This morning I am reflecting upon a rather lengthy section of Luke's Gospel. As I was reading through these passages something Jesus said caught my attention and I want to spend some time mulling his statement over. Here are the verses - Luke 7:36-50 NIV:
[36] "When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. [37] A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. [38] As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
[39] When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is---that she is a sinner.”
[40] Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.
[41] “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42] Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
[43] Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.`
[44] Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. [45] You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. [46] You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. [47] Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven---as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
[48] Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
[49] The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
[50] Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
I love this story for several reasons, but the phrase that caught my attention this morning was Jesus' statement, "But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Isn't that an interesting statement?? Clearly, Jesus is tying His statement to the situation at hand, as well as the story He told. I don't think we can make a spiritual principle out of this statement, but we should look at the underlying truth.
Jesus is associating the woman's expressive love, with her understanding of her being forgiven. It is interesting to note that He actually didn't forgive her sins, until later. She had clearly already had some sense of His love and compassion, His willingness to forgive, for she came to Him and was very vulnerable. I think we must remember that although the Holy Spirit had not been poured out yet at Pentecost, that He was still present and moving upon people. I believe that it was His invitation to this woman that caused her to have faith in Jesus, in His willingness to forgive her. I believe that it was the Holy Spirit giving her courage to approach Jesus in the midst of a banquet of people who knew her story. That strength and courage must have come from faith.
Secondly, as I was reflecting yesterday, there is something important to our remembering whee we came from, and part of that is remembering our sins and the forgiveness of those sins. As Jesus states, their is a correlation between understanding our forgiveness and our love for Him. I think this is one of the reasons that the Saints were always aware of their own sinfulness, not just because they saw how perfect Jesus was, but they also saw how much the Lord had forgiven them.
It seems to me that we have an unhealthy perspective on sin these days, and it relates to our shame about our sinfulness. I love the simple reality that Brother Lawrence expressed when he asked for forgiveness, He would say, "I am used to do so: I shall never do otherwise, if I am left to myself." In other words, he recognized that he, along with all of us, was a sinner, and left to himself that is exactly what he would do, sin. He went on to say that it is only through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and through constant relationship and embracing God's love for himself that He was able to do God's will. To me, while it seems dark, this is a healthy perspective to have concerning sin. We are constantly trying to become Christ-like, and yet we are unable to do so perfectly. God completely understands our nature, and expects nothing less, and thus extends forgiveness and mercy. He is not surprised by our sinfulness, He expects it, but rather than allow us to remain in our sin, He has made a way for us to receive forgiveness and maintain our relationship with Him.
As we see in the story of the wayward son in Luke 15, the Father welcomes the wayward son with open arms, love, forgiveness and restoration of relationship and identity. This is what the Father extends to us when we come to Him in our repentance! He knows our sin, yet He loves us!
The enemy would try to keep us from God's love, and from experiencing forgiveness, by convincing us of our shame concerning our sinfulness. He tries to convince us that we are the only person that struggles with not doing God's will, not living our life in perfect unity with the Father! The enemy wants us to expect judgment and punishment at the hands of our Father. The enemy has worked hard to foster that attitude in the church, so that rather than welcoming sinners (for we are all sinners) we reject them and judge them. We are taught by religion to hold up a false image of ourselves to those that we meet, proclaiming our righteousness, as if we had some ability to affect that in our lives. Paul made it quite clear that our righteousness is only possible through faith in Jesus (Rom 3: 22-28). The church is too often like the Pharisee in this story, judging the sinful person, and being appalled at their presence and audacity to come and worship God! We tend to label people with their sin, judging them like we have never sinned ourselves, thinking of ourselves as better than them. Oh Lord, forgive us!
This morning, I am reminded of God's great love, His mercy and His forgiveness that He has extended to me! I am reminded that He waits for me to turn towards Him! I am reminded that His love for me includes His understanding that I am a sinner, and in spite of that He welcomes me with open arms. I am encouraged to look at my life an my actions, to make sure that I am representing the heart of the Lord to all those I meet, especially to the "sinners", for that includes us all! I am stirred in my heart to love God, to be amazed at His abundance and mercy, His compassion and forgiveness! I am reminded to be grateful for His forgiveness, rather than ashamed at my weakness and sin.
Amen!
