Confronted With Belief

This morning I am reading John 9, which is about the Man born blind, that is healed by Jesus.  I really love this story and the dialogue that is captured between the Pharisees and the man, his parents and even neighbors. 

Reading it closely this morning there were a few things that stood out.  First, this passage took place over a few days at least, maybe longer, as the back and forth, questions and summoning people probably didn’t happen all in the same day.  Certainly the summoning to the Pharisees didn’t happen on the Sabbath, as the man was healed on the Sabbath, and that was one of the big concerns.  So, I imagine this conversation going on for a few days, and the longer it went on the more troublesome it became for the Pharisees.

Secondly, there are some interesting tidbits thrown in - [18] “They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents”

I find this an interesting point, that they did not believe UNTIL they sent for the parents… which means they DID believe he was born blind after they talked to them. 

While this seems insignificant, the inclusion of this fact means the Pharisees were now confronted with a real miracle
, and had to figure out what to do with it!  It seems that the fact that Jesus HEALED on the sabbath, by working “making mud” was clearly the act of a sinner, or at least that was their decision for in verse 24 they proclaim “We know this man (Jesus) is a sinner.”  

This is a clear case where the judges throw the losing case out because of a technicality… they knew they were on shaky ground so they called the formerly blind man Jesus’ disciple!  (verse 28), so they could effectively ignore the witness of his healing.  I wonder how often we do the same thing, disregard something that is from the Lord, because we don’t like the ramifications!  

Oh Lord, help me to push past my discomfort, my desire to ignore those things from You that will require me to change my mind, and sometimes even my beliefs, to really embrace the Truth of who You are!!  Help me to really open my eyes instead of trying to ignore those uncomfortable things!  Help me to be willing to lay down my pride that I might really see You, and follow You!

Amen!

The Lord Chooses Rightly

Yesterday I started a reflection that is both humorous and sad, relating to the Apostles self focus and inability to see what the Lord was doing in their midst.  It is both encouraging, in the Lord’s mercy, and discouraging as it shows how clueless we can be, and how easily we can become distracted. 

I am reading from where I left off in Luke 22, the remaining discussion at the Last Supper.  Immediately after Jesus institutes communion the following occurs - Luke 22:20-30 NIV:

[20] In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. [21] But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. [22] The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” [23] They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. 

[24] “A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. [25] Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. [26] But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. [27] For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. [28] You are those who have stood by me in my trials. [29] And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, [30] so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

The two verses I underlined could probably be titled, “how to completely miss the most important event in the world by being focused on yourself!”  It is amazing to me how often we see this type of response where Jesus unloads some amazing revelation, and the apostles seem to totally miss it.  

Maybe it’s just the way it has been recorded, but I think there is something here, that is being communicated by those who were replaying the events to Luke (as He wasn’t present). Maybe I am reading more into the text than is really there, but Jesus has just instituted Communion, the sharing of His Body and Blood, which in the early church was one of the primary components of the Lord’s Supper and one of the most significant revelations of the Lord!!  I would think that there would have been more said about that by the Apostles in the retelling, but instead, we see Jesus speak about His betrayal and betrayer, and the Apostles beginning to wonder among themselves who would do such a thing?  They went from sharing the most intimate experience with the Lord, to arguing about who would betray Jesus.  This seems too strange of a discussion change to be made up, or covered over.  In the retelling of this event years later, this is how they remembered it.

Some of the other Gospel accounts make it seem like the question of who would betray Jesus is a legitimate question, in that they are all wondering If they might be the betrayer (See Matt 26:21-22).  This makes me think that each of them had in their hearts and minds, doubts about Jesus, discontent possibly, and questions about this Kingdom that He spoke about all the time.  He certainly wasn’t acting like someone you would think was going to be a King.  I don't think the question of who would possibly betray Jesus was rhetorical or a set up for Judas, but a real heart-level question they were each struggling with internally.  Their focus seemed to shift from Jesus to them, and we see this in the next bit of conversation.

As recorded by Luke, the Apostles then slide into probably the most inappropriate conversation ever, arguing about who was the greatest, as Jesus is preparing to suffer and be crucified! It is as if everything Jesus had just done and said previously gets drowned out in their self-focus. 

Truthfully, this is so much like us, or at least me!  I can’t tell you the number of times where I have had amazing revelation from the Lord, life changing experiences and then immediately completely lose my focus and find myself completely wrapped up in my own selfish thoughts or pursuits.  When that happens to me, after I regain my senses, I feel a deep sense of shame for not really embracing what the Lord was doing, sometimes even thinking that I have disqualified myself by my own stupidity!  

