Some of us have studied long and hard to learn the truths of the Bible. We dig deep and study commentaries by theologians. Some have become so knowledgeable that they can hardly speak in lay terms anymore, but use four and five syllable words that cannot be pronounced by the average person who, in the end, has no idea what the other person is talking about. Along with that study comes many ‘right ways’ to do things. I wonder why we as mortal beings are so quick to make things complicated. Sometimes we make things so complicated that people turn away and say, “I just can’t understand it so I will avoid it.”
As I study Jesus during my wondering through the New Testament, I find Him often to be quite simple and straight forward. The healing of the blind beggar is one of those moments. When the beggar finds out it is Jesus walking by, he calls out to Him, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Luke 18:38 Jesus could have said, “Well, what have you been doing all your life? Have you honored God? Have you followed all the rules of the Synagogue? Have you honored your parents? Fix those things and then come back.” But that is not what Jesus said. He simply asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” to which the man replied, “Lord, I want to see.” Luke 18:41
Jesus took notice of the faith of that man at the moment. He wanted to see and he believed that Jesus could heal his eyes so he could see. And Jesus did just that. He attributed the healing to the faith the man had. Sounds unbelievably simple!
I wonder sometimes if we carry our religion around like a heavy backpack, full of assignments and hard work, and totally miss the simplicity of faith in the One who came “to preach good news to the poor… proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Luke 4:18-19. Do we make it so hard that people turn away when it is really very simple? Jesus wants to heal us. He wants to free us. He wants to bless us. All we need to do is ask and believe.
Lord, please help me to shed the backpack and to just look and listen for You. I want to see. Help me to focus my eyes on You. Amen.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Who Is Listening?
Sometimes it is just plain hard to live in this world. I would venture to say that no one who lives to adulthood has escaped the horrors of being betrayed or rejected by someone we thought was our friend at one time or another. Some live with deep scars and are unable to develop meaningful relationships while others seem to be able to recover and still have confidence in others.
But more disconcerting yet is the fact that most of us have at one time or another betrayed another person. Whether it was purposeful or not does not change the fact that we betrayed them. I wonder if that is why there is so much teaching in the Bible about relationships and how to relate to each other and care for each other.
For the past number of years, these verses in Luke have buzzed around my head causing me to think carefully (at least most of the time) before speaking. “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear of the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” Luke 12:2-3
I wonder… what if a loudspeaker on the roof of my house and my car were to broadcast what is coming out of my mouth moment by moment? Would I say what I am about to say? Or would I try to change my words to be more gentle and kind? Would I even say it at all?
Someday, if not now, I will need to give an account of all the words I have spoken and the affect they have had on others. Will it be a good account or will it be a sad account? “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” Matthew 12:36
But more than avoiding judgment, how do I choose to use words? “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24 As I ‘hang out’ more with Jesus and begin to imitate Him more and more, as I die to myself and allow His spirit within me to transform me and teach me to love others (whether or not they are ‘loveable’), I pray that gracious and healing words will become more and more a part of my vocabulary and that cutting and harsh words will be removed. I pray that the words I speak, whether out loud or in secret, would be words that would bring healing and hope – even if they were to be broadcast from a loudspeaker on my roof.
Friday, July 5, 2013
What Do Others See?
Knowledge – it can be such a good thing. Yet, it has a down side. Knowledge that comes from self can get in the way of knowledge that comes from God. When Jesus was in His home town, He did not perform the miracles as He had in Capernaum – not because He couldn’t, but because the people had come to see the ‘show’, not to worship God. Their knowledge of Jesus growing up in the home of Mary and Joseph brought with it disbelief that He was indeed the Messiah. (Luke 4:14-30)
Some of us who grow up in the church struggle with knowledge about who Jesus is… not because we haven’t learned all about Him in years of Sunday School, but because we are so familiar with that ‘information’ that we fail to seek the ‘person’ of Jesus Christ. We become self-righteous because we know the right behaviors, but our hearts are not in love with Him.
Paul says in Romans 2:28-29, “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.” We could substitute ‘Christian’ or ‘church member’ for ‘Jew’ and then substitute ‘baptism’ or ‘confirmation’ for ‘circumcision’ and that would be a pretty good picture of who many of us are in the church. Paul says, “As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’” Romans 2:24 We give God a ‘black eye’ when we call ourselves Christians, but we have no personal relationship with the Living Christ. We confuse others if we parade ourselves as Christians, but we are not disciples and servants of the Living Christ.
Today, God is reminding me that He desires close, intimate relationship with me – not just good behaviors or doing everything ‘right’! As He loves me, so He desires to love others through me – so that they will also desire a close, intimate relationship with Him.
Friday, May 10, 2013
The Miracle of Giving
Anyone growing up in the church knows the story of the feeding of the 5,000… a small boy… five small loaves… two fish… Jesus blessed it and fed the whole crowd with leftovers. Where did the bread and fish come from? John tells us that it came from someone else – a child. Most children in this country do not worry about where their next meal will come from. The parent provides and they eat. If the child was not hungry at the time, it would have been easy for him to give up the food – especially if he didn’t really like it anyway. Yet, he did give it and Jesus used it.
In the feeding of the 4,000 as told in Mark 8, Jesus asked the disciples, “How many loaves do you have?” Mark 8:5. The disciples have been traveling with Jesus. This is not a high salary ministry position. They live from day to day on what is provided to them by others. I wonder if they were tempted to say, “We have seven loaves here, but it is all we have and we don’t know if we will have anything tomorrow, so we had better keep this and make it stretch. We are already pushing it to feed 13 of us with only seven loaves!”
Jesus didn’t give them that option. He took the bread, blessed it, and shared it with the crowd. And amazingly, everyone was fed and there were leftovers. I wonder though if the real miracle was the willingness of the disciples to give up the bread – to let go of their daily sustenance and trust that God would continue to provide for them.
When I look at what God is able to do with that small offering, I wonder what He would do if all those who follow Him would be willing to give whatever they have to Him. It seems there would be no need in the world because when Jesus touches something and blesses it, it has a tendency to multiply and meet many more needs than it would if we hold it tight to ourselves.
Paul takes this idea into the emotional and spiritual realm as well. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” II Corinthians 1:3-4 It seems then that God does not bless us so we can hoard it all for ourselves, but rather so we can bless others. As we offer whatever we have to others, God blesses it, multiplies it and many more are blessed. It is a kingdom full of gracious giving – and everyone benefits!
When Jesus prayed, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” I wonder if He was envisioning this kind of giving, where we offer everything we have to Him to be used for His honor and glory, holding nothing back. It sounds like a bit of heaven to me.
Lord, please give me a kingdom perspective about all that I have. I offer it to you to multiply and use for bringing comfort and blessings to others, not just me. Thank you that I can trust you for provision each day. You are my Provider and I offer all that I have to be used for Your good purposes. Amen.
In the feeding of the 4,000 as told in Mark 8, Jesus asked the disciples, “How many loaves do you have?” Mark 8:5. The disciples have been traveling with Jesus. This is not a high salary ministry position. They live from day to day on what is provided to them by others. I wonder if they were tempted to say, “We have seven loaves here, but it is all we have and we don’t know if we will have anything tomorrow, so we had better keep this and make it stretch. We are already pushing it to feed 13 of us with only seven loaves!”
Jesus didn’t give them that option. He took the bread, blessed it, and shared it with the crowd. And amazingly, everyone was fed and there were leftovers. I wonder though if the real miracle was the willingness of the disciples to give up the bread – to let go of their daily sustenance and trust that God would continue to provide for them.