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Days of Remembrance - How I Got Here
This morning I am reflecting briefly on a few verses from Leviticus 23:39,42-43 NIV:
[39] “ 'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest."
[42] "Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters [43] so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.' ”
I was reflecting on these verses yesterday and when I opened my bible, it just seemed that I needed to spend some more time on these verses. The concept is quite simple, remember where you came from, what your life was like, what the Lord has done for you! The Lord initiated this festival, and wanted the Israelites to celebrate this every year, so they wouldn't forget their miraculous release from Egypt and their 40 years in the wilderness.
It is interesting that the command was to live in temporary shelters, as a way of reminding themselves of their history. It was during that time that they were transformed from a bunch of slaves into a nation. It was a significant time in understanding their identity as God's chosen people. It was a time of being led by the presence of God, in the form of a pillar of Fire or Cloud. They knew God's manifest presence, and they learned to move when He moved. It is my belief that the Lord was calling them to remember that season, so that in the midst of their settled lives, they were able to understand God's ways and leading.
I know for myself, sometimes I can get into a rut of repetition, and lose my sense of God's direction and guidance in my life. I can settle in and just go about my day to day life, which does include prayer and scripture, but which does not challenge me to grow or be ready to respond to God's new direction. I can think that this is my life, and be unwilling to change course, or living situation. The Lord does not lead us into change and times of transition just for fun, but He is always about helping us to mature and become who He sees we are, and says we are. Our sedentary life-styles can cause us to lose focus, to forget who we are, and to be unwilling to change.
I am also reminded of how different their lives were, going from slavery in brick factories of Egypt, into the wilderness where God provided food daily. He gave them the covenant of the Law, established the Tabernacle and practices of their religion during that time in the desert. He Forged them into a nation that was able to conquer the Promised Land, city by city. Previously they were slaves with no leadership, no real sense of their national identity, or even knowledge of how to worship God, and God established all of that in 40 years. When I think about that transformation, I am amazed, for I know how hard it is for me to change.
Finally, I am encouraged to look back at my life, and see all the things that God has done! As I look back I see the significant difference, the leading down paths of abundant blessings, the maturation, the seasons of change and transition, and mostly the increasing understanding of my identity in Him. I see His hand at work constantly in my life.
As an anlogy, I am reminded of what it is like to carve something out of wood. There is an initial idea, and then slowly I work the wood removing large sections with a band-saw, then sanding and carving down other areas and finally refining the shape with sand paper and polisher. In my life, I see so many areas that have been hewn, or sanded or polished by Him. I am certainly not finished, but I know He is at work, refining me, and I welcome His direction and guidance, for I know I am being formed in His image.
It is good for me to remember the change, the way I used to think, the way I used to be. It is good to be reminded of His gracious blessing, His forgiveness and mercy, His compassion and gentleness. It is good to look back at the journey of my life, seeing how the Lord has led me and guided me. It is good to remember, and to be grateful for all He has accomplished. It is good to remember who I was, and to reflect on who I am, and how I got here!!
Thank You Lord for Your abundant blessings and constant leading and invitation to relationship!
Amen!
[39] “ 'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest."
[42] "Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters [43] so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.' ”
I was reflecting on these verses yesterday and when I opened my bible, it just seemed that I needed to spend some more time on these verses. The concept is quite simple, remember where you came from, what your life was like, what the Lord has done for you! The Lord initiated this festival, and wanted the Israelites to celebrate this every year, so they wouldn't forget their miraculous release from Egypt and their 40 years in the wilderness.
It is interesting that the command was to live in temporary shelters, as a way of reminding themselves of their history. It was during that time that they were transformed from a bunch of slaves into a nation. It was a significant time in understanding their identity as God's chosen people. It was a time of being led by the presence of God, in the form of a pillar of Fire or Cloud. They knew God's manifest presence, and they learned to move when He moved. It is my belief that the Lord was calling them to remember that season, so that in the midst of their settled lives, they were able to understand God's ways and leading.
I know for myself, sometimes I can get into a rut of repetition, and lose my sense of God's direction and guidance in my life. I can settle in and just go about my day to day life, which does include prayer and scripture, but which does not challenge me to grow or be ready to respond to God's new direction. I can think that this is my life, and be unwilling to change course, or living situation. The Lord does not lead us into change and times of transition just for fun, but He is always about helping us to mature and become who He sees we are, and says we are. Our sedentary life-styles can cause us to lose focus, to forget who we are, and to be unwilling to change.