Here the Lord is inviting them to share Body and Blood, inviting them to partake in the greatest sacrifice of all time, joining themselves to Him that they might receive the gift of salvation, forgiveness of sins and restoration of real relationship with the Father, and they are arguing who the greatest is among themselves.  They had turned completely away from the Lord and were only looking at themselves!

Here is where I am greatly encouraged, for this chain of events doesn’t disqualify them, for they become the very foundation of the Church, that earthly representation of the Body of Christ!  Jesus doesn’t roll his eyes, and walk away, He knew their hearts, their nature and still entrusted His entire ministry to them!  In the midst of their utter stupidness, and self-focus, Jesus knew they would persevere and fulfill their purposes!  

In the same way God knows us, He sees us as we are and what we will become and insists that even in our stupidness, in our self-focus, in our selfish pursuits, that His choosing us, in dying for us, in forgiving our sins, in opening the way for relationship, is worth it!  He chooses rightly!  If He has chosen us, He knows how bad we can and will mess it up, but will not disqualify us!  

There is hope for all of us, forgiveness for all of us, and mercy and compassion for us, in spite of our failures and selfishness.  This is why I think these verses were recorded!  The authors of the Gospels weren’t trying to hide their weaknesses, their own stupidity, their complete distraction, but rather showing us in the midst of all that God was present, and working and His will and choice was right.

Oh Lord, how can You even begin to trust Your ministry to men such as me, and yet You do, over and over again!  You see us like no one else, and You are perfect in Your wisdom, and never make mistakes!  Help us to believe in You, in Your Lordship, and Your desire for relationship!  Your choice is sure!

Thank You for Loving Me, for inviting me into relationship and trusting me to represent You to a world in need!  Thank You for choosing me!  Help me to believe that Your choice was right!

Amen and Amen!

Keep On Truckin - Producing Good Fruit

 

Continuing the theme of good fruit, I continue reading from John 15:9-17 NIV:

[9] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. [10] If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. [11] I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. [12] My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. [13] Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. [14] You are my friends if you do what I command. [15] I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. [16] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. [17] This is my command: Love each other.”

Verse 16 grabbed my attention this morning, especially since I was reflecting on good fruit yesterday.  I will take some license with this statement of Jesus and apply it to me, for I believe that He does offer each of us the same invitation to be in relationship with Him and represent Him to the world, which was the call of the Apostles, to whom He was speaking in this chapter.  

The idea that Jesus chose them specifically, and then appointed them to go bear good fruit, must have been a huge point of motivation for the remainder of their life!  Jesus was depending on them and had chosen them specifically! 

In the same way, I believe the opportunity and invitation to follow Jesus is there for each of us!  I have certainly responded to the call to follow Him. There have been times where I specifically felt appointed to certain ministerial roles, and know for sure that I am called to represent Jesus to those around me.  I do feel that I have produced some good fruit, but probably not anywhere near as much as I could, and that for me is the invitation to do better.

I do not dwell on past missed opportunities, but rather look forward and try to do better, to produce better fruit, to better represent Jesus!  I am reminded once again of Paul’s statements from his letter to the Philippians 3:12-14 NIV:

[12] “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

I am reminded of a saying form the 1970’s when “keep on truckin” was a theme one often saw on t-shirts.  I must forget what is behind and keep on trucking, working to produce good fruit through my representation of Jesus.  His command is simple, “love each other as I have loved you” (Verse 12 above) and the good fruit must be produced through this love!

My prayer is that I might bear much good fruit!  That I might represent the Love of Christ to each one that I meet, and that I keep on producing good fruit for the remainder of my life.  I want to continue to press on toward that goal!

Amen!

Good Fruit and Relationship

This morning I am reading from Matthew’s Gospel.  In my Bible app, these first verses were the highlighted verses of the day and as I started reading them I had some additional revelation.  Here are the verses - Matthew 7:15-23 NIV:

[15] “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. [16] By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? [17] Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 

[21] “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ [23] Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

These two sets of verses provide an interesting contrast which almost seems contradictory at first.  The first set Jesus is talking about the fruit of a person’s speech and prophetic ministry being the way to tell good from bad.  In the second set of verses, He says that even if a person is doing miracles in His name (what would apparently be good fruit) it is possible that they still evildoers. 