When I look at what God is able to do with that small offering, I wonder what He would do if all those who follow Him would be willing to give whatever they have to Him. It seems there would be no need in the world because when Jesus touches something and blesses it, it has a tendency to multiply and meet many more needs than it would if we hold it tight to ourselves.
Paul takes this idea into the emotional and spiritual realm as well. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” II Corinthians 1:3-4 It seems then that God does not bless us so we can hoard it all for ourselves, but rather so we can bless others. As we offer whatever we have to others, God blesses it, multiplies it and many more are blessed. It is a kingdom full of gracious giving – and everyone benefits!
When Jesus prayed, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” I wonder if He was envisioning this kind of giving, where we offer everything we have to Him to be used for His honor and glory, holding nothing back. It sounds like a bit of heaven to me.
Lord, please give me a kingdom perspective about all that I have. I offer it to you to multiply and use for bringing comfort and blessings to others, not just me. Thank you that I can trust you for provision each day. You are my Provider and I offer all that I have to be used for Your good purposes. Amen.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Learning From the Birds...
Last fall, we traveled to Texas for a family reunion. Being an avid bird watcher, I often have a goal of seeing a bird I have not seen before when we travel. This trip, I was focused on seeing a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. My prayer went something like this: “Lord, I would love to see a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. It is a beautiful part of Your Creation and I am really hoping to see one on this trip. Please show me one somewhere along the way. Amen.” Simple – but God has shown me many beautiful birds when I have asked Him. A Blackburnian Warbler flew in and sat on a branch just a few feet in front of my face. A Scarlet Tanager flew down right past me and perched on a branch just a few feet off the ground. They normally sit on the top of very tall trees and you can hear them, but they are hard to see. That morning, I was sitting on our deck doing my morning devotions and I kept hearing the Scarlet Tanager above me. I tried to see it and could not. In desperation I said, “God, why did You make such a beautiful bird and then perch it so high in the branches I can’t see it?” It wasn’t long after that the bird flew right in front of me and perched on the branch where I could see it clearly without binoculars! I wonder… Does God sometimes tell a bird where to fly and perch?
As we drove through Oklahoma, we watched for the Scissor-tailed. We went to a wildlife preserve thinking it might be a place where they would hang out. No Scissor-tailed was to be found. We were in Texas for several days. Each day, we would go to a local park that had a stream running through it or to another place where we thought Scissor-tailed Flycatchers might hang out. Local people said, “Oh yes, they are around here all the time.” But we didn’t see any. We prayed – my husband prayed that I would see one. I prayed that God would help me accept that I might not see one. I acknowledged that the more important part of His Creation is the people He created and we had rich fellowship with extended family during that time. Finally, hours before we were to depart, we had again gone to the park. Still no Flycatcher. Then on the way back to the hotel, my husband said, “Stop! I think I see one.” We stopped and there sitting on the power line above us was a beautiful Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. I was thrilled. “Thank you God, for showing me this beautiful bird!”
Driving back up through Oklahoma, we rejoiced in the family time together and in seeing the bird I had asked for on this trip. We stopped to spend time with more family and decided to go out to dinner that evening. We chose a restaurant in a nearby town and began our drive. I was with my sister and was telling her about the Scissor-tailed sighting and she pointed up to the power line to the right and said, “There is one now! And there’s another one! And another one! And another one!” Soon I was laughing joyously as we noticed that the road was lined with Scissor-tails on either side the whole way from their house to the restaurant. We counted close to 50 of them. The strange thing was that there were only a very few other birds along the way.
I soon realized that God was again teaching me something about Himself. He said to me, “You asked to see A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Texas. So I showed you ONE Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Texas. Now I am showing you that your vision is too small. I am the Creator of the universe. I am able to give you so much more than you ask for. I love you. Trust ME to be your Provider. Just as I lined the road with the Scissor-tailed Flycatchers for you to enjoy, I will provide whatever you need. I delight in YOU even as you delight in ME.”
I was reminded of this event as I was reading the story in Mark 6 about Jesus feeding the 5,000 and then walking on water and calming the storm. So often, I read about things like that in the Bible like they are isolated incidents that happened in the past. Sometimes I forget that the Holy Spirit has been given to us to live in us and make this Creation power available to us on a daily basis. We need only to believe and to ask. He can turn a few small loaves of bread and a couple of fish into a feast for 5,000 people! He can tell the wind to calm down and the water to be still! That same God is watching, listening and has compassion for each of us here and now.
Lord, help me to never forget who You are! Open my eyes to see Your wonders all around me, Your assurances that You delight in me, and Your working in me and through me throughout the day. You are an awesome and holy God. I worship You and praise You and delight in You. Today, please give me the strength and focus to serve You well and to reflect Your glory for others to see. Amen.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
A 'How To' Manual on Praying
We live in a day and age when we believe we can do anything we set our minds to and we can control our ‘universe’ by the choices we make. We learn to modulate our tone of voice and choose our words to gain cooperation, acceptance, admiration, etc. from others depending on our goals. We learn from science that if you put A with B, you will get AB and if you remove C from CD you will get D. It is very clear that this is how the world works.
So when it comes to God and praying, we tend to believe that if we do everything just right, our prayers will be answered according to our wishes, hopes and dreams. We look for verses in the Bible about prayer and say, “If I have enough faith…” or “If I am persistent enough…” But it doesn’t work quite like that. God is not constrained to our demands, thoughts, and desires. Even Jesus had to accept a different answer than He hoped for. Let’s visit Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.’” Matthew 26:39 The answer? Jesus was arrested, put on trial, mocked, tortured, and hung on a cross to die. This was God’s very own Son!
By our definition of answered prayer, Jesus’ prayer was not answered. He did not get what He wanted! So I wonder if maybe we need to change our definition of what answered prayer looks like. Jesus wrote the ‘Procedure Manual on Prayer’.
“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation… So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’” Luke 11:1-4, 9-11
How does this possibly line up? “Ask and you will receive.” All I have to do is ask and God will give me whatever I want. Right?
Back to the Garden… What was Jesus really doing in the Garden? Why didn’t God ‘answer’ His prayer? When I picture Jesus in the Garden, I picture a very stressed – even in anguish – young man. I believe Jesus, God in the flesh, was struggling to align His heart and actions of His flesh with God’s will. He obviously knew that He was going to die. He had told His disciples that on several occasions. But when the time came, the flesh struggled to submit. Because Jesus was fully human as well as fully God, He had to deal with very human responses to stress and anguish. Jesus spent the night in prayer not demanding God give Him what His flesh desired, but aligning His will with the Father in order to be willing to submit to the death on the cross that was coming.
When is the last time I struggled with my flesh, wanting one thing while God was taking me somewhere else? Did I spend the night praying my flesh through the difficult choice to obey or not obey? Because Jesus was willing to obey, we are given the wonderful gift of salvation. When I choose to obey – even when it is painfully hard – is it possible I am extending that gift to others?
I have learned through many hard trials to trust God. If He can take the hardest thing ever – Jesus, the One without sin being tortured and killed on the cross in order to pay the price for our sins and in order to bring about His resurrection, demonstrating eternal life and inviting us to join Him in His kingdom – surely He can take the trials in my life and use them for good.
What I have learned from Gethsemane is that I can share my heart’s desires with God, but then I ask God to show me if they are His desires and submit myself to His answer, whatever it is, in order to do the most good for His kingdom. My desire is to align my heart and will with Him – not get Him to align His will with mine. As a child of the King, my desire is for His will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
So when it comes to God and praying, we tend to believe that if we do everything just right, our prayers will be answered according to our wishes, hopes and dreams. We look for verses in the Bible about prayer and say, “If I have enough faith…” or “If I am persistent enough…” But it doesn’t work quite like that. God is not constrained to our demands, thoughts, and desires. Even Jesus had to accept a different answer than He hoped for. Let’s visit Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.’” Matthew 26:39 The answer? Jesus was arrested, put on trial, mocked, tortured, and hung on a cross to die. This was God’s very own Son!