I am also reminded of how different their lives were, going from slavery in brick factories of Egypt, into the wilderness where God provided food daily. He gave them the covenant of the Law, established the Tabernacle and practices of their religion during that time in the desert. He Forged them into a nation that was able to conquer the Promised Land, city by city. Previously they were slaves with no leadership, no real sense of their national identity, or even knowledge of how to worship God, and God established all of that in 40 years. When I think about that transformation, I am amazed, for I know how hard it is for me to change.
Finally, I am encouraged to look back at my life, and see all the things that God has done! As I look back I see the significant difference, the leading down paths of abundant blessings, the maturation, the seasons of change and transition, and mostly the increasing understanding of my identity in Him. I see His hand at work constantly in my life.
As an anlogy, I am reminded of what it is like to carve something out of wood. There is an initial idea, and then slowly I work the wood removing large sections with a band-saw, then sanding and carving down other areas and finally refining the shape with sand paper and polisher. In my life, I see so many areas that have been hewn, or sanded or polished by Him. I am certainly not finished, but I know He is at work, refining me, and I welcome His direction and guidance, for I know I am being formed in His image.
It is good for me to remember the change, the way I used to think, the way I used to be. It is good to be reminded of His gracious blessing, His forgiveness and mercy, His compassion and gentleness. It is good to look back at the journey of my life, seeing how the Lord has led me and guided me. It is good to remember, and to be grateful for all He has accomplished. It is good to remember who I was, and to reflect on who I am, and how I got here!!
Thank You Lord for Your abundant blessings and constant leading and invitation to relationship!
Amen!
Sunday, November 11, 2018
Acting Like We Love Each Other!
This morning I am reflecting on a few verses from Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13 NIV:
[1] "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. [2] Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. [3] Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. [4] There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called ; [5] one Lord, one faith, one baptism; [6] one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
[7] "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it."
[11] "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, [12] to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up [13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
What an excellent set of verses to read, reflect and embrace. We are called to love one another, as Christ loved us, and as such Paul's encouragements in the following verses, lay out nicely what that looks like. We are called to humility, gentleness, patience, loving endurance, and peace! If we just dealt with each other with the idea that we were one big loving family, we would hopefully experience more life, joy, and peace. Imagine if we treated one another and everyone as if we loved them! What if we treated them as if they were our favorite person??
I am reminded of a story Therese of Lisieux tells of herself, from her Autobiography, "The Story of a Soul":
"A holy nun of our community annoyed me in all that she did; the devil must have had something to do with it, and he it was undoubtedly who made me see in her so many disagreeable points. I did not want to yield to my natural antipathy, for I remembered that charity ought to betray itself in deeds, and not exist merely in the feelings, so I set myself to do for this sister all I should do for the one I loved most. Every time I met her I prayed for her, and offered to God her virtues and merits. I felt that this was very pleasing to Our Lord, for there is no artist who is not gratified when his works are praised, and the Divine Artist of souls is pleased when we do not stop at the exterior, but, penetrating to the inner sanctuary He has chosen, admire its beauty."
"I did not rest satisfied with praying for this Sister, who gave me such occasions for self-mastery, I tried to render her as many services as I could, and when tempted to answer her sharply, I made haste to smile and change the subject, for the Imitation says: “It is more profitable to leave everyone to his way of thinking than to give way to contentious discourses.” And sometimes when the temptation was very severe, I would run like a deserter from the battlefield if I could do so without letting the Sister guess my inward struggle.""
"One day she said to me with a beaming face: “My dear Soeur Thérèse, tell me what attraction you find in me, for whenever we meet, you greet me with such a sweet smile.” Ah! What attracted me was Jesus hidden in the depths of her soul— Jesus who maketh sweet even that which is most bitter."
I found this story quite amusing, when I first read it, as it reveals the true heart of St. Therese, desiring to treat all with humility, love, patience, and gentleness, but struggling mightily to do so, with this particular nun. She chose to treat her as if she were her favorite, and in the end the sister thought that she was Therese's favorite! Oh that all we meet would think that we loved them!
