobs for a Jewish man: feeding pigs. And at last he comes to his senses and sees that the non-kosher pigs he feeds every day are living better than he is. He decides to humble himself at last and return to his father, pleading for mercy and willing to have a menial job for his dad, whom he hopes will at least let him live as if he were a servant in the house. At last, he is ready for a redeaux. He turns and heads toward home.
His father sees him from a distance. That’s because he has been scanning the horizon every day for all these months. And his father then runs to meet his son. That’s because he doesn’t want to wait another second, forcing his son to have to walk all the way home to make things right. He gives instructions about a fattened calf and a robe—both of which he has been preparing just for this moment, in case it should happen. He was ready to forgive and welcome his son home, especially now that his son is contrite and has gleaned wisdom from his experience. Notice the son has not returned with any money. That is all gone. But the father is not even asking about that. He knew it would happen.
That’s when we get to the second half of the story, to the true center of what Jesus is saying.
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
In this story, it is people like the Pharisees who are the older brother. They are the old school Jewish goody-goodies, who will not tolerate a fool. He may have returned home, but he owes something before he can be restored. The prodigal son has a huge debt to God that needs to be paid, in their minds. But more centrally, as you notice in the older brother’s complaint, they feel like a returning prodigal somehow owes THEM a debt. After all, they are the ones who have been toeing the line, holding the fort, keeping the covenant, being, well, good. And it is no fun being good all the time, trying to stave off the wrath of God in spite of the heartless rebellion of these, these heartless rebels. Yeah.
It could be that Jesus is telling our story here. Maybe I am the older brother, at least a bit. I am bitter that all these resources and work have been wasted on a rebel who has been ungrateful and hurtful as they left. And maybe I am angry that I have had to be, well, good, dutifully following the rules myself while others get to have fun without consequences. Maybe God should at least let me deliver some kind of an “I told you so” lecture before I welcome him back fully.
I’m saying that we all have some prodigal brother in us, if we don’t stop to recognize it and repent.
So, Lord Jesus, I repent of thinking I have been missing out because I have tried to do good. I confess that I am not, in fact, anywhere close to being good, once the depths of my heart and inner motives are made known.
And now, let’s go to the party that’s already underway in the heavenlies! A lost one has come home! Celebrate!
EXCUSES, EXCUSES
“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
I mentioned when introducing Luke that his book contains more of the ethical teachings of Jesus. This chapter and the last couple of chapters is where we find several of those teachings. Here I’d like to explore this one of “excuses.”
We bump someone as we walk past, or make a rude sound, and say, “Excuse me.” It’s a minor request, really. We don’t expect the other person to say, “No!” So when we use the term “excuse me,” it is somewhat less than actually asking for forgiveness. It’s really sort of a command: Excuse me.
The next level for us is to say, “Sorry.” It’s an emotion word, not an actual repentance or request for forgiveness. I’m sorry, you say. I reply, I’m sorry also. Nothing was really gained here if I call your bluff. You are sorry. Especially when your “sorry” statement contains the word “if,” it is really not a repentant apology at all. “I’m sorry if what I did offended you.” It actually casts the blame on you when I say it that way.
Likewise, many times when we do apologize for something big that we did to wrong someone, we include “excuses” as part of our apology. Many times an excuse includes the word “just” to explain that we meant well. We simply had a misunderstanding, or I miscalculated, or someone else caused me to not be able to come through. So I say something like, “Please forgive me. I was just trying to . . ..” When you think about it, it’s also a pretty weak apology, isn’t it?
Jesus told us to let our yes be yes and our no be no. Anything beyond that, he said, is of the evil one. Wow. Likewise, Paul said that it is a “worldly manner” of making decisions when we say “yes yes” and “no no” at the same time. Here’s what I think that often looks like: I say I’ll come to someone’s event, but I really plan to find a reason not to go. I say out loud, “I’d love to go.” But inside, I don’t really want to. So my “yes” is actually a “no.” But I never quite say it that way. Then when the time comes, I provide an excuse, “It’s just that some emergency came up and prevented me from being able to come.” The excuse is blown out of proportion to seem more obstructive than it really was.
Hear these excuses that Jesus says people gave to miss a certain man’s great banquet:
“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
Thinking through it, these are all inflated “emergencies,” wouldn’t you say? Did you say that this very night you MUST go see a field you just bought? The purchase of the oxen took you by surprise, and your inspection is an emergency? Otherwise, of course, you imply that you would be there, because this great banquet is important to you. It’s sort of a weak win/win in the friend world. Sorry that you wasted all that food.
Even the marriage is a weak excuse. Are you saying that you had no idea you were getting married that day? Are you saying it’s only been a month, and you owe your bride more time at home? Or are you blaming HER for you not coming? “I cannot come. I would, but the wife won’t let me.”
Then the owner of the house became angry. He had wasted all that food, and made his honor vulnerable at the hands of these invited guests, and they have thrown him under the bus. He says about his former friends, “I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
We need to treat others with the kind of respect that causes us to be honest and candid. But this parable really has to do with how we respond to the heavenly Father. We excuse ourselves and simply have poor priorities. That disrespect to the Creator of the Universe is unacceptable, once we see it.
Why have I failed to keep my vow to God? How does it sound when I try to say it, in light of these excuses? “Lord, please excuse me.” “I’m sorry if I have sinned against you.” “I would have repented, but I forgot what I was going to change.”
Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”
Do I want the Lord to say to me, “God bless you.”
HOW LONG? HOW LONG!
How long, O Lord? How long?
It is the question that seems to always be running in the background, both in the Bible and in our lives. We see injustice and wonder why the wicked flourish while the righteous are oppressed. We see evil deeds, godless people, sinful words and harmful plans, and we wonder how God lets it all happen without intervening.
If God is just, then why doesn’t He smite the wicked? How can he allow evil to flourish on the earth? Why not punish the oppressors? Why does the Bible give all those warnings, but yet He takes no action? What is he waiting for?
And what about me, personally. Why do I suffer? Will he not avenge me? When will he destroy those who oppose me? Why not take up my cause and bring me some justice?
Be careful what you wish for. James says the Judge is standing at the door! If he had taken action when his justice demanded it, you and I would likely not be here now!
You might say that God’s justice and His mercy are two attributes that are sort of mutually exclusive. His justice says to bring swift judgment on all. But His mercy waits and waits and waits some more.
“But God is patient with you, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 1 Peter 3:9 So the mercy of God waits patiently for you and me to get our hearts right with him before he simply judges us eternally.
On the other side of that judgment and mercy timetable, we find Revelation 9, where the saints who have been martyred for Christ are under the altar in heaven. And they cry out, “How long, O Lord, until you avenge our blood?” (After all, God says vengeance is His!) “Just a little while longer,” they are told. Wait until the full number of saints have been martyred.
So the judgment of God is ready to avenge. But the mercy of God prevents it.
Which brings us to today’s verses: Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
Who is the man in this parable? And who is the vine dresser?
What if we say the man is the judgment of God, and the vine dresser is his mercy. Justice would throw us out and find another use for the soil. But the mercy of God gives more time, and then cares for us, digs around us, fertilizes us, and gives us one more chance to bear fruit. Thank God that His mercy waits and waits for just. One. more.
And THAT is how high and deep and wide and LONG is the love of God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
FIRST WORLD BELIEF
You have probably heard about “first world problems.” They are jokes that poke fun at the irrelevance of perceived privations in an affluent society (“first world”) when there are genuine problems of privation in what are called second or third world countries.
Here are some lines from Weird Al Yankovic in his parody song, “First World Problems:” “I couldn’t order off the breakfast menu, ‘cause I slept in til two.” “I don’t have any bills small enough for the vending machine.” “I’m pretty sure the cookies in this airport lounge ain’t gluten free.” “My house is so big, I can’t get WIFI in the kitchen.” These are the kinds of so-called problems that most of the world would love to have.
I wonder if you and I might similarly have “Christian culture problems.”
“The font on the jumbotron at church was so hard to read I almost got up and walked out.” “How am I supposed to worship when that song was almost twenty years old?!” “I can only get three Christian stations on my car radio.” “I hate that gender-neutral translation.” “I had to park way over in the west parking lot and walk around to the other side of the building to go into my preferred entrance door.” “I’m so persecuted for my faith! The dude in the cubicle next to mine tells me to turn down the volume on my favorite worship song, just because he couldn’t hear his client talk.” “Can you believe I need a permit just to have an outreach event at the park!”
And one more. What about the low standards of discipleship that we have come to accept? “Disaster relief? I already give ten dollars a week at church!” “I’m pretty much a Bible expert. A few years ago, I read it all the way through.”
We can get comfortable with our low standards, especially if everyone around us also has low standards, so we think that it is normal.
How about this one? It’s just as funny: “A rich farmer had a really abundant harvest. It was more than he could even fit into his barn. So he tore down his barn and built a bigger one. And there he stored up all his surplus grain. He said to himself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
Or maybe just a bit different: “An American worked hard and saved up well for retirement. When he retired, he said to himself, ‘I can enjoy my life and live in comfort. I have taken care of everything.’”
Only Jesus finished his joke in a serious way. “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
With this story, Jesus confronts the person who lives as if this life is all there is. The man in this parable did not stop to consider, “what is the meaning of life?” or “What is the purpose of life?” He thought that “eat, drink and be merry” was the end game.
“Eat, drink and be merry. I mean, it's all about me. . . . Right? Hello?!?
Believe it or not, life is NOT all about my comfort, or about my wealth, or my accomplishments. In fact, life is not about ME at all! Reaching for all the gusto you can will not do you any good a hundred years from now.
“I had a big harvest so I built a bigger barn. . . . What? Hungry people? Where?”
So, if life is not about ME. Maybe we are here to help others. Is that our purpose on earth, to leave it better for the next generation? That certainly is more helpful than living selfishly. But in a sense, all I am doing is to widen my self-centered circle from ME to WE.
“I saved up so I could retire in comfort. . . . Huh? What comes after retirement?”
Life is not about ME, and it’s not even about WE. No, Jesus says it all about being rich toward God. It is not about ME or WE. It is about HE.
So I’ll ask you: have you saved for after your retirement?
YOU HYPOCRITES!
A hypocrite is a person whose public image does not match their inner self. Or whose inner self does not match their public image. Either way, I’m glad that I am not one of those people. Aren’t you?
Jesus said this in verse 43:
Luke 11:43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
So often when I think, “Oh, that’s not a problem for me.” That’s when, if I have a layer or two peeled off, suddenly I begin to see that it is EXACTLY a problem for me.
Jesus says the Pharisees love the best seat in the synagogue? Based on modern American church culture, I suppose that means they sat in the back pew, kinda facing toward the door to scamper out without having to shake hands with the preacher.
But kidding aside, here’s what I understand about synagogue seating: First, women and children sat at the back or around the outside, viewing the men, who are up front and in the center. Today, they might hang a mechitza between the two groups, which is a white mesh curtain that can be nearly invisible on one side and nearly completely obscuring from the other side, depending on the lighting. Either way, the women and children are able to be in the room with the men, but the men are not distracted by the presence of others.
Most everything in the synagogue gathering is pre-determined and scripted—memorized prayers, set readings, sung psalms. But the one fluid part of the assembly is the manly open-ended discussions about the Scriptures which are the heartbeat of the daily midrash, and which also serve as the central part of the synagogue. There, up near the center of the room, the heads of households gather to study and apply God’s sacred writings to the daily life of the assembled ones.
A passage of Scripture is recited, and then the men debate about it, while the others carefully weigh what is being said, in an effort to arrive at truth. The discussion often turns into a debate, sometimes of strongly-worded and opposite opinions.
I say all that to better understand why there are back seats, and then there are good, better and best seats in the synagogue. A little boy would be in the back seats. After his Bar Mitzva, that young man gets to sit in the “good” seats. Then, as he earns respect by being a father, and then a grandfather, he moves forward to the “better” seats. But if he works really hard, he might become a respected man who often wins the daily arguments–I mean discussions–and he gets to move to the well-deserved “best” seats, possibly even earning the public title of “rabbi.”
And with the respected greetings and title come upgrades in apparel. Perhaps you inherit from your grandfather or father the robe or the prayer shawl or the Tzitzit that he had worn, and his father’s father before him. In a culture that respected age, what you wore showed that you were (the big word!) WISE.
So, all these years and all that study, memorizing the entire Old Testament and reading commentaries and other writings, led to best seats, greetings of honor and clothing of respect. There was nothing wrong with any of it. Respect is to be commended. Right?
Well, I guess that depends on whether you start to “love” it. We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength. That doesn’t seem to leave any room for loving a seat, a greeting or a robe of honor, does it?
Good thing I’m not like that.
I don’t know if you have been around it enough to see this almost exact pattern happen in the world of academia. Graduation ceremonies are still very centered around honor. The faculty parade in while “Pomp and Circumstance” plays, which helps to provide extra credibility to the degrees being awarded to the graduates that day. The presiders sit in the front row, and then there are the rest of the faculty. Wearing a black robe. Possibly with stripes on the sleeves and a long academic Hood, which shows the world just how many academic accomplishments you achieved. It shows your value. Not just your value to your institution, but your intelligence. Your education. Your credentials. I always hated it. Yet, I bought a robe—a nice one. And I was secretly glad one day a year to parade my accomplishments for all to see.
Dr. Read. I spent years earning that title. They say it takes ten years to get a doctorate, and ten years to get over it. And I realized somewhere along the way that earning a doctorate was the only way for a man to have a name (title) change. Nothing changes in my name when I marry, or when I graduate, or even when I earn my third Master’s degree. But when you get that elusive prize, they call you “Doctor Read,” and it sounds so good. I hated it. I hated that I loved it and coveted it so much. So after earning my title change, I insisted that students call me “Ken,” and told them when I hear “doctor” with my name, it reminds me of how proud I am. Besides, I told them, if the apostle Paul could be called by his first name, it would be good enough for me. But to be honest, a part of what kept me continuing in school all those years was not the “education” I would gain; it was the “degree” at the end of the road, something I could put on my vita.
Those are my personal lures. What about you? I suspect that everyone has a love of sitting in the “best seats,” whatever that might mean, and being greeted in public with a word that shows respect.
A hypocrite is a person whose public image does not match their inner self. Of whose inner self does not match their public image. Either way, I’m glad that I am not one of those people.
Aren’t you?
MARTYR, MARTYR
Have you heard about Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus? She was quite a woman. A true disciple of Jesus, and the second person ever to give The Great Confession. Of course, Peter was the first, and he gets all the credit for it—on this rock, and all that. But Martha also said out loud that she believed Jesus was the Christ, and we don’t make such a big deal about it. (It’s like being the second man on the moon. Only she was a woman. And she wasn't on the moon.)
Anyway, I was saying that Martha was quite a woman. I imagine her to have been the oldest of twelve kids in her family. And Martha, being firstborn, helped her momma raise all of them from the time she was three. She was always the responsible one. Responsible to a fault, you might say. Working like nobody's business. Sometimes getting a might touchy about it, too. Some of the disciples got to calling her Martyr. Just for fun. They weren’t laughing at her, understand; they were just laughing with her. Except she wasn't laughing. Or smiling, for that matter, come to think of it.
Anyway, Somehow Jesus knew the family well. Perhaps they had been neighbors and friends with Jesus and His family back in Nazareth. Or they met through Johnny the D or the yearly visits to Jerusalem that Jesus made with his family.
Martyr’s little brother, Russell, was real good buddies with Jesus when they were growing up. Now, Russ, well, Russ was good at lots of things, but watching other people work was what he did best. He was lazy, to say it straight out. The only sport he ever played in school was chess. By then, he was lying around so much that everybody started calling him “Lazy Russ.” Later church history knows him as Saint Russell the Incliner. Now you know.
And then there's the baby sister of the family, Mary. Now, you couldn’t exactly call her lazy, like her brother. Not exactly. Mary spent all day reading the scriptures and praying. You might say she was working. She just wasn’t moving. All her work was between her ears, I guess you’d say. That’s how she gained a nickname of Prayery. Little Prayery in the house. Prayery loved Jesus like Martyr and Russ did, but it was easier to tell, because she hung on every word He said.
As I say, they were close to Jesus growing up. But they lived down in Judea, near Jerusalem in Bethany. There was Martyr working like a mother, with Russ and Prayery reaping the benefits day after day. But Martyr never complained. And never smiled.
By the time Jesus turned thirty, he had become what you might call a traveling rabbi. A rabbi, in case you’re wondering, is a Jew who tells people what God wants them to do, except he wasn’t a mother. That was the other Mary. Mary Fullagrace.
Anyway, Martyr invites Jesus to come on down and spend a day or two, just like always. She always looked forward to visits from Jesus. He always had time for her and made her feel special, like somebody was actually listening to her when she talked.
Except this time when the Lord comes, he walks in with His twelve new pals. And Martyr, who had warmed up exactly four frozen chicken pot pies, was a might pressed at how to make them stretch to feed sixteen. She cut up the little pies into quarters, but those little pieces looked pretty pitiful lying all by themselves on the plates. So she’s scrambling, looking for some lettuce in the garden to add some greens, maybe finding some potatoes to cut up, setting out pretzels for the boys and having them all eaten before you could say, “Sorry I ate all your pretzels!” By now, the pot pies aren’t steamy any more, but Martyr, she is.
What’s more, Prayery-Mary is just hanging around with Jesus. Sitting there. And Russ is, well, doing what Russ does best. Being a man, I suppose.
After an hour or more of this, Martyr can’t take it any more, and she comes out, trying to seem calm, but anyone could see she’s irritated. She strides into the room, and she says, “Jesus, make Sissy come out here and help me!”
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but only one thing is necessary.” (verses 41-42)
Jesus stands up and walks over to Martha. "Martyr, you pray with your hands. Mary prays with her ears. It’s all prayer, and it’s all good.”
So, of course, Prayery stays right there. Martyr grits her teeth and forgives Sissy (again) and goes back to fixing and cleaning. Somebody’s still got to do it. And you know she was led by the Holy Spirit, because she didn’t put a hot pepper in the Lord’s pot pie.
It’s true that Mary chose the better thing when she prayed with her ears. But, remember, Martha was faithfully praying with her hands. It’s all prayer, and it’s all good.
JESUS AND SMARTIANS: A RANT
Luke 9:51-56 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village.
There is some important back story to understand in order to appreciate just how offensive this rejection of hospitality from a Samaritan village was. But in order to tell it, perhaps it is best to put this into the voice of the apostle John himself, so that you can hear it in first person. Ready. Here is Boomer John, best friends with Jesus.
We're so...sorry. But we must ask, what is it with Jesus and people from S'marya?
Don't He know that them S'martians ain't real Jews. Then He is hardest on them that are the best Jews. Ten lepers healed by Jesus. Only one returns to thank Him. Care to guess where he's from?
S’marya.
He tells a story: holy men ignore an injured man, and a despicable S’martian stops to help him. Why make a S’martian the hero of the story?
I don’t care who you are, “good” and “Samaritan” don’t belong in the same sentence.
No sir.
What you are about to hear, some may find shocking. But what can I do? It’s what happened, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all.
So, Jesus and us is on our way to Jerusalem, The Big City. Going through S’marya, of course. Now, Samaria is that stretch of religious wasteland that stood between Gal'lee County and the Big City of Jerusalem.
And this village in Smarya has the audacity to refuse to offer Him and twelve of his best friends any hospitality! No food. No water. No housing. Just an order to get on through town and don’t stir up no dust on your way out.
We can’t believe it! Being tolerant of our S’martian enemies is one thing. Talking nice about them pagan inbred pig-eaters is another. But Jesus, He seems to think S’martians is actually what God meant when He said to love your neighbor as yourself.
Okay. I can go there. But when they are the ones who declare themselves the enemy and shoot the first salvo over the bow of the boat, it’s time to call in the Big Guns and let them know a thing or two.
Them S’martians are rejecting real Jews here. And not just a real Jew, but the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Son of God Himself.
The Bible says, vengeance is mine, says the Lord. Well, it’s time for God to show that vengeance is His, in my mind. Call down fire from heaven and let God Almighty let them have it with both barrels.
I guess sensitivity to Assyrian wickedness AND that of their cousins in Smarya Runs deep in the blood of a good Gal’lean. But it turns out, us common folk from Gal’lee County was not only ones the receiving end of some pretty unfair prejudices in our day.
Being judged by them haughty Big City folks from Jerusalem did sting, and we knew that full well. But I was blind to my own sin of dishing out a pre-packaged judgment or two.
(song)
My momma sees a problem in S’marya.
My daddy says they're all idolaters.
The northern tribes got wiped out by Assyria.
So there ain't real Jews in S'marya Land no more
S’martians are the worst kind of Gentiles:
Gentiles who pretend to be Jews!
No good Jew would step into that polluted land
S'martians just ain't good enough for me and you
Hey, Boomer Jim!
Whats that, Boomer John?
What's the difference between goat cheese and a S'martian?
The goat cheese don't smell as bad!
Hahaha!
Hahahaha!
How many S'martians does it take to change a light bub?
None! They all prefer to live in darkness!
Hahahaha!
Hahaha!
S’martians are the worst kind of Gentiles:
Gentiles who pretend to be Jews!
No good Jew would step into that polluted land
S'martians just ain't good enough for me and you
“Mammas don’t let your children grow up to be S’martians.”
S'martians just ain't good enough for me and you
Now remember, children
Look both ways before crossing the street,
and don't you never take no candy from a S'martian.
The way Jesus talks about S'martians, you would almost think that where
or to whom one was born made no difference at all to Jesus.
What good’s it do to be born Jewish, if that’s the case? You know what I'm saying?
“Mammas don’t let your children grow up to be S’martians.”
S'martians just ain't good enough for me and you
S'martians just ain't good enough for me and
Turns out, even vengeful prayers ain’t allowed in the Kingdom.
Sometimes I wonder, what good’s it do to be a son of thunder if you don’t get to send a lightning bolt now and then?
BEING IN YOUR RIGHT MIND
Did you know that foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child? It takes discipline to deliver them. Among the simple are also many young men, who have no sense. An arrow will pierce their liver if they do not free themselves of their folly. Apparently, also the hearts of demon-possessed men are in serious need of sobering.
Today we see the story of Legion, the Gadarene demoniac who is delivered by Jesus. We have covered much about the story before. But we didn’t yet pause to reflect on this one word that is such an important biblical concept. Here is how Luke describes it:
Luke 8:35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
The word is sophroneo in Greek, translated here as “in his right mind.” In other translations it is rendered, “In his right mind.” “Mentally healthy.” “Completely sane.” “Of a sound mind.” “Sensible.” “Sound-minded.” “Quite sane.” Get the idea? The man was in control of his mental health at last! He was healed of the demons, and it brought sanity to his brain.
As I say, we all begin our lives not being quite sane. We must learn self control. We learn to be mature when we say no to ourselves. After all, self control is a fruit of the Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit works in us to bring us to perfect maturity and wholeness of mind.
This poor guy Legion had been out of control for years, and he received instant deliverance from Jesus casting out the demons within him. For most of us, our deliverance is less dramatic, but with the same result.
That word sophroneo is only used four other times in the New Testament, and each time it is translated differently in most versions. That’s because it is in contrast to different states of mind.
SELF CONTROL. Some of us experience what we might call “blackouts” from anger or substance abuse. They are moments when we are out of control. As I say, it seems to be especially common in young men. But the opposite of blacking out is to be self controlled or sober minded. In fact, it is the one single thing that young men need to focus on, as we will see in Paul’s letter to Titus. Older men, older women and younger women all are given a list of multiple things to work on. But for young men, there is just one: self control. Being sober minded. Titus 2:6: "Likewise, encourage the young men to be self-controlled."
SOBER JUDGMENT. I think it’s fair to say that we all struggle with humility. We tend to be selfish. We are born with self-centered hearts. But the Spirit instructs every one of us “not to think more highly than you ought, but to think of yourself with sober judgment.” (Romans 12:3)
OF SOBER MIND. We also tend to become distracted, as if this world and our time here would go on forever. As if God was not calling us to be on the alert for what the enemy is up to. As various translations say, we must be watchful. Fully conscious. Alert. Giving full attention. Remember how Peter and the others fell asleep there in the garden while Jesus was praying? Peter is the one who tells us, "The end of all things is at hand. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.” (1 Peter 4:7)
OF SOUND MIND. The Lord leads us to be emotionally measured. In control. Our flesh leads us to be beside ourselves, out of our minds, to lose our mind. But for the sake of the cause of helping and serving others, we must be “of sound mind, . . . for you.” (2 Corinthians 5:13)
So, whatever state we may be coming from, whether it is youthful immaturity or self-centeredness or distracted worldliness or uncontrolled emotions, it is God’s will and the Spirit’s leading to bring us to be like Legion after his dramatic deliverance: fully clothed and in our right minds.
Lord, teach us to be like you.
GROW TO KNOW
(This is a song I wrote years ago while praying for my children. It continues to say something from my heart, now also for my grandchildren.)
Well I'm on my knees again
Here to talk about my little friends
And the glow from this old nightlight lets me see how blessed I've been
They've got their mother's perfect eyes
And I can see they're angels barely in disguise
Sent from heaven to bless and change our earthly lives
And as I gaze upon their sleeping faces
Innocent like mine before the fall
I wish for them all
All the good life has to offer
For health and happiness
For fortune for success
But more than this I'll make a wish that's higher than them all
May they grow to know You Lord
May they hunger for Your Word
May they grow up like a child to trust in things they've yet to see
May they grow to know You're strong enough to keep them to the end
And may they grow You as their friend
Of all the jobs I've had in life responsibilities
Nothing's more important than this ministry to me
Please protect them from the evil one
Don't let them grow up too soon
And may they come to love You Lord even more than they could ever love me
May you grow to know the Lord
May you hunger for His Word
May you each become a beacon of the kingdom of His light
May you be strong enough to stand alone for truth unto the end
And may you grow to know
May you come to love the Lord
May you grow to know Him as your friend.
