It is easy to be joyful when things go the way we want them to… when “life is good”… when we have everything we could wish for and more… when friends are loyal… when family members get along… when the birds are singing and a cool breeze is blowing…
But whether I read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, Luke or Mark, those Beatitudes cause me to ponder where real joy comes from. Luke takes the cake! After saying, “Blessed are you who are poor… hungry… weeping… when men hate you… exclude you… insult you… he ends by saying, “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy…” Luke 6:20-23
What on earth would cause us to leap for joy in those circumstances?
As I ponder this, I see a young child learning to walk… Blessed is the child who gets some bumps and bruises when he falls down because he learns to walk… Blessed is the child who is discouraged because she learns where to go for encouragement and to hang in there… Blessed is the child who deals with some adversity because he becomes strong… Blessed is the teen who makes a poor decision because she learns forgiveness, grace and consequences in life and learns to make good decisions…
It is in the difficult things in life that we grow in character, wisdom, and strength. But more importantly, when we suffer the difficulties in this world, we have opportunity to grow spiritually – to grow closer to God. Part of this is because our focus changes. When we are hungry or poor, we understand that God is our Provider. When we are weeping, we understand that God is our Comforter. When we are looked down on or even excluded or rejected by others, we understand that God is Love. When things are humming along without those adversities, we might get to thinking that we don’t need God… that we are pretty okay on our own… that we are even our own little god and our happy little kingdom is just fine. Our full focus is on the here and now. Life is good!
But when things are difficult, how do we get from enduring, making it through, or just hanging in there and surviving to “leaping for joy”? The rest of the verse is, “… because great is your reward in heaven.” Luke 6:23b I’ve been reading the book, “Just Like Jesus,” by Max Lucado. In it, he talks of Jesus preparing for the crucifixion. He says that Jesus was able to go forward in spite of God not answering his prayer (to remove this cup), in spite of his friends deserting him (they all ran away), and in spite of the pain and suffering because he knew what heaven was like. He came from there and was going back there. And while we have limited information regarding heaven, one thing is sure: Jesus was willing to take on the sin and shame of the entire world so we could join him there. He must really love us! And, it must be a fantastic place – an awesome reward – something to really look forward to! Max Lucado pictures it as, “… we’ll take our place at the table. In an hour that has no end, we will rest. Surrounded by saints and engulfed by Jesus himself, the work will, indeed, be finished. The final harvest will have been gathered, we will be seated, and Christ will christen the meal with these words: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’ Matthew 25:23.”(p. 149) The reward is not so much in ‘things’, but in a Presence – the Presence of Christ – an overwhelming ‘feel good’ forever.
I wonder then, do I have to wait for eternity to experience some of this forever ‘feel good’? Maybe the reason I can leap for joy now is because heaven and earth are not so far apart. Even as we have troubles in this world, we can experience the Presence of Christ and walk and talk with him. We can accept his assurances, his comfort, his love, his mercy, and his grace; and we can respond with love and worship of him even now. As we anticipate the great banquet, the blessings of all blessings, we can do way better than survive. We can leap for joy because we know we are going ‘home’ and it won’t be long.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Confidence
I like to believe that I am ‘good’ at some things and ‘very good’ at others. That is part of who I am. Throughout my life, I have gained skills and gotten even ‘better’ at some of those things. So when I am ‘in my element’ I can really shine. And I love it when others say, “Wow! You really know what you are doing here.”
According to Luke 5, Simon (later known as Peter) owned his own fishing boat. He had to have been a very good fisherman. It was what he was good at – not just good, but very good! He made a living for himself and for others he hired to help on his boat. No doubt other fishermen would say, “There goes Simon. He’s one of the best fishermen in the whole area.” And little boys who liked fishing would say, “When I grow up, I want to be like Simon and have my own fishing boat and catch big fish.”
It would be quite easy for Simon to feel proud of himself. He had accomplished something important with his life. He was successful at what he did. When Jesus asked to use his boat to speak to the people on the shoreline, Simon must have felt quite proud that Jesus had selected his boat out of all the boats there. He might have thought, “Even Jesus thinks my boat is the best. He chose to use it today.” Yes, Simon’s confidence was high. Well sort of… he had a not-to-successful night fishing the night before and wondered who did what to the sea that there weren’t so many fish to catch anymore. But you’ll have this once in a while. Tonight he would go out again and fill the nets because he was that good and that successful.