Continuing on, Paul reminds us that Christ gave to us grace that was meant to be used to build up the body! We should all be concerned about the maturity of the Body of Christ, of those relationships and commitments amongst ourselves. We should realize that there are those that are called to help us to grow and mature, and become one. We must have a bigger perspective than our own needs and wants, but instead look to the greater Body of Christ, desiring that we walk in the whole measure of the fullness of Christ Jesus, which we are far from realizing yet.
We are called love one another, as Christ Jesus loves us (John 13:34). This loving concern, this gentle and humble care, this loving endurance, this peace and forgiveness, this every effort is how we build each other up, how we bear witness to the world that we are followers of Jesus!
Lord, help us all! Lord, help us to treat each other as if each was the one we loved most!
[1] "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. [2] Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. [3] Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. [4] There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called ; [5] one Lord, one faith, one baptism; [6] one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
[7] "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it."
[11] "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, [12] to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up [13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
What an excellent set of verses to read, reflect and embrace. We are called to love one another, as Christ loved us, and as such Paul's encouragements in the following verses, lay out nicely what that looks like. We are called to humility, gentleness, patience, loving endurance, and peace! If we just dealt with each other with the idea that we were one big loving family, we would hopefully experience more life, joy, and peace. Imagine if we treated one another and everyone as if we loved them! What if we treated them as if they were our favorite person??
I am reminded of a story Therese of Lisieux tells of herself, from her Autobiography, "The Story of a Soul":
"A holy nun of our community annoyed me in all that she did; the devil must have had something to do with it, and he it was undoubtedly who made me see in her so many disagreeable points. I did not want to yield to my natural antipathy, for I remembered that charity ought to betray itself in deeds, and not exist merely in the feelings, so I set myself to do for this sister all I should do for the one I loved most. Every time I met her I prayed for her, and offered to God her virtues and merits. I felt that this was very pleasing to Our Lord, for there is no artist who is not gratified when his works are praised, and the Divine Artist of souls is pleased when we do not stop at the exterior, but, penetrating to the inner sanctuary He has chosen, admire its beauty."
"I did not rest satisfied with praying for this Sister, who gave me such occasions for self-mastery, I tried to render her as many services as I could, and when tempted to answer her sharply, I made haste to smile and change the subject, for the Imitation says: “It is more profitable to leave everyone to his way of thinking than to give way to contentious discourses.” And sometimes when the temptation was very severe, I would run like a deserter from the battlefield if I could do so without letting the Sister guess my inward struggle.""
"One day she said to me with a beaming face: “My dear Soeur Thérèse, tell me what attraction you find in me, for whenever we meet, you greet me with such a sweet smile.” Ah! What attracted me was Jesus hidden in the depths of her soul— Jesus who maketh sweet even that which is most bitter."
I found this story quite amusing, when I first read it, as it reveals the true heart of St. Therese, desiring to treat all with humility, love, patience, and gentleness, but struggling mightily to do so, with this particular nun. She chose to treat her as if she were her favorite, and in the end the sister thought that she was Therese's favorite! Oh that all we meet would think that we loved them!
Continuing on, Paul reminds us that Christ gave to us grace that was meant to be used to build up the body! We should all be concerned about the maturity of the Body of Christ, of those relationships and commitments amongst ourselves. We should realize that there are those that are called to help us to grow and mature, and become one. We must have a bigger perspective than our own needs and wants, but instead look to the greater Body of Christ, desiring that we walk in the whole measure of the fullness of Christ Jesus, which we are far from realizing yet.
We are called love one another, as Christ Jesus loves us (John 13:34). This loving concern, this gentle and humble care, this loving endurance, this peace and forgiveness, this every effort is how we build each other up, how we bear witness to the world that we are followers of Jesus!
Lord, help us all! Lord, help us to treat each other as if each was the one we loved most!
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
More Than Just a Name!
This morning I am reflecting once again on one of my favorite stories in John's Gospel, the story of the man born blind, who is healed by Jesus. Here are teh verses - John 9:1-12,35-38 NIV:
[1] "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. [2] His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
[3] “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. [5] While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
[6] After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. [7] “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
[8] His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?”
[9] Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
[10] “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
[11] He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
[12] “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don't know,” he said.
[35] Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
[36] “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
[37] Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
[38] Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. "
The one thought that struck me this morning was that the man knew it was Jesus who had healed him, even though we have no record of Jesus introducing himself, or of any engagement that would have let the man know His name. I know that we don't get every word that was spoken, recorded in the Gospels, so it is not a big issue that the man knew Jesus' name. I just found myself thinking about the fact that Jesus wasn't satisfied that he knew His name, but instead, as we see in verses 35-38, that He wanted relationship with the man.