BEING RADICAL
No one accused Johnny the Dipper of being “normal.” Words like “comfortable” or “careful” or “average” didn’t begin to apply to him. No, with Johnny, words like “risky” and “dangerous” and “radical” were better descriptors. He was living on the edge of society, deeply immersed in the ways of God, with one foot in the water and one in heaven.
So it was no surprise when Johnny got himself arrested. He had been warned not to speak out against Herod the governor of the region. I mean, Herod was only half-Jewish to begin with, and he certainly was not a regular synagogue attender. But I guess Johnny wasn’t “regular,” in the synagogue or anywhere else, either. In any case, he got hold of Herod’s little inappropriate relationship with his brother’s wife and simply wouldn’t let go.
If you had been living in Judea in the time of these events, would you have gone out to see John the Baptist? Or would he be an interesting conversation, wondering what that crazy guy was up to? Do you think you would have been baptized by him? Or are you the kind of person who listens and considers, but takes a long time to make a radical decision?
I often reflect on the Pilgrims and wonder if I would have been one of them, or if I would have stayed home. There were many hundreds of Puritans who believed as the Pilgrims did, and a few hundred who moved to Leiden, Holland to find religious freedom from the persecution they received in England. But only 102 actually set out on that first voyage in 1620. So, I wonder, would I have stayed in the Church of England and avoid fines and imprisonment, or would I have been more bold to be part of what they called the Radical Reformation? Then, would I have gone to Holland in search of religious freedom? Once there, would I have fit in with the secular culture there and lost my zeal? Would I have sent the Pilgrims on their way with promises to pray for them and send support financially? I think I know the answer. Because I think of other causes to which I give intellectual support or make an occasional post on social media about it. But if I truly believed as strongly as I say I do, I would be taking much more firm action.
The answer to all these hypothetical questions will help you know where you might have stood with regard to Johnny and Jesus. Would you and I have lived out there in the wilderness with Johnny after being baptized by him? Or maybe we would even be so bold as to travel with Jesus himself, moving about the countryside without a penny to my name. (Which is pretty simple to do, since the penny has not been invented yet.)
I ask all this because it provides a background for these groups encountering Johnny’s message. If you take the radical leap to be baptized, then you gain an entirely different worldview, which we might call “knowing God’s will.” Luke writes, “The crowds, including tax collectors, declared God just, having been baptized by John.”
Back to baptism. Would you have been an early adopter, one of the radical host of wet heads? There is much at stake.
We don’t know God’s will by studying and thinking. We know God’s will by obeying, by taking the first step, by doing his will that has already been revealed to us. And it’s not just God’s will; it’s finding or rejecting God’s purpose for ourselves that counts.
On the other hand, talk is cheap. If we claim to know God’s will, but we aren’t on the radical edge of the “doers of the word,” then we actually have rejected God’s purpose for ourselves.
Luke wrote that the “Pharisees and lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.”
So, what do you think? Will you follow the radical will of God and know God’s purpose for your life? Or will you keep sitting back, waiting for a push?
I think Johnny would say jump on in! The water’s fine!
GOING VIRAL
Yesterday we read again about the healing of the leper, also found in Matthew 8 and Mark 1. Luke describes the same healing, but provides a new small detail that is worth its own study.
But let me start here, with this question: Would you rather be famous or be rich? If you had to choose one or the other, but not both, which would you choose? And no fair saying, “I don’t know. Try giving me both and I’ll tell you which one I don’t like!”
Too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing.
You know what the Bible says about having a lot of money? Two problems: 1) You can no longer have true friends, because everyone now knows you could bail them out any time you wanted. Ecclesiastes 5:11 says, “When prosperity increases, those who consume it increase. So its owner gains nothing, except to see his wealth before it is spent.” and 2) Jesus says it’s impossible to enter the kingdom of heaven with money! He said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” So, if you choose riches, you invite problems into your life, as well as all the positives.
But fame has its own set of problems. Being an ambitious young man who worked in music and academia, I longed for the Big Break that would make me famous. The upside of fame is that I would be respected by strangers. However, I had plenty of front row seats to see what a little fame does to a person, and I knew I would be especially susceptible to the bad side of it. I kept a running page in my spiritual journal that I titled, WHY FAME IS BAD FOR ME. Over the years, I had five reasons listed: 1) “Woe to you when all men speak well of you…” Fame is often the sign of an impure or unclear message. 2) The crowds often follow for the wrong reason, bringing grief to the leader, not joy. 3) “Love seeks not its own, is not puffed up…” “Consider others better than yourself…” Often godly character is not promoted by what it takes to become famous. 4) “Some think godliness is a means to financial gain, but…” Godliness should never become the means to an end, but rather purely and simply THE end goal. 5) “If anyone does not provide for his own family…children must believe…(to qualify as an elder)” The family often suffers under those whose ministry is so widespread that they are gone or drained.
Jesus had the challenge of FAME without MONEY. This is why I ask the question.
Here is what happened to Jesus at the end of the healing of that one leperous man in chapter 5: “And he charged him to tell no one, . . . But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities.”
And by chapter 6, we see more results: “...a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.”
Remember how Jesus and the others had no time to eat? And how his family concluded that Jesus had gone crazy? You can imagine what the daily pressure was for Jesus at this point in his life. And it all started because one guy whose life was changed couldn’t shut up about it. Goes to show, No good deed goes unpunished.
How did Jesus cope with the challenges of constant attention and requests for help? He was committed to a disciplined spiritual practice to stay balanced and Spirit-led. The end of Luke’s paragraph about how busy Jesus was, says, “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” Elsewhere we know it was his regular practice to get up early before the sunrise to go alone and pray. Especially after feeding the multitudes, when they wanted to make him king by force, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go away, and he sent the crowds away, then he went up the mountain to be alone and pray.
Too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing. It took Jesus spiritual discipline and wisdom to overcome. May we follow in his steps.
THEY LEFT EVERYTHING
In this chapter, we see the little phrase used of all five of the disciples who are called to follow Jesus: “and he left everything and followed.” It left me to reflect on just how much “everything” was for them to leave.
The four fishermen (Peter and Andrew, and also James and John), left everything. What did they leave?
Luke specifically mentions that James and John left their father. (I wonder how he felt about that?) There’s a lot implied by that choice: their livelihood, their family, their inheritance (which mostly would be the business), the boats and nets, their sole source of income, their home and bed and regular meals and stability and normalcy. Everything. Beyond that, they left their future plans: They renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom (except for Peter, who was already married.) Retirement. Since there was no guaranteed income, there would be no savings, and since there was no marriage, there would be no children to care for them as they age. In fact, they gave up old age! All but John gave up their lives to die as martyrs. They left. Everything.
But here’s what Jesus said: “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-31)
Luke also says that Levi who was known as Matthew left everything. He left his business. Tax collecting is a job where you pretty much set your own income, and therefore you live in comfort. He left all that to live as a nomad without the comforts of a home. Compare his choice with that of the rich young man who was given the same challenge and he walked away sad, for he had much money. Matthew also left his positive connections with the Roman government, which had bought him certain privileges. He ate well, had a bed and a house and all. A more subtle thing he left was his friends. Remember Matthew’s party for Jesus? He had tax collectors and other “sinners” as friends. Do you know the comfort it is to have friends who do not induce guilt, because their moral standards are low? Matthew was leaving everything. Everything.
Jesus calls us all to consider it carefully when choosing Him. Count the cost. In chapter 14, he says,
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
On the other hand, those who paid this great price to follow Jesus were able to do great things. Jesus predicted it when he said to his disciples,
“And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17-18)
Let me summarize by comparing them to myself.
They left everything.
I have not left anything.
I don’t know anyone who has left everything.
They worked miracles.
I have never worked miracles.
I don’t know anyone who is working miracles.
Is there a pattern here?
HIGH NOON AT NAZARETH
NAZARETH. Not much of a place to look at, up on that hill. No fort. No walls. No need, really, if you think about it. I mean, who’d want it? Not exactly the kind of place a king would want to build himself a palace.
But Nazareth was a great place for a Jewish boy to grow up. Jesus and His family lived there from the time He was a preschooler, and here He was turning thirty. Having His Homecoming at the synagogue—the same Jewish Synagogue where He’d grown up. The only church in town: First Nazarene Seventh Day Holiness Assembly (Northern Jezreel District of the Southern Galilean Conference, Kosher Preserved Convention). Pretty much the whole town was there, just like they were every Sabbath. They all knew young Jesus, Mary's son. Teachers, mentors, family, friends, peers, even the librarian—they were all there for the service.With a potluck to follow.
As I say, for a Jewish boy, the location couldn't be beat. On the south edge of town is an excavated cliff overlooking the Jezreel Valley. With its sharp dropoff, it provides a magnificent view.
Young Jesus’ Sabbath School teacher would often take the boys there to teach them Bible stories. From that very special spot, they could see pretty much the entire history of the saints of old unfold before them.
Off to the left is the Jordan River, and to the right’s the Mediterranean Sea. You can nearly see both bodies of water from here, the whole land is so compact and rich with the history of the saints and sinners of the ages.
Just off to the left, blocking the view of the river, Mount Tabor rises out of the plain, like a big—well—mound in the middle of a plain, I guess you’d say. That’s where Deborah rallied the troops of Israel and had great glory. Straight ahead in the valley is the battlefield where Saul and his boy Johnny were both killed. On the other side is Mount Gilboa, where God used Gideon to deliver Israel with only 300 brave men.
Nearby is where evil Jezebel went splat on the ground and got eaten by dogs. (The boys would always ask for that story, you can be sure.) Over to the right’s where Elijah had a showdown with ol’ Jezebel’s false prophets. They say stories like that make a boy grow bold. Stories like that make a man walk straight. Yes sir.
Where was I? Oh, right, this cliff!
Jesus’ Homecoming Synagogue.
See, after a boy has been inducted into official manhood at the city gate, they have him preach to the hometown crowd. Everybody’s there, smiling and proud of their homey, as if they’d somehow made Him with their own hands. You know how it is. He’s so handsome and well-mannered (if a bit peculiar). Never did nobody no wrong.
Every eye is on Him. He reads from Isaiah. Says that it’s being fulfilled this very day!
Every Nazarene’s thinking, we’re gonna be famous at last! Then Jesus’ talk takes a turn they don’t like. He quotes two stories from the Bible on how God chose to bless Gentiles. The widow in Elijah's time, just up to the north. Naaman the leper, right over there at the Jordan River. The townsfolk scratch their heads, and whisper to one another, “What’s up here? Was Jesus saying that God’s going to choose Gentiles?”
I'll tell you, nothing will get a good Jew worked up quicker than talking about God loving people that ain’t His chosen ones. The after-synagogue crowd’s experiencing some serious low blood sugar, and talking about Gentiles sure isn’t helping things.
Suddenly, the whole town gets angrier than a pit bull seeing a postman.
They all are deciding He’s not our little boy-turned-prophet! He’s a terrible heretic, worthy of death! The men all grab Jesus and rush Him off to—you guessed it—The Cliff.
They surround Jesus, His back to the edge of the cliff. He gazes at those life-long members of First Nazarene Seventh Day Holiness Assembly: His mentors, His teachers, His family, His friends, His librarian. They all are looking at Him, and then past Him to that great Valley of History.
High noon in Nazareth.
Zoom your brain in on Jesus’ eyes, as He stands tall and faces His opponents.
Cut to one of the elders, shooting Him a steely glare. Cut to Mary, eyes darting back and forth. His old teacher flexes his fingers and cracks his knuckles all sinister-like.
Somewhere in the distance a mourning dove gives a coo, and it sounds like that flute noodle in those old Westerns. More silence. More closeups.
Nearby, a cricket lets one fly.
Then Jesus starts to walk, right out through the crowd.
Somehow, they can’t move to act on murdering this One who quotes stories they’d told Him themselves, even though they don't understand. Jesus slips through the crowd and leaves. Never to return.
Imagine being rejected by the lowest of the low. But that was Jesus. Kicked out of the least respected synagogue in all Israel. Nowhere to go from here but—down, actually.
Sure enough. Nazareth had been a great place to grow up. But it ain't a great place to die. The Prophet’s got to move on to Jerusalem for that. It’s right ahead, yonder about sixty miles, as the crow flies.
JESUS AND FAMILY
We all know about Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus in Bethlehem. And many people know that the family then relocated to Nazareth. It seems that Joseph has passed away by the time Jesus is grown. But as we will see in the next chapter, some things happened in Nazareth that caused both Jesus as well as Mary and her younger children to relocate to Capernaum. That’s what is now considered home base. And we read these words from Luke.
Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”
And then a few verses later, he writes:
And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mother Mary and her younger boys have been hearing about all that Jesus has been doing since He left Nazareth. They hear about healing and miracles. But they also hear about the hours He keeps, and about the way He gets under the skin of the religious leaders. Mary and her boys have a family meeting, and they conclude that their older brother has gone crazy, and that they need to talk some sense into His head.
Now she and the brothers decide to bring Jesus to the house, in order to—well, to be honest—in order to lock Him up for a spell and keep Him from getting Himself killed.
So, the family comes by the house in Capernaum where Jesus is teaching. The only problem is, there’s crowds all around—inside the house, in the doors, around every window, on the roof—hundreds of folks packed everywhere. Now, Jesus had always been a good boy, and always seemed wise, but this sure doesn't look like wisdom to a momma.
So let’s imagine that Mary puts a sticky note to the ‘aluminum foil on top of a plate a brownies: “your momma and brothers are here to talk with you.” About ten minutes later, the note on an empty plate finds its way into the house. Jesus glances at the note, but doesn't stop His conversation.
The plate finds its way back through the crowd to Mary. Clearly, Jesus ain’t coming.
Mary speaks: “Jesus, this is your mother, the blessed virgin, mother of God, highly favored in the Lord’s sight. Remember me? never mind that you never call or stop by to visit. Never mind that I have not received a card for Mother’s Day in the last two years. I know that You are busy. Too busy for Your poor old mother. Go ahead and drive a sword into Your mother’s heart. I was told this would happen. Don’t worry about me. I simply want to talk to You. Don’t You think that’s the least that You could do?”
inside the house, Jesus keeps on preachin. Some of those around Him kinda whisper, “Jesus, you’re momma n brothers are here.”
Jesus looks around at all of us. “Here’s my real family, right here. Those who do what my Father says are my true family members.”
wellsir, that did it for Mary. She heads on back.
and away they go. The twelve a us is standin there in awkward silence. What did we just see here? did we just see Jesus dishonor His own momma? Is this the same Man who talked about how important children are? what are we to make a this? seems every time they turn around, Jesus turns the world upside down again.
The disciples look at Pete, waiting for him to ask one of his famous Great Clarifying Questions. He shrugs and moves toward Jesus.
“Lord, what just happened there? we all thought we were starting to understand Your ministry. We thought You were turning the hearts of daddies to their children, and the hearts of children to their daddies. When You told us about mommas n toddlers the other day, it sure seemed like You thought families were the most important thing on earth. What am I not seeing here?”
the Lord answered Pete: “Pete, think about what you have seen the last several months: it ain’t never been about the money, or a career, or my reputation, or pleasing religious folks, or fame, or about living longer or better, or trying to be happy.
“it’s ALWAYS been about a kingdom that ain’t of this world. It’s about being willing to lose it all and die, in order to do this one greatest callin for my life. Nobody can make it into heaven if they love anybody more’n they love God.
“did you notice? my family doesn't get it. Not yit. They’re concerned with security and balance. There’s eternity for security and balance. Time is just to prepare for eternity. They’ll get it one day. But until they do, I can’t let nothin derail my Father’s business.
“family’s the most important thing in the world. But my kingdom ain’t of this world. Remember?”
JESUS AS A TEENAGER
In this chapter, we get tiny glimpses of Jesus before he began his public ministry at the age of 30. We know from Matthew that he was moved to Egypt by his parents when he was under 3 years old, and that they then moved to Nazareth when Jesus was still young. Luke tells us in verse 40 that “the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.” So while he was young, Jesus was physically healthy, growing strong and tall. He was also growing in wisdom and grace (God’s favor).
Then we get this more extensive story of how he stayed behind in Jerusalem, asking and answering questions with the priests at the temple. And the leaders there were astonished at the wisdom and insight that young Jesus had at such a young age. But Jesus had not communicated with his parents about staying behind in the temple, so they chided their son to not do that again.
That’s where perhaps the greatest miracle in the Bible happened: A TEENAGER HONORED HIS PARENTS! Jesus after the age of twelve was a teenager who was living respectfully with his parents!
And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
Even as an adult, Jesus was known as the carpenter’s son. Other than that, we have very little information about those young adult years. In Jewish society, they did not categorize young people as “teens.” But they did have a term for adolescents, which referred to them as being in a period of breaking away. Then a son would typically live at home, and even after marriage, move his wife into the family compound, and they would start their family.
The young man’s father would be known at the city gates by this point. Then, at a date at which the father felt his son was ready (no automatic 18 or 21 or such), he would bring the young man to the city gates and publicly introduce his son, saying something along the lines of, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Sound familiar?) And the boy officially became a man. Often, that occasion fell around the time that the son was turning 30. The other city fathers would speak a blessing for the son, and he was at last considered to be an adult.
And that’s all we really know about those young adult years of Jesus and his preparation. But if I had the chance, I have a whole list of questions to which I’d like to know the answers.
For example, when Jesus worked as a carpenter with His daddy Joe, did He enjoy working with wood? Did He find peace in the predictable way the stubborn rough surface would give way under the plane’s persistent persuasion? Did He gain a certain manly satisfaction from choosing a stone, and then lifting, measuring and patiently chiseling away until it was a well-balanced, perfect millstone, suitable for profitable use for generations to come (or, possibly, hung around the neck of some unfortunate guy and cast into the sea, never to be heard from again)?
And now I’m wondering why Jesus did no carpentry work once He started His public speaking ministry? I mean, He was a servant to all. He washed feet. He healed people, fed them, cast out demons, met so many needs. Why not whip up a chair for a widow—or fix that hole in the roof after that guy was lowered down through it, now that I think of it? I guess I’m asking, are talent and calling always the same?
And I want to ask, what kind of businessman was Jesus? Did He take on jobs for Samaritans? or Gentiles, even? Did He do free work for widows and orphans? Was He tempted to overcharge, or to cut corners, or to have two different price sets, one for people He liked and one for wealthy strangers? What would it take for a soul to get a discount from the Master?
Did people say of His carpentry work, Jesus doeth all things well? Was He faster at work, or more meticulous, than the average carpenter?
And what did Jesus say when He hit His thumb with a hammer?
When it was time to start preaching, how did Jesus feel about stepping away from the carpentry business?
And while I’m at it, what was Jesus’ final order as a carpenter? Could He have been called on to craft the very cross on which He knew He was to be crucified? After all, it was Jesus who grew the tree in the first place. If so, was Jesus tempted to make it a little smoother than usual, maybe size it to fit the arch of His own back? When Jesus was done, did He say, “it is finished” and then put down His tools and walk away?
Just asking is all.
AM I A STONE
(Poem from Christina Rossetti Good Friday 1866) Music by Ken E. Read. [Note: This is an art song, composed for a student's Senior Vocal Recital some years ago. I did this recording to help demonstrate the vocal. The lyrics are a powerful reflection on the author's lack of heartfelt repentance.)
Am I a stone and not a sheep,
That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy cross,
To number drop by drop
Thy blood's slow loss
And yet not weep?
Not so those women loved
Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee;
Not so fallen Peter weeping bitterly;
Not so the thief was moved;
Not so the Sun and Moon
Which his their faces in the starless sky,
A horror of great darkness at broad noon--
I, only I.
Yet give not o'er,
But seek Thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock
Greater than Moses, turn and look once more,
And smite a rock.
THE MUTE BUTTON
Luke was not one of the twelve disciples, unlike Matthew and John. And he was not mentioned as often as Mark. Like Matthew and Mark, the gospel that Luke wrote is considered a “synoptic gospel” (John’s gospel is more theological and topical, rather than chronological and historical). Even if that’s all that Luke contributed to the accounts of Jesus, it would have been valuable, for God set a standard that “at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter should be established.”
But Luke’s gospel has some unique characteristics that make it stand alone. First, though Luke was not a personal eyewitness to most of the ministry of Jesus, Luke was a careful historian who researched and interviewed eyewitnesses and put his account in order. Luke then wrote a second volume of history, beginning after the resurrection, a book known as the Acts of the Apostles (the book of Acts). Second, Luke spent a lot of time traveling with the apostle Paul. So, just as we might consider the gospel of Mark to be the book of Peter, in the same way we might consider Luke’s gospel to be the book of Paul. And third, we know from elsewhere that Luke was the “beloved physician,” according to Paul. So it has a certain level of scholastic care, and is the longest of the four gospels (in number of words, not number of chapters).
There is one more aspect of Luke’s writing that marks it as special: Luke focuses often on the ethical teachings of Jesus, at least a bit more than the other writers do.
So, let’s dive in!
Luke addresses his reader by name: “most excellent Theophilus.” Perhaps Theophilus was a real person. Maybe a patron who asked Luke to tell him a complete account so that he could sort through rumors and legends and know the true facts. On the other hand, the name Theophilus means “Lover of God.” So Luke may be saying that he is writing to any inquirer who loves God and wants to know about Jesus.
In any case, the purpose of Luke’s gospel remains the same. As he says it,
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
Have you wanted to “have certainty concerning the things you have been taught?” I certainly have. Jesus lived a long time ago, and many of the stories about him are beyond my ordinary experiences. So I rely on Luke to provide several details of the gospel that are not recorded in other accounts. For example, while Mark begins with John the Baptist, Luke begins with the story of John’s amazing parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, including what happened in the fifth and sixth months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy
Every year, Zechh would hobble into the temple courts a little more slowly and a bit more hunched to check in at the front desk. “Shalom, Rabbi Zechariah,” said the young man behind the counter, rising to his feet with a mixture of reverence and pity. The old man enters alone—again, ready to do his part in the worship of Almighty God, but with no son or grandson or great-grandsons to apprentice into the ways of the priesthood.
The man’s peers had all been replaced by a younger generation or two, would come to serve with an entourage of perhaps twenty sons and grandsons, all serving or in training under the watchful eye of their own patriarch. But if Old Zechh was experiencing legacy envy, he never let on. The young man assigned to the desk each time wondered if maybe this would be the last time that he would see the old saint.
Of course, Zechh had been in the system since B.C., so everyone knew him. He was kind of a legend, really.
Zechariah had spent his first twenty years studying, and then spent his twenties as an apprentice under his father. He had then served in the temple for thirty years. And now, here it was fifty years later, his father long gone, and whenever Zechariah came to Jerusalem to serve in the temple, the other priests would gather around, as if for story time, to hear what it was like in the bad old days.
According to the Lord’s own directions for priests, when they turned 50, they shifted from being “doers” to become “teachers” of the next generation. Of course, the young priests they were training were their own sons, who would be turning 30 about the time their father turned 50. The elder priest passed along the carefully-honed traditions, motions, rites and prayers. Zechariah was especially helpful in the training of the younger generation because he had been there for the transition of the defiled temple to the new edifice. Zechariah was one of the ones who had been serving through those years, and so he was using his consulting years to remind the younger priests of what it had been before—what it had always been.
And yet, Zechariah had no sons, not even one, to walk in his steps and pass on his important acts of service and worship to the Lord. It was a deep source of disappointment, perhaps even bitterness or shame, to the old man. And here he was, having drawn the lot to serve again. Since he had no son to serve with, or to go in his stead, he had no cloud of witnesses, no team of workers of his own progeny, he was himself doing the greatest honor that a priest could have: he was maintaining the incense in the Holy Place itself.
The room of the Holy Place was reserved to be seen by only one priest a day, and it was a place that was, well, holy—separated. So you didn’t just go walking casually in, as if you belonged. There in the newly-expanded temple were huge, imposing doors, perhaps 45 feet high and covered with gold. In the Holy Place, the room was perhaps 40 feet deep and 20 feet wide, and the ceiling was 60 feet high, with all walls covered in gold.
There were memorized prayers you recited as you did the work. To the left, he would trim the wicks on the menorah, which created a slightly shimmering golden glow to fill the room with a warm glow.
Next, he would turn to the opposite wall and replace the twelve loaves of unleavened bread.
At the back of the room, against the three-story-tall curtain that separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, is the golden altar of incense. He would clean out the coals and add new ones, and then more of the special formula of incense scooped on top.
The incense symbolized the presence of God from the Tabernacle, which looked like a cloud by day and fire by night. It also represented the prayers of the people rising up to the throne.
The incense was seen by the priests as being, or at least representing, the very presence of God itself. The incense at the altar also represented the prayers of the people, as they would rise before the Lord. Petitions for prosperity and peace, requests for healing and deliverance, pleas for the nation to experience the establishment of the kingdom of God in this very place. And, perhaps, one last, desperate cry for a son to follow in his steps.
And suddenly, there in the darkened holy space was a bright light and a—Being of Imposing Carriage—speaking from God to Zechariah himself, directly, one on one. The Almighty One was answering all of those prayers that were being lifted up before Him, all in one single answer! Healing, peace, kingdom, deliverance, and even an heir for this lowly old individual man! It was too much to believe. Truly. Too much.
Zechariah had one last question. “How shall I know this for certain?” And then he was put on mute until it had been fulfilled.