By our definition of answered prayer, Jesus’ prayer was not answered. He did not get what He wanted! So I wonder if maybe we need to change our definition of what answered prayer looks like. Jesus wrote the ‘Procedure Manual on Prayer’.
“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation… So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’” Luke 11:1-4, 9-11
How does this possibly line up? “Ask and you will receive.” All I have to do is ask and God will give me whatever I want. Right?
Back to the Garden… What was Jesus really doing in the Garden? Why didn’t God ‘answer’ His prayer? When I picture Jesus in the Garden, I picture a very stressed – even in anguish – young man. I believe Jesus, God in the flesh, was struggling to align His heart and actions of His flesh with God’s will. He obviously knew that He was going to die. He had told His disciples that on several occasions. But when the time came, the flesh struggled to submit. Because Jesus was fully human as well as fully God, He had to deal with very human responses to stress and anguish. Jesus spent the night in prayer not demanding God give Him what His flesh desired, but aligning His will with the Father in order to be willing to submit to the death on the cross that was coming.
When is the last time I struggled with my flesh, wanting one thing while God was taking me somewhere else? Did I spend the night praying my flesh through the difficult choice to obey or not obey? Because Jesus was willing to obey, we are given the wonderful gift of salvation. When I choose to obey – even when it is painfully hard – is it possible I am extending that gift to others?
I have learned through many hard trials to trust God. If He can take the hardest thing ever – Jesus, the One without sin being tortured and killed on the cross in order to pay the price for our sins and in order to bring about His resurrection, demonstrating eternal life and inviting us to join Him in His kingdom – surely He can take the trials in my life and use them for good.
What I have learned from Gethsemane is that I can share my heart’s desires with God, but then I ask God to show me if they are His desires and submit myself to His answer, whatever it is, in order to do the most good for His kingdom. My desire is to align my heart and will with Him – not get Him to align His will with mine. As a child of the King, my desire is for His will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Following at a Distance
Peter – the Rock – the Rock upon which Christ intended to build His Church – the one who would never leave Christ’s side – committed, strong and focused. This is the Peter who “followed at a distance” (Matthew 26:58) and then denied that he knew Jesus not once, but three times! How could this be? How could one so close and committed find himself denying that he even knew Jesus?
It is easy to give Peter and the other disciples a hard time for not sticking close and defending their Lord. But then I wonder – would I have been able to stick close? Would I have totally abandoned Jesus or would I have had the courage and curiosity to follow at a distance? And then the wondering goes deeper… how do I respond even now?
Jesus taught His disciples day after day about the Kingdom of God – a spiritual kingdom – not an earthly one. But the Jewish nation was looking for an earthly king – like David – to rise up and free them from the Roman rule. The disciples heard Jesus day after day, but applied it to their understanding of an earthly kingdom. Imagine the confusion when they watched as He was arrested! Everything they thought they understood and believed just went up in smoke! And their human response was to try to save their own tails and disassociate from the One whom they had been following – every one of them including Peter, the Rock. But Peter followed at a distance.
First I wonder, how many of us as Christians follow Christ at a distance – not wanting to put ourselves on the line or get into the heat of the spiritual battles. When discussions begin in the workplace or neighborhood gathering, do we identify ourselves as followers of Christ? Or do we slip into the background and disappear? We feed on His words Sunday morning year after year, but do we understand what He is teaching us? Or do we try to fit what He is teaching us into our own ‘truth’ and perceptions of the world around us?
And if I were to be asked outright, “Do you follow Jesus?” how do I respond? Do I say, “Yes, and here is why…?” or do I fudge or even outright deny so I don’t have to put myself on the line and possibly be ‘crucified’ socially?
Like Peter, I have in my past found my weakest point, when I was willing to deny I knew Him to ‘save my skin’ or at the very least to avoid conflict. Maybe I didn’t say the words, “I never knew Him,” but my actions did. And I saw Jesus turning to look at me while the cock was crowing – I knew on the spot I had failed. It had become more important for me to be socially accepted by those around me than to identify with the One who came to save me and establish His Kingdom here on earth as well as in heaven.
At that point, I have the choice. I can go like Judas and fully self-destruct because I have failed. Or, like Peter, I can have that hard conversation with Jesus and decide to accept His forgiveness and get about the Kingdom work again. Jesus doesn’t avoid us or kick us out when we fail. He offers us His hand of fellowship and reinstates us if we are willing and continues to give us Kingdom work to do – “Feed my sheep.” Jesus is saying to Peter, “Don’t just say the words, DO THEM.” If you love me, “Feed my lambs,” “Take care of my sheep,” and “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17)
We all have a choice every day… we can wallow in our self-destructive behaviors or we can accept God’s forgiveness and get about the work of “feeding His sheep.” We can learn to love others the way Christ loves them – being willing to die for them in order for them to experience His great love and forgiveness. My human side wants to hold onto my skin. But when I am willing to abandon the need to protect myself and willing to give myself freely to God’s Kingdom, I can experience the deep, forgiving, re-instating love of Jesus and get about caring for others.
Thank you, Jesus, that you don’t give up on me. I am awed that you continue to use me in your Kingdom even when I have failed over and over. Keep teaching me your love and give me a heart to love others as you do, to see them as sheep in need of being fed. Fill me with your Spirit of love, compassion, mercy and grace so that I can extend a hand of fellowship to others just as You have done for me. Thank You. Amen.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
But Jesus Remained Silent
In his novel, “The Trial,” Franz Kafka tells of a man who is accused, tried, and sentenced to death while never knowing what he is accused of, what was said at his trial and why he was condemned to die. In our American culture, this is unthinkable. We have laws protecting us and those who are accusing us are to do so in the court of law. If we can’t afford a lawyer, one is appointed to defend us. We have a jury of peers who sort through the evidence presented and determine whether or not we are guilty – all this before we are sentenced according to our guilt.
Matthew tells us that Jesus was arrested and taken before Caiaphas, the high priest. “The high priest and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.” Matthew 26:59 Finally a couple of people brought false testimony against Jesus. “Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, ‘Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you? But Jesus remained silent.” Matthew 26:62-63
I wonder why or how Jesus could keep silent. When I’m falsely accused, I want to set the record straight. I want people to understand the truth about me. I might even bring other people into it to defend my integrity. This is a time when I do not want to be silent.
So I wonder again, why did Jesus keep silent and how could He keep silent under those circumstances. Jesus was taken before the governor where the chief priests and elders brought their accusations, and again He gave no answer. “Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge – to the great amazement of the governor.” Matthew 27:13-14 The governor had the authority to set Jesus free. Yet, Jesus did not defend himself.
Jesus was sentenced to torture and death without defense. His friends betrayed Him and abandoned Him. Yet He resolutely stuck to the plan. The author of Hebrews tells us, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2
I believe Jesus was silent for at least two reasons: He already knew what the outcome would be and the importance – for the salvation of all humankind. He did not need to defend Himself – He knew who He was. “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.” John 13:3-5 He took on the role of a servant even though all power and authority belonged to Him.