This is my constant theme, that which flows out of every Gospel story, Jesus as a representative of the Father, expressing their desire for relationship with us! This is such a mystery, that God, the creator of the universe, wants relationship with me! It is just impossible to fully comprehend. Nonetheless, I am eternally grateful that this is the case!
As I have written many times before, if He wants relationship with us, then we must be able to actually have a real relationship with him, at a personal level. We must be able to have regular interaction, regular conversation and exchange of ideas, thoughts and even feelings. We must be able to have some sort of interactive engagement. This relationship, at least for me, is founded in prayer, in my daily interactions with Him. I am not nearly as conscious of His willingness to engage with me relationally throughout the day as I should be, yet most days I spend some time in communication.
I love the fact that He lives inside me, that I don't need to travel to some distant city, or even make my way to the local church to converse with Him. I am so grateful that He is closer than a phone-call away. He Loves me and is with me always, whether I am aware of it or not. He is engaged at all times with me, and I am only slightly aware of this fact most of the time.
Lord, I pray that I might be more and more engaged in daily communication, all day long! Help me to understand Your love for me, Your thoughts for me, Your desire for me! Help me to believe and worship You, as I encounter You in my life! I don't just want to know Your name only, I want to know You!
[1] "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. [2] His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
[3] “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. [5] While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
[6] After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. [7] “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
[8] His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?”
[9] Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
[10] “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
[11] He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
[12] “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don't know,” he said.
[35] Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
[36] “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
[37] Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
[38] Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. "
The one thought that struck me this morning was that the man knew it was Jesus who had healed him, even though we have no record of Jesus introducing himself, or of any engagement that would have let the man know His name. I know that we don't get every word that was spoken, recorded in the Gospels, so it is not a big issue that the man knew Jesus' name. I just found myself thinking about the fact that Jesus wasn't satisfied that he knew His name, but instead, as we see in verses 35-38, that He wanted relationship with the man.
This is my constant theme, that which flows out of every Gospel story, Jesus as a representative of the Father, expressing their desire for relationship with us! This is such a mystery, that God, the creator of the universe, wants relationship with me! It is just impossible to fully comprehend. Nonetheless, I am eternally grateful that this is the case!
As I have written many times before, if He wants relationship with us, then we must be able to actually have a real relationship with him, at a personal level. We must be able to have regular interaction, regular conversation and exchange of ideas, thoughts and even feelings. We must be able to have some sort of interactive engagement. This relationship, at least for me, is founded in prayer, in my daily interactions with Him. I am not nearly as conscious of His willingness to engage with me relationally throughout the day as I should be, yet most days I spend some time in communication.
I love the fact that He lives inside me, that I don't need to travel to some distant city, or even make my way to the local church to converse with Him. I am so grateful that He is closer than a phone-call away. He Loves me and is with me always, whether I am aware of it or not. He is engaged at all times with me, and I am only slightly aware of this fact most of the time.
Lord, I pray that I might be more and more engaged in daily communication, all day long! Help me to understand Your love for me, Your thoughts for me, Your desire for me! Help me to believe and worship You, as I encounter You in my life! I don't just want to know Your name only, I want to know You!
Monday, November 5, 2018
Testing, Trials and Pop-Quizzes
This morning I am reflecting on some verses from James' letter. He wrote it to the Twelve Tribes, and thus was primarily writing to the Jewish believers of His day, and as such assumes his readers have some Jewish understanding. The verses I am reading are quite straight-forward and don't really require much historical perspective. Here are the verses - James 1:2-8 NIV:
[2] "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [4] Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. [5] If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. [6] But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. [7] That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. [8] Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do."
There are several translations to the word in verse 2 that has been translated trials, (the majority of the times it is translated temptations) but the testing spoken of in verse 3 gives us the context to rightly translate this trials to mean testing or proving, as in taking a test or a pop-quiz to show what you know and what you don't.