Just goes to show: never doubt an angel.
FEAR! NOT!
The final chapter of Mark’s gospel is given to some debate, as some of the earliest manuscripts do not include the final dozen verses. So scholars are not unanimous on whether to accept verses 9 through 20 as coming from Mark. Most likely, the scroll of one of the early copies of the text was missing the ending, so copyists had no choice but to stop writing when the original manuscript stopped. If so, it seems there were some other copies that were complete, because we have many manuscripts that are complete.
Nonetheless, we can be pretty certain that verse 8 would not have been the end of the book, since it ends with an abrupt and unfinished ending. If the book ended with these words, it would have been unfinished, indeed:
And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Seems awfully unfinished, doesn’t it? Do you think that “the good news” about Jesus, the Son of God, would end with the word AFRAID? I’m afraid not!
In fact, the experience of fear is mentioned three times in these few verses. Let’s explore the concept of fear and the gospel, shall we?
The three women who saw the crucifixion and burial of Jesus had come to the tomb, wondering who would roll the stone away from the opening, for it was very large. But when they arrived, they found that the stone had already been rolled away. Someone, or something, that was very, very strong had already been there. Was it still around?
What’s more, very likely, they also saw a bunch of Roman sentries lying unconscious on the ground. I don’t know about you, but that would be a little bit intimidating to me. No. It would be terrifying. What could have overpowered sixteen highly-trained, Jew-killing Roman soldiers? But they bravely kept going. And there they saw Fearful Thing #3.
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.
They weren’t expecting to see an angel, of course. But there was some being who looked like a young man in a white robe, sitting calmly where the body had once been. Had he somehow moved the stone? Had he overpowered the guards? Had he taken the body away? It caused the women to be alarmed. And the young man said, “Do not be alarmed.” It is what angels always say when they start a conversation with an earth-bound human.
The young man told the women that Jesus had risen, and that he was going before them into Galilee. But at that moment they were conflicted. Jesus had told them earlier that he would be raised from the dead, but for some reason they had not been anticipating that it would happen. They were overwhelmed, but not with hope and joy, but rather with trembling and astonishment.
And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
They said nothing to anyone, at first. Why not? Why not go to where the disciples were in hiding and let them know that everything had changed? Why not say something? They did not say anything to anyone, because they were afraid. This was too much to process, it was an encounter with the supernatural, it was beyond any experience they had ever had, and it was completely beyond their control.
What would the disciples say if they told them about this? Would they believe? (They would not.) Who else could they tell? Pontius Pilate? Joseph of Arimathea? A Roman centurion? Jesus? And what would they say? How would they even begin to bring it up? They had no answers, but one. And who would believe them? And so, all three of them kept quiet, for they were afraid.
I’ve heard that there are two basic emotions or motivations in life: love and fear. We fear when we are not in control. But perfect love casts out fear, as we will see in 1 John.
So, let me ask you what I’m asking myself: What are you afraid of?
SELF-INTEREST
In this chapter, we read about the trial before Pilate, all of the conversations and actions leading up to the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. So much to talk about: How the Roman soldiers mock-worshiped him, how they knew he was dead, where he was buried, and many other details. But one phrase jumps out at me, because it is related to some topics we have been talking about in recent days.
“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate,knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.
It was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to Pilate, and Pilate knew it. Pilate knew how to recognize self-interest. He was a politician. The world functions because of it. Politics certainly is built around self-interest. As the writer of Ecclesiastes says in 4:4, “And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. “Pilate knew a thing or two about chasing after the wind, though he had not found the answer to his discontent.
I’m saying that self-interest is everywhere. Much as we want to think of ourselves in a different light, the vast majority of decisions we make are based on what is best for us. Politicians claim to represent the best interests of their constituents, and that should, indeed, be their primary job: to do what is best for the people they represent. But they can’t do that if they never get elected (or re-elected) in the first place. So they find themselves doing what is in their own self-interests, while making public statements that seem altruistic. The same is true for business owners, parents, children, shoppers and basically everywhere you look.
But religious leaders are in a much more difficult place. They are in their positions to serve God, not just people, and not their own interests. Because they represent God, there’s a sense in which they demonstrate God’s nature. Because they are supposed to know God and understand his ways, their lives should reflect what God looks like when he gets into a man. They should be, what’s the word? Godly! Consequently, if they pursue their own interests or have a personal agenda, they cause people to assume that is what God is like. So, a religious leader with self-interest becomes worse than a person who falls short; he becomes a blasphemer.
The Jewish religious leaders were on the wrong side. How could that possibly have happened, that they ended up blaspheming, lying, holding secret overnight trials and then bribing witnesses, a betrayer, Roman officials and Roman guards?
I bring all this up because all of us who are in positions of leadership or influence in the church must take special care of not only what we do, but also WHY we do what we do. There are great temptations when your “career” is “the ministry” to do the same thing in ministry that we do with secular jobs: promote ourselves, advance our positions, improve our status, raise our standard of living.
I believe the greatest temptation in the church is “control.” And the greatest desire of any man is “respect.” So when someone comes along and messes up my power base, crosses my theological understanding, and takes away my respect, I imagine myself to represent God while actually just pursuing my own selfish interests.
People go into the ministry because they want to serve God and help his people. They find it very satisfying to give wise counsel, or to lead someone to significant life change, or to usher them on God’s behalf through significant life moments. But over the course of time, all of that influence in people’s lives can be corrupting, because you have a LOT of power! Have you heard the saying, “Power corrupts?” And “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” When you represent the Sovereign Lord of the Universe, then your opinions carry more weight than they otherwise would. And so, without even being conscious of it, you drift toward believing your own press releases, thinking that you are, in fact, God’s emissary to the world, and that your opinions are God’s opinions.
So, what does it take to increase your power when you are in the ministry? Have a bigger church. Have a bigger offering. Widen your audience through various media. Carefully control your public image (at the expense of your relationships with those around you). And what helps you accomplish all those things? Tell people what their itching ears want to hear. Entertain them. Keep them coming back for more. And one day, you wake up and realize that you were pursuing the applause of people more than the approval of God. You were driven by self-interest, rather than dying to yourself and living only for God.
It is a slippery slope. But you have to consciously fight to keep from finding yourself in a very bad place one day.
As Paul said, watch your life and doctrine closely. Amen.
SINGING A HYMN
So much takes place in this chapter, as the final hours of Jesus’ life unfold. And there is much that I would like to discuss. For example: There are at least three occurrences of blasphemy in this single chapter: Jesus would be the worst case, claiming to be the Christ–except that it is true. Peter commits both perjury and blasphemy when he calls down curses on himself and swears that he never knew Jesus. And Judas commits blasphemy against the Lord when he calls him Rabbi and betrays him with a kiss. Another famous quote in this chapter is what Jesus says to Peter when Pete keeps falling asleep, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
But there is one detail that must be talked about, because those of you who know me are aware that I am something of a music geek. This little detail is mentioned, but I’d like to delve into it a bit more. In verse 26, Mark writes,
“And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
First, it is encouraging to know that Jesus and the disciples sang. I wonder what kind of voice Jesus had, but I wouldn’t expect it to be unusual. He was, after all, a Nazarene, you know. But how many of us sing a hymn together around the table before we leave the room? It’s a challenging example, don’t you think? I’d love to make it a regular practice that when someone joins us for dinner, we sing before we leave the table.
Having said that, the fact that they sang after the Passover meal is not unusual at all. It would be unusual if they neglected to follow the tradition of Jewish celebration of the Passover by simply leaving.
But they did more than just sing “a hymn,” as we have come to define a hymn in our day. The traditional text to be sung after Passover was the group of psalms known as the Great Hallel, consisting of Psalms 113-118, (sometimes also 111 and 112) because several of the psalms begin and/or end with “hallelujah!” (Praise the Lord). The words they sang were memorized and very familiar to Jewish adult men. Appropriately for Passover, they speak in praise of God for his deliverance and goodness to Israel. But there are also several lines that are strikingly prophetic, in light of the deliverance and sacrifice that are about to take place in ultimate fulfillment of the Passover Lamb himself. I wonder if the disciples thought back on those words they sang that night, thinking, “If I only knew how that psalm was about to be fulfilled, I’d have sung it louder!”
Here are some of those salient lines:
Psalm 111
[9] He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name!
Psalm 112
[8] His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
[9] He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn is exalted in honor.
Psalm 116
[3] The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
[4] Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”
[8] For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
[9] I will walk before the LORD
in the land of the living.
[15] Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his saints.
Psalm 118
[5] Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
the LORD answered me and set me free.
[6] The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
[7] The LORD is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
[13] I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
[14] The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
[17] I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the LORD.
[18] The LORD has disciplined me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
[22] The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
[23] This is the LORD’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
[24] This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
[26] Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
[27] The LORD is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
[29] Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
SPEAKING BY THE SPIRIT
This chapter is mostly filled with end times prophecies, which we discussed a bit in an earlier podcast. There is one instruction from Jesus, however, that I’d like to spend some time reflecting on here. While he’s telling the disciples that they should be on their guard, for times of persecution are coming against them, he includes this instruction:
And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. (verse 11)
Those words of Jesus came true among the disciples, of course.
For example, Peter and John had healed a man in the name of Jesus, so they were brought before the Jewish council to defend their actions. Acts 4:8 begins: “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them…” What he said was powerful and amazing, but the point right here is that Luke is specific in saying that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit in giving his answer.
I wonder what might have marked that particular moment for Peter? There are other times that it simply tells what Peter said, but this is noteworthy because Peter was filled with the Spirit when he was saying it. So he spoke with wisdom and power, bold conviction and spiritual authority. Just like Jesus.
We are told something similar in Acts 6:10 about Stephen. Stephen, you might note, was not one of the twelve disciples, and yet Luke says about him, “They could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.” And again, the apostle Paul was being undermined in his evangelistic work. It says that he was “filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said…” So once again we see an extemporaneous speech which was directed by the Spirit. And Paul had not even been there to have heard the promise from Jesus. In fact, he was an enemy of Christ at that time.
Later, Paul is instructing the church in Corinth about how to conduct their gatherings, and he talks about people speaking by the Spirit in the regular assemblies of the church. Among other things, he says, “Let two or three prophets speak . . . If a revelation is made to another sitting there . . . you can all prophesy . . . so that all may learn and all be encouraged . . . for God is … a God … of peace.”
You might say this is another circle outside the original audience that Jesus was instructing. First, it was the apostles themselves who were assured that they would speak what the Holy Spirit told them. Then it was other early evangelists who had met Jesus in person. Then it was for those who had been Gentile converts and who had never met Jesus in person. Would it be fair to say that the promise is potentially still available to us today?
It makes sense that the followers of Christ would be told by the Spirit what to speak. After all, Jesus was the predicted “prophet” who would be like Moses. And God says of that prophet, “I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” In turn, Christ told his followers, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses . . .” He said elsewhere, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Is it God’s will for us to be filled with the Spirit? Yes! We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit! We are elsewhere told to walk in the Spirit, to keep in step with the Spirit, or to be led by the Spirit. The Spirit gives spiritual gifts and we bear the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
So can we expect today to have God’s Spirit speak through us when we need to testify about him? We can rely on God to lead us in what to say when we are persecuted for following Christ, can’t we? We need not be anxious about anything, including what we will say when we give a defense for our faith, right? I hope by now the answer is obvious.
Jesus didn’t say that we should never prepare a lesson or a sermon or a talk. He did say that we should not be anxious ahead of time, but trust that the Spirit will guide us. And we must be very careful to test the spirits, and to weigh what is being said by others. We must also not fall into what we might call “prophetic abuse,” which I hope to address some time this year.
So let me ask, have you ever been guided by the Spirit, and you knew that what you said came from Him? Have there been times when your words surprise even you? May you and I yield to the Spirit more often. Amen.
WISDOM OVER LOGIC, 1-0
In this chapter, Jesus faces questions from various groups of Jewish leaders, each time outmaneuvering their theological traps. First, Jesus speaks a story aimed at the leaders as a whole. Then they send some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians together to ask an impossible question of Jesus.
For the moment, let’s not focus on the exact question, but on the preamble to it, based on who is asking the question. They say in verse 14,
“Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God.”
That’s a laughable introduction, given the hypocrisy of it all. The significance of the question is based on the significance of the questioners. They are representatives of groups that are on opposite ends of a theological and political divide on this very topic. His answer will therefore be impossible. At least, it’s impossible if there are only two choices, A or non-A. So, which is it, Jesus? You must choose either A or non-A. There is nothing else.
But what if it’s a false choice? What if this is purely hypothetical, and doesn’t even need to be answered? It is only designed to be a trap. And the prologue to the question underscores the irony of it all. They butter up the Master, of all things, and use two points of logic to trap him into losing his followers, no matter what he answers. So they think.
They open and close with these two similar sayings: “You are true,” they say, and “[you] truly teach the way of God.” These bookends trap Jesus into saying one side or the other, as “true” and “from God.” That will drive away half of his followers, since Jesus could not speak sarcastically or be swayed by context, later saying that literally he didn’t mean what he said.
In between those two phrases are the other side of the same coin: “[you] do not care about anyone’s opinion,” they sneer, and “you are not swayed by appearances.” Under those conditions, he has no room to give a politically-measured response. He must say “A” and offend half of the people (those who agree with the Pharisees) or say “non-A” and offend the other half (those who agree with the Herodians).
Then they ask the question carefully, with only two options: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” Yes or no. That’s the only way to answer the questions, right? Those are the only options they gave.
The greatest irony of the moment is that the two parties who are joining forces are pretty much on opposite ends of the theological/political spectrum. Pharisees and Herodians cannot agree on anything, ever. Except for this one thing: both groups want to do away with Jesus, or at least discredit him. As they say, politics makes strange bedfellows.
The irony is that they themselves are “A” versus “non-A,” and yet the two groups have found a third way by inventing this question. So you might say that logically they are providing a context of thinking outside of the binary box, even as they present a strictly binary conundrum for the Master. Their hypocrisy is overwhelming, but they are willing to overlook it for the sake of an effective trap that will service both parties.
Delicious, isn’t it? And Jesus does not disappoint. He introduces a third element to the debate before he even begins: Bring me a coin and let me look at it. They bring him one, and he opens with a question (as we have noticed him do so many times): “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” Take note that Jesus has now forced THEM to be the ones who are saying the self-incriminating answer: “Caesar’s.”
So Jesus says to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” (implying, though not stating, that it is reasonable to pay taxes, since the coin belongs to the Roman government), “and [render] to God the things that are God’s.” In effect, Jesus distances himself from the twofold dilemma and answers, Not A OR non-A, but some sort of A AND non-A.
And Mark writes their response. “And they marveled at him.” I can imagine their debriefing meeting after the Q&A was done. “What, exactly, happened there?” “How did He do that?” “I didn’t see that coming, even when he called for the coin to be brought.”
And, as the devil did back after the 40 days’ of temptation, they left him “for a more opportune time.”
Final score: Wisdom over Logic, 1 to 0.
WE ARE THE TWELVE
We are the special chosen ones from Gal’lee
The faithful few who answered Jesus’ “foller me”
Of all of the fine citizens of Gal’lee Country
It’s good to now he loves us most of all.
”I’m Pete and I’m a fisherman” (“Who swims lie he was bait!”)
And Andy’s wandered off again, that’s why he’s running late
I’m John and I must say I’m loved and most contrite
While my brother Jim is loud and he’s always ready to fight
(“Am not!” “Are, too!”)
“I’m Phil and people say I’m slower than molasses.”
”And I’m Nate and I say I think he’s fine just the way he is.”
“And I’m Tom and I say we’re all gonna die.”
I’m Matt the tax collector but I’d sure appreciate if you could call me Levi.”
(chorus)
We are the special chosen ones from Gal’lee
The faithful few who answered Jesus’ foller me
Of all of the fine citizens of Gal’lee County
It’s good to know he loves us
I’m pretty sure he loves us
Nice to know he loves us most of all
(“Oh, look! Here comes Andy! And he’s bringing somebody with him!”)
LEADING WITH A QUESTION
The eleventh chapter of Mark is very similar to material that is found in Matthew, including the question from the leaders about where Jesus gets his authority. But Mark contains a little more detail, and especially one little phrase. That’s what I’d like to focus on today. Our Lord provides an example of how to deal with questions that are not really questions. Jesus asks a question within a question, you might say.
It strikes me how often Jesus asks questions, especially when being confronted with criticism from the Jewish leaders, and especially in the gospel of Mark. Maybe Jesus intended to show us how to have an argument, or how to win an argument. And maybe he was simply being shrewd, knowing that asking a question rather than delivering a lecture is the best way to proceed in a disagreement. He never said that he was doing that on purpose. But let’s note his practice and see what there is to learn from it.
Here are questions that show how Jesus answered criticism from the Pharisees:
Chapter 2
[The scribes are thinking, “Why does this man speak of forgiving sins? He is blaspheming!”] Jesus says, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say…forgiven…or…walk?”
[The scribes of the Pharisees said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”] Jesus said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” (There are five other times that I counted in the book of Mark where Jesus leads with a statement rather than a question. Nonetheless, there are many more times he leads with a question.)
[People came and said to him, “Why do (others’) disciples fast, but yours do not?”] Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?...
[Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”] He said to them, “Have you never read what David did …?”
Chapter 3
[They watched to see whether he would heal …on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.] He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”
[The scribes were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul.”] He called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?”
[His mother and brothers called him, and a crowd said they were seeking him.] Looking about…he said, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”
More questions by Jesus:
Chapter 4
“Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?”
“Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?”
“With what can I compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?”
“Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
Chapter 5
“What is your name?”
“Who touched my garments?”
“Why are you making a commotion and weeping?”
“Why does this generation seek a sign?”
“Why are you questioning…Do you not yet perceive or understand?”
“Who do people say I am? Who do you say that I am?”
“What are you arguing about with them?”
“O faithless generation, how long am I to bear with you?”
“How long has this been happening to him?”
“What were you discussing on the way?”
“What did Moses command you?”
“Why do you call me good?”
“What do you want me to do for you?”
“Are you able to drink the cup that I drink…?”
“What do you want me to do for you?”
“Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’”
And here is the context of the question within a question that prompts my thoughts today:
The chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?”
Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” . . . So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
What shall we take away from this?
First, perhaps that in a debate or heated confrontation with someone who is accusing you, it is better to let your first comment be a question. Whether to set up the logic of your answer, or simply as the preamble to your answer, it seems to be far more common in Jesus’ conversation than it was (about 5 times) to lead with a statement.
Second, a question, sort of requires that the person reply. This both avoids lecture mode and also the right question can trap your opponent.
It makes me wonder; What do you think we can learn from Jesus in this?” (See what I did there?)
ATTACK OF THE SOCCER MOMS
Jesus was in the hills of Galilee, doing His regular routine of speaking and healing, healing and speaking, showing mercy and calling to repent, you know the deal. A group of men gathers, and the Master Teacher heads over to do some disciple-making with them. That’s when a gang of MOPS comes sweeping in. Now, if you’ve never seen one of these groups, I ought to warn you about them.
MOPS stands for Mommas of Pre-Schoolers, and they’re pretty scary. Now, you’d think all those mommas and their little ones would be cute and nice and all that. But here’s what they’re really like: it’s a bunch of first-time mommas with their precocious first-borns. When they get together, they all start comparing notes. First, they talk about breast feeding and pooping schedules, including textures, color and smell. Then they get to competing with one another through their kids: when he said his first word, when she took her first step, how much he can read at the tender age of four—and in Hebrew, at that. They might as well line their little ones up and have a little toddler race, except that no one can admit that her self-image is so tied up in her little one that she’s just got to win in the prodigious child awards.
Anyway, here this group of rabid mothers comes toward Jesus, walking with their arms held out like giant Barbie dolls, shoving their precocious prodigies at Jesus like he’s the long-overdue babysitter. Descending on the Son of God with their little gifts from heaven, asking Him to bless their Wunderkind so he can be the next great world leader.
The disciples, of course, can see this one coming a mile away, and they know just what to do. I mean, after that Temple cleansing incident, they pretty much know Jesus is going to let these child-worshiping women have it. Tell ‘em to repent before they turn into soccer moms! So, they head them off at the pass, as it were, and break it to them gently, lovingly, the way Jesus Himself would do. They tell them their kids are real cute, yes, and right bright and all, but Jesus has got Himself booked until, well, until your kids have reached puberty or so. Once they have acne and don’t want to be seen in public with you any more, THEN Jesus can speak with them like they were real people people. Problem solved, right?
Jesus sees them doing Him this favor, and sure enough, He goes ballistic about priorities and children. Only it’s not the way His followers thought it would be. Jesus is livid, all right. But He’s steamed about the disciples, not the mommas!
“Let the little ones come to Me,” He says, “for the kingdom belongs to such as these.”
Jesus didn’t get angry very often, but this is one of those notable times. One of them starts to explain that they were just trying to help Him, when He cuts them off like a soccer mom weaving through heavy traffic.
“Have I been with you all this time, and you still don’t get it? Children are the most important people in the kingdom. They aren’t half-an-adult just because they’re small! Children are moldable, innocent, humble and pure. Can you tell me any adult with those qualities? Anybody? I didn’t think so.
“And these mommas are doing the most important job in the world! There’s nothing harder or more important than what they’re dedicating the prime years of their adult lives to do: turn a blob of human DNA into a fully-functioning adult in the short span of a couple of decades, all without losing their own sanity. “It just might be that these children here are more valuable than any of these men here. Maybe more valuable than the twelve of you are yourselves!
“Now leave them be, and never prevent them from coming to me again! Have you got that? Don’t screen their calls, don’t insist on an appointment, and don’t you ever think that I’ve got more important things to do than to bless these little ones!”
And with that, Jesus turns around and a smile comes to His face that never appeared when He was talking to crusty, skeptical grownups. He bends down and gets on their level, He picks up young ones, He receives babies from their mother’s arms, He places His hands on each one of them, and He blesses them.
You have never heard such simple, powerful words of prayer. And it begins to become clear that the main work of Jesus is to speak a blessing into folks’ lives. And the younger they are, the more of that blessing they can receive.
THE WAY UP IS DOWN
The disciples were on their way through Galilee when an interesting intellectual discussion broke out real quietly amongst some of the disciples. We can guess that it involved Peter in some way. I imagine he and John fell back behind the group to clarify something. Peter happened to mention the clear fact that he was the top leader of the group, destined to sit at Jesus’ right hand in the kingdom.
John replies that Jesus likes him best. All the signs were there, and he was just saying that when they pair up in the boats, Jesus sits with him most of the time. Peter points out that it is John who sits with Jesus, not Jesus with him. He’s got no choice, says Pete. Then Pete says he’s the one that Jesus named the Rock, and he claims that Jesus is going to build His kingdom on him!
Oh, yeah, says John? Yeah, says Pete. In fact, says Pete, John only thinks Jesus likes him best. In fact, he says, the truth is, John encroaches on Jesus’ personal space bubble all the time, and He’s too nice to say anything about it.
Well, Judas checks in on the matter, and he says he’s the most qualified to be the leader of the group. Most education, knows his way around Judea, and so forth.
Well, that riles up John’s big brother James, who reminds the others that his mom got him and John to be first in line to sit on His right and left side in the kingdom.
This whole thing is heating up into an argument, is what’s happening, but all done in whispers, cause they’re thinking Jesus wouldn’t like the way they’re talking right about now.
Later in the evening, as they’re settling in round a campfire, Jesus asks real casually: “So, what were y’all talking about on the road this morning?”
Suddenly, they all get busy maintaining the fire with their eyes. Slowly, painfully, it comes out: Well, they were arguing about who was greatest in the kingdom.
Jesus heaves a real slow sigh, and He looks around at them like He’s really disappointed, catching the eyes of each one of them. Suddenly, they become aware of how they’re sitting there. There’s the inner three, crowding in on Him. Then come the rest of the twelve. Then everyone else.
In the cold outside circle are the women and a few men who’ve been walking along with the disciples. There are also a couple of kids amongst that crowd. Or maybe several dozen. The disciples never really noticed.
Jesus calls one of the littlest ones forward. A little boy totters over to him, Jesus takes him up in his arms, and He says, “This little boy’s name is Joshua, but his daddy and momma call him Josh. Back home, he’s got a puppy named Jake, and he misses him. But he likes to play hide and seek, and he loves to sing, don’t you, Joshie-Boy? Any of you men know him?”
They all study their toes for a bit. Trying to think of something to say. How long’s that kid been with them?
Jesus speaks again: “This little boy, so precious and innocent, is the greatest in the kingdom of God. And unless y’all humble yourselves like him, you ain’t even gonna be there.”
“The way up is down, boys. Y’all want to be great? Learn to be the servant of all. Y’all want to be famous? Sit in the outside circle, instead of the closest seats. Do you begin to get this?”
They were beginning to get it, all right.
Did you notice that Jesus never rebukes them for wanting to be the greatest in the kingdom? He doesn’t say, “Just cut that out! Stop thinking about yourself. Let’s all just cooperate rather than compete.” Why doesn’t Jesus say that?
Perhaps ambition is not a sin! SELFISH ambition is a sin. But Jesus knew that it is built into most of us to want to WIN. If a man is going to do something with his whole effort, it is with the goal of being the best at it. So Jesus goes about redirecting that natural competitiveness in their hearts. Get into a new contest: See who can SERVE the most!
In that contest, the LOSER is the WINNER. King of the hill is won by going to the bottom and help to push others up the hill! It’s not wrong to run fast. But you just might be running in the wrong direction. The finish line is BACK THERE!
Now, let’s all join in on a game of King of the Valley. And may the least one win.