Secondly, He knew that if these people were blind and ignorant enough to put God on trial for ‘pretending’ to be God, no argument would be heard no matter how carefully spoken it would be. If people are not open to hearing the truth and have decided what ‘their truth’ is, they simply won’t be able to hear or accept the real truth. It might be a bit like “throwing your pearls before the pigs.” Matthew 7:6
So what do I learn from this silence? First, I don’t always need to defend myself – in fact sometimes, it is better to remain silent. I know who I am – a child of the Living God – and I can trust my Father to take care of me and, if necessary, to set the record straight. In the end, the truth will prevail. Misrepresenting the truth does not change the truth. How I behave and treat others does not need to depend on how I have been treated. I can choose a loving response: “Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34
Secondly, I am called to serve – even those who may betray me or accuse me or abandon me. In becoming a servant, like Christ, I am making a way for reconciliation. That seems to me to be where God’s heart is at – helping us to reconcile with others and live at peace and in unity, so the world will know that we are His disciples (John 17). May God give me the strength and wisdom to live out these words.
Matthew tells us that Jesus was arrested and taken before Caiaphas, the high priest. “The high priest and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.” Matthew 26:59 Finally a couple of people brought false testimony against Jesus. “Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, ‘Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you? But Jesus remained silent.” Matthew 26:62-63
I wonder why or how Jesus could keep silent. When I’m falsely accused, I want to set the record straight. I want people to understand the truth about me. I might even bring other people into it to defend my integrity. This is a time when I do not want to be silent.
So I wonder again, why did Jesus keep silent and how could He keep silent under those circumstances. Jesus was taken before the governor where the chief priests and elders brought their accusations, and again He gave no answer. “Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge – to the great amazement of the governor.” Matthew 27:13-14 The governor had the authority to set Jesus free. Yet, Jesus did not defend himself.
Jesus was sentenced to torture and death without defense. His friends betrayed Him and abandoned Him. Yet He resolutely stuck to the plan. The author of Hebrews tells us, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2
I believe Jesus was silent for at least two reasons: He already knew what the outcome would be and the importance – for the salvation of all humankind. He did not need to defend Himself – He knew who He was. “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.” John 13:3-5 He took on the role of a servant even though all power and authority belonged to Him.
Secondly, He knew that if these people were blind and ignorant enough to put God on trial for ‘pretending’ to be God, no argument would be heard no matter how carefully spoken it would be. If people are not open to hearing the truth and have decided what ‘their truth’ is, they simply won’t be able to hear or accept the real truth. It might be a bit like “throwing your pearls before the pigs.” Matthew 7:6
So what do I learn from this silence? First, I don’t always need to defend myself – in fact sometimes, it is better to remain silent. I know who I am – a child of the Living God – and I can trust my Father to take care of me and, if necessary, to set the record straight. In the end, the truth will prevail. Misrepresenting the truth does not change the truth. How I behave and treat others does not need to depend on how I have been treated. I can choose a loving response: “Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34
Secondly, I am called to serve – even those who may betray me or accuse me or abandon me. In becoming a servant, like Christ, I am making a way for reconciliation. That seems to me to be where God’s heart is at – helping us to reconcile with others and live at peace and in unity, so the world will know that we are His disciples (John 17). May God give me the strength and wisdom to live out these words.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Decision Points
In my Bible, Matthew 14:13-21 carries the title, “Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand.” Naturally, when I read that section, I focus on the miracle of the loaves and fishes – feeding a crowd of thousands with just five loaves and two fishes.
But today, I wonder if some of the ‘real’ story is in the first two verse. The previous 12 verses tell of the beheading of John the Baptist. “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” Matthew 14:13 I wonder if Jesus was feeling tremendous grief at the loss of a great man, a great friend, “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” Isaiah 40:3 I wonder if Jesus was considering what men had done and whether or not the human race was worth redeeming. How deep His suffering and grief at that moment!
“Hearing this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Matthew 14:14 I wonder if the Father brought the crowds to Jesus to remind Him that He loved them and as He showed the compassion that so naturally flowed from Him, He began to make up His mind that, yes, He would go through with His purposes here on earth. Yes, He loved them enough to die for them – even those that killed one so dear to Him.
Moments like these in Scriptures remind me that Jesus could have turned away at any time and returned to heaven without any of the betrayal, torture, or the cross. He could have given us all what we deserve and ended the human race at any time. Yet, because of His great love and compassion, He healed the sick, provided nourishment, and met the needs of the crowds who followed Him.
He is still the same God – full of compassion and mercy. He loves us in spite of all the wrong we have done and encourages us when we do well. He cheers us on in this life as we learn to be more and more like Him, as we prepare for eternity with Him.
How awesome is our God! There is nothing that can compare to His great love for us.
But today, I wonder if some of the ‘real’ story is in the first two verse. The previous 12 verses tell of the beheading of John the Baptist. “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” Matthew 14:13 I wonder if Jesus was feeling tremendous grief at the loss of a great man, a great friend, “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” Isaiah 40:3 I wonder if Jesus was considering what men had done and whether or not the human race was worth redeeming. How deep His suffering and grief at that moment!
“Hearing this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Matthew 14:14 I wonder if the Father brought the crowds to Jesus to remind Him that He loved them and as He showed the compassion that so naturally flowed from Him, He began to make up His mind that, yes, He would go through with His purposes here on earth. Yes, He loved them enough to die for them – even those that killed one so dear to Him.
Moments like these in Scriptures remind me that Jesus could have turned away at any time and returned to heaven without any of the betrayal, torture, or the cross. He could have given us all what we deserve and ended the human race at any time. Yet, because of His great love and compassion, He healed the sick, provided nourishment, and met the needs of the crowds who followed Him.
He is still the same God – full of compassion and mercy. He loves us in spite of all the wrong we have done and encourages us when we do well. He cheers us on in this life as we learn to be more and more like Him, as we prepare for eternity with Him.
How awesome is our God! There is nothing that can compare to His great love for us.
Monday, March 11, 2013
The Gift of Forgiveness
In the world’s economy, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is considered reasonable. There is even allowance for compensation beyond the harm done for ‘emotional damage’. Our natural tendency when someone hurts us is to say, “I’ll show you what it feels like – and more!”
As I consider what I have seen others experience and have experienced myself, I notice that ‘getting back at’ and ‘showing others’ never seems to be enough. When we take justice into our own hands, the problem is never really fixed. It simmers below the surface and watches for opportunities to boil from time to time. Sometimes it boils out of the pot into a full rage. Sometimes it just causes a few burns here and there. But it continues to bring pain and suffering. As the rage grows into bitterness, all of the person’s life is affected by the bitterness and joy cannot be found. Jealousy is often added to the rage if the person we are angry with seems to be doing well. Jealousy and bitterness usually move to the next level of hating the other and seeing them as the enemy. And enemies must be killed – gotten out of the way. Only killing the enemy will bring true justice from this perspective.
God knows all about that weakness in the human race. Throughout history, He has tried to steer us away from it. God spoke with Cain before he chose to kill Abel. He tried to help Cain see that what he was thinking was not going to get him where he needed to go. After Cain killed Abel, he lived in fear. His problem wasn’t fixed. (Genesis 4) Then God gave the Ten Commandments through His servant Moses. These included: don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony, don’t covet. (Exodus 20) God knew that all of these things would lead to rage, hatred, and killing. God provided a way for people to seek forgiveness and to forgive through sacrifices and through laws.
When Jesus came, He taught us that loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves were the most important of all commands given to us because everything else takes its place when these two are in order (Matthew 22:37-40). He taught us that even thinking hateful thoughts about others was the same as murder because He knew that if we allowed ourselves to follow those thoughts, it would end in death.
In spite of all of those teachings, many of us (even in the church) continue to harbor unforgiveness and jealousy. It usually isn’t full blown and public, but it simmers under the surface causing unrest and brokenness, pain and difficult relationships. Sometimes, people who have been ‘murdered’ by hatred or have seen others ‘murdered’ leave the church and say that God must not be real because ‘His children’ behave just as badly as those who do not know Him – sometimes worse. Unresolved bitterness leads to an often toxic environment – a cancer that eats away at relationships and disables important ministry.