Isn't it interesting that regular testing is part of our faith walk? I would have preferred to have left all my testing behind when I finished school, but the Lord is about growing us and maturing us, and part of that process is the testing and proving we encounter daily. James writes that these trials are diverse (many kinds) and the word he uses could be translated various colors. It is not like each of us will be given the standardized test, and we will will all receive it the same day. We are all uniquely in relationship with the Lord, and He deals with each of us one on one. I love that we each get personalized tutoring by our teacher - Holy Spirit (John 14:26)- and that He is about helping us to mature and be complete, not lacking anything (verse 4 above).
Going back to verse three, the testing and proving of our faith is supposed to produce perseverance. This is the point, we need to learn to hold on, to maintain our position, to stand strong. Muscles are only built stronger by much work against some resistance. In the same way, apparently our faith requires testing which produces perseverance, which makes us stronger in our faith, even mature. It seems that most of the time, my first thought when I encounter a trial is to wonder if I am being punished. However, if I look at the purpose of testing described above, then I should realize that I have an opportunity to prove or strengthen my faith, and that will result in maturity. What a difference an internal change of mind-set could have!
I remember when I was in school, there were certain classes that I excelled in, and I was never worried if the teacher said we were going to have a pop-quiz because I knew I would do fine. There were certain teachers that I knew I clicked with, teachers who seemed to connect with me and help me learn better than others. That is what we have in the Holy Spirit, someone who knows us better than anyone else in the world. He knows exactly what we need to learn, and how we will best learn it. He isn't interested in rote learning or memorization, He wants us to really learn to fully assimilate those things He is teaching us.
I love the fact that James then continues on and says if we lack wisdom (understanding about why and what we learning) that we should ask and God will provide. Going back to my teacher analogy, this is like us asking the teacher for help understanding something. I remember as a child I would be afraid to ask the teacher to re-explain something. I am not sure why I was afraid, but I rarely asked for help. I would most likely wait for later when I could ask my mom or dad, who I knew loved me and would be willing to help me. James notes that God will give us wisdom generously, without finding fault in us, or in our ability to learn, etc. He wants us to succeed because He has plans and purposes for us, and our maturity is one of those things that helps us to bear more fruit, to accomplish more. The key we need to remember is that if we ask, He will answer, but we need to be listening so as not to miss His answer! He will give us the wisdom we need, and He will give generously. He wants us to succeed!
Finally when we ask, we must believe or have faith that He will answer. That is such a simple concept, if we ask we should believe that He will answer! He will not ignore us, or treat us with contempt. He won't belittle, or abandon, rather He will answer. His answer will be what we need. We don't need to ask for a second opinion, or go to another teacher, rather we should be listening and applying what He tells us. One of the reasons I pray and journal regularly, is to help me listen and apply what He shows me. He is a great teacher, and a great Father who wants us to succeed!
So today I am encouraged to change my mindset about the trials, tests and pop-quizzes that come my way. I choose to believe that God is helping me to grow in maturity, in perseverance and ultimately wants me to bear much fruit! I know that He loves me and that He is willing to help me in all things!
Thank You Lord!
[2] "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [4] Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. [5] If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. [6] But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. [7] That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. [8] Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do."
There are several translations to the word in verse 2 that has been translated trials, (the majority of the times it is translated temptations) but the testing spoken of in verse 3 gives us the context to rightly translate this trials to mean testing or proving, as in taking a test or a pop-quiz to show what you know and what you don't.
Isn't it interesting that regular testing is part of our faith walk? I would have preferred to have left all my testing behind when I finished school, but the Lord is about growing us and maturing us, and part of that process is the testing and proving we encounter daily. James writes that these trials are diverse (many kinds) and the word he uses could be translated various colors. It is not like each of us will be given the standardized test, and we will will all receive it the same day. We are all uniquely in relationship with the Lord, and He deals with each of us one on one. I love that we each get personalized tutoring by our teacher - Holy Spirit (John 14:26)- and that He is about helping us to mature and be complete, not lacking anything (verse 4 above).
Going back to verse three, the testing and proving of our faith is supposed to produce perseverance. This is the point, we need to learn to hold on, to maintain our position, to stand strong. Muscles are only built stronger by much work against some resistance. In the same way, apparently our faith requires testing which produces perseverance, which makes us stronger in our faith, even mature. It seems that most of the time, my first thought when I encounter a trial is to wonder if I am being punished. However, if I look at the purpose of testing described above, then I should realize that I have an opportunity to prove or strengthen my faith, and that will result in maturity. What a difference an internal change of mind-set could have!