WHEN IS IT MY TURN?
Today we are reading chapter 8 of Mark, and most of the wording in this chapter is also found in Matthew. There is one passage in here that causes me to remember a significant life lesson, and I want to share that with you today. In verses 34-38, Mark writes,
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
May I use this platform to tell you a very personal secret?
First, a bit of background. I am a very self-absorbed person. From the time I was an early adolescent, I imagined myself to be the central character of my own personal movie. I remember consciously wondering in sixth grade if everyone else was really real, the way I was. Were they all just bit players in my movie? What did they do when they weren’t around me? So when I first saw the movie, “The Truman Show,” it was strikingly familiar to me. That’s my background story.
Now fast-forward this narcissist to my adult self with adult responsibilities.
As a minister, a father, a husband and a friend, I am constantly called upon to sacrifice my wants and desires for someone else. The needs of others seldom occurs at a “convenient time” for, well, me (or for them, but that is not what I’m talking about right now—which may be the point. I’m not sure.).
That might look on the surface as if I am being selfless and sacrificial at any given moment, but I had a secret plan. You see, I spent many years with a theme running in the background of my mind. The persistent question behind everything was, “When do I get my turn?” The unspoken answer to the question was, “Wait for now. Do the right thing, and you can be selfish later.” Then I could fish all day without guilt, or sleep late and not cause someone else to have to cover for me, or do whatever I felt like doing with no consequences. But for now, do the right thing and wait for your turn to come.
When I became aware of the question, “When is it my turn?” it made me discontent. Here I was, serving other people, putting off my own wants, doing what I thought Jesus wanted me to do, but I kept waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Asking, “When is it going to be MY turn? How many times do I have to put others before myself?”
That is when the Holy Spirit whispered to me these sweet and comforting words: “Ken, it’s NEVER going to be ‘your turn.’ Then he said, You don’t just postpone selfishness, ya dummy. You DIE to yourself. Dead people don’t get ‘their turn.’”
I have often thought back to this harsh phrase that struck me so hard that day. For as discouraging as it may sound to some, it is actually freeing. When I give to others, it is not a loan. It is a gift. When I do for others, it must be done without expecting anything in return. When I serve the Lord, it is not even to gain an eternal reward of stars in my crown or a bigger mansion in the sky. It is enough to simply hear, “Well done. Enter my joy.”
More recently I have heard the illustration that if this is a movie and I am in it, the truth is I am only a bit part. Jesus is the hero of the movie. I am the storm trooper who gets shot as he walks around the corner, and I appear briefly on the floor as someone steps over me. If you stick around long enough after the move, you’ll see my name in the credits. That’s me: Storm Trooper number 17.
So I read this teaching of Jesus with a deeper understanding. If I would follow him, He calls me to deny myself. Take up my cross. Follow. Lose my life for Christ’s sake and the gospel’s. Give up the whole world in exchange for my soul. Do not be ashamed of Jesus.
And, by the way, when time on earth is over, it’s worth it all.
THE FORMULA OF JESUS
Mark 7:31-35
Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
Jesus has returned to the region where the man whose name was Legion had been delivered. And because of that demoniac-turned-evangelist, there are many who come to Jesus, seeking deliverance and truth from him.
This is a unique healing that has several actions to it. The actions are strange, with several steps. And these are not things that he is recorded to have done with anyone else. In fact, it strikes me that all of Jesus’ healings are individualized events. He did not follow a simple formula, but he custom-fit each deliverance or healing to best serve the needs of that person.
I’m impressed with the individual attention Jesus gave to each person. The gospels are filled with healings from Jesus, and the variety of methods is staggering.
Sometimes he speaks a word and someone is healed some distance away. Sometimes he makes mud for blind eyes, or he touches the leper, or he asks a question (“What do you want me to do for you?” “Do you want to get well?” “How long has he been like this?” “What is your name?”). Other times he tells someone to do something (“Stretch out your hand.” “Go wash.” “Pick up your bed and walk.”). Still other times they touch the hem of his robe, they kneel down in worship, they scream and fall down in convulsions, they ask him to come to see someone in need. Jesus touches the hand of a girl who was dead, he calls forth a dead man, addresses a demon, or he rebukes a fever. Or he might heal blindness part of the way, and it takes a second touch to bring full sight.
This is not what we would call good business practice today. I know Henry Ford hadn’t come along yet, but assembly line miracles would not have been Jesus’ choice, I’m sure.
So, thinking like a modern-day entrepreneur, I ask, what is scalable about what Jesus is doing? If he has a formula, then it can be mass produced, multiplied, and truly turn the world upside down. But if he has to take time like he does here with each individual, and it takes direct interaction with each one, then he is limited to a private practice, but not to multiplication.
And what about finances? Why not charge people for your services? How do you provide for yourself and your staff so that you can eat today and be available for the people who need you tomorrow?
I think we will have to talk about what a poor businessman Jesus was some other day. Today, we’re just talking about scalability.
So, Jesus treated each person as an individual. Loving all, showing mercy to all, it took a different form with every healing. Got it. But what about scalability? What was Jesus’ plan to reproduce this moment?
In a name, His plan was the Holy Spirit. Jesus left, so that the Father could send the Holy Spirit, who would do all the things Jesus himself had done, and even greater works. The things they had learned they would be able to teach others, also. Jesus gave himself completely to a system of making disciples for about three years, and then he left. He entrusted the system to the disciples who had learned from him.
And so, we walk in the footsteps of the Master, serving each individual according to their needs. Each time we tell the gospel story, each time we counsel or advise, each time we pray, we start over and speak and do what the Spirit directs us to do.
This is the way.
A PROPHET WITHOUT HONOR
IN today’s reading we find Jesus back in his hometown of Nazareth, doing miracles and teaching with authority. He was doing the same thing He had been doing all around Galilee, and the crowds grew with every action. But here in the town where he had grown up, it was a very different reception. Here, it says, “they took offense at him.” After all, they knew him as “the carpenter’s son.” They knew his mother, Mary. They knew his brothers and sister. So, in Nazareth, the very things that strengthened faith everywhere else caused doubt. And Jesus marveled, he was amazed, as we noted a few days ago.
How could that be? Jesus summarizes the truth in a sentence. He says, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” A prophet is not without honor. That’s a double negative, I suppose. He’s saying a prophet is honored everywhere, because what he says and does comes from God. So crowds follow. Women provide support. People bow down and worship. Hearts rejoice. And behind closed doors, the conversation is marveling at the great things of God. The prophet is not without honor, to be sure.
But not here. Here, they think they know his limits, because they saw him when he was a toddler, before he knew how to read. They saw him as an awkward young teen, still growing into manhood. They saw his mom and his siblings at the grocery store, and they saw his first attempts at helping Joseph with carpentry projects. This could not be the Messiah. Nathaniel had asked it: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” But here in Nazareth, the question went unanswered.
This young upstart was getting too big for his britches, they might say. Did he think he was too good for them? He wasn’t doing those things when he was a kid. We’re proud that a local became a celebrity, but around here nobody asks for an autograph, because we want to keep him in his place, let him know that we are all deserving of his celebrity status, I guess. I mean, I was the one who taught him to haltingly memorize the Scriptures he now quotes so freely. Or I helped him when he was sick as a youngster, and now he thinks he can come in here and better me by overriding my authority as the local medical expert. Why not put our names up in lights? Didn’t Jesus himself say that a student is not above his teacher?
Jesus also said that a prophet is not without honor except in his own household. And, sure enough, we find that his mother and brothers come to get him and bring him back home because they conclude that he has lost his mind, living with that crazy schedule and workload of his. We also find his brothers come to see him to give him some career advice to go to Jerusalem and make himself known at the feast there. They were saying that because they didn’t believe in him, and they treated him as a person who wanted to become a famous personality, not as if he were coming to bear the sins of the world on his shoulders.
So, Mark writes here, “And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” Jesus could not perform miracles, because the people viewed him differently, scrutinizing his actions and being offended by his authority.
It caused me to remember my own insight into this truth, after the fact. I want to share it with you here. I became the music minister of my home church when I was in college and seminary. It was at that church that I met Ellen, and where she and I were married. We were loved and respected there. I was even elected a deacon in the church. But my position there was part-time, and as we were expecting our first child, it was clear that I needed to find a full-time ministry. I did, and we moved to Illinois to settle in as the Minister of Music and Drama at Central Christian Church of Rockford.
Within a few weeks of moving there, I went to my first joint board meeting, and then to a meeting with the elders. I had never been invited to be in an elders’ meeting before, and it was quite an honor to be there.
That’s where it happened. They were all talking about something. I don’t remember what it was. In any case, after the idea had been kicked around the room, I had some idea to add to the conversation. And the most shocking thing happened: the elders all listened to what I said, and the whole direction of the meeting shifted as they said, “That’s a good idea.”
I was in shock. They . . . Listened . . . To me! That had never happened before.
A few months later at my ordination back at my home church, I mentioned my experience to one of the elders there. He simply said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown among his own people.” And I saw that he was right.
I had been loved. On a certain level, I had been respected. But I was not really “honored” because they knew the boy that I had been. But these new people, strangers to me, treated me as if I had earned a seat at the table, not as if they were doing me a favor to allow me to sit there.
That’s my first story. But we will visit this concept again in a later month, so I won’t belabor it.
PIGS, PAWNS AND KINGS Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave.
~Mark 5:11-12
EVER WONDER WHAT HAPPENS when a demon enters a pig? Well, I’ll tell you: it ain’t pretty. Hogs ain’t pretty to begin with. But hogs under the influence of demons are downright nasty. The demons follow Satan’s first rule: destroy anything you inhabit. And so, with the innate grace and beauty of two thousand demon-possessed hogs, them pigs squeal and slide down the hill into the lake, and drown.
Jesus glances over at the devil. The devil’s face twitches. He lost a model citizen in this crazy dude, and now his side of the board has been cleared in one move.
Then a slow smile breaks over the face of the devil. He was thinking a move ahead, and this is working according to plan. He just lost him a pawn, but he’s zeroing down on capturing the King Himself.
It turns out, it is written in the fine print that demons only inhabit the pigs for the duration of the pigs’ lives. And he has destroyed them all at once. The devil’s chuckling to himself. Now he’s got two thousand of his crackerjack demons out roaming the countryside again. He leans back, locks his hands behind his pointy head, and says, “check.”
Mister Pawn’s finally in his right mind. We find him some clothes, and he sits down, talking in his right mind, so soberminded he could be a judge.
But that legion of demons are set free to run around the area at will. Some of them whisper in the ears of the owners of the pigs. And now it’s the owners’ turn to start running down the hillside—straight towards—us, as it were!
These men had spent their lifetimes building up this huge herd, which was worth a fortune. And these pigs were their entire inventory. And you know pigs ain’t kosher, right? So, why would any God-fearing person want to raise hogs in the first place? Hint: These fellers are not God-fearing people. And everything they valued in life was suddenly and unrecoverably lost, and they are a might upset about it.
Now they are the ones begging Jesus. Begging Him to get out of their region. Or threatening Him to get out or else! That’s how tense the air was in that moment.
Old Satan leans forward and smiles at the board. His demons’ power base has only increased through this little diversion. The devil still has all his pieces on the board, save one, and now he has his opponent backed into a corner.
Looks like Jesus has gambled it all on this one man, and now He has lost everything else. I can’t believe it! What’s more, Jesus agrees to the wishes of the enemy. Without a word, He turns to leave. Is this a retreat in spiritual battle? Is He knocking over His king and conceding a loss?
His reputation sure took a beating. Hard to live down the label of a pig killer and a fortune-destroyer. So Jesus has gone and traded 2000 pigs, plus His own reputation, all for just one soul.
As Jesus begins His withdrawal, Mister Pawn comes running after us, begging again. This time, he begs to come along! After all, those demons had been plaguing him for years, and now that they are still active in this region, he is in danger. This boy is still spanking new to the faith, and he needs more training, or protection, or something, at least.
But Jesus tells the man, "Go back home and tell your friends and family about what God did for you.” And Jesus gets into the boat and leaves. The devil chuckles. “It’s been fun playing, Jesus.”
The ol’ devil’s smile fades as Jesus calls back from the boat: "Oh, by the way . . . Checkmate."
The evil one can’t believe it. Over the next few weeks, Satan can only watch, powerless, while the holy plan unfolds: that one man of peace whom Jesus has rescued heads back home and tells his family and friends about it all. The testimony of one changed life brings spiritual revival to the whole county.
In fact, a few months later, when we all return to the area, Jesus does many miracles here because in Decapolis County this one former-demoniac-turned-evangelist has piqued a spiritual interest in everybody, perhaps including the former pig owners!
The devil had been thinking a move ahead. But our Lord is a master at spiritual chess, and He was working a long-term strategy. Jesus knows that one soul’s worth way more than two thousand hogs. One soul’s worth even more than Jesus’ own reputation on this earth. His own reputation ain’t worth no more to Him than a little old pawn.
Satan reluctantly admits defeat in this region for a good long time.
Jesus calls to him from the boat, "Never, ever underestimate the value of one soul. In my game, one soul is king."
SAVING SHORTY And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit
~Mark 5:1-2
IT SEEMS THE SON OF GOD was exceptionally—well—average in most every way. Except for His exceptional grasp of the Scriptures, of course. That, and the game of chess, of all things.
Chess is a game of strategy, in which a player must see several moves ahead, take calculated risks, and follow a flexible long-term strategy. It requires discipline, concentration and patience, and Jesus had those qualities in abundance.
Jesus brought us all the way across Lake Gal’lee one day, in order to witness a rather odd confrontation in the spiritual realm—a game of chess with the devil himself.
Chess is a game for kings, not for fishermen. So I don’t know much about it. But this I learned from watching Jesus, and it is perhaps the most basic lesson in chess: you’ve got to know the difference between a pawn and a king. Always sacrifice the little old pawn to keep the big old king. As I see it, in chess, the taller the better. If it’s short, you can give it up.
We had set sail from Capernaum and Jesus pointed us southeast, toward the uninhabited region of The Bluff of Gadera. The bluff was like a wall of sandstone and shale rising up from the water, pockmarked with caves that were used as tombs. Clearly, we were not there to have a picnic.
As we approach the shore, it seems the only sign of life here is a large herd of pigs on top of the bluff. You’ve heard of pigs. There’s a pig pig here and a pig pig there. Here a pig . . . You know. And not a single one is kosher.
As we anchor just off shore and begin to wade to the narrow rocky beach, we all hear an eery howl from up on that bluff somewhere. Whatever is making that sound sure doesn’t sound human, and definitely doesn’t sound safe. Jesus hears it, too, but He doesn’t even slow down. It’s almost like He is coming in answer to the call.
Then we see the source of the sound. A creepy wild man comes screaming down the hill, running right at the Lord with a crazed look in his eyes. He lives there among the tombs, which of course makes him unclean from the start.
So between the graves and the pigs and this man screaming toward us, we’re all getting a collective case of the Jewish heebie-jeebies here. But the Lord doesn’t even flinch, and walks toward the man, unafraid of getting spiritual cooties.
So the chess board seems to be set and the first moves made. Jesus and twelve followers on one side, and this man and a mess of pigs on the other. It seems the devil has made the first move, leading with this curious feller.
I look him over. Short guy. Definite Pawn material. Very poor personal hygiene, if I can say so.
He howls at the moon and cuts himself with rocks. Eats by raiding the herd of pigs, killing and eating whatever parts of a hog seem edible. The man is practically naked, has iron shackles around his ankles and wrists, with broken chains jangling from them—remnants of the many attempts to control him. Clearly, the man does not keep his curfew, and not even a gang can take him on.
The man’s charging toward Jesus with a human leg bone as a club in his hand. He has incredibly intense eyes that seem to show insanity, or worse.
Then I realize what the man is actually screaming about. He’s pleading for mercy! Somehow he had known, even from a distance, that Jesus had come to deal with the demons in him. He falls before the Master and screams, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to torture us before our appointed time?”
There are things a demon-filled man is not as aware of as an ordinary man might be. Time of day. Physical comfort. Kosher food products. To name a few. And yet, supernatural revelation isn’t something that only belongs to God. Demons know the end game. They know who is going to win, though they might not know quite when or how it will happen.
When the man gets close to Jesus, he drops the shin bone and drops to his knees. Pleads for mercy, calling the Lord, “Jesus of Nazareth!” The demons know Him as “Jesus of Nazareth.” And they tremble.
And so the game unfolds, one move at a time. Which strikes me as odd, because we have seen Jesus heal hundreds of people and cast out demons before. Quick and easy: Tell them to be gone, and off they go to—wherever demons run to. It don’t matter. He sets people free. End of game. Checkmate Jesus.
But this man is a special case—as they all are, it turns out.
I’m confused by this game He’s playing. Jesus takes an hour or more identifying each of those demons by name, and somehow allowing them to negotiate terms for this man’s release.
Boomer Jim and me are about to have a demonic attack of our own if Jesus don’t send down some fire and brimstone on this bad guy pretty quick. What is going on here? Is Jesus even having mercy on demons now?
If this is a chess match, it seems like Jesus has already given up a lot of ground in order to save this one unkempt pawn here. I’m thinking the devil’s smiling just a might. This match is going his way.
At last, the legion of demons looks around for some place local where they can all hide out for a while. They spy the herd of pigs on the ridge. "send us into the pigs,” they beg.
Jesus agrees, and then He gives a one-word command: "Go!” They-all leave the man—they had no choice but to obey—and they enter the pigs. The man is free for the first time in whenever. We can see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. There is peace and sanity at last. Jesus smiles.
He’d done saved Shorty.
DOES JESUS NOT CARE?
Among the many healings and teachings and other events in this chapter is an account of Jesus and the disciples in the boat (Peter’s fishing boat) on the Sea of Galilee. It is evening, and Jesus is having them all go to the other side of the lake. While they are sailing, Jesus, being tired as he was, goes to sleep on a cushion near the back of the boat. So far, so good.
It’s actually sort of encouraging to me that Jesus was willing to sleep while someone else was doing the work once in a while. Balance and boundaries are needed in everyone’s life. If it’s not your area of skill, let someone else who has the skill and experience take the helm. It can actually be a way of caring for someone when you let them lead in their area of competency.
But suddenly things change, as they can on a large body of water. A very bad storm arises. So bad that these fishermen are to the end of their skills at getting through it. Imagine that they have tried everything they know how to do in trying to keep themselves afloat, but the waves are washing over the sides, filling the boat! It could be just a matter of seconds before the big gust or waves capsizes them completely. And especially in the dark of night, things can turn deadly any moment.
Have you ever been working hard at something while someone else is nearby? Have you ever had unexpected difficulty, and this is costing you a much greater sacrifice than the other person seems to notice? Do you feel bitterness wanting to well up in you? Maybe you want to say, “Don’t you notice that I am working hard here? How about a little help?” Now, multiply that by having this be about the scariest moment of your life, in which you genuinely think you might die.
And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
That’s our question, isn’t it? Not just of the person who is not helping, but of God himself. “Do you not care? Are you just going to let me die here?”
Life can change that quickly, can’t it? Sudden events change everything. Unexpected crises can turn everything upside down. The disciples wake the Master. Their cry is not simply “we COULD perish” but it is “we ARE PERISHING!” In this moment they project themselves just a few moments into the future and tell Jesus they are dying. Does he not care?
What do you think? Did he not care?
There are two kinds of people who can sleep in a boat in the middle of a storm. One is Jonah, who is running away from God and really wouldn’t mind if the storm kills him and everyone else on board. It is the sleep of depression. The other kind is the one who has a clear conscience before God and who is confident of being in the center of God’s will, so genuinely not afraid of death or other problems. We can’t control the future. Why be afraid of what you can’t control?
So Jesus wakes up. He rebukes the wind and the waves with the kind of rebuke I wouldn’t mind hearing myself: “Peace! Be still!” It’s a command, not a prayer request. Jesus is not asking the Father “if it be thy will.” He commands nature. Just like he said anyone could do. The faith of a mustard seed can move a mountain.
And so Jesus asks the most pertinent question to be asked in this moment: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
Actually, why AM I afraid? Am I afraid of death? Afraid that bad things will happen that I can’t handle? Afraid that God will abandon me in my hour of need? Afraid of being out of control? That’s kind of the center issue for all of us, really: CONTROL. When I am not in control, I am at the whim of another, and that is frightening.
Jesus tells us that God cares for the sparrows of the field, and that none of them fall to the ground without the knowledge of his Father. And then he says that we are worth far more than many sparrows. Oh, we of little faith!
In one sentence each, here is the conversation that is worth all of us breaking down in our lives:
“Do you not care?”
“Why are you afraid?”
We ask God, “Do you not care?” We ask because we think if he cared he wouldn’t let trials come. But God answers, “Why are you afraid?” He asks because we behave as if we were the ones in charge of the universe, rather than him. We don’t trust his providence, his timing, or his care for us.
The answer is YES. Yes. Jesus cares. And he is able to deliver us. So why should we be afraid?
Why, indeed?
FAITH OF OUR FATHERS
Frederick William Faber (altered by Ken E. Read)
c. 2007 CByond Music, Inc.
The faith of our fathers is still alive
Surviving dungeon fire and sword
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whenever we hear that glorious word of God
Faith of our fathers holy faith
Faith of the martyrs
We will be true to you till death
Our brothers now are chained in prisons dark
Yet still in heart and conscience they are free
How sweet will be their children's fate
If they like them will choose to live and die for Thee
Faith of our fathers holy faith
Faith of the martyrs
We will be true to you till death
Faith of the martyrs
We will be true to you till death
Faith for our children we will choose to love
Both friend and foe for all our lives
And live for God as only love knows how
By kindly words and by our holy lives
Faith for our children lasting faith
Life sent from heaven
We will be true to you
Faith of our brothers living faith
Hope of our sisters
We will be true to you
Faith of our mothers loving faith
Faith of our fathers
We will be true to you
We will be true to you
We will be true to you to death
SHUT UP, SATAN!
Mark 3:10-12
…for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
This moment reminds me of what we read back in chapter one, Mark tells us this: [the demon said], “What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked the spirit. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out with a loud shriek.
Does this strike you as unusual for Jesus to tell someone to be silent? I have lived so long with the image of Jesus saying, “Go and tell” or “Make disciples of all nations,” that I really can’t imagine him saying to someone, “You must not make me known.” In particular, Jesus “strictly ordering” someone not to tell about being changed and healed. But sometimes that’s exactly what Jesus said. Let’s explore who is NOT to go, stand and tell about what God has done.
Children in the temple were singing his praises, and Jesus said it fulfilled the verse, From the lips of children and infants God has ordained praise. They who are too young to know what their song means are encouraged to declare truths about Jesus. But not the demons. What’s the difference between ignorance and evil?
There are times when Jesus gives the order of silence that seems to be strategic for the sake of practical matters of publicity. For example, in chapter one he healed a leper and then tells him not to go around spreading the word. But (of course) how can the man keep quiet about his complete healing and spiritual turnaround? But the result of people spreading the news was that Jesus was no longer able to go into a town, but had to stay out in open areas because he was being so overrun with miracle-seekers.
But I get the sense that in this particular incident in chapter three, and a few others like it, Jesus commands silence as an act of spiritual warfare, not practical publicity. While the unclean spirit is active in the person’s life, Jesus says, “Be silent!” But after the person is delivered of their oppressive spirit, they are free to speak up.
In the book of Acts, Paul is followed by a girl who has a spirit of divination. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.
There was a practical reason for Paul to have put up with this girl’s proclamation for several days before casting it out. Once he freed her of that spirit of divination, she no longer made money for her masters, and they had Paul and the others beaten for it.
But beyond that practical reason, why was her message so disturbing to Paul? It was not because he discerned that she had wrong motives. Elsewhere, Paul says that whether from good motives or bad, he is glad when Christ is preached. No, I think it’s the same matter of spiritual warfare.
Here is my theory: When the enemy praises, it is in mockery.
Satan cannot praise Jesus, for he is opposed to him. Satan is the father of lies, so he is always saying the opposite of truth. So, when a demon declares the truth about Jesus, we might consider it sarcasm. “It’s fine,” you say, clearly meaning the opposite.
“You will not surely die,” was the serpent’s claim. But the devil is the father of lies. So even when he says what is partially true (they didn’t die that day), he is convincing Eve to do what leads to death. Similarly, with the temptation to Jesus to throw himself down from a high point of the temple, the devil quoted Scriptures about the relationship between the Father and the Son. But even as he quoted Scripture he was tempting the Lord, using the words of God to do battle against God.
So when a demon begins to speak, Jesus shuts it down. Every time. He says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!” He says to the unclean spirit, “Be silent! Come out!” He says to the tempter in the wilderness, “Be gone, Satan!”
The Bible says, Do not be deceived. God is not to be mocked. Or God cannot be mocked. Or God is not mocked.
LIGHT WINS!
Today we are reading chapter two. But there is an event in chapter one that is one of my favorite moments of Jesus. Because I was doing an overview, we didn’t cover it yesterday. Here is the moment: Mark writes, And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. ~Mark 1:40-42
Let’s imagine it: Jesus and his followers are walking along when a man with a full-blown case a leprosy comes walking right up through the group, straight to Jesus. The twelve are getting a bad collective case of the heebie-jeebies, on account of that fella was supposed to be more than half a football field away, if he’s upwind of anybody. (Granted, it’s a bit more difficult to judge that distance, since football wasn’t invented yet, but you get the point).
He’s required to spend the rest of his pitiful life banging on a pot and yelling, “Unclean! Unclean!” All that so nobody else catches his cooties and has to spend the rest of their own pitiful lives doing the same.