God loves us all too much to leave us in this desperate place of bitterness. He gives us a way out. He says, “If you forgive others of their sins, your sins will also be forgiven.” Matthew 6:14. He says, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he still refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-17
It may be difficult, but the only way to full healing is for all parties involved to talk with each other and seek God’s wisdom through His Word and through the prayers and wisdom of other believers. Jesus’ prayer in John 17 shows us that unity with each other is the key to demonstrating to the world who God is and how much He loves each of us. When we work through difficult disagreements and come to a place of healing, we show the world God’s redemptive love at work and make it possible for them to believe there is a God and He loves and teaches His followers to love as well.
I have been pondering what it is about forgiveness that Jesus said from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34. Why did He need to forgive when He had every right to be angry and even call down curses on them? Why did He choose to forgive those who were mocking Him and driving nails into his hands and feet? Why did He choose to forgive even His closest friends who betrayed Him and left Him when He needed friends most?
To forgive someone is to give up my right to be right, to be in control, and to have justice served in my favor. It is a merciful act toward the offender, but much more than that, it is a freeing act for the one who has been offended. It makes us free to love others no matter how they treat us and behave toward us. It frees us to fix our eyes on heaven and to worship our God. It frees us from the stress and strain of ‘remembering all the wrongs done to us’ and allows us to experience joy and peace. It brings healing to us physically, spiritually, and emotionally. It brings us a step closer to Christ as we identify with Him. We understand even more what He did for us on the cross and experience a greater portion of His mercy He extends to us. And He often shows us more of the big picture – that even our enemies are made in His image and He loves them too. His love extends to everyone. And His love in me must be extended to everyone as well.
Lord, teach me to love others so much that I am able to forgive - even if the offender is unwilling to talk about it or is unable to see the pain they have inflicted. Keep my heart and my mind close to You and teach me to live in peace, knowing that You have forgiven me much and I must also forgive others. Show me where I have offended others and make me quick to seek reconciliation and forgiveness, offering others the freedom and peace that comes from forgiving as well. Thank you for the example you have put before us through your journey to the cross and beyond. Open my eyes to see the depth of your love for me and for others. In the precious and holy name of Jesus, Amen.
As I consider what I have seen others experience and have experienced myself, I notice that ‘getting back at’ and ‘showing others’ never seems to be enough. When we take justice into our own hands, the problem is never really fixed. It simmers below the surface and watches for opportunities to boil from time to time. Sometimes it boils out of the pot into a full rage. Sometimes it just causes a few burns here and there. But it continues to bring pain and suffering. As the rage grows into bitterness, all of the person’s life is affected by the bitterness and joy cannot be found. Jealousy is often added to the rage if the person we are angry with seems to be doing well. Jealousy and bitterness usually move to the next level of hating the other and seeing them as the enemy. And enemies must be killed – gotten out of the way. Only killing the enemy will bring true justice from this perspective.
God knows all about that weakness in the human race. Throughout history, He has tried to steer us away from it. God spoke with Cain before he chose to kill Abel. He tried to help Cain see that what he was thinking was not going to get him where he needed to go. After Cain killed Abel, he lived in fear. His problem wasn’t fixed. (Genesis 4) Then God gave the Ten Commandments through His servant Moses. These included: don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony, don’t covet. (Exodus 20) God knew that all of these things would lead to rage, hatred, and killing. God provided a way for people to seek forgiveness and to forgive through sacrifices and through laws.
When Jesus came, He taught us that loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves were the most important of all commands given to us because everything else takes its place when these two are in order (Matthew 22:37-40). He taught us that even thinking hateful thoughts about others was the same as murder because He knew that if we allowed ourselves to follow those thoughts, it would end in death.
In spite of all of those teachings, many of us (even in the church) continue to harbor unforgiveness and jealousy. It usually isn’t full blown and public, but it simmers under the surface causing unrest and brokenness, pain and difficult relationships. Sometimes, people who have been ‘murdered’ by hatred or have seen others ‘murdered’ leave the church and say that God must not be real because ‘His children’ behave just as badly as those who do not know Him – sometimes worse. Unresolved bitterness leads to an often toxic environment – a cancer that eats away at relationships and disables important ministry.
God loves us all too much to leave us in this desperate place of bitterness. He gives us a way out. He says, “If you forgive others of their sins, your sins will also be forgiven.” Matthew 6:14. He says, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he still refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-17
It may be difficult, but the only way to full healing is for all parties involved to talk with each other and seek God’s wisdom through His Word and through the prayers and wisdom of other believers. Jesus’ prayer in John 17 shows us that unity with each other is the key to demonstrating to the world who God is and how much He loves each of us. When we work through difficult disagreements and come to a place of healing, we show the world God’s redemptive love at work and make it possible for them to believe there is a God and He loves and teaches His followers to love as well.
I have been pondering what it is about forgiveness that Jesus said from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34. Why did He need to forgive when He had every right to be angry and even call down curses on them? Why did He choose to forgive those who were mocking Him and driving nails into his hands and feet? Why did He choose to forgive even His closest friends who betrayed Him and left Him when He needed friends most?
To forgive someone is to give up my right to be right, to be in control, and to have justice served in my favor. It is a merciful act toward the offender, but much more than that, it is a freeing act for the one who has been offended. It makes us free to love others no matter how they treat us and behave toward us. It frees us to fix our eyes on heaven and to worship our God. It frees us from the stress and strain of ‘remembering all the wrongs done to us’ and allows us to experience joy and peace. It brings healing to us physically, spiritually, and emotionally. It brings us a step closer to Christ as we identify with Him. We understand even more what He did for us on the cross and experience a greater portion of His mercy He extends to us. And He often shows us more of the big picture – that even our enemies are made in His image and He loves them too. His love extends to everyone. And His love in me must be extended to everyone as well.
Lord, teach me to love others so much that I am able to forgive - even if the offender is unwilling to talk about it or is unable to see the pain they have inflicted. Keep my heart and my mind close to You and teach me to live in peace, knowing that You have forgiven me much and I must also forgive others. Show me where I have offended others and make me quick to seek reconciliation and forgiveness, offering others the freedom and peace that comes from forgiving as well. Thank you for the example you have put before us through your journey to the cross and beyond. Open my eyes to see the depth of your love for me and for others. In the precious and holy name of Jesus, Amen.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Genealogy that Blows the Mind
We live in a generation of people who tend to blame DNA when people don’t turn out so well. We blame parents that carry that DNA and we blame parents that must have made a lot of mistakes raising their child in order for them to turn out this way.
If you read the whole Bible and learn the names of the characters throughout, when you read the genealogy of Jesus as Matthew presents it in his gospel, it will at least raise an eyebrow. Amongst the many great and good people in that genealogy, there are a number of questionable characters…
Take Tamar, for instance. She was the daughter-in-law of Judah. She pretended to be a local prostitute and seduced Judah and gave birth to Perez and a few generations later, Boaz was born. Boaz married Ruth, a Moabite.
Then there is Rahab who was a prostitute. She hid the spies that went into Jericho to spy out the land for Joshua. She lied to those looking for the spies in order to protect them.
Rahab was the great-grandmother of King David. Though David was a good king, he made a few bad decisions – adultery and murder to name a couple.
And down the line, came Mary and Joseph. That is the family God chose to bring His Son into the world. By our standards, Jesus would have had every right to act out and be a ‘messed up’ character. Yet He did not. He lived a holy and sinless life. I wonder what made the difference…
“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.” John 13:3-5
Jesus knew who He was. He knew where He came from, what His purpose was here, and where He was going. Because His purpose was so clear, He was able to live a sinless life – even in human flesh! Do we even begin to understand who He is and what He did? Our Holy God sent His only Son to be born into a genealogy of sinful flesh which He overcame because He knew who He was and what His purpose was.