The last line of the second set (verse 23) gives us the key as to why these types of people could be considered evildoers, and it is lack of relationship with the Lord. The Lord in declaring, “I never knew you” is saying I have no relationship with you so it is not possible you were doing things in my name! In the same way the prophet is thought to be speaking messages from the Lord, but again, are misrepresenting themselves, for they clearly have no real relationship with the Lord!  

The Greek word Ginosko is translated “knew” and it denotes deep and intimate knowledge (it can describe sexual intimacy between a man and a woman, and thus is speaking of much more than a passing knowledge of another, but rather a deep knowing.  After nearly 40 years of marriage I often know exactly how my wife is thinking or how she will react, at times we can just look at each other and know fully what the other is thinking.  I can generally represent her to others.

Jesus, is calling us into that place as well, where we can actually represent Him to others, by way of deep and abiding relationship.  In such a relationship there is never a point where you can stop learning, stop listening, or stop interacting, as we are all living and growing and capable of individual thought.  One of the more common questions between my honey and myself is “what are you thinking about?” We know that despite 40 years of marriage that there is more to know about our spouse.

In the same way, we are invited into a constant, growing relationship with the Lord.  As we learn who the Lord is, through our interactions, we are more able to represent Him to others who don't know Him!  We can learn to speak to others what He is saying.  We can learn to see and hear what He is doing and join ourselves to that effort. 

If we are operating outside of that type of relationship, than we are on dangerous ground, and our actions and words would not be inline with His!  We can never assume to know, we must actually know what He is doing, and what He is saying.

I think the caution of judging by fruit is critical here.  The Lord makes a clear distinction between good and bad fruit, and it is important to understand what exactly He is referring to with this idea. The Greek word translated fruit is Karpos, and it is defined as follows:

1) fruit

          A) the fruit of the trees, vines, of the fields

          B) the fruit of one's loins, i.e. his progeny, his posterity

2) that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result

          A) work, act, deed

          B) advantage, profit, utility

          C) praises, which are presented to God as a thank offering

What is clear is that is something visible, and is the result of words or actions, another way to think would be what are their words and actions birthing, or bringing forward.  In the false prophet section, it is clear the Lord is speaking about those whose whole motivation is toward themselves, not towards the Lord.  They are hungry for notoriety,for prestige, for whatever they fancy.  They are in disguise, thus actively trying to hide their true nature, but in time it will become evident.  They might have started in the Lord, but have lost connection and are now driven by their own desires.

I am reminded of some verses from John, where the Lord speaks about remaining connected to Him - John 15:1,4-5 NIV:

[1] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.”

 [4] “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” 

[5] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Apart from Him we can do nothing.  He is speaking about good fruit here.  We can create bad fruit on our own, and that is the only possible outcome of our acting on our own.  This is why relationship with Him, being connected to the vine, being known by Him, and knowing Him, is so essential.

Lord, I pray that You would help me to remain connected to You!  That I might be known and know, that I might be able to represent You because of the depth of my relationship with You!

Oh Lord, help us to judge rightly by the fruit we are producing and help us to remain connected to You.

Amen and Amen! 

Be Found "IN" Him

This morning I am reading from Paul’s letter to the Colossians 2:2-3,6-7,9-10,16-19, 23 NIV:

[2] “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, [3] in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” 

[6] “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, [7] rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. [9] For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, [10] and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” 

[16] “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. [17] These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. [18] Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. [19] They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.”

[23] “Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”

The idea this morning that resonates with me is that our call is to be “IN” Christ.  Paul encourages them to live their lives “in” Him, rooted “in” Him, built up “in” Him.  The thing is you can’t be in Himi, and then trying all these external things to gain His favor, or special treatment, as You are already “in” Him, living united with Him.  You don’t need special secret knowledge, special rules, or the like, those are the result of trying to earn what You already have, intimate relationship and continual access to the One.

I think at times we can get carried away with worship of an idea of who Christ is, maybe as King, or the ruler and creator of the Universe, or the one whose holiness and magnificence would kill us if it were fully revealed.  We think about how someone like that should be worshipped and honored, and we forget that the invitation for all of us is to intimate relationship with God, who invites us into all that He is!  

Its almost inconceivable that this invitation could be true, but it is!  Christ, became fully man,that He might open the way to the Father once again, and showed us how willing the Father is to have relationship with us!    It really is impossible for us to fully understand, but I know all the answers to this are found in relationship with Him, for “in” Him are “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”  If we want knowledge, it is found “in” Him!

My prayer today is that I might press “in” to a relationship with Him, for He is inviting me deeper and desires a relationship with me, as ridiculous as that sounds!  

Thank you Lord for making the way and issuing the invitation!

Amen!