Now, understand that there are several laws in the Old Testament that talk about when a holy thing comes in contact with an unclean thing. In every case, the result is that the holy thing is made unclean and is rendered unholy. That’s how it works; cooties win. Everyone knew that when light comes in contact with darkness, darkness wins. Every time.
Anyhoo, this man falls down at Jesus’ feet. Jesus stops and looks him over good. The man’s covered in white powdery patches of skin, with bloody, seeping spots in the middle. Around most of the red spots are black patches of gangrenous dead skin, that looks and smells like four-day-old meat that’s gone way bad. The man’s hands are wrapped up with dirty, lymph-soaked rags. He’s missing half of his left nostril, and it looks like you can see right into his brain. It’s about the most disgusting sight you can imagine. And the smell is overpoweringly awful, like the man’s been dead for days already. They all don’t know whether to run or stare.
But Jesus don’t run. And He don’t stare. He squats down in front of the man and looks at him with unimaginable love.The leper speaks with his gravelly, half-eaten-up voice: “Lord, if you’re willing, You can make me clean.” Tears are streaming down the man’s face, he’s so desperate and full of pent-up hope.
Then, Jesus did the bravest, most compassionate thing imaginable: Jesus reaches out and caresses that man’s eaten-up face in both of His hands. You know, it’s one thing to talk about God’s ways or even to cast out a demon with a word. It’s another thing altogether to touch something, someone so contagious that it would cause Jesus to have to go into isolation for a week, and then be inspected by a priest and declared clean.
With His thumbs, He’s gently brushing away some of the white powder and the tears, like a momma with the face of her little boy, like He’s known the man as a brother for years. No doubt, it’s the first time in years this man has ever been touched by any human. Jesus gets teary-eyed Himself and says real gently, “Of course I’m willing. Be clean.”
He hugs that smelly man there in the Galileean dirt, and then He helps the man unwrap his hands. To their amazement, his hands aren’t missing fingers or even covered in sores! Neither are his feet! Or his face! The man is clean! He’s looking like a little boy unwrapping presents on Christmas morning, giddy and reeling from the pure delight of having his greatest wish come true. Him and Jesus are both laughing and crying, and soon all of the disciples finally get over their shock, and start laughing with them.
After a bit of this, Jesus helps the man stand up and He gives the man some serious instruction: “Now, quickly go straight to the priest, so that he can declare you clean and you both can give glory to God. Then go find your family, man!”
I’ll tell you, that man run off, like a calf released from his stall. Gravity’s having a bit of a time keeping him stuck to the ground, if you want to know the truth. Jesus has got His hands on His sides, laughing at the whole scene in pure delight.
As the man heads around the bend, a silence falls over his followers. Of course, we’d already been silent most of the time already, trying not to inhale. But it become clear that it’s time to debrief a bit with the Master over this event.
Maybe Peter tried to ask a clarifying question that might have come out sort of like, “Jesus, You . . . (the words are coming hard, even for a talker like Pete) . . . You just . . . Touched . . . A leper! Wh . . . H . . . ?”
“Don’t you know? When light comes in contact with darkness, light wins. Every time.”
JOHN MARK'S GOSPEL
Today we begin to explore the Gospel of Mark.
Let me introduce you to Mark the author and tell you what we know of him. His name is John Mark. John is his Greek name, and Mark is his Jewish name. His mother (whose name is Mary) owned a house in Jerusalem, where the early church met to pray while Peter was imprisoned. John Mark himself travelled with Barnabas and Saul on their missionary journeys, but he turned back to return home to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas were readying for a second journey, but they split over whether or not to include John Mark with them. Paul strongly felt they should not bring John Mark with them, since he had left before, but Barnabas strongly disagreed. In the end, Barnabas and Mark sailed together to Cyprus, while Paul went on his own with Silas.
Later, Mark travelled with Peter and helped him while Peter was imprisoned in Rome. Mark did much of his writing there in Rome, and it has many internal evidences that his book is, in effect, ‘The Gospel of Peter.” We see Peter’s fingerprint in many of the details. You know how we see Peter being impetuous and speaking quickly? All those details are part of Peter’s personality and communication style.
For example: Mark tells the whole story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, packed into a rapid and brief account. What takes the other gospel writers 28, 22 or 21 chapters, Mark says in only 16.You will notice the word “Immediately” far more than other gospels. He includes more of Peter’s self-deprecating confessions. So for the most part we will be reading this as the stories told the way Peter would have said it.
The Gospel begins with John the Baptist fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah the prophet. Jesus is baptized by him, then immediately sent into the wilderness, calls Peter and his brother Andrew, who immediately leave their nets and follow, then without delay calls James and John, and they follow, too, heals a man with an unclean spirit on the Sabbath, and the news spreads quickly throughout the region, then right away heals Peter’s mother-in-law of her fever. That evening after sunset the whole town gathers at their door to be healed. Very early the next morning, Peter and the others run to search for Jesus, find Him praying, He tells them they must go to other villages, so they all travel throughout Galilee. Jesus heals a man with leprosy, that man goes out and tells everyone about what happened, so Jesus could no longer enter a town but had to stay in lonely places, yet the people came to Him from everywhere.
And that’s just chapter one.
Frankly, Mark includes most of the accounts of mistakes that Peter infamously made, especially his impetuous sayings, such as his offer at the Transfiguration to build three booths for Jesus, Elijah and Moses, and including the confession that Peter had no idea what he was saying.
If Peter is going to refer to himself, you can be sure he will be self-deprecating in his descriptions. He was truly a man turned upside down by the teachings of the Master, and he freely compared his own weaknesses with the strength of Jesus. Peter shows us that spiritual maturity is not measured in sinning less, but in confessing sooner. So his testimony is that of being awed by how great a sinner he was and how great a Savior Jesus is.
BUT SOME DOUBTED
Today, we have reached the last chapter of Matthew’s gospel. I have enjoyed the journey to this point, and look forward to what the Lord will teach me in the gospel according to Mark. But for today, let me personalize this one detail that Matthew provides. It simply says: “And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.” (v.17)
Maybe this is a life verse for many of us. When I see the risen Jesus, I worship him. But some of me doubts. Some doubted. Part of me still questions, and feels like it needs just one more miraculous sign. Let me talk about this personally, if I may.
I remember going to a conference in which some prophecies were delivered in the evening session. At the time, I thought of how I wanted to believe that these were actual Spirit-given prophetic words, but these people were strangers to me, and I had no way to know whether or not the messages given were ringing true. I thought, if this prophet were to say something to me that could not have been humanly revealed, only then could I trust this message.
The next morning, at another session, a man who was speaking mentioned those prophecies from the night before, and said how amazing and spot-on they were. Again, I had no way to measure such claims. But I don’t usually travel in such charismatic circles, so I don’t often consciously face such doubts.
A few months later, I was teaching a seminary course on current trends in worship, and I mentioned my experience and my doubt, but urged the class members to withhold any negative judgments, even if they are anti-charismatic in their convictions. Then I took the class to a revival service at a charismatic church in town. That very service, the pastor looks over the crowd of a few hundred people, and he points back about 2/3rds of the way, and says he wants “the worshiper” to stand. All the students and I are looking at one another and around, but the pastor continues to call out “the worshiper,” until he made it clear that he was pointing to (gulp!) me. He had me stand up while he spoke to me for about five (long) minutes. I don’t remember most of what he said, because I was so distracted. But I remember a phrase that he used a couple of times, saying that I had “the spirit of David” and was called to worship and train and something or other.
At last! I had my confirmation! God really DOES reveal secret truths about someone!
But some of me doubted still. What if someone had told him about me as we came into the room? What if he recognized me from leading a program at school? What if . . . ?
We know about Thomas and his doubts. And we know how Jesus resolved his doubts by inviting him to touch his wounds and believe. And we know that Thomas was at least one of those doubters, saying that he would not believe unless he could touch the wounds on Jesus’ hands and side. Once Thomas saw Jesus, however, he didn’t need to touch the wounds, and he fell down and worshiped, saying, “My lord and my God!”
Matthew, however, is particular about numbers. He says, “some” doubted. Not all. But more than one. What other doubts came up among the disciples, I wonder?
My conclusion from my own experience and that of Thomas is that there is no end to the need to see evidence and see unequivocal proof in order to have “faith.” Of course, it’s not really “faith” if it requires sight in order to believe it.
I am glad that Matthew records this subtle detail about those eyewitnesses. All of them eventually risked their lives for Christ, proclaiming him in dangerous places. They were sure enough in their beliefs to give their lives for a cause. That sounds like people who did not doubt, doesn’t it?
Jesus told the disciples that he would give them his Holy Spirit, and that the Spirit would teach them all things. If I am hearing from that same Spirit in my life, it leads me to believe, even when some of me doubts. It’s what caused me to first choose to bet my life that it is true, even when I am unsure. I have seen enough of what God does. I have studied enough to have arguments against my questions and doubts. And I have simply chosen to take what Pascal worded as the wager. If I choose not to believe, and I am wrong, what is the risk? Eternal damnation? If I choose to believe, and I am wrong, what do I lose? Some comfort, some worldly sacrifices. But in eternity, I simply ceased to exist if there is no God. I’d take the odds of that wager any day. So, for me, when I am in my deepest doubts, I still choose to act as if I believed, until my doubts subside again. I wonder if it’s like that for everyone? I doubt it. Well, I doubt. That’s what I’m saying.
Here’s another illustration that I saw many years ago. What does this say?
GODISNOWHERE
Did you see the letters as saying “God is nowhere?” Or did you see “God is now here?” You saw the same thing, but came to different conclusions about it, depending on how you interpreted it.
May you overcome your doubts today, and live as if you had none. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. For we walk by faith, not by sight. Amen.
SILENT JESUS
The action really speeds up in these last few chapters of Matthew. Chapter 27 contains all of the action from Jesus taken before Pilate, all the way through his crucifixion and burial. So much to talk about! But let me follow this theme through the narrative.
It is the day we know as Good Friday, and a man named jesus is languishing in prison, awaiting his execution at the hand of pontius pilate. He is to be crucified between two criminals. The day before, the guards had taken him out and forced him to hew the crosspiece for his own cross. He has his last meal and awaits the footsteps to come down the hall to his cell, to lead him away to be crucified. Outside, he hears the noise of a crowd yelling something. What was it?
“crucify him! crucify him! we have no king but caesar!”
this is going to be worse than he had imagined. The crowd has been stirred into some sort of patriotic frenzy over something. Perhaps he will be pulled apart by the crowd before he ever gets to the place of the skull.
here are the footsteps. Guards burst in and roughly pull jesus to his feet, still in chains, and out to the portico. There, for the first time, the man named jesus barabbas sees the Man Jesus of Nazareth, the One they call the Christ. He has been so badly beaten that He is hardly recognizable, but barabbas knows of His reputation. He has been a bold, yet soft-spoken itinerate preacher from up in the north country, but has lately offended the jewish leaders. How the roman government got involved in this is anyone’s guess.
pilate is asking the crowd a question: “which of these do you want me to release to you?" at first, there is little unity, but soon a group of pharisees are leading a chant that clearly takes over: “release barabbas!”
pilate turns to the Nazarene. He is speaking quietly, but animatedly. At first, Jesus never speaks, and after that only two short sentences. And pilate washes his hands and the guards unchain the other jesus, and that is it. Barabbas is a free man!
why had the Nazarene not spoken? if the silent Jesus had spoken but one word, he could have been set free, and barabbas would be hanging on that same cross right now. instead, Silent Jesus is mocked, beaten, dragging the cross, nailed to it, and hanging there. The jesus who was set free is there to watch every moment of it, and Silent Jesus never speaks. When He finally opens His mouth, He says, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
they don’t know what they do? they don’t know what they do!? well, i know what they do! they crucify the wrong man! i led in an insurrection against the romans, and committed murder in the process, and so i was to die for it. But this Man (if he is a man) has done nothing worthy of death!
“hey! Silent Jesus! why not speak? Why not answer Pilate when he questions you? Why not defend yourself? All you have to do is speak a sentence of truth, and you would turn the tables on the Jewish leaders. And you know it. And now, why do you not curse the mocking crowd? why not spit back the venom they are spitting at you?”
two men named Jesus. One had led a rebellion; the Other stood silent. One killed a man; the Other forgave all men. One went free; the Other set all free.
why would God do this?”
“i don’t know . But what happened to him also happened to me. i sinned; He didn’t. He died; i didn’t. i can’t explain it. But i can receive it. it is called grace.”
you and i were set free by the silence of God one good friday. May we rest in His silence today.
MARY’S MOMENT
As I often do in these podcasts, I am highlighting and reflecting on a single poignant sentence in the midst of so much very rich material.
Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
What happened that would cause Jesus (and Matthew) to say that this event will be such a central part of the gospel that it will go wherever the story of Jesus goes? It must have made quite an impact, because it is recorded in all four gospels. The woman is not identified by Matthew, but John’s account seems to indicate that the woman is Mary, the sister of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Let’s dig into some speculation on what made this such a profound moment.
Monday evening at the home of Lazarus in Bethany, just over the hill east of Jerusalem. Lazarus is suddenly the second-most-famous person in town (other than Jesus). Folks have been hearing about a man raised from the dead, and they all want to catch a glimpse and maybe get a whiff of him.
Lazarus had spent all afternoon reading the variety of cards folks had sent. There’s “get well soon” cards from those who heard he was sick. Then there’s “sympathy” cards from those who heard he was dead. There’s even a few hand-made “congratulations on being alive again” or “happy resurrection” cards. And then there’s this card with the Sanhedrin’s return address on the envelope. The front has a picture of a tombstone. On the inside it says, “wish you were here.” Sort of puts a damper on the party, as if there wasn’t enough tension already.
But Lazarus is even walking around the house on his own, which is something he hadn’t done in a while, his first time around.
He sort of had a new lease on life, you might say. It’s a grand and festive time as they all recline there at the big table.
Nobody really noticed that Mary wasn’t there, until at last she comes in late and crawls over to Jesus, heaving great sobs and just crying her eyes out. The whole room goes quiet, as they watch this scene unfold before them.
Mary’s on her hands and knees, kissing Jesus’ feet, crying so much she’s soaking them with her tears. Then she lets down her hair and starts drying His feet with it. By now, everyone is shocked into complete silence, watching this odd and awkwardly intimate display of devotion.
We met Mary and Martha before. Now, apparently, Mary had what some folks call “a past.” She’d known plenty about guilt and shame, and since she’d been delivered from all that by Jesus, now she knew more about love and forgiveness than any of the others, so she would hang on every word Jesus would say.
So, it’s not a total surprise to see Mary doing something like this. But feet? Feet are disgusting. Tears? Not really appropriate at a gathering like this. Hair? Women don’t let down their hair in public like that. And then comes the truly remarkable moment. She takes out this alabaster bottle of fancy perfume. Made of pure nard. It had taken her most of a year to make enough money to buy it. She had earned that money earlier in her life, doing things that, let’s just say, can make money quick. You might say that it was sort of her remaining trophy from that dark time of her life, and her single most prized possession.
She takes that bottle and snaps the top right off, breakin the ceramic neck. Pours the perfume on Jesus’ feet. Then on His head. It’s running down His hair, down His beard, onto His robe. Filling the house with a beautiful scent that closes up your throat and stops your breathing, it’s so strong. Her crying mixes with her laughter in great heaves of emotion.
Keep in mind, this perfume isn’t the special kind the Lord showed Moses how to make for the priests to use in worship in the tabernacle. That kind wasn’t to be used for anything but the worship of God. Yet something tells me that this is just as sanctified an offering as any you’d see in the temple.
In the midst of this moment of beautiful extravagant love and wild radical abandonment, Judas speaks up.
“Disgraceful, irresponsible stewardship! That’s what this is!”
Jesus snaps back, “Leave this woman alone! She has done a beautiful thing to me. You know what she just did? She prepared my body for burial, that’s what. While you all were thinking about filling your bellies, Mary’s been praying. And when she prayed, the Spirit revealed something to her that none of you have been hearing, even when I say it straight out, three times and more.”
Judas tries one more time: “But she could have sold that perfume and given the money to the poor!” (Maybe he’s remembering about that rich young man whom Jesus challenged with doing just that.)
Jesus gives another surprise answer: “You will always have the poor with you. You can help them anytime you want to. But you won’t have Me here with you much longer.”
Let’s see. What did Jesus say about what was in a man’s heart coming out of his mouth? Something just came out of Mary’s heart. something came out of Jesus’ heart, and something came out of the heart of Judas and the others.
Mary spoke love loud and clear. I wish I could say it so good.
THE FIRST POSTMODERNIST
Before leaving on his long trip, the master had left a large amount of money with each of his three stewards, and now they are giving their accounts.
The first is an energetic, gifted young man. He had received five talents of silver, and he reports that he has made five more. The master laughs and celebrates his steward’s profits, and then tells him that it was always his intention to give him whatever money he earned. Now the steward laughs, and he thanks his master profusely.
The second steward also has some obvious drive. He had received two talents, and he has earned two more. Again, the master gives him all of the money to keep. Laughter and music ring out across the plain and echo off the rocky cliffs.
The third man only had received one talent, and he has brought it back, with excuses as to why he did nothing for his master for an entire year. The atmosphere changes instantly.
Listening to this third steward speak, i think that this dude just might be the world's first postmodernist. In any case, he sounds like many of my friends today who have gone through a kind of postmodern angst.
After Mr. Five Talents and Mr. Two Talents have worked hard and received their rewards, this guy comes to his master with a complaint as his excuse. He says something like:
"I was afraid, because you are unfair. You steal stuff that isn’t yours. You represent all that is wrong with corporate America. In short, you are The Man.
"So I decided to stick it to The Man. Instead of working as your steward, I buried your stuff and lived my own life for the last year. Because I can't trust you, here's what's yours, no more and no less."
He nailed the postmodern funk on the head, i think. This man, so far ahead of his time, might have gone on to say:
"Let me tell you what’s wrong with Your system: someone who doesn't smoke a day of her life gets lung cancer. Good people die young. Evil prospers. I pray for healing, and it's a crap shoot as to whether or not it will work. I share the gospel until I'm blue in the face, but never get a result, and then some joe picks up a tract and repents on the spot. And by the way, can't You stop terrorism? or tornadoes? or politicians, for crying out loud?! There is no justice, or at least not enough. If You are so good, how come there is so much evil? Either You don't care, or You can't do anything about it. And so i conclude that You are harsh. And you only gave me one talent. Why am I being punished for something I can’t control? I can't devote myself to work for You when I can't predict whether or not it will do me any good. Take what’s Yours. That's all I got.”
The Master stands slowly, and gives His response. And what surprises me the most is that He never contradicts the servant! In effect, He answers, “So, you know that I steal, that I am unfair, that I am not consistent so that you can trust Me? I won't deny it. But if your tiny little postmodern faith won't allow you to work with your whole heart, at least you could have put the money in the bank and let other people do the work.
“Do you know what that makes you? Wicked. And lazy. Stop hiding behind that timid and doubting mask, and let Me call it straight: You use your doubt of My character as an excuse for living a selfish life. You despised My generous gift to you (or do you forget that I entrusted you with many thousands of dollars? Did you think I owed you that?), and you pursued your own little goals.
"So now, take that valuable gift from this wicked, lazy man whom I trusted, and give it to the one who was faithful. Because faith is what gets rewarded. And faith is in things you can't see and prove. My other stewards chose to see Me as someone worth serving, and they have found that they get to keep everything that they thought they were earning for Me! Now we see Who is generous, and who is harsh!"
The man is sent away. No meal. No money. Only desert. He shuffles off into the distance. It is a solemn moment to watch him go.
For some reason, those first two stewards chose to overlook what might have been negative, and to work for their master. Just as if he were a fair and ethical man. They are a couple of modernists who overlook the obvious evidence that the world sucks (pardon my strong word here).
The third steward made an honest assessment, i believe. Sure enough, the world sucks. God is not “fair,” you might say. But he had a choice to be faithful and to plunge into the abyss of doubt and act “as if" God is good, anyway.
Disappointment with God can hurt my spiritual life. The question is, how far will i let that go before i turn around?
PSALM 57
My heart is steadfast O God, my heart is steadfast
I will sing and make music
Awake my soul, awake harp and lyre
I will awaken the dawn
Be exalted O God above the heavens
Let your glory be over all the earth
for great is your love reaching to the heavens
your faithfulness reaches to the skies
I will praise you O God among the nations
I will sing of you among the peoples
for great is your love reaching to the heavens
your faithfulness reaches to the skies
Awake my soul, awake harp and lyre
I will awaken the dawn
HOW IT ALL ENDS
The end is coming for Jerusalem and the temple. The kingdom is coming for Christ. The end of the age is in the near future. Jesus said so shortly before his death around 30 AD, and Matthew wrote it down somewhere before 70 AD.
I should start with Two Warnings: #1. This is intriguing to some people, and completely boring to others. #2. This will answer a lot of questions for some people, and come across as heresy to others.
With those two warnings, I want to open up Matthew 24 and see what Jesus says about how it all ends. Let’s follow the text of the entire discourse here and make just a few comments.
“Jesus left the temple . . . Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
It is indisputable that what Jesus predicted literally happened just about forty years later. The Romans completely wiped out the city of Jerusalem, tearing down the temple to the ground, forcing Jews to move out, and renaming the city Capitolina and the region Palestine (referring to the Philistines, rather than the Israelites). [In case you’re wondering, what is known as the Wailing Wall today is not a wall of the temple. It’s actually some of the foundation. The other side of the wall is below ground level.]
“ . . . the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
They ask three related questions, which are all related. And Jesus is about to give direct answers to the matters of time and events. Jesus answers first by saying that there will be wars and there will be people claiming to be the Christ, but that is not yet the end. He also says that his followers will be hated, while false prophets arise and the love of many will grow cold, while the gospel will be proclaimed throughout the whole world. Then the end will come.
One way or another, most scholars are in agreement that everything Jesus has said so far was fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem. But then Jesus gives other details that bring confusion.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days . . . the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Has this all happened yet? It doesn’t seem so. So, has the time been postponed for all these centuries? Or was the event not literal, so that it was fulfilled in a way that is not recognized?
After all, Jesus in his first coming was expected to fulfill all of the prophecies, including the end of the world and the conquest of Israel’s enemies. But Jesus came only to fulfill the first set of prophesies about bearing sins, not about coming in power. Is it possible that his return was also missed, as people were expecting a literal return on the clouds and military vengeance.
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
This seems like a very firm promise, doesn’t it? This generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Shall we assume, then, that all these things would happen within 40 years of that moment?
Do you remember that fig tree a few chapters ago? The one that Jesus cursed, saying, “May no one ever eat figs from you again!” And the tree withered and died that day.
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. . . . Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
All of this leads to a very important question: What is the status of Israel now? Has God turned his back on Israel? If the end of the age was near in the first century, why have we not seen it happen yet? Is Jesus coming on the clouds to be literally seen by everyone? And, especially,
Are you and I ready for that return?
HOW TO KNOW YOU’RE A HYPOCRITE
I present this podcast as a public service on HOW TO BE A HYPOCRITE, based on the symptoms of hypocrisy that Jesus points out in the Pharisees in his day. This all comes from the 23rd chapter of Matthew, which contains the “seven woes” that Jesus says to the religious leaders of the Jews in his day. It is scathing and painful. But you would be very wise to see the signs of hypocrisy and avoid the behavior in your own life.
It’s popular these days especially toward religious leaders to call someone a “hypocrite.” The word itself means “two-faced,” someone who is facing two ways at the same time. In other words, it is someone who talks one way and behaves a different–maybe even the opposite–way. Quite often, a hypocrite is blind to their own hypocrisy.
Of course, when I see hypocrisy in someone else, but not in myself, that pretty much guarantees that I am a hypocrite. So, let me use Jesus’ descriptions of the religious leaders of his day to help you know if you, too, are a hypocrite.
Ready? Fire! Aim.
- Do not practice what you preach. Whatever you say with your words, don’t do it with your life. This is pretty much the definition of hypocrisy, so we’re off to a pretty good start here.
- Tie up heavy cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but do not be willing to lift a finger to move them. This is very effective, and we recognize it in politicians in our generation all the time. I also think it is very easy for teachers and college professors (ahem!) to give assignments that are far more difficult than they realize, since they are already familiar with the material. And children complain about this in their parents all the time, right? You lay down strict rules and guidelines for others, but you don’t help them.
- Do everything for people to see. Dress for respect. Love the place of honor and the best seats in the house. Love to be greeted with respect and to be called rabbi. In short, Exalt yourself, and encourage others to join in. Today, we might label such people narcissistic. In any case, I’m glad I’m not like them. I don’t need affirmation everywhere I go with everything that I do, or with every social media post I make. You probably do.
- Shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. Do not enter yourself, and don’t let others enter who are trying to. Go to great lengths to win a single convert, and make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. One simple question: How do you gain by someone’s conversion? If there’s something in it for you, you’re probably a hypocrite.
- If you find yourself saying something beyond a simple yes or no, you show that your simple word is not enough. So you swear on a stack of Bibles, cross your heart and hope to die, or in some way you try to say, “This time I really mean it.” Jesus says that anything beyond that comes from the evil one. If you have levels of credibility, you are a hypocrite.
- Be particular about what you obey. For example, you might be a careful tither. But while you do that, neglect the more important matters of justice, mercy and faithfulness. Do you judge others who don’t share your personal standards? Congratulations, you hypocrite!
- Here are other ways to describe your selective holiness: Somehow you appear as holy, but your heart is a mess. You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. You clean the outside of the cup, but inside are full of greed and self-indulgence. Your public image is like a whitewashed tomb, but inside full of dead man’s bones and everything unclean. (Jesus isn’t saying don’t be clean. He is saying start with becoming Clean inside, then clean outside).