Now He is interceding for us at the throne of grace because He totally understands us and everything we deal with in this world. “… but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them… But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” Hebrews 7:24-25, 9:26b-28
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:16-17 This gift of salvation He has given us cost Him so much. But His love is so great.
This is the One whose birthday we celebrate December 25. While am so very busy doing all kinds of good things to celebrate Christmas, I want to take time to focus on Jesus, who He is, His purpose in coming into the world, and what He did for me because His goal is that no one would perish, but that everyone would come to repentance (II Peter 3:9) and that we would join Him in His Father’s house (John 14:1-4) and live with Him forever.
Thank you, Jesus. And Happy Birthday!
If you read the whole Bible and learn the names of the characters throughout, when you read the genealogy of Jesus as Matthew presents it in his gospel, it will at least raise an eyebrow. Amongst the many great and good people in that genealogy, there are a number of questionable characters…
Take Tamar, for instance. She was the daughter-in-law of Judah. She pretended to be a local prostitute and seduced Judah and gave birth to Perez and a few generations later, Boaz was born. Boaz married Ruth, a Moabite.
Then there is Rahab who was a prostitute. She hid the spies that went into Jericho to spy out the land for Joshua. She lied to those looking for the spies in order to protect them.
Rahab was the great-grandmother of King David. Though David was a good king, he made a few bad decisions – adultery and murder to name a couple.
And down the line, came Mary and Joseph. That is the family God chose to bring His Son into the world. By our standards, Jesus would have had every right to act out and be a ‘messed up’ character. Yet He did not. He lived a holy and sinless life. I wonder what made the difference…
“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.” John 13:3-5
Jesus knew who He was. He knew where He came from, what His purpose was here, and where He was going. Because His purpose was so clear, He was able to live a sinless life – even in human flesh! Do we even begin to understand who He is and what He did? Our Holy God sent His only Son to be born into a genealogy of sinful flesh which He overcame because He knew who He was and what His purpose was.
Now He is interceding for us at the throne of grace because He totally understands us and everything we deal with in this world. “… but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them… But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” Hebrews 7:24-25, 9:26b-28
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:16-17 This gift of salvation He has given us cost Him so much. But His love is so great.
This is the One whose birthday we celebrate December 25. While am so very busy doing all kinds of good things to celebrate Christmas, I want to take time to focus on Jesus, who He is, His purpose in coming into the world, and what He did for me because His goal is that no one would perish, but that everyone would come to repentance (II Peter 3:9) and that we would join Him in His Father’s house (John 14:1-4) and live with Him forever.
Thank you, Jesus. And Happy Birthday!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Be Glorified
“Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about Him and that they had done these things.” John 12:16
For some reason, as I read these verses this morning, the word “glorified” jumped out at me. I wonder, what does it mean to be glorified? Miriam-Webster Dictionary says, “Glorify: to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise, or admiration to elevate to celestial glory; to light up brilliantly; to cause to be or seem to be better than the actual.” Strong’s Hebrew translation says, “to make glorious, adorn with luster, clothe with splendor; a) to impart glory to something, render it excellent; b) to make renowned, render illustrious; 1) to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged.
What struck me is the wording John chose. He is referring to Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. So I wonder, what does it mean to be glorified and what does it take to get there? We tend to think of glorifying as a positive, lovely, happy thing using words like ‘light up’ or ‘elevate’ or ‘honor’. And they are all true meanings. But Jesus didn’t get there without any troubles in this world! He first “spent His life” (see Isaiah 58:10) meeting the needs of the poor and oppressed, teaching, healing, and loving all who became part of His everyday life. That elevated Him to a position of being noticed by the religious authorities who were jealous and hard hearted. They made life difficult for Jesus and tried to block Him at every turn until they finally succeeded in killing Him using a tortuous death by hanging on a cross. He was betrayed by even His closest friends. How could John possibly refer to that as being ‘glorified’?
John could use the word ‘glorify’ only because the story didn’t end there. When people in this world had done every conceivable terrible thing they could to Jesus including killing Him, God used even that to bring His glory to the situation. He raised Jesus from the dead! I like the last Strong’s Hebrew meaning of the word: “to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged.” Whether or not we acknowledge Jesus Christ here and now, a day will come when “every knee will bow” (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10). He is and will be glorified!
For all the troubles we can endure in this life, nothing compares to what Jesus Christ had to deal with in this world. But Paul tells us that, “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.” Hebrews 12:2 That joy, knowing that God was going to bring glory out of the tragedy of the cross, was what caused Jesus to move forward through all of the pain. His joy isn’t only in His own glory, but Jesus said in His prayer in John 17, “I have given them [all who believe] the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.” John 17:22
When I am dealing with the troubles in this world, I need to keep my eyes on Jesus. He alone knows and understands every ill that can befall a person and how to endure it – keeping my focus on the joy of my salvation and the glory that is to come through Jesus Christ when we are together in eternity.
Lord, may Your glory be made known through my life on this earth. All thanks and praise be to You, the Living God, forever and ever.
For some reason, as I read these verses this morning, the word “glorified” jumped out at me. I wonder, what does it mean to be glorified? Miriam-Webster Dictionary says, “Glorify: to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise, or admiration to elevate to celestial glory; to light up brilliantly; to cause to be or seem to be better than the actual.” Strong’s Hebrew translation says, “to make glorious, adorn with luster, clothe with splendor; a) to impart glory to something, render it excellent; b) to make renowned, render illustrious; 1) to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged.
What struck me is the wording John chose. He is referring to Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. So I wonder, what does it mean to be glorified and what does it take to get there? We tend to think of glorifying as a positive, lovely, happy thing using words like ‘light up’ or ‘elevate’ or ‘honor’. And they are all true meanings. But Jesus didn’t get there without any troubles in this world! He first “spent His life” (see Isaiah 58:10) meeting the needs of the poor and oppressed, teaching, healing, and loving all who became part of His everyday life. That elevated Him to a position of being noticed by the religious authorities who were jealous and hard hearted. They made life difficult for Jesus and tried to block Him at every turn until they finally succeeded in killing Him using a tortuous death by hanging on a cross. He was betrayed by even His closest friends. How could John possibly refer to that as being ‘glorified’?
John could use the word ‘glorify’ only because the story didn’t end there. When people in this world had done every conceivable terrible thing they could to Jesus including killing Him, God used even that to bring His glory to the situation. He raised Jesus from the dead! I like the last Strong’s Hebrew meaning of the word: “to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged.” Whether or not we acknowledge Jesus Christ here and now, a day will come when “every knee will bow” (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10). He is and will be glorified!
For all the troubles we can endure in this life, nothing compares to what Jesus Christ had to deal with in this world. But Paul tells us that, “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.” Hebrews 12:2 That joy, knowing that God was going to bring glory out of the tragedy of the cross, was what caused Jesus to move forward through all of the pain. His joy isn’t only in His own glory, but Jesus said in His prayer in John 17, “I have given them [all who believe] the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.” John 17:22
When I am dealing with the troubles in this world, I need to keep my eyes on Jesus. He alone knows and understands every ill that can befall a person and how to endure it – keeping my focus on the joy of my salvation and the glory that is to come through Jesus Christ when we are together in eternity.
Lord, may Your glory be made known through my life on this earth. All thanks and praise be to You, the Living God, forever and ever.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Flimsy Walls and Whitewash
One of my vivid memories growing up was watching my grandfather whitewash the side of the barn and the milk house on his farm. Whitewash went on fast and it made everything look so neat and clean. But in the end, well, it was still a barn!