After Jesus was done talking with the people, Jesus turned to Simon and asked him to take him on a deep sea fishing trip. Simon was quick to inform Jesus that if he, one of the best fishermen on the coast, was unable to catch anything last night, there was nothing there to be caught. But if Jesus wanted to go out and drag the nets around a while, he would humor him and let him see for himself that there just were no fish in the area right now. Besides, you can’t expect to get fish in the heat of the day – they go deeper and further out. This Jesus sure didn’t know much about fishing.
Wait! What’s going on with the nets? Are they really filling with fish? How can it be? James! John! Come quick and help. This is a huge catch – the most I’ve ever seen in all my years fishing! “… and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.” John 5:7b
Simon’s response was quick, “… he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’” Luke 5:8 He recognized instantly that only God could do something this huge. Everything that he thought he was, everything that he took confidence in within himself was worthless compared to who he was standing next to. And then Jesus invited Simon to come with him. “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” Luke 5:10 And Simon didn’t hesitate, nor did James and John. “So they pulled their boats up on shore, and left everything and followed him.” Luke 5:11
Two things happen when we truly come into the presence of the Lord. First, we see ourselves for what we really are – filthy rags next to his holiness and incompetent next to his greatness. All the greatness that we think we are is suddenly nothing when we truly set our eyes on Jesus. And secondly, when we discover that he loves us in spite of ourselves and that he is inviting us to join him in his work, we are willing to drop everything and follow him. We can do nothing less because there is no place we would rather be than following him.
According to Luke 5, Simon (later known as Peter) owned his own fishing boat. He had to have been a very good fisherman. It was what he was good at – not just good, but very good! He made a living for himself and for others he hired to help on his boat. No doubt other fishermen would say, “There goes Simon. He’s one of the best fishermen in the whole area.” And little boys who liked fishing would say, “When I grow up, I want to be like Simon and have my own fishing boat and catch big fish.”
It would be quite easy for Simon to feel proud of himself. He had accomplished something important with his life. He was successful at what he did. When Jesus asked to use his boat to speak to the people on the shoreline, Simon must have felt quite proud that Jesus had selected his boat out of all the boats there. He might have thought, “Even Jesus thinks my boat is the best. He chose to use it today.” Yes, Simon’s confidence was high. Well sort of… he had a not-to-successful night fishing the night before and wondered who did what to the sea that there weren’t so many fish to catch anymore. But you’ll have this once in a while. Tonight he would go out again and fill the nets because he was that good and that successful.
After Jesus was done talking with the people, Jesus turned to Simon and asked him to take him on a deep sea fishing trip. Simon was quick to inform Jesus that if he, one of the best fishermen on the coast, was unable to catch anything last night, there was nothing there to be caught. But if Jesus wanted to go out and drag the nets around a while, he would humor him and let him see for himself that there just were no fish in the area right now. Besides, you can’t expect to get fish in the heat of the day – they go deeper and further out. This Jesus sure didn’t know much about fishing.
Wait! What’s going on with the nets? Are they really filling with fish? How can it be? James! John! Come quick and help. This is a huge catch – the most I’ve ever seen in all my years fishing! “… and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.” John 5:7b
Simon’s response was quick, “… he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’” Luke 5:8 He recognized instantly that only God could do something this huge. Everything that he thought he was, everything that he took confidence in within himself was worthless compared to who he was standing next to. And then Jesus invited Simon to come with him. “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” Luke 5:10 And Simon didn’t hesitate, nor did James and John. “So they pulled their boats up on shore, and left everything and followed him.” Luke 5:11
Two things happen when we truly come into the presence of the Lord. First, we see ourselves for what we really are – filthy rags next to his holiness and incompetent next to his greatness. All the greatness that we think we are is suddenly nothing when we truly set our eyes on Jesus. And secondly, when we discover that he loves us in spite of ourselves and that he is inviting us to join him in his work, we are willing to drop everything and follow him. We can do nothing less because there is no place we would rather be than following him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)