- Here is the final test: Do you honor the martyrs and victims of past history, while imagining that you would have been a hero who would have delivered them back in the day? In your imagination, you win twice, once with each face! You rewrite history while distancing yourself from it. Well done, you hypocrite! But I’m not like that. If I had been a Pharisee in Jesus’ day I would have repented right away and challenged my fellow religious leaders to do the same. . . . I would have. I swear it.
TIME TO CHANGE!
This chapter contains several of the best-known quotes and statements about Jesus. Such as:
“render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. . . .
“You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. . . . He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” . . .
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
But there is a little detail of another well-known parable that I’d like to share today. Jesus told the parable of a wedding feast.
“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, . . . those who were invited to the wedding feast, . . . would not come. . . . ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention . . . ‘those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ . . . both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.”
Just a few chapters ago I was emphasizing how Jesus sends us to the vulnerable, the needy, the children, and the imperfect. We are called to leave the ninety-nine sheep in the fold to rescue the one wandering lost sheep. So far, that seems to be the point of this story: “Whosoever will may come!”
Some guests were invited. They were the VIP’s who were known by the king and his son. But they did not bother to come. They were invited a second time, with a very attractive sales pitch. But they each went their own way and ignored or declined the invitation. So the king invites as many as they could find. These are people who were not invited, who might not even be known by the king, who were not wealthy or connected. They get to come to this incredible feast and join in with royalty in their celebration!
Then the story takes an unexpected turn. The end of the story is NOT “whosoever will may come,” even though the servants were sent out to invite as many as they could find. Here’s what Jesus said:
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
What?! I thought he said that whosoever will may come.
Yes. But anyone who is invited to such an event knows that you wear a wedding garment to a wedding, even if you are an uninvited guest. Even though our culture when compared to past generations is quite casual and egalitarian, even we would know you don’t go to a royal wedding in a T-shirt and jeans. To make such a presumption would be insultingly disrespectful, right? Did you not even think to ask if there was a dress code? When you arrived and everyone else was dressed formally, did it not even strike you then that you were treating this event like a backyard barbeque?
Now the king asks, “How did you even get in here dressed like that?” And you stammer and say nothing. So you are thrown out, with no food and no fun, left out in the cold and dark, with nothing but regret for taking this privilege so lightly.
What is Jesus saying by this second part of the story? I think he is saying that without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Whosoever will may come, but to stay, to belong, you must yield to expected norms. This is no bait and switch, where someone is invited under false pretenses, thinking that standards have been set aside. Everyone understood the expected behavior.
I’m saying, we are not invited into the kingdom BECAUSE we are already holy or are worthy of being called into God’s kingdom. But we are not to remain the same as our old life. We are not to imagine that God has no standards for our language and actions. Instead, we are to let God’s Holy Spirit CHANGE us to become more like him.
Here is the Lord’s summary of his story: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” I know it’s January, but Jesus is not saying many are cold but few are frozen. He is saying that anyone may come, and all are called. But you must change.
There are lots of people who have been in church for years, yet remain unchanged. There are lots of churches who never let their attenders know that there is a behavioral dress code. Come as you are. But do not stay as you are. They are permanent spectators but never participants, cultural Christians but never repentant followers, perpetual visitors but never true members.
Friend, how are you dressed right now? Do you think it’s time for a change?
CHILDREN LEAD THE WAY
Matthew 21 opens with the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, to the cheers and praises of the masses. “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” The word “hosanna” means “O Save!” But by the time of Jesus, it was more of a generic word for “praise.” Even so, the choice of words is very significant, for Jesus had indeed come to save.
The whole city was stirred, Matthew says, and they were saying “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from nazareth of Galilee.” So Jesus was known to strangers as a prophet, who shockingly was from the little village of Nazareth in the Gentile area of Galilee.
Then Jesus enters the temple and clears the out the moneychangers, saying they have made the house of prayer into a den of robbers. Interesting that Jesus had mercy on tax collectors, but not on moneychangers. Do you suppose the reason is because the tax collectors knew they were compromising their fellow Israelites. But the moneychangers were doing the same thing in the name of God, forcing worshipers to cut them in on what was to have been dedicated to the Lord. Jesus is indignant, we might assume.
Then we revisit praise and indignation. Jesus is there in the temple, healing the blind and the lame, and the children are crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” And this time it is the chief priests and the scribes who are indignant. That’s because they saw the signs and wonders, and they heard the children praising, and since they assumed that Jesus was just a man, it sure looked like blasphemy to them. Sure enough, it would have been blasphemous, even if Jesus had been a prophet. Except that Jesus was divine.
Children have picked up on the refrain they heard earlier in the day. It must have been some sort of a sing-song chant, like what happens today at sporting events and political rallies. It becomes “sticky,” and now the children repeat what they heard the adults singing.
That’s how it works, you know. Children imitate what they hear. When they see their parents and other grown-ups being wholly involved in something, it becomes infectious in some simplified form with the youngest ones. These children are not theologically discerning, questioning to themselves what the implications are if they connect the words “hosanna” and “son of David” in a song. Sure enough, they repeat what they saw and heard. And it pleases God for things to work this way. It’s how it’s supposed to be.
The indignant religious leaders say to Jesus, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Of course, what they are saying is that Jesus is worthy of praise, and is the rightful king of Israel. Jesus says it is in fulfillment of the psalmist, who wrote, “Out of the mouths of infants and children you have ordained strength (Jesus uses the word “praise”), to silence the foe and the avenger.”
God has ordained that when innocent children, who do not yet fully grasp the implications of what they say, copy adults and parrot back the words of praise, simply believing what they are saying, without years of doubt and analysis and skeptical scrutiny, then God uses that praise. He uses it to grow the children to become the next generation of warriors and worshipers. He uses it to silence the foe and the avenger.
Silencing the foe and the avenger by means of children’s praise. That’s the moment that I want to understand fully.
Maybe it’s like the story of The Emperor’s New Clothes. All of the adults saw the same thing that the child saw, but they were all too wrapped up with adult doubts and hesitations. A child simply said what they saw: “He has nothing on at all!” And, sure enough, it was true, and everyone else had seen it, too. But it took a little child to lead them,
I also think of the moment in 2 Chronicles where God sends the singers at the front of the army as they march into battle. And as the singers lift up their praises in loud voices, it says the Lord set an ambush against the enemy. Sure enough, praise silenced the foe and the avenger, once again.
Leave it to a child to lead in things of the kingdom. Hosanna to the son of David!
WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT?
In this chapter, there are many important events and teachings. Jesus gives this amazing teaching on people hired to work in a vineyard. Some work a partial day and others work a full day. But everyone was paid the same (for a full day). Some became offended by the master’s generosity. The mother of James and John comes to Jesus asking him to let her sons sit at his right and left hand in his kingdom. He says it is not his to determine such things. Then Jesus heals two blind men. And as our Lord does so, he asks a very significant question that would be easy to skip over.
Let’s set up the context (verses 29-34) “And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him.” And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” They called him the son of David, which is a valid title telling of the authority of Jesus. They do not call out demanding anything, but they ask for him to have mercy on them. This is the central prayer for any of us, when we don’t know what else to pray: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.”
This prayer is a central part of Orthodox Christian worship. I read a famous book that called it the pilgrim’s prayer. You say, “Lord, have mercy” as a constant part of the mental backdrop or silent soundtrack of our lives. We invite him to have mercy on our enemies, on ourselves, in every circumstance. So these men start a solid tradition of prayer for the world.
“The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” They could not easily cut their way through the crowd to find Jesus, but they could get his eventual attention if they continued to make a loud noise. Sure enough, in spite of the rebukes from the others in the crowd, they get the attention of Jesus.
“And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” This is the central question I want us to focus on today.
You might say, “Duh! We’re BLIND! What do you THINK we want you to do for us?” But Jesus wants them to say specifically what it is that they seek from him.
But if we were asked that same question, we might not be quite as quick in our reply. What do I really want? More specifically, what do I want Jesus to do?
It might seem obvious to all of us that the men wanted to see. But did they perceive that as being their greatest need, or immediate request? Sometimes a person has an unclean spirit. Sometimes he wants to know what good thing he can do to inherit eternal life. Sometimes he hasn’t thought clearly enough about it to know exactly what he is seeking. I want forgiveness. I want freedom. I want you to tell me I am loved. I want you to let me know the truth and have it set me free.
I have a few dad jokes always at the ready, just in case someone words a question just the right way. Bear with me a moment.
At the drive-thru fast food joint, if the person asks me, “What do you want?” I will answer, “World peace. . . . But if I can’t have that, I’ll have something from your menu.” If they ask, “What can I do for you?” Then I will answer, “You can sell me food from your menu here.” If I go to a restaurant, and the host asks, “How many of you are there?” I will answer, “Let’s see, there’s one of me, and (turning to the others) one of you, yes, and one of you?” Then I turn to them and say, “There’s one of each of us.” If they say, “Is there anyone else?” Then I will say something like, “Yes. About eight billion. But they aren’t eating with us right now.” They have to be careful about how they word a question when I am in Dad Joke Mode.
Okay. Back to the question. Jesus says, “What do you want me to do for you?”
They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.”
I heard of a weekend retreat recently, in which one question is asked over and over to help each participant get to the center of their need. The question is: What do you really want?
WHAT do you really want? What is it, exactly?
What DO you really want? Let me think about it again. Is that what it is?
What do YOU really want? Not what I think other people want me to want.
What do you REALLY want? This is not just a practical exercise. If I could truly have what I seek, what would it be?
What do you really WANT? Not just wistful, wishful thinking. My genuine desire.
By the end of the retreat, most people have found that their true center is quite different from what they started pursuing at the beginning of the weekend.
Jesus asks you and me today: “What do you want me to do for you?”
How will you and I answer?
THE ONE WHO WENT AWAY
Do you know how a good shepherd works? Basically, a good shepherd does two things: Provide and protect.
A shepherd provides by herding the sheep to good grazing ground, finding fresh water, and nourishing each sheep’s health. A shepherd protects by watching vigilantly for enemies and other dangers, and by putting himself between his sheep and danger. A truly good shepherd is focused on his sheep, not on himself.
So, at the end of the day, as the sheep are moving from grazing in the pasture to sleeping in the safety of the fold, the shepherd looks each one over good. Calls each sheep by name, and each one comes because she recognizes her shepherd’s voice. Then he holds that sheep tenderly and looks into her eyes, looks over her coat, her legs, her tail. Sees if she has any cuts or injuries. Anoints her with oil if she does. Speaks words of comfort and assurance while giving her a check-up.
Do you know how to shepherd a man with your eyes? Have you ever received a spiritual check-up?
Here’s how you do it:
Stop, and look him square in his eyes for about, oh, five seconds or so.
With a hand on each of his shoulders, look through his eyes (which are the lamp of the body) and search down into his soul. See his childhood hurts, his aspirations, his worries and priorities. Go a bit deeper and see what he loves, how it goes with his soul, and judge the thoughts and intentions of his heart.
Then, while you are seeing all those secrets and ambitions of that man, love him. Love him with your whole being.
I guarantee one thing when you shepherd a man in this way: Tears will well up in your eyes, and your heart will break with the secret things the Spirit whispers to you.
This is a deeply spiritual exercise, and it takes a true shepherd to do it.
I only know about it because I have seen the Great Shepherd do this very thing. Many times. With each of the twelve, when he called us to follow him, he saw into our lives, spoke something prophetic into us, perhaps gave us a new name, and issued a challenge. The little children experienced it regularly from the Master. He would call the little one by name, place his hands on them, pray for them, and bless them. Speak into their futures and set a godly calling before them. It was the Lord’s favorite thing to do, I believe.
I’ll tell you, when you have been shepherded by the Good Shepherd, your life will never be the same. Most of us after being shepherded like that by Jesus dropped everything and followed after this Man who spoke into the deepest part of our hearts, revealing the secrets of our hearts. Everyone who has had those piercing eyes look into the deepest recesses of their soul walks away changed.
But it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes a person refuses to be shepherded. Hard to believe, but some of us are rogues. Jesus looks at us long and loves us, and we turn and walk away.
Let me tell you the odd story of a young man who refused Jesus, and what happened to him.
So, we’re heading out to begin another journey, when a young man comes running up to Him. He kneels down, and pants, “Good Teacher, what good thing should I do to inherit eternal life?”
I’m not afraid to tell you, I was impressed. This guy was the ideal disciple, in my estimate. Well-dressed. So ambitious that he ran, he knelt, he addressed Jesus respectfully. He was zealous to inherit eternal life. He kind of put the rest of us to shame there for a minute, to be honest.
So Jesus commenced to doing what He does best. He shepherded the man. Only this time it was nothing but tough love.
“Why so quick to talk about good? Only God is good!” . . . “So if you call me good, are you prepared for the implications of that title? Never flatter a man to get an answer you want. I don’t work like that.”
“Sorry, Lord. I meant to ask you about doing good.”
“And that’s another thing: If you think that you can do enough good to enter eternal life, you sadly misunderstand the holiness of God.”
“No, sir. I understand. I think I almost have it. What more do I need to do?”
“You know the commands. Things like, ‘Never murder.’”
Check.
“how about hate?”
huh?
Never commit adultery.
Got it.
How about lust?
Wha..?
Never steal.
Sure.
How about coveting?
I don’t …
Never lie.
I never do.
What about right now?
Are you saying…?
Do not defraud.
Is that one in the Ten….?
“Honor your father and mother.”
Not a problem. I have obeyed all of these commandments since I was a child!”
And here was the moment that I’m talking about. Jesus looked into that man’s eyes, and He loved him. Loved him. We could see the tears welling up and spilling over, down the Master’s cheeks. That was love. Sacrificial love, running down into his beard and onto his robe. He saw right into him. Knew that young man was so thoroughly a liar that he didn’t even know it. Knew that he was proud and self-satisfied, thinking that some small extra tweak in his character would make him—it makes me almost laugh to say it—good! Good enough for eternal life!
And from that deep, deep love of Jesus came a question that was as sacrificial and selfless as any ever said. Jesus sniffed His runny nose, and, through tight throat and moist eyes, He says, “You are just one good deed away, my friend. Go and sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then, come and follow me.”
The man’s face fell, from hopeful expectation to dejected disappointment. He and Jesus both knew that this requirement, this one more good thing, was the one thing he could not bring himself to do. He was a wealthy young man. He had many possessions. He thought God’s eternal life was another possession that he could add to his trophies. But instead of being like the man who found a treasure buried in a field, or like the man who found the pearl of great price, those men who sold everything to get something worth far more, this man was being asked to trade everything that he could see in order to obtain something he could not see. Jesus knew the one true idol in the center of this man’s life, and He went right to that tender spot.
Now, here’s the part that really blows me away. The young man turns and walks away sadly. He is not running, kneeling, asking or seeking anymore. He is shuffling in the dust, downhearted and without hope.
That’s not what blows me away. It is this: Jesus lets him go. He throws down a commandment that is impossible to keep, and never corrects it. He doesn’t chase down the guy and tell him He’s just joshing with him. Doesn’t say, “No one has to keep that standard, buddy! Give me ten percent, and you’ve got eternal life. Then follow if you like. Don’t take me so seriously.”
When I confront someone and he repents, then I know it was God who prompted my rebuke. But when I say something and it backfires on me, I always question whether or not I was hearing clearly from the Spirit. But Jesus was one with the Father. He only spoke what he heard his father saying. And when someone walked away, or turned and betrayed him, or denied even knowing him, or crucified him, Jesus with all confidence let them go, or restored, or forgave.
And that’s how you shepherd a stray.
CARING FOR THE LEAST
This chapter contains several brief moments of Jesus’ teaching that all have a common theme in my mind: how do we treat the vulnerable? Let’s hear each of these snippets and then draw them together.
“. . . whoever humbles himself and becomes like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. . . . whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. . . . If anyone causes one of these little ones . . . to stumble, it would be better . . . to be drowned in the depths of the sea. . . . Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot . . . your eye causes you to stumble, . . . throw it away. It is better for you to enter life . . . than to . . . be thrown into the fire of hell. . . . do not despise one of these little ones. . . . their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. . . . leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off . . . happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. . . . your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. . . . whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. . . . The . . . master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But . . . he found one of his fellow servants . . . you owe me!’ . . . Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger . . . handed him over to the jailers to be tortured. . . . This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Positive commands:
Humble yourself like a child. Welcome a child. Do not despise one of these little ones. Remove anything that causes you to stumble. Leave the ninety-nine who did not wander off and go look for the one. Bind or loose on earth and heaven. Have mercy on your fellow servant. Forgive your brother or sister from your heart.
I had never put all of these together, to see them as a group. But when I think about my neighbors and various vulnerable people I know, including children, those with illness and disability, those who are lacking resources or skills, those who are struggling in life, whether because of poor choices or simply because they have been dealt a tough hand in life. I even think about what Jesus says about someone who refuses to repent, and Jesus says to treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. And I think of Matthew and his “sinner” friends, and how Jesus treated them. If I ever err, I would rather err in showing mercy and forgiving from my heart than to err on the side of rejecting someone because I don’t have the time or judging them because their particular sin irritates me.
Rewards:
Greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Welcome Jesus. Enter life unencumbered. Angels of little ones are always before my Father. Happier about the one sheep. Debt forgiven. Set free.
Warnings:
Drowned in the sea! Woe! Stumble.Thrown into the fire. Wander off. Perish. Handed over to be tortured.
My conclusion: I need to protect those who are under my influence from stumbling. I need to have mercy on those who struggle. I need to watch my life and doctrine closely. I need to forgive from my heart. This is the prevailing ethic of the kingdom of heaven: forgiveness. I have been warned about the alternatives if I ignore this teaching from Jesus. I suppose I’d rather be rewarded than punished. Amen.
So, let us watch out for the least of these. I’m determined to learn what this means: I desire mercy , not sacrifice. I want to be willing to leave the 99 happy, safe, easy-to-shepherd ones and go find and rescue the one who has wandered away. I want to not be the one who makes a person to stumble, I want to not break a reed that is already bruised, and I want to help Jesus heal and restore the ones who are broken. Lord, here am I. Send me.
SONG OF THE WEEK: EMMANUEL'S LAND (COME ALIVE SINGERS)
Elizabeth Ann Cousins, modified and set to music by Jeff Steele.
(Note: This was a group of students for which I was music director in 1997. Jeff was a student composer who discovered this poem, which had been a favorite of Moody and of Spurgeon back in the day.)
The sands of time are sinking The dawn of heaven breaks The summer morn I've sighed for The fair sweet morn awakes Dark dark has been the midnight But dayspring is at hand And glory glory dwells there In Emmanuel's Land
Verse 2 O Christ He is the fountain The deep sweet well of love The streams on earth I've tasted I'll drink more deep above There in the depths of the ocean His mercy does expand And glory glory dwells there In Emmanuel's Land
Bridge Oh I am my Beloved's And my Beloved's mine He brings this poor vile sinner To the wedding feast to dine I stand upon His mercy I know no other stand I'll join Him where glory's dwelling In Emanuel's Land
Verse 3 The bride eyes not her garment But her dear Bridegroom's face I will not gaze at glory But on my King of Grace Not at the crown He gives me But on His pierced hand The Lamb He is all the glory Of Emmanuel's Land
Ending The Lamb He is all the glory Of Emmanuel's Land In Emanuel's Land
Anne Ross Cousin | Jeff Steele
- © 1997 CByond Music
WHEN TO EXPECT THE KINGDOM
The very beginning of Matthew 17 presents an opportunity for us to talk about time and the kingdom of God. The combination of time and the kingdom creates one of the most important and controversial topics in the Bible, so we might as well address it now.
First, let’s talk about time. The chapter opens with, “And after six days . . ..” The gospel of Mark records the same time measurement: “After six days.” But Luke describes the time as, “Now about eight days after.”
Maybe this is not a big deal to you. But some consider this to be a contradiction in the Bible. What was it: Six days or eight days? Of course, we might say, “About a week later,” and we would forgive it. But let me give a possible explanation, in case you are curious. In Jewish culture, the Sabbath and the measurement of “seven” days was something to be especially careful with. So Jewish writers might typically refer to a week as either “after six days” or “about eight days,” because they want to honor the sacredness of the seventh day.
Another picky controversy over time in the Bible would be Jesus’ resurrection. Was he in the grave for three days and three nights (the sign of Jonah)? Did he rise on the third day? Did he rise after three days? All three terms are used interchangeably, and none of the Bible authors seem to be concerned with the difference. Traditionally, we consider Jesus to have died on Friday afternoon and to have risen early Sunday morning. That is certainly not three days and three nights. But no one in that first generation was bothered by our more particular measurements of time.
But to clarify: We also use contradictory time terms regularly in our culture and aren’t bothered by the inaccuracy at all. “Just a minute?” “Just a second?” or “Just a moment?” The twentieth century was the 1900s. Someone is one year old all the way until completing their second year of life. Then the “second” birthday (which is technically the third “birth” day of their life) is actually the start of the third year of their life. And on and on it goes.
Okay, enough of that. The second major topic here is THE KINGDOM. This was the notable time marker that happened six days before, or about eight days before, that caused all three synoptic gospels to measure time to the transfiguration.
Here’s what Jesus said: “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Luke describes it as, “they see the kingdom of God.” It must have been a life-marking event when Jesus said it. They are going to see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom!
No doubt, when the transfiguration occurred, they wondered if it was the fulfillment of that prediction! “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.” (V. 1-2)
Was this the Son of Man coming in his kingdom? The transformation certainly showed something supernatural about Jesus. Joined by Moses (representing the Law) and Elijah (representing the prophets), with the voice of His Father identifying him as His Son. On their way down the mountain, the disciples are asking the Lord about it. Was this it? Was that the start of the kingdom? Somehow none of them would have died before the Son of Man brought the kingdom, so it must be soon.
Thus begins the controversy. Maybe that wasn’t the coming of the kingdom, but the disciples didn’t know what to look for yet. Maybe the kingdom came in power with the cross and/or the resurrection of Jesus. After all, at his ascension, the disciples asked, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus simply answered them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” So it still seems like a mystery at that point of time. Of course, some ten days later at the day of Pentecost, the kingdom came with power. Was that it?
The next possible event would be the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Perhaps that could be what Jesus described, when Jerusalem and the temple itself were destroyed. It was certainly the end of an era. Or, many believe that perhaps the Father in his mercy has continued to postpone the clear plan for the kingdom, and even today the coming of the kingdom is on indefinite hold, with the hour known only to the Father.
Jesus taught us to pray, may your kingdom come. We are continuing to pray for it, whatever form it may take. Then, we are told, time will be no more, and He shall reign forever. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. Amen.
PETE GOES ONE-FOR-THREE
This chapter contains three statements from Jesus that are so central to our faith. Peter declares what we call The Good Confession: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus says that flesh and blood did not reveal that to Peter, but His Father who is in heaven. Jesus declares that He will build his church on this confession. It is very central to everything in our faith.
But the very next incident that Matthew records is Jesus saying to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” It is amazing to put these back-to-back as Matthew has done. But such is the fickle heart of a person, I suppose. One moment I am on God’s wavelength, and the next I am thinking in the flesh.
Which leads me to the statement that precedes both of those. Jesus said, “Beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” That warning is important, especially in light of Peter’s statements that follow. Let’s delve into it a bit more.
We are to “beware.” Jesus is warning us that if we are not on guard against this, we will miss it. We are like night sentries, with our senses heightened, eyes scanning about, reflexes alert. We are anticipating something coming up to surprise and defeat us, so we must “beware” of something.
What are we to be aware of? Jesus calls it “leaven.” I’m no expert at such things, but I know what Jesus said about leaven. He says elsewhere that you cannot tell where leaven begins and ends. It works its way through a lump of dough, and you cannot separate it from the part that is unleavened. It’s not an on/off switch. Not a locomotive bearing down. It is subtle. Easing its way into my life, my beliefs, my heart.
What, then, IS the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? The context is that they need a sign. Show us a sign from heaven that you are really the Son of God. Of course, they were SURROUNDED by signs, every day. But this leaven always needs just. One. More. I’m always one sign away from believing.
The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees is also the subtle temptation to imagine that I have figured God out. Say this, God does that. Know this, and this is the result. Do this, and God answer like this. They knew how to be forgiven, how to behave in any and every situation, and they knew God. They had no idea just how far off they were.
That’s how it is for us, you know. When I was a kid, I was pretty good at something. We’ll say I was a pretty fast runner. I could beat even some of the older kids on my street in a foot race. So I began to imagine that I was, or soon would be, the fastest runner on earth. Because I had never been humbled by defeat, I thought I was within inches of my goal, rather than miles away.
This is what the sneaky leaven of the Pharisees will do. It creeps into my faith, begins to color my prayers, affects my teaching, allows me to have easy answers to things I know nothing about. It gives me a false sense of being an expert at knowing God, when I am not even in Kindergarten yet. And somehow I become the OPPOSITE of the person of faith I imagine myself to be. I become an ENEMY of Christ!
How did I get there? It was leaven. And I did not beware.
We are told to be on the alert, because our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Do you know who wrote that warning? It was Peter. He knows about that.
I want to be blessed because truths are revealed to me by the Heavenly Father, so that I speak His words, not mine. But the very next statement I make just might be with the things of man in mind, not the things of God. So I must keep watch for the need for a sign, and never think that I have put God into a box.
Pete went one-for-three that day. I wonder if I can do any better.