In the days of Israel when Ezekiel was prophesying, there were also many false prophets telling the people all was well. Ezekiel was telling the people the truth – that God’s judgment was coming and he would no longer tolerate their idolatry. He was calling their hearts back to God. But they were a rebellious people and were encouraged in their idolatry by the false prophets. Ezekiel told them that they were building flimsy walls and whitewashing them and that those walls would not last when God’s judgment would fall on the people. (Ezekiel 13-14)
It is easy to say, “Foolish people! You should have listened to Ezekiel and to God.” But then I begin to wonder… Is it possible we are building flimsy walls and whitewashing them? If so, what might that look like?
I have been reading a book entitled, “Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by Whole People,” by Will Metzger. Sometimes what the author says is very unsettling. He begins his chapter on grace by quoting Cornelius Plantinga, Jr, “For the Christian church (even its recently popular seeker services) to ignore, euphemize, or otherwise mute the lethal reality of sin is to cut the nerve of the gospel. For the sober truth is that without full disclosure on sin, the gospel of grace becomes impertinent, unnecessary, and finally uninteresting.” In other words, if we are not aware of our sin, we have no understanding of our need of a Savior.
When is the last time you or I have had a conversation with someone about sin. Have we forgotten that God is a Holy God, that He is righteous, good, and does not tolerate idolatry of any kind? I wonder if we have lost sight of that because He is a forgiving God full of mercy and grace – that we assume forgiveness and go about sinning without understanding the consequences. If our ‘whitewashed flimsy walls’ keep us from understanding our desperate need for help, we can’t begin to understand what Christ did for us and continues to do on our behalves through His death and resurrection.
If we actually get even a glimpse of that, how can our hearts be anywhere but fully devoted to the God who saves us? Yet we find ourselves devoted to many other things (whitewashed flimsy walls) and giving God only marginal time and attention. And so I ask myself, who/what am I devoted to? If I am willing to address that question and listen and watch for God to show me, I will see the idolatry in my life that is first and foremost sin that needs to be repented of and as I seek God’s forgiveness and experience His grace, I will become more devoted to Him and other things will take their proper place.
In this day and age when ‘truth’ is whatever we want it to be, God’s Truth still stands. His Truth is the only wall that is not flimsy and whitewashed and will not be crushed by His righteous judgment. Whether or not we seek His Truth is up to each of us as individuals. We, like Adam and Eve in the garden, try to hide from Him, but He pursues us and has provided a way to fully restore us into right relationship with Him because He loves us deeply. I am truly grateful for His grace that is active in my life daily. As I become more fully devoted to Him, I want that grace to be active in the lives of others as well – to see His Kingdom grow. “… Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…”
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Breath of Life
Recently, a friend’s daughter-in-law passed away suddenly in her sleep. Cause of death was a mitral valve prolapsed. As people express concern for the young family and talk about the tragedy, one of the things that comes up is, “There is medical treatment for that. Why wasn’t it treated?” or “Lots of women have that, everyone should get checked out and get medical treatment.” This is a common response to deaths of anyone under the age of 80 who dies from a medical condition. But it doesn’t bring much comfort to a grieving family.
In a world without God, those responses would make perfect sense – especially if the person speaking had no knowledge of what had or had not been done to treat the condition. It is an expression of trust in the medical profession. However, as followers of Christ, I wonder a lot about that response. Following are some of the reasons.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ” Psalm 139:13 Doctors and the medical knowledge are limited and fallible. They did not create you and they do not know everything about how our bodies function. They know a lot and they can be helpful in some situations, but they are not God!
“In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians.” II Chronicles 16:12 Asa had been one of the good kings of Judah. Yet in his last years, he refused to ask God for help with his diseased feet, but depended only upon physicians. The writer of this Scripture does not draw any conclusions, but rather just states the facts. I am convicted by this verse when many times I turn to over-the-counter drugs or run to the doctor for an illness and don’t seek help from the LORD unless the doctor’s help isn’t helping. As I ponder this, I believe that doctors have their place, but God is the true Healer and we need to include Him in the healing process – always – no matter the severity. “Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?” Isaiah 2:22 Why do we trust in humans who receive life rather than in the God who gives life?
“Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7 Life comes from God. God breathed life into Adam and then Adam became a living being. Human beings are capable of taking life away. Cain showed that early in Genesis when he killed Abel. But only God can give life and sustain life. “In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:10 “And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Acts 17:25
“You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before You. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.” Psalm 39:5 “Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.” Psalm 39:4 “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:14 “A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.” Job 14:5
I wonder then, do I truly trust God when it comes to my life and breath and the lives of those I love? Do I trust Him as He numbers my days? Do I trust Him when He numbers the days of those I love – even if they are shorter than the days I think they should have?
And as I wonder about the length of my days, I wonder why does God give more days to one person than another? Why did God give more days to John than to Peter? “Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’” John 21:22 So it seems that how long we live in reference to another is not as important as what we do with the life God gives each of us today.
When Jesus walked on this earth, His focus was on eternity. He came to restore us to a right relationship with God so that we could live with Him forever. Our perspective on life totally changes when we focus on eternity instead of day to day ‘life’ in this world. What am I doing with the breath that God gives me each day? Is it preparing me and others for eternity or am I spinning my wheels in the mud going nowhere. “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
Lord, teach me to use the days that you give me wisely. As we suffer the tragedies in this world, help us to keep our eyes on eternity – on You. For life comes from You and eternal life is the gift of hope You give to us as we grieve tragic losses in this world. Thank You that You do not leave us alone but that You give us a Comforter in Your Holy Spirit and in others who walk with us and support us when we are too weak to handle things on our own. Lord, I have found so much healing as I trust and worship You. My prayer is that others who are suffering would find healing in their relationship with You as well. I praise You for the life You have given to me. I will praise You with the breath that You give me each day on this earth. I love You Lord. Amen.
“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” Psalm 150:6
In a world without God, those responses would make perfect sense – especially if the person speaking had no knowledge of what had or had not been done to treat the condition. It is an expression of trust in the medical profession. However, as followers of Christ, I wonder a lot about that response. Following are some of the reasons.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ” Psalm 139:13 Doctors and the medical knowledge are limited and fallible. They did not create you and they do not know everything about how our bodies function. They know a lot and they can be helpful in some situations, but they are not God!
“In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians.” II Chronicles 16:12 Asa had been one of the good kings of Judah. Yet in his last years, he refused to ask God for help with his diseased feet, but depended only upon physicians. The writer of this Scripture does not draw any conclusions, but rather just states the facts. I am convicted by this verse when many times I turn to over-the-counter drugs or run to the doctor for an illness and don’t seek help from the LORD unless the doctor’s help isn’t helping. As I ponder this, I believe that doctors have their place, but God is the true Healer and we need to include Him in the healing process – always – no matter the severity. “Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?” Isaiah 2:22 Why do we trust in humans who receive life rather than in the God who gives life?
“Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7 Life comes from God. God breathed life into Adam and then Adam became a living being. Human beings are capable of taking life away. Cain showed that early in Genesis when he killed Abel. But only God can give life and sustain life. “In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:10 “And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Acts 17:25
“You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before You. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.” Psalm 39:5 “Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.” Psalm 39:4 “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:14 “A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.” Job 14:5
I wonder then, do I truly trust God when it comes to my life and breath and the lives of those I love? Do I trust Him as He numbers my days? Do I trust Him when He numbers the days of those I love – even if they are shorter than the days I think they should have?