I remember when I was in school, there were certain classes that I excelled in, and I was never worried if the teacher said we were going to have a pop-quiz because I knew I would do fine. There were certain teachers that I knew I clicked with, teachers who seemed to connect with me and help me learn better than others. That is what we have in the Holy Spirit, someone who knows us better than anyone else in the world. He knows exactly what we need to learn, and how we will best learn it. He isn't interested in rote learning or memorization, He wants us to really learn to fully assimilate those things He is teaching us.
I love the fact that James then continues on and says if we lack wisdom (understanding about why and what we learning) that we should ask and God will provide. Going back to my teacher analogy, this is like us asking the teacher for help understanding something. I remember as a child I would be afraid to ask the teacher to re-explain something. I am not sure why I was afraid, but I rarely asked for help. I would most likely wait for later when I could ask my mom or dad, who I knew loved me and would be willing to help me. James notes that God will give us wisdom generously, without finding fault in us, or in our ability to learn, etc. He wants us to succeed because He has plans and purposes for us, and our maturity is one of those things that helps us to bear more fruit, to accomplish more. The key we need to remember is that if we ask, He will answer, but we need to be listening so as not to miss His answer! He will give us the wisdom we need, and He will give generously. He wants us to succeed!
Finally when we ask, we must believe or have faith that He will answer. That is such a simple concept, if we ask we should believe that He will answer! He will not ignore us, or treat us with contempt. He won't belittle, or abandon, rather He will answer. His answer will be what we need. We don't need to ask for a second opinion, or go to another teacher, rather we should be listening and applying what He tells us. One of the reasons I pray and journal regularly, is to help me listen and apply what He shows me. He is a great teacher, and a great Father who wants us to succeed!
So today I am encouraged to change my mindset about the trials, tests and pop-quizzes that come my way. I choose to believe that God is helping me to grow in maturity, in perseverance and ultimately wants me to bear much fruit! I know that He loves me and that He is willing to help me in all things!
Thank You Lord!
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Who Is Your King?
This morning I find myself reflecting on an unusual theme, at least for me. The context is the questioning and judgment of Jesus by Pilate, and the real question is, 'Who is your King?'
Here are the surrounding verses - John 19:6-16 NIV: (Jesus had just been flogged and beaten and was dressed in purple and had a crown of thorns thrust upon his head and was presented to the people)
[6] "As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”
[7] The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
[8] When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, [9] and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. [10] “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
[11] Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
[12] From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”
[13] When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). [14] It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.
“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.
[15] But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
[16] Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus."
This scene has always seemed central to me, and was always part of our Holy Week readings, growing up Catholic. The focus was the passion and death of Jesus, but there was always this underlying theme of Pilate and his interactions with the Jewish leaders and the people. It reads almost like a good courtroom drama, with occasional camera cuts to the crowd outside, protesting and chanting. The different movies that have been made about Jesus, and His passion and death, have always done a good job of portraying these scenes. However, this morning I found myself focused on verses 14 and 15, specifically on the response of the chief priests and people.
Pilate presents Jesus and says, "Here is your king", and the people shout, "Take Him away, Crucify Him!"
It is interesting to note that barely a week previous, Jesus had arrived in Jerusalem sitting on the back of a donkey, with people shouting "blessed is the king of Israel!" How quickly they changed their minds and turned their backs on Him. They had welcomed Him to Jerusalem, thinking that He would restore Israel, set them free from Roman rule, and when He didn't succeed (in their eyes), they Immediately did a complete flip-flop and now found themselves proclaiming Caesar as their king.
I found myself wondering if this final rejection of Jesus was in some way responsible for the coming revolt and destruction of the temple? I found myself wondering if their decision that day was final, in their lives? I found myself wondering how God looked (and looks) upon those that reject Him? I found myself wondering if I sometimes have the same response when the Lord doesn't do the thing I want Him to do, do I turn my back on Him?
I think I can answer a few of those questions, starting with how God looks upon those that reject Him. Jesus said while on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). Here is one of the best example of God's forgiveness and mercy, for everything Jesus spoke was at the Father's direction, even up to His last words. Jesus is asking for forgiveness for those that crucified Him, those that condemned Him, those that chose Caesar over Him! He is asking for their forgiveness, knowing full well that they didn't comprehend everything, nor fully grasp who He was. Even His own disciples and apostles didn't fully comprehend until later what He had accomplished.