THE SILENCE OF JESUS
This chapter contains one of the more confounding actions of Jesus, so I’d like to have us focus on that. In the last chapter, we saw that people have been crowding around Jesus, pressing in on him to seek healing, touching the tassels on his robe. And everyone who touched the tassels of his robe was healed.
It was common practice for Jews, and especially for rabbis, to wear robes with four tassles that have special knots in them, to remind them of the law of God. This is why the hem of a robe was their focus. But just imagine, Jesus is surrounded by all these Jews, who are coming to be healed, and it happens without a word. Talk about spiritual authority! As with the Roman centurion, no words are needed. No incantation. No prayer. No confession. No command.
But the immense pressure is constant. Yesterday’s chapter opens with Jesus trying to get away from the crowds, and it didn’t work. Where to go from here? Up north. Up into Gentile country, near Tyre and Sidon, where they will leave his robe and him alone for a season.
And now, though there are not crowds pressing in, it’s not just Jesus and his followers. A very determined Gentile woman starts following Him. She cries out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! my daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."
Jesus does not answer a word. Not a word. Doesn’t even acknowledge her presence. Just keeps walking, chatting with the disciples.
this is not at all what i expected from the Gentle Shepherd. He healed entire villages. Could his silence be because she is a Gentile? He had nearly been killed in His home town for hinting that God cares about gentiles. He initiated a conversation with the samaritan woman at the well. Why on earth would Jesus give this gentile woman the silent treatment? it seems so unlike, well, Jesus.
what does this mean? does He want her to plead? is this the test to see if she will prevail? surely it isn’t because He doesn’t care! whatever He is doing, i’d like to know, because i think sometimes He is doing the same thing with me. i am, after all, also a gentile (though grafted into the olive tree of God’s people). Like her, i call Him by the right name and ask Him for a favor. Like her, i don’t sense Him saying yes or no to my request. i just hear silence. Not a word. is Jesus ignoring me?
finally the disciples (who always seem to have mixed motives) urge Him to send her away. Sounds like what they said about the five thousand just yesterday, doesn’t it? Now Jesus speaks. But when he does, he strangely tells her that He came only for israel.
But that is not the end of her. She keeps pursuing him, pressing him for mercy. She wisely answers that she’s happy to be a lowly dog and just get some scraps from the table. Now Jesus sees what He has needed to see: this woman has great faith. She may be a Gentile dog, but if so, she is the family pet, and she is still part of the family, right?
He smiles at her. And He says the word. Her request is granted, just like that.
it is the unanswerable question: why the silence?
why does Jesus sometimes have no conversation?
Jesus had just said, “keep on asking, and you will receive." i sometimes get silence confused with a “no" Answer, and I mistake silence for anger. So, i give up too soon. The silence of God in this case is not a “yes" Or a “no," Or even a “wait." it really is silence.
what do i do in the meantime, while i wait for an answer? i keep on asking. i keep on seeking. i keep on knocking. Eventually i will receive, i will find, and it will be opened to me.
while i am pleading and banging on heaven’s door, I wonder if the angels are whispering to Him, “make him go away!" or shall i trust that this is the silent non-answer of a loving Father who knows what is best and when is best, and who knows how many times i need to ask before i get my petition right.
sometimes God is silent.
GIVING ABOVE AND BEYOND
There are several important events that happen in chapter 14 of Matthew: the death of John the Baptist, Jesus feeding the 5000, Jesus walking on water and crowds following him in Gennesaret. But since Matthew is the mathematician among the gospel writers, let’s look at his “bad math” in the feeding of the five thousand.
There are other accounts of the feeding of the crowd of five thousand men, and we might delve into some of those later. But for today, I notice a little detail in Matthew’s account that challenges me.
It comes in six parts, and they all add up to the same end. Bear with me while I tell you each:
Part one. Jesus is withdrawing to get away from the crowds after he heard about the death of his cousin and friend, John the Baptist. It is a sad loss. It is foreshadowing of the sacrifice that Jesus himself will make before too long. He needs some “alone” time. But Matthew writes, “When the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” He has compassion on this crowd of TAKERS. So he does what they want, instead of what he had a right to do. After all, he came for people, right? Someday soon, he will give his life for them. Until then, he will give up his rights.
Part two. The disciples come to Jesus at the end of a long day of healing and teaching, and they compassionately urge him to “send the crowds away.” You know, so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves. Generous guys, those disciples. Sounds like a “win/win,” right? Jesus and the boys get that alone time, and the crowds are taken care of, without having a guilty conscience. But Jesus is ready to keep serving, even now. “They need not go away. YOU give them something to eat!” The challenge to me here is that Jesus calls his followers to yield their rights, just as he does himself. No easy way out. Time to do more work. But there’s more yet.
Part three. The disciples tell him they have only five loaves and two fish among them. Sounds like another good reason to send the crowds away, right? We don’t have the resources! I did my best. I was willing. Send them away now? But Jesus answers, “Bring them here to me.” Like any good disciplemaker, He is not demanding anything of his followers that he is not willing to do himself.
Part four. Jesus has the crowd sit down on the grass. This is another little detail that intrigues me. Jesus puts his reputation on the line now. Everyone is hungry. It is late in the day. Should they leave or stay? Jesus raises expectations without an actual solution yet. Notice that he has not told the disciples how this was going to work. Can you imagine being one of the twelve here? “Yes, just sit down in this group, and we’ll be getting back with you shortly.” Talk about risks! He prays. He looks up to heaven. He says a blessing. Then he hands out the fish and the loaves. And keeps handing them out. And handing them out.
Part five. They all ate and were satisfied. There were even leftovers, in greater numbers than had been at the start! There is no hint that the crowd was having to “make do,” but kind of disappointed at the meager supply. All of them ate. All five thousand men. Plus women and children. Thousands and thousands of meals provided directly from the hands of Jesus.
Part six. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces left over. Wait a second! How many baskets full? Twelve. How many disciples were there? Twelve. Every one of them, in spite of having to sacrifice his own agenda and energy, was taken care of with an entire basket full of food!
In the math of the kingdom, there are days when I am called upon to give more than I think I can give. More than should be expected of me. But in the end, the same God who asks “too much” of me, also GIVES me “abundantly more than I could ask or imagine” in return.
Twelve baskets full. You know, it’s too bad Jesus didn’t think to get a basket for himself. He sacrificed above and beyond.
FINDING BURIED TREASURE
Today we were reading Matthew 13, which contains several of Jesus’ parables. Let’s focus in on one of those parables today and see what we can learn from it.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
Much of this story is not surprising at all. The kingdom is like a treasure. A man sells all he has and trades it in for the kingdom. I get it. In eternity, I will not regret anything that I have given up for the sake of heaven. As I die to myself and sacrifice my desires for the kingdom, I will find that what I gain is worth it.
But there are two curious details about the story that cause me to do a double-take. The man finds the treasure. Why not take the treasure with him? Why bury it? Why buy the field? What does all that mean?
And the second curious detail is that the man “in his joy” went and sold all he had in order to buy the field. That’s not as curious as the first. I mean, he anticipated that all would go well. But when I think of the story, I feel a certain anxiety. I hope the current owner of the field doesn’t know about what I found.
It seems to me a matter of ethics. Why not find out who owns the field, and see if this is his treasure? If you don’t own the field, and you don’t own the treasure, you are really sort of being sneaky and taking a risk that someone else will step up and claim it.
But I think Jesus is not talking about Christian ethics here. The treasure he is describing is actually available to all. It is not the property of someone else, so that I have to secretly keep that person from knowing about what I found. This treasure, and the land on which I find it, are common to everyone. So I will take the details of his story as what it means, not what I think about in the flesh.
One day, I discover the truth about the kingdom of God: the truth that I can live forever. I can be forgiven. I can be fulfilled. He gives good gifts to me, without withholding any good thing from me. It’s worth more to me than anything in this world. So, I take it all in. I hide it in my heart. It becomes my little secret.
Then I do my research while it is buried. I make sure that it is not too good to be true. And having done my research, having tested the truth for myself, having confirmed the value from other witnesses, I am ready. Ready to trade everything for the invisible kingdom.
I make a vow. I go under the water, buried in baptism with Christ. Then, dead to myself, I am raised to a new life, and am new inside. You can’t see what I now have, for it is invisible to the human eye. But I give up my pride, my ambitions, my idols, all of my earthly goals that bring me satisfaction for only the time between now and the grave. I bet my life that there is more. And I do so gladly, because I am convinced that this treasure is worth more than everything I own—my land, my house, my possessions, my family and friends, my career, my reputation. It is all garbage to me, compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
This is the great trade. The buried treasure. The chance to know and be known by the Maker of the Universe. To be a child of God. My friends might not understand. My financial advisors might think I have lost my mind, because I seem to be throwing my money away. But I know something they don’t know. So it is with great joy that I trade it all in to be born again. Remade from the inside out. There will be fruit that you will see in my life. But know that it is my own secret. Only I know whether or not there has been a change in me.
And so I see the center of this story. Just like the one pearl of great price, I gladly give up all I have in this life to own it.
Do me a favor: In a hundred years, ask me if the trade was worth it. I bet we will both say a hearty Amen to that.
WATCH YOUR WORDS
Today we are reading chapter 12 of Matthew, which contains several pithy and controversial sayings of Jesus: He has a couple of confrontations about the Sabbath, and he says, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” The Pharisees claim that Jesus casts out demons because he has power from the prince of demons, and Jesus declares that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. Jesus calls them a brood of vipers and says that people will give account for every careless word they speak. They ask him for a sign, and he says no sign will be given but the sign of Jonah. Jesus teaches that an unclean spirit which has been cast out will return to the person with seven others, worse than itself. Jesus declares that those followers who are with him are his family. Among all those sayings, let’s focus on this one:
“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” ~Matthew 12:36-37
These words are sobering, and strike me as a bit of a surprise. I mean, I thought it was our actions, the bad things we do (or the good we fail to do), that would lead to our judgment.
But to be judged for words, and not just actions, takes the scrutiny of God to a new level. I guess that’s why Paul tells the Ephesians (5:4) “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” I mean, foolish talk and crude joking, those are just words, right? But we must watch even what we laugh at, what we listen to, how we participate in crude or disrespectful humor, even. Wow.
This is why Jesus can say so clearly that every careless word is subject to judgment. In this case, it was Pharisees claiming that Jesus’ power came from the devil instead of from God. They were blaspheming the Holy Spirit by assigning God’s works to the devil. They might argue, “But they are only words! I didn’t really mean them!”
But James says, “if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”
He writes, “the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness . . . and set on fire by hell. . . . no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. . . . From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.”
Of course, as I reflect on it further, I realize that it is not just our actions or our words that will be subject to judgment. It is our very hearts themselves. Solomon spent a lifetime pursuing wisdom, and he records his journey in Ecclesiastes. Here is how he ends his journey and the book: “Here is the end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” ~Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Even the secret things, our inner thoughts and solo sins, are open to God’s judgment. God is ready to judge the living and the dead. The Judge is standing at the door! Our mouths speak what is in our hearts, and our hearts are the part of us to give account before God in the day of judgment.
So, what hope is there? If I am judged by my thoughts and my words, even my careless words about which I would say, “I didn’t mean it,” then who can stand in the day of judgment?
No one can. But thanks be to God for his indescribable grace. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. His grace is such that there is no sin, no person so far enslaved, that it is not covered by the blood of Christ.
We have only to receive it. With our mouths we confess Christ Jesus as Lord and we are saved! By our words we are condemned, to be sure. But Jesus says by our words we are also justified! Thanks be to God.
MY BURDEN IS LIGHT
In chapter 11, Jesus gives a speech about John the Baptist, and he compares and contrasts their ministry approaches. Jesus goes on to say woe to unrepentant cities. And then he says to come unto him and he will give rest. That final speech is the one for us to highlight today, and especially the last sentence of it: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Sounds like an oxymoron.How can a burden be light? You ask. Isn’t a burden, like, heavy by definition? Well, yes it is. So maybe I’m confused. . . Let’s back up and get the context, shall we?
Here is the invitation: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Sounds good, right? But let me be clear right now: Following Christ is NOT easy. It is a yoke. It is a burden. In just a few chapters, he will say, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” So whatever Jesus is saying about easy yokes and light burdens does not mean that He offers an easy path.
There are plenty of other Bible passages that underscore the difficulty of following Jesus. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live…” Galatians 2:20 “Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:24 “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” John 3:3 “If we who are in Christ have hoped only in this life [and this is all there is], then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied.” 1 Corinthians 15:19 “I tell you the truth . . . I die daily.” 1 Corinthians 15:31
So, does Jesus offer rest for our souls, or does He insist that we give ourselves up for Him? Yes! But, how? How do we reconcile these seemingly very different views?
It’s really not that difficult, of course. We make these kinds of decisions every day, just in our relationships with others. Those who are married know that a happy marriage involves both partners sacrificing their own dreams to serve the other, and that such mutual respect is worth it. Those who have been to school know that hard work pays off in the long run. Workers know that careful attention to quality may take more effort, but that both the satisfaction and the pay more than make up for it. There is a difference between happiness and joy. “Happiness” comes from the root of “happen.” I am “happy” when my happenstance fits my desires. Joy and peace, love and faith, they are not built on what “happens” to me. They are fruit that comes from making right decisions.
So it is in the spiritual realm, both eternally after this life is over (heaven!) and even in this life. Here is how Jesus worded that tradeoff: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33 He’s saying that the world will not/does not treat you well when you follow a controversial figure like Jesus. But “the world” does not have the final say.
So we come back around to these comforting words of Jesus, and we see that following him means to take a yoke and put it across your shoulders. Yet, the yoke suits us. It means we take on the burden of self-denial and of betting our lives that there is something better for us after this life is over. Yet, we discover that the burden we take on is pleasant and yields peace inside.
Jesus tells that the Father has revealed truths to little children but hidden them from the wise and learned. He says that this is the Father’s gracious will. The educated reason it away, decide we have no souls and there is no god. But those who have not yet jaded their emotions and beliefs are the ones who can accept things they cannot see.
Jesus turns to us weary, skeptical adults, and invites us to trade in our grown-up worries, our phobias and experiences, our regrets and addictions, and to take up a simpler view of ourselves, of our relationship with God, and our efforts to improve ourselves. Rest, he says. Stop and let me carry that for you.
Are you weary? Are you heavy-laden? I can testify that following Jesus offers a very positive trade. I give up my selfish ambitions, my thoughtless addictions, my earthly convictions. I receive life without regrets, love without bitterness, light without darkness. I stop trying frantically to get my own, and I see fruit growing up in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I learn that repentance leads to seasons of refreshing!
Who would have guessed? Oh, yeah. Children.
I guess Jesus might say, Just grow down, will ya?
THE REST OF THE TWELVE
We talked briefly about the calling of the First Four–Peter, Andrew, James and John–a few days ago. We have also talked about Matthew. There are more details yet to come about them all, but today, let’s introduce a little about the remaining seven disciples. Their names are listed at the start of chapter 10, and then the chapter tells Jesus’ instructions to them as He sent them out on their first missionary journey.
It could be that 8 of the twelve disciples were sets of brothers: Peter and Andrew, James and John, Matthew and James the less, and here we meet Phillip and Nathaniel (whom Matthew calls Bartholomew) were also brothers, and they grew up in Bethsaida with Peter and Andrew. Phillip meets Jesus first, and runs to bring his brother to meet him, whom he already sees as the Messiah. Nathaniel asks, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Phillip just replies, “Come and see.” Then Jesus says that Nathaniel is a true Israelite in whom there is no guile, and says that He saw him under the fig tree. We don’t know exactly what that may have meant to him, but Nathaniel saw it as confirmation of his character.
Later, Phillip asks Jesus where they would find food to feed the 5000 men, and at the Last Supper he asks Jesus to show them the Father so that they can believe.
Then there’s Thomas, sometimes known as Doubting Thomas. That is mostly because of his response to the report from the other disciples on that first Sunday evening after the resurrection of Jesus. Because Thomas wasn’t there to see Jesus, he said that he would not believe until he had felt the nail prints in His hands and put his hand into His side. Shows that you should never skip church on Sunday evening, just in case Jesus shows up. In fairness, when he did see Jesus, he did not demand such proof, but fell down and called out, “My Lord and my God!” Thomas may have been a pessimist/realist, but he was actually an unhesitant follower of Jesus. When Jesus said they were going to Jerusalem, Thomas responded, “Let us also go, so that we may die with him.”
Matthew lists James as “son of Alphaeus.” Seems like he would have been the younger brother of Matthew, because he is elsewhere known as James the Less. Maybe James was “less tall,” rather than “less old.” But either way, he is always referred to as lesser in comparison to someone. But Jesus did not choose disciples based on height or birth order.
Maybe the biggest surprise of all was when Jesus picked Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were known as the “Fourth Party.” All four of the parties were out to solve the problem of Roman oppression. Pharisees hoped to be holy enough to have God rescue Israel. Essenes were out to pray for deliverance in the wilderness, while Sadducees and Herodians were finding ways to cooperate with the Romans, in order to live to fight another day. But the Zealots were a bunch of terrorist cells, whose single purpose was to overthrow the Roman government and take back Jerusalem for the Jews. Jesus didn’t deal with politics, and it seems odd that He would want someone like Simon on the team. Especially considering that Matthew was also on that team, and Matthew and Simon were as far apart as you could get. To their credit, they never killed each other. Which means I guess they were both changed, and Jesus believed in using their futures rather than their pasts.
Next comes Thaddeus, also called Lebbaeus (Big Hearted). None of his words or actions are included in the gospel accounts.
Which brings us to the most qualified of all: Judas, from Cariot in Judea. Can you believe it? He was the only one who wasn’t from the despised region of Galilee. He was educated, didn’t have a “northern accent,” wasn’t politically compromised, was somewhat refined. He kept the moneybags for the group. Who would have guessed that he’d be the one who would go and betray Jesus? Just figures, I guess.
You can’t judge a book by its cover. You can’t judge a man by his education or his accent or his background.
They were such a ragtag group of saints. He was such an unexpected sinner.
Go figure.
When these men said yes to the adventure of following this rabbi from Nazareth, they could never have imagined where that adventure would end. Jesus was crucified. James was run through with swords. Andrew and Peter were both crucified. John was sent into exile. Phillip converted the wife of a Roman proconsul in Asia Minor, and for that was arrested and cruelly put to death. Thomas was run through with spears in far-away India. James the Less went to Syria, where he was stoned and then clubbed to death. Thaddeus and Simon the Zealot worked together for the Gospel in Egypt and then Persia, where they were both run through with spears for Jesus.
I wonder. If they had known where their paths would lead ahead of time, do you think any of them would have traded it in to go back to a more “normal” life?
Not on your life.
LEARN WHAT THIS MEANS
Matthew 9 is filled with many of the best-known brief episodes of Jesus’ ministry. He heals a paralytic who is lowered through the roof by four friends. He calls Matthew to follow him and comes to Matthew’s party. He talks about combining new wineskins and cloth patches. He raises Jairus’ daughter and heals another woman, has compassion on the crowds and tells his followers to pray to send out workers into the harvest field. But since this is Matthew’s gospel, and we have already been talking about the author’s perspective, let’s delve into that party Matthew has and focus on the final sentence of that story.
Here is the immediate context: Jesus and his followers have come to Matthew’s house, meeting several of Matthew’s friends. These friends are also tax collectors, no doubt, plus other outcasts of the religious community–people that the religious leaders call “sinners.”
This seems to be one of the early turning points for the Pharisees to scrutinize Jesus’ life, finding him to be the opposite of what they would expect. They judge Rabbi Jesus as unholy or ignorant, or both, for he is not keeping these obvious sinners at a holy distance and being sure to keep himself clean.
Jesus does not disagree with the Pharisees that these people are, in fact, “sinners.” But if the Pharisees could be honest with themselves, they would realize that they, too, are “sinners,” even if not with the same list of sins. Remember, Jesus recently delivered the Sermon on the Mount, in which he sort of redefined how to think of sin. Hate is the same basic sin as murder. Lust is the attitude of adultery. And so forth. The Pharisees are still focused on cleaning the outside of the cup, as Jesus would point out, while being filled with judgmentalism and disrespectful hatred inside. Jesus needs to clarify to them his role and response to sinners of all kinds.
The Pharisees see Jesus as a rabbi. As such, they have expectations: Keep yourself from evil. Keep the law. Stay clean. Quote the Scriptures. But Jesus sees himself as a doctor. A doctor does not just stay away from infection and disease. He is there to help those who are already infected and sick. He says, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. . . . I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
In between those two sentences, Jesus says this central statement to these so-called experts in the law: “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’”
Go and learn what this means, Jesus says. Don’t just stand there, judging everyone in the house. See them the way the Father sees them. Go and learn. You know the words. But you do not yet know their meaning.
He is quoting from Hosea, when he tells them that God desires mercy, not sacrifice. He longs to show mercy.
Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”
David wrote, “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
Amos told Israel, “Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; . . . But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
Micah said these words: “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
The Pharisees could quote all of those passages. But they needed to stop talking, and stop judging, and start learning what it all means.
I think maybe I would also do well to go and learn a thing or two myself. If God desires to show mercy, rather than to receive sacrifice, then how should I be treating others? Cold-heartedly tell them to repent? Or show mercy and offer forgiveness and healing?
I like to think i know the answer. But I have hurt a lot of people with my judgments. Maybe I still need to go and learn what “mercy instead of sacrifice” really means.
WHEN JESUS WAS ASTOUNDED
Today we have read Matthew 8, which is filled with miracles and signs and wonders that Jesus performed. He cleanses a leper, heals someone with just a word, heals Peter’s mother-in-law and whole crowds of people, calms a storm and casts demons out of two men. Everyone was amazed at his teaching in chapter 7, and now they are amazed that he calms a storm at sea. But in the midst of all this amazement, we find Jesus himself being amazed. It is a man’s faith that astounds our Lord Himself. He marvels and says, “I tell you the truth, I have not found such faith in all of Israel.” Let’s explore what marked that man’s faith.
The man’s background does not cause us to expect such great things. He is an unnamed Gentile. In fact, he is a Roman, that oppressive nation that rules the land of Israel. Even more, he is part of the Roman army, so he would be one of the most unlikely of heroes to the king of the Jews. But nationality and station in life do not dictate a person’s faith. Here is his story:
He is a centurion, which means he is somewhere in the middle management of the Roman military–perhaps being similar to the rank of a lieutenant or a captain in ours. A centurion has about 100 soldiers under him. Plus, this centurion has a servant, who apparently is important to him, because the officer travels a distance to find Jesus and ask him to heal his servant.
Jesus offers to go to the man’s house and see him, but the centurion gives this humble and faith-filled reply: “I don’t deserve to have you under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant shall be healed.” That phrase is used in the text of several Christian liturgies to this day. As we confess our sins, and tell the Lord, “only say the word, and your servant shall be healed.” It is a powerful statement of faith, to know that He does not need to come into our house, or to lay hands on, or to anoint with oil, but only declare it, and it will be done. In any case, it is that statement that causes our Lord to be amazed and to declare this man’s faith to be greater than any He has seen in the whole nation of God’s chosen people.
How did this Roman centurion come to such amazing faith? He explains it himself. It has to do with his understanding of how spiritual authority works (We just talked about that subject yesterday!). He has been trained in how the military must function if it’s to be effective: if he tells someone under him to do something, that man will receive it as an order and carry it out with the same zeal as if it were his own idea. His superior officer simply says the word and can move on to other things while his orders are being taken care of. That’s how authority always works, you know. The person in authority is the “author” of an idea, and his word is unquestionably followed. And so, the man says, Jesus needs only say the word, and whatever happens in the spiritual realm is carried out. Proximity doesn’t matter. Jesus needs only to declare it, and it will happen.
Interestingly, there is one other time that Scripture says Jesus was astonished. But this time it was for a LACK of faith. He was in his hometown of Nazareth, and the people there were asking one another where Jesus got all that wisdom and power from. They had known him since childhood, they knew his family, and it just didn’t add up, so they were offended by his spiritual authority. Jesus said that a prophet is not without honor, except in his own hometown, among his relatives and in his own house. So he was amazed at their unbelief. He was unable to work miracles there, so he moved on.
There’s an old saying, “Seeing is believing.” Yet, faith is, by definition, in something that you cannot see. Otherwise, it would be called sight, don’t you know. So maybe the opposite of faith is doubt. But maybe the opposite of faith is sight. If we need verification and proof, it is not faith, whatever we might want to call it. It is the scribes and the Pharisees, whom Jesus calls a wicked and adulterous generation, who seek after a sign. Jesus refused to answer their request. That conversation happens in Matthew 12, so we will see it soon.
I would like to amaze the Lord of the universe by showing him something that he does not find in most people. But if given a choice, I think I would rather amaze him with my faith than to amaze him with my disbelief. How about you?
Let’s pray: “Lord Jesus, you need only say the word, and your servant shall be healed. When I confess my sins to you, I choose to leave them in your hands, lay them on the altar, and trust that you have fully cleansed me, according to your powerful word. In you will I put my trust. Amen.”
THE MARKS OF SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY
The seventh chapter of Matthew contains the final section of the Sermon on the Mount, and there is more to delve into with that message. Even so, I’d like to focus on Matthew’s summary after the final words that Jesus spoke in the sermon. Matthew writes,
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. ~Matthew 7:28-29
Matthew was a close observer of Jewish customs and human habits, so he saw this very clearly. His Jewish readers would also understand the nuances of these matters far better than we can.
The teachers of the law in Jesus’ day behaved very similarly to our world of academics, which requires layers of proof and footnotes and documentation, rather than just declaring something to be true. You never simply made a claim to represent God’s will without quoting from Scripture and then from the Talmud, which was the growing collection of rabbinic teaching from over the last generation or two, and continues to be a secondary guide for any Jewish scholar today.