And as I wonder about the length of my days, I wonder why does God give more days to one person than another? Why did God give more days to John than to Peter? “Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’” John 21:22 So it seems that how long we live in reference to another is not as important as what we do with the life God gives each of us today.
When Jesus walked on this earth, His focus was on eternity. He came to restore us to a right relationship with God so that we could live with Him forever. Our perspective on life totally changes when we focus on eternity instead of day to day ‘life’ in this world. What am I doing with the breath that God gives me each day? Is it preparing me and others for eternity or am I spinning my wheels in the mud going nowhere. “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
Lord, teach me to use the days that you give me wisely. As we suffer the tragedies in this world, help us to keep our eyes on eternity – on You. For life comes from You and eternal life is the gift of hope You give to us as we grieve tragic losses in this world. Thank You that You do not leave us alone but that You give us a Comforter in Your Holy Spirit and in others who walk with us and support us when we are too weak to handle things on our own. Lord, I have found so much healing as I trust and worship You. My prayer is that others who are suffering would find healing in their relationship with You as well. I praise You for the life You have given to me. I will praise You with the breath that You give me each day on this earth. I love You Lord. Amen.
“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” Psalm 150:6
Saturday, September 8, 2012
The God of Emotions
I wake up slow… on a good day it takes about 2 hours before
I feel that I am fully functioning. I have learned how to compensate through
the years so that I don’t do too much ‘dumb’ stuff like brush my teeth before
eating breakfast. I have established routines and lay things out in order so I
progress correctly. Today I was wishing that I woke up with exuberant energy,
ready to take on every task imaginable (and I do have a great imagination when
it comes to how much I could get done in a day). And then I got to wondering…
do I have a low level depression? Is that why I am so slow to get going in the
morning? And from there the “mind train” went from thinking about how God
effects my emotions to thinking about God’s emotions.
Through the Bible, God’s emotions are expressed in His
interactions with people. In Genesis 3, it doesn’t say that God is angry or
sad, but His actions would indicate He was angry with the serpent for deceiving
Eve and He was sad that Adam and Eve allowed themselves to be deceived. I don’t
think God didn’t know where Adam and Eve were or that they had had eaten the
fruit. He asked them in order for them to be able to confess what they had done because He knew they needed to be able to do that in order to find out how God felt
about what they did and how He was going to respond. There were definite
consequences for each of their actions, but God responded in compassion,
making clothes for Adam and Eve.
In the days of Noah, “the Lord was grieved that He
had made man.” Genesis 6:6 The consequences
for the wickedness of the people was the flood that took out all but Noah and
his family. After the flood, “God blessed Noah and his sons,” Genesis 9:1 The word ‘blessed’ has a happy feel to
it and sometimes is interpreted as happy.
Most of us would agree as we read the Old Testament that
there are times when God is angry, happy, sad, proud, concerned, compassionate,
etc. Yes, I believe God has emotions. And since we are made in His image
(Genesis 1:27), it is pretty clear that we will have emotions as well. In fact,
emotions are addressed in the Bible from time to time… “In your anger, do not
sin,” Psalm 4:4… “Love your neighbor as yourself,” Leviticus 19:18… “But may
the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.” Psalm 68:3… And
then there is one of the most quoted today, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
And then I wonder… What was Jesus doing in the Garden of
Gethsemane the night He was arrested? “And being in anguish, he prayed more
earnestly, and his sweat was
like drops of blood falling to
the ground.” Luke 22:44 This looks a whole lot like anxiety to me. Yes, I
believe that Jesus was feeling the emotion of anxiety. It is very important for
me to see, then, how Jesus is dealing with that emotion. He is praying
earnestly! The more emotion we feel, the more we need to pray. Unfortunately,
our human nature is to pull back from God and blame Him for our emotion rather
than looking accurately at where the emotion is coming from and going to God
for the strength to get through it. But Jesus clearly shows us that we can get
through the greatest anguishing anxiety through prayer. Interesting that the
most quoted Bible verse on anxiety says the same thing… “by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians
4:6 This is followed by, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 Jesus knew
what it was to feel that great anxiety. He knew what to do with it. And He
promises that same transcending peace if we will do the same: Pray trusting
that God is going to do what is best.
After His prayer, Jesus suffered through
the crucifixion. But He knew what was on the other side and that brought Him
great joy – even as He suffered. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 Later, Paul
said, “For to me, to live is
Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
Trusting that only the greatest good will follow whatever brings us
anxiety is how we overcome the anxiety.
I don’t believe it is wrong to feel emotions – whatever they
are – but rather, it is what we do with those emotions that becomes important. God’s
great peace is waiting for us. We need only to ask. Some days we need to ask a
little more often than others, but it is always there waiting for us if we will
accept it. I am so thankful I have a God whose loving concern for me includes
peace even when I am troubled. He provides strength when I am weak. (Isaiah
34:4) We often think of that as physical strength, but I believe it includes
emotional strength as well.
Thank you, God, for giving me emotions and for showing me
how to deal with them when they become overwhelming. Thank you for your peace
that comes and ‘overwhelms’ the emotion, stabilizing and returning me to peace
regardless of my circumstances. You are truly worthy of my praise and I praise
you today and forever. Amen.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Sing a New Song
God’s love
for His people is so evident in the prophecies of Isaiah. He pleads with the
people to turn their hearts and minds back to the Lord. This prophecy implores
the people to remember their God and return to Him. “I, the Lord, have called
you in righteousness. I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will
make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open
the eyes that are blind, to free the captives from prison and to release from
the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” Isaiah 42:6-7
Isaiah says
it’s time to sing a new song to the Lord. “Sing to the lord a new song, His
praise to the ends of the earth…” Isaiah 42:10 And God promises, “I will lead the blind by ways
they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. I will turn the
darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the
things I will do; I will not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16
As he
continues on, Isaiah tells the people they will go through some rough times. “When
you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be
burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the
Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:2-3a His promise is not that they will not have
difficulties, but that He, their Savior, will walk with them each step of the
way. All of Exodus shows us just how closely and intimately God walked with the
Israelites in the past. What we see there is the physical experience of ‘God
with us’. Isaiah prophesied and we now live in a time when God has demonstrated
and promised His presence with us through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
When we
awake each morning, the promise is here for us. God will walk with us. We are
not alone. Whether it is a ‘happy’ day or a day filled with pain and anguish,
God does not abandon us. He constantly reaches out to us with His strength and
comfort, loving us in ways we cannot fathom. But there is something we must do
in order to receive that. We must look to Him and reach out to Him. And because
He is the Great I Am, the Creator and Master of the universe, when we look to
Him, we will sing a new song!
I often join
the birds in the morning and sing worship and praise songs to my Abba Father.
They are usually songs others have written and I have learned from singing them
in church or hearing them on the radio or CD. This morning, God gave me a new
song. It is a song that comes out of the waters and the fires I have been
walking through knowing that my God is with me. He goes before me, He walks
with me and He is my rearguard.
A New Song
to Abba
You are my strength,
You are my song;
I sing a new
song all day long.
When things
come I would not choose;
You are my
song in morning dews.
When I
arise, I look to You,
And praise
Your Name even when I’m blue.
I know Your
hands hold all that comes,
As surely as
the rising sun.
You’ll go
before, prepare the way;
And carry me
through, each thing today.
You fill me
with Your truth and love,
Prepare my
heart from things above.
As day goes
on, things steal my mind;
So much to
be and do I find.
Yet You will
call me to Your knee;
And hold me
fast and comfort me.
When evening
comes, when shadows fall,
I come to
You, on You I call.
I take each
thing that I have done,
And pray it
glorifies Your Son.
You are my strength,
You are my song;
I sing a new
song all day long.
When things
come I would not choose;
You are my
song in morning dews.
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