So, for example, if you say that God wants people to live holy lives, first you need to find a verse of Scripture that supports what you claim. You’d say, “As it is written, ‘Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.’” ~Leviticus 20:26
Then in the Talmud, you will find some statement, most of which fall under the school of Rabbi Hillel or Rabbi Shammai.
Hillel was known for his kindness, gentleness, and concern for humanity. One of his most famous sayings is "If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?"
While you are still contemplating that, Shammai was known for the strictness of his views. He was reputed to be dour, quick-tempered and impatient. Shammai taught that if Jews had too much contact with the Romans, Judaism would be weakened, and so he followed a more strict interpretation of Jewish law.
Into this atmosphere steps Jesus, who says things like, “You have heard it said . . . but I say to you . . ..” That is exactly what was offensive to the teachers of the law, because Jesus was teaching as one who had authority. It is also what made him popular with the masses, because they heard truth directly from God, without the maddening citations and arguments.
More than that, Jesus had authority because he not only talked about compassion and mercy, he demonstrated in his healings and miracles. It was obvious that when he said his Father cares for you, it was said within the context of healing people who were medically untreatable. He gave illustrations, but they were simple and easily observed. “See how he cares for the flowers of the field. Will he not more care for you?”
And even more than that, Jesus called God his Father. Not just distant terms like The Almighty One, or The Holy One of Israel, but Our Father or My Pappa. He seemed to have a direct relationship with his Father, so when he said to repent, it was like hearing God Himself say it to me directly. Or when he said, “In truth, you have had five husbands, and the man you are living with now is not your husband.” When that kind of prophetic insight is spot on, that seems to show indisputable authority.
In fact, Jesus pretty often threw their whole system out the window, which is why it was so infuriating to the teachers of the law. They asked his followers, “In whose name, or by what authority do you do these things?” And the followers say, “It is the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom you crucified but God raised from the dead.” That’s pretty direct confrontation, wouldn’t you say?
But now we must ask, if those are the marks of spiritual authority, how can you and I have that kind of authority today? Perhaps the answer is too simple, but let me say the next verse of what happened when his followers made the bold claim I just quoted. They took note that they had been with Jesus. We gain spiritual authority in his name by spending time with him, just as Jesus gained his authority by rising early every morning and going alone to pray before he started his day of healing and preaching, or chose the disciples, or went into spiritual battle in the wilderness with the temptor.
One final question: Does God want us to have spiritual authority? If so, what is it that you want?
Eeyore is a character who epitomizes lugubrious humor. He says things like, "Could be worse. Not sure how. But it could be." When I read this statement of Jesus, "Each day has enough trouble of its own," it almost makes me wonder if this is a sort of depressed sarcasm. Let's explore it and find out.
Matthew 6 is the middle of three chapters that contain what is often called the Sermon on the Mount. We recently went through a sermon series on THE SERMONS OF JESUS, but there is a verse in here that we did not cover. The final verse of the chapter has this strangely comforting advice from Jesus:
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34
Here are some other translations and how they word it:
“Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
“Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
“Take the trouble of the day as it comes.”
“Don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
Interesting. Jesus almost sounds pessimistic here. Or to most of us natural pessimists, we might say Jesus is acknowledging the truth that we all know. Tomorrow will have trouble, sure enough. He seems to be saying, “Don’t dread what tomorrow brings. Tomorrow may be bad, sure enough. But you have enough dread happening right now.”
In the most recent Spiderman movie, one of the characters protects herself from disappointment by saying, “If you expect disappointment, then you can never really be disappointed.” Garrison Keillor used to describe Minnesotan optimism in a similar way.
But look again. It’s actually realistic pessimism, or optimistic realism, I guess we might say. He just spent several verses telling us not to be anxious about anything. What you eat, or drink, or wear. He promises that God cares for us like He cares for the sparrow. Or He says that God cares for and clothes the flowers of the field, dressed in more splendor than Solomon in all his glory. That’s sounds like optimism.
But elsewhere Jesus says that his Father notices when a sparrow dies. Is that awkward? If God notices, why does he let the bird die? Or while he’s telling us about plants, he mentions in passing that it is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven and burned. Ouch! That seems more like saying each day has trouble.
Here is what I think Jesus is really saying. It is the verse just before the ones we are focused on. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Just as we saw in chapter four, when Jesus was facing temptations, his answer was always the big, eternal picture: serve God, do what is right by him, live as if your personal pursuits are not the most important things in your life.
And now Jesus wraps it up by saying the reality of what he had faced in the wilderness. You can’t overcome tomorrow’s temptations by facing them today. It takes all you have to keep perspective and persevere through what is right before you. Yes, you know you are going to the cross rather than getting it all right now, but do the right thing today, rather than taking shortcuts or trying to reshape your future. I often tell my son what is hard now is easier in the future, but what is easiest right now makes your life harder in the future. Just do right now what God would have you do. He will take care of you. And, in truth, tomorrow there will be another set of challenges before you, just like those that are here today.
Other phrases we sometimes use are ONE DAY AT A TIME. Or BE HERE NOW. Or LIVE IN THE MOMENT.
When the Orthodox Christians paint icons of Jesus, they are careful to follow a particular pattern. One of the elements of the pattern they follow is that Jesus’ mouth is not smiling or frowning, but is distinctly in a straight line. His right hand is always extended in blessing.
Picture it. If Jesus were smiling, it would feel very nice when we were coming to say our thanks for his blessings. But what would that smile look like if we were facing a tragedy in our lives and bringing our deepest cares to him? He might seem to be taking our concerns lightly, don’t you think? In the same way, if he were painted with a frown, how does that feel when we come to give thanks? He is always realistic, compassionate, but not fake.
I think maybe that’s what I am reading when I hear his words, each day has enough trouble of its own. Good or bad, your plate is full with today’s happenings. Focus on God’s kingdom and live in this moment.
As for tomorrow? That’s why Jesus says that He will be with us forever.
MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT
Giles Fletcher the Younger (1588-1623)
Edited by Ken E. Read 2007
Judgment and Mercy stood before God
Each before the Throne
Judgment with ten thousand times ten thousand witnesses
Mercy stood alone
What to do with sinful man
The topic of their argument
Judgment spoke first, of vengeance spoke,
Of broken covenants
Of sin and death and wrathful punishments
Versus innocence of holy perfection,
Your hand did not make him for this purpose
Your plan did not include a fall
You made the man. You weigh without mistaking
The Maker of the man, or the manner of his making.
So raise your arm and blot the sin
That stains the very heavens
And wipe the whole earth clean again
With those whose lives will be worthy.
So Mercy said:
“He is but dust: how can he stand?
“If all must pay that which all cannot pay,
Oh! first begin with me, and Mercy herself slay!
Oh! let not Judgment’s iron sceptre break
a heart already broken, or a man so far enslaved!
“Must all go by desert? Is nothing free?
Ah! if but the ones who only worthy be
Then none should ever see Thee!
No, none should Thee ever see!
“What man has done The Man can clear
Since God of him has grown so dear.
Did his foes slay him? He shall slay his foe:
Has he lost all? He all again shall win.
Is sin his master? He shall master sin.
“He is a path if any be misled.
He is a robe if any naked be.
If any chance to hunger, He is bread.
If any be a bondman, He is free.
If any be but weak, how strong is He!
To dead men life He is, to sick men health.
To blind men sight, to the needy wealth.
A pleasure without loss, a treasure without stealth.”
And so she spoke, that Mercy queen,
‘Til heaven’s mighty thunder stilled.
And God’s unwary arm grew mild
and melted into tears to offer
pardon and pity to the fallen souls of earth.
And Sacred Vengeance was set down,
While angel armies all devowed
their rightful rage, to Mercy bowed
and broke their weapons at her feet.
And God became an infant child
Who would become their Victim and their Feast.
Thus did Mercy mighty Justice persuade;
And thus did history turn forever
on the hinge of Bethlehem at the fulcrum of Golgotha.
So a new song arose to fill the sky
from the empty, silent, angel-aweing grave,
While Mercy smiled and led the song
of how she gently over Judgment triumphed.
The calling of Peter, Andrew, James and John is found in all four Gospels, and yet the details of the story differ. Matthew and Mark both say that Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Gal’lee, saw Pete and Andy, and called them to become fishers of men. A little farther up the shore He finds my brother and me and says the same.
Luke includes the part where Jesus used Pete’s boat as a floating pulpit, then urged us to push her out into the deep and let down our nets for a miraculous catch of fish. John’s account provides more background and plot twists, being written by one of the four. We will leave that account until we get there in a few months.
For today, let me tell you the accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke. And, to help, let me set it to music. We’ll call this song CAST IT OUT.
It had been a long and lonely night.
We were what you call fishing in the dark,
but we hadn’t had a bite.
It was late, we were cold
and there weren’t a fish in sight.
So what are we going to do all night?
Cast it out, and bring it in.
Cast it out, and bring it in.
Cast it out, and bring it in, bring it in, bring it in.
Four men and more, all with one wish:
If we could catch our fine filet-of-fish
And get back home and market it.
But this night we all run dry.
It ain’t easy to admit when the battle of wits
For one whole night was won by the fish—
But, we all had to admit that on this . . . one . . . and so forth.
But the lake ain’t empty and the water ain’t dry
And experience tells me that the fish are inside.
I mean, they got to be somewhere, right?
And we’re pre-fessionals, right?
So what’re we gonna do all night?
We cast it out, and bring it in.
We cast it out, and bring it in.
Well, the sun come up and we give up
Tomorrow night we’d try our luck
We’ll wash the nets and hit our beds
and see what the evening brings.
So, we’re closing up shop when Jesus comes by
He says, “Fellas, can I give your boat a try?
There’s all these folks that need to hear
the truths I’m called to tell them.”
Well, sure enough, there’s sure a crowd
And they sure are fast and they sure are loud
So Jesus gets in and we push Him out
To where folks can see and hear Him
We all stood slack-jawed, mesmerized.
Something in the way He caught us all.
Was it His words? Was it His eyes?
If it was a fever, we was catching it,
As Jesus cast out truths and spun some tales
And drew men with every word.
He’d cast it out, and bring us in,
bring us in, bring us in.
Jesus gave His final illustration
and His closing invitation
The crowd dispersed.
But then He made it worse
When He told ol’ Pete to set out into the deep
And catch himself some Walleye.
That riles up Pete the fisherman
Who knew where fish ain’t never been:
Up near the surface, out in the deep
In the middle of the day when they go to sleep.
But he stops mid-sentence to think it through
Jesus had sure brought us in, too
So what could it hurt to add a long day
to a longer night of what you might call fishing?
We’ll cast it out, and . . . HOLD ON!
We needed extra help to bring them in,
bring them in, bring them in!
Well, if you know Pete
you know that from the start
Guilt and shame have never been
far below the surface of his heart
So when this miracle happened
he figured this was God
Had singled him out for skinning.
Pete turns around and flops right down
And shakes the boat and cries out loud
“I don’t deserve to have you here
To see my weakness, know my fear
Depart from me! And don’t come near
And make me face Your judgment.”
Jesus don’t look at all surprised.
There’s something of a sparkle in His eyes.
And He says, “Fear not. Just listen here, boy,
And I’ll teach you to catch men.
“Yeah, some are smelly and some are mean
And they all need love
and they might need cleaning
But if you’ll follow me
I’ll show you what it means
to seek the lost and save them:
“You cast it out, you bring them in.
You cast it out, you bring them in.
You cast it out, you bring them in,
bring them in, bring them in.”
That was the day Jesus changed my life
And the way I thought of men
And the way I thought of life
And the way I thought of truth
And the way I thought of lies
So I joined the Master fishing:
Casting out and bringing in.
Casting out and bringing in.
Casting out and bringing in. Bringing in. Bringing in.
Jesus faces the same three temptations that are common to all of us while He is in the wilderness.
LEAD US NOT
Grace and peace to you. Welcome to the podcast of One a Day, covering something from a chapter of the Bible each day. Today is January 4, so we are reading Matthew chapter 4. Let’s get to it.
In Matthew 4, we find that Jesus has just been baptized. And he is led by the Spirit into the wilderness for the express purpose of being tempted by the devil. He has already fasted 40 days and 40 nights when we find him having the final three battles.
Scripture says that Jesus was tempted in every way that we were, yet was without sin. It also says, “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.” So seeing this battle should look familiar to me, though the particular temptations might be specific to Jesus. At the same time, how the Lord defeats his temptor should teach me how to overcome my own temptations.
John tells us that there are three basic categories of sin, which contain what he calls “all that is in the world.” They are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are the three temptations that Jesus faces here.
The first temptation is the lust of the flesh. If you are the Son of God, you can turn these stones into loaves of bread. After 40 days of fasting, that’s got to be a very tempting offer to the one who could feed 5000 with five loaves and two fish. But Jesus is ready with an answer.
Through gritted teeth, He quotes the book of Deuteronomy: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” There is something more important, more eternal and more life-giving than food, even after 40 days of depriving yourself of it. If I delight in God’s word and doing His will, I can also overcome the lust of the flesh in whatever form it takes.
Now the devil shows him the highest point on top of the temple in Jerusalem. This time the tempter quotes a couple of Scriptures himself—I guess he is able as much as anyone to read the Bible, even though he misapplies it. Prove that you are the Messiah by having God work a public miracle to verify your authenticity. But Jesus is also ready for this one. This might be a case of taking a shortcut to the boastful pride of life. This particular manifestation might not be so strong for me, but for Jesus, doing a sign like this would mean He would not have to go through the cross and the grave in order for God to prove him to be divine. But he also knows that He would be forcing God’s hand to have to rescue him. He shouts, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God!” It’s not about me taking a shortcut to food or to fame, it’s about my Father.
So now the devil speaks directly to the center of the issue: Jesus can have all of the riches and honor in the world, and nothing would be withheld from him. The lust of his eye would be fulfilled, forever. All he has to do is to bow down and worship the one who is in control of much of the earth, and He can take a shortcut to being Lord of all. Jesus takes complete spiritual authority over his enemy. “Away! Leave me! For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only!’" And Satan must comply when Jesus commands him, so he leaves for a more opportune time.
And now angels come and minister to Him.
Wait a second! Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted, and in the very next chapter he teaches us to pray, “lead us not into temptation?" He knew, didn’t He? He would not wish this on anybody. Instead, we are to plead with our Father to “deliver us from evil." Just as Jesus was delivered a moment ago.
I wonder if the incarnation is so complete that Jesus has been deprived for forty days and nights of His Father’s blessed presence? Jesus was simply there to battle satan, armed with only what he knew of the word of God, from which he quoted with each temptation.
Now I think I see why Scripture memorization can be so helpful, not just on Sundays, but on the weakest days, too.
Matthew 3 contains the story of John the Baptist. Here is why Jesus called him the greatest of all time.
THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Grace and peace to you. Welcome to the podcast of One a Day, in which we share both an overview of a chapter of Scripture and dig down into one salient detail of it. Today is January 3, so we are reading Matthew chapter 3.
In this chapter we are introduced to John the Immerser, we see a sampling of some of his teachings, and we see Jesus baptized by him. In chapter 11, we will see Jesus make this superlative claim about him: He said there was no man greater who was ever born to a woman (which is pretty much every man, if you think about it). The Lord Jesus Christ ought to know about such things.
Sooner or later, any story about Jesus will need to begin with John the Immerser. All four gospels tell about him.
Now, some say that John was a Baptist. A Baptist? Seriously? I’m here to tell you, I’ve seen a lot of Baptists in my day, and John definitely was not one of them. He was—how can I put it? Peculiar. You might overhear mommas whisper behind their hands to one another about him, calling him A Curious Boy.
In truth, nobody was weird as he was. The truth is, if you could earn kingdom points for where you live, what you wear or how you eat, John would be hard to beat.
In the first place, he lived in the wilderness. The wilderness. You know, where nobody chooses to live? Let me just say there’s a reason no one else chooses to live there. He lived in the wilderness because John was a wild man, sure enough. But it turns out, he was a preacher, of all things. A wild, unkempt, college-educated, preacher man.
And in the second place, John took to wearing camel’s hair, in the tradition of the prophet Elijah. May I say that camel’s hair is not a top choice for hot weather clothing? You got wool, sheepskin, linen, even Silk and Cotton. They are all reasonable choices for the extreme temperatures of the Judean desert. But there was only one man out there wearing camel’s hair, which feels as smooth as burlap and as comfortable as wearing an inside-out camel. It almost seemed as if he was out to punish himself for the sins of the rest of the nation. And it was working.
What did he eat? Bugs and wild honey—which is an important part of a high-risk diet. You never know if this one’s going to be your last meal. I mean, locusts, in season, can be a good source of protein, if you can get past the wiggly crunch, and the fact that they look like apocalyptic battle horses (just wait until we get to the book of Revelation!). And wild bees go anywhere they please—including poisonous plants. So their honey is not exactly approved by the FDA.
But John wasn’t looking for anyone’s approval, that’s for sure. The crowds didn’t come because John was following a well-traced strategy for popularity. His preaching mostly consisted of yelling at folks all day long. He wasn’t what you’d call a People Person.
And yet, folks came from all over just to hear John preach and then to get themselves dunked by him in the Jordan. Yessir, this eccentric preacher moved in the spirit and power of Elijah, the greatest of the prophets before him. And Elijah’s purpose was to call fallen Israel back from the brink.
What was the secret to the power of John’s ministry? To begin with, the self-discipline of his austere living gave him spiritual power.
Maybe even more than his self-denial, John had power because he had no fear of men. He never chased after the crowds, never depended on them for money or fame, and never changed his message based on public opinion. That fearlessness came to lead to his undoing, actually. More on that later.
What’s more, John knew the prophetic future for Israel. He knew that wrath was ahead for the entire nation, unless they repented. That awareness gave him a sense of urgency and seriousness that made every sentence quiver with power. After all, John was the chief fruit inspector for Israel, the quality control specialist for the kingdom. He was not inspecting their words, their reputations or their credentials; he was inspecting the fruit that came from a prophet’s unbiased wilderness view of their actual behavior.
So, make no mistake about it, for as harsh as John’s message might sound, it was delivered from a heart of tremendous humility. He knew his place, compared to One whom he did not even know, yet. He would do something lower than to carry someone’s sandals; he became less, while Jesus became more.
THAT is the man that Jesus called the best man who ever lived. May we follow in his train.
Matthew ends his second chapter with this curious fulfillment of prophecy: "He shall be called a Nazarene." What does this mean?
The first chapter of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Joseph, who served as Jesus’ earthly father. It also contains Joseph being visited by an angel in a dream, assuring him that Mary’s pregnancy came from the Spirit of God. In chapter 2, Matthew reports three more significant dreams: The wise men were warned about Herod in a dream, Joseph flees Bethlehem in the middle of the night based on a dream, and in Egypt, the Lord appears to him once again. It leaves me wondering how many of us have made major decisions in life based on a dream that we knew to be from God. But there is a little phrase at the end of Matthew 2 that isn’t found anywhere else, so I would like to focus on that for a few minutes.
And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
~Matthew 2:23
Do you know where in the Bible it says, “He shall be called a Nazarene?” You can look it up. You won’t find it. Here is what you will find:
The Bible says the servant of the Lord would be despised and rejected, with no beauty or majesty, nothing attractive about him. Oppressed, afflicted, judged, smitten. That is what it means to be known as a “Nazarene.” No wonder Nate asked Phil, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nobody thought it could.
The region of Galilee never had much of a reputation down in Judea. But the little town of Nazareth was The Lowest Rung on the ladder of respect. A small village with a couple hundred low income residents. No fishing. Few livestock. Very little farming. In fact, Nazareth is so poor . . .. How poor are they, you ask? Nazarenes are so poor that their primary crop is rocks. That sounds like a (very bad) joke, but I’m not even kidding. On the edge of town, the sunny south slope of the hill had been gouged out by the Romans, in order to quarry big building blocks from the limestone to build nearby towns and tombs in the valley.
They call it The Cliff. We will see the cliff again when we get to Luke chapter 4.
It was only right that a man of no reputation should be associated with a town of no reputation. You know, Jesus could have referred to Himself a lot of ways: Lion of Judah, King of Israel, Lord of heaven and earth. Those are labels used for Him, but Jesus never used them for Himself. Though He was King of kings, Lord of lords, the only begotten Son of God, He humbled Himself to be found looking like just a man. In fact, our Lord called Himself the Son of Man—He continued down the ladder to be the servant of all. The lowest of the low, in the eyes of man.
Isaiah called the region “Galilee of the Gentiles.” But he said that despised land would be honored in the future. Know how it happened—how Galilee became honored? Jesus was lifted high in shame, and became the name above every name.
The demons feared Him and called Him “Jesus of Nazareth.” Pilate respected Him and posted a sign on the cross to identify “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” And so the least becomes the greatest, and the last becomes first. Jesus gets a portion among the great, and divides the spoils with the strong.
Indeed, the name of Jesus has been lifted higher than any name, with a power to cast out demons, raise the dead, and heal the lame. Even His followers worked miracles because they did them in that name. It was all part of God’s plan to turn the world upside down. The greatest in the kingdom is the servant of all. And the servant of all becomes the name above all.
So if you are ever tempted to think that God, in all His infinite power and wisdom, does not notice you, think again. You might be just a little dot in the vast expanse of time and space, but the God of the universe has a way of working ahead of time to use the lowest things in a mighty way. Every lowly detail is a part of His own story for you.
And so, once upon a time, a little baby girl by the name of Mary was born in a little town called Nazareth.
What are the chances, huh?
And the rest, as they say, is His story.
In the genealogical list of father/son "begats" in Matthew 1, we find 5 women mentioned. What they share in common is striking, especially when considering that Matthew is the one who includes them.
Today, we talk about Priorities and time management. Some years ago, Charles E. Hummel wrote a life-changing little book titled TYRANNY OF THE URGENT. About half of this material comes from that book.
As we talk about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, one of the first topics to discuss is The Tongue. Watch what you say. All the time.
Every Man's Battle, which we all long to talk about but perhaps fear the most. How to be sexually pure.
Above all else, pursue wisdom, and though it costs you everything you have, get understanding. So says Solomon, the wisest of his generation. Wisdom is the opposite of being a fool, who says in his heart, there is no god. What does it take to become wise in our generation?
An introductory explanation of an entirely different approach to music theory. Can we correct the flaws of virtually every music theory textbook? We might call it music theory upside down. Create first, learn the grammar to explain what makes it "work."
What will happen when I am reduced to two words and a stare? These are the examples and legacies from my two grandmothers.
Discovering that there are certain temptations to draw me away from single-minded discipleship. They are not bad; they are just not the highest thing. May I be about my Father's business.
Introducing the First Four disciples. Working through the night, we got to know each others' voices better than our faces. And we began singing to pass the time. Thus we became the gospel quartet known as The Disciples.
What if a songwriter were using "Three Blind Mice" as the basis for a worship song? See if you can notice ten things that are indicative of a contemporary worship song.
Is there a curriculum for making disciples? No. But there are some significant passages of Scripture that address specifically the focus of a young man, and those make for some good rallying points. Here are about fifteen topics, placed in a general order, that might be covered over several months of discipling relationships.
Prophecy, as I understand it, is far from fortune telling. It is more related to blessing.
You would think that the pattern was simple enough, and that the commission was clear enough, that if we simply followed them, we would bring the kingdom on earth. However, we find that just about the time that a ministry seems to get it "right," it seems to fall off the edge.
I have concluded two things from my struggles with small talk: First, I may as well go ahead an be awkward on purpose. Second, I want to be ready with questions that are significant. Enter "Captain Questions."
A sermon to be delivered Sunday August 4 at Georgetown Church of Christ in Georgetown, Ohio.
None of these are the strongest of recordings, so far. But they give enough of a demonstration of my vision for the song that I hope they are not too distracting from the intended message.
It is a special challenge for a younger generation, especially the baby of the family, to try to speak life-changing truth with older family members. Leading from beneath is not easy. That includes my own children leading me, as it turns out. It is the way of the kingdom of God.
A self-absorbed young man who focuses primarily on discipline is still self-absorbed. Why didn't someone tell me that the mark of maturity is LOVE, not SELF-DISCIPLINE? Maybe Someone had.
The summer after college was an important venture in serious adulting. The pursuit of holiness, without which no one can see the Lord. Know how many days that summer I accomplished my goals?
The young men who were hired as this new position called "youth minister" faithfully fulfilled their calling, and with each one I was more and more influenced. I was learning to disciple before I ever heard the term.
Jesus Music was the merging of my musical heart language (folk/rock/jazz) with Christ-honoring lyrics. It spoke to me deeply, and I began to listen to and to create music in that genre.
This is offered in conjunction with the podcast about the Gadarene demoniac, found at the Bibletales podcast site.
Added to the influence of The Orphanage was The Greenhouse. Intentional peer-led groups was the single most influential activity to encourage my early spiritual growth.
And so this spiritual orphan found a home in the local orphanage. The workers there became like family, and the discipleship process began.
Two godly grandmas--Chipper Grandmas and Fun Grandma--prayed for me and invested in my life in ways that I could never repay. Or, maybe I can. Lord, let me be as intentional with my own grandchildren as my grandmas were with me.
I was a relatively-good kid in a moral, loving home. If I wasn’t good, at least I was quiet enough to not be bad—not like some, anyhow. I got good grades in school, watched my manners, and respected my parents. I was also a slave to my addictions of pride, self-will, lust and ambition. I lied, cheated and selfishly went my own way.
Need proof?
My personal spiritual journey, told for my grandchildren, and for anyone else. The introduction.