Second, we find 50 days later at Pentecost that 3000 of the people in Jerusalem become believers, and I have to believe that some of those people were present that day to join their voices to the chants for Jesus' crucifixion. God clearly didn't hold their rejection of Him, against them, instead He extended mercy, grace and forgiveness.
Thirdly, the coming revolt in 66AD was fomenting for many years, and this rejection of Jesus, and selection of Caesar as their king, was not linked (at least by any historians) to the revolt. The Jews had revolted previously many times ( e.g. Maccabean revolt was in 167-160BC) and revolted afterwards as well, for the revolt of 66 was the first of three revolts against the Romans, the other two being in 115-117AD and 132-136AD.
Finally, I know in my life there have been many times where I found myself rejecting the Lord, His direction, His guidance and at times even questioning my relationship. Regardless, He continues to extend mercy to me every day! He always forgives, always loves me and welcomes me back! He does not hold my sins against me, and does not reject me! He has received the worst treatment possible from those He Loves and never changes His response. He came to save sinners and in spite of my sins, He extends salvation to me!
Thus, my question today, and every day is who is my King? This question can be distilled into many other related questions. Will I follow Him? Will I live my life for Him? Will I claim Him as my King, even if I don't see the answers I seek? Will I choose to worship Him? Will I choose to love Him? Will I stand up for Him? Good questions - and ones I should reflect upon and let my life reflect my answer!
Here are the surrounding verses - John 19:6-16 NIV: (Jesus had just been flogged and beaten and was dressed in purple and had a crown of thorns thrust upon his head and was presented to the people)
[6] "As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”
[7] The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
[8] When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, [9] and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. [10] “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
[11] Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
[12] From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”
[13] When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). [14] It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.
“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.
[15] But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
[16] Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus."
This scene has always seemed central to me, and was always part of our Holy Week readings, growing up Catholic. The focus was the passion and death of Jesus, but there was always this underlying theme of Pilate and his interactions with the Jewish leaders and the people. It reads almost like a good courtroom drama, with occasional camera cuts to the crowd outside, protesting and chanting. The different movies that have been made about Jesus, and His passion and death, have always done a good job of portraying these scenes. However, this morning I found myself focused on verses 14 and 15, specifically on the response of the chief priests and people.
Pilate presents Jesus and says, "Here is your king", and the people shout, "Take Him away, Crucify Him!"
It is interesting to note that barely a week previous, Jesus had arrived in Jerusalem sitting on the back of a donkey, with people shouting "blessed is the king of Israel!" How quickly they changed their minds and turned their backs on Him. They had welcomed Him to Jerusalem, thinking that He would restore Israel, set them free from Roman rule, and when He didn't succeed (in their eyes), they Immediately did a complete flip-flop and now found themselves proclaiming Caesar as their king.
I found myself wondering if this final rejection of Jesus was in some way responsible for the coming revolt and destruction of the temple? I found myself wondering if their decision that day was final, in their lives? I found myself wondering how God looked (and looks) upon those that reject Him? I found myself wondering if I sometimes have the same response when the Lord doesn't do the thing I want Him to do, do I turn my back on Him?
I think I can answer a few of those questions, starting with how God looks upon those that reject Him. Jesus said while on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). Here is one of the best example of God's forgiveness and mercy, for everything Jesus spoke was at the Father's direction, even up to His last words. Jesus is asking for forgiveness for those that crucified Him, those that condemned Him, those that chose Caesar over Him! He is asking for their forgiveness, knowing full well that they didn't comprehend everything, nor fully grasp who He was. Even His own disciples and apostles didn't fully comprehend until later what He had accomplished.
Second, we find 50 days later at Pentecost that 3000 of the people in Jerusalem become believers, and I have to believe that some of those people were present that day to join their voices to the chants for Jesus' crucifixion. God clearly didn't hold their rejection of Him, against them, instead He extended mercy, grace and forgiveness.
Thirdly, the coming revolt in 66AD was fomenting for many years, and this rejection of Jesus, and selection of Caesar as their king, was not linked (at least by any historians) to the revolt. The Jews had revolted previously many times ( e.g. Maccabean revolt was in 167-160BC) and revolted afterwards as well, for the revolt of 66 was the first of three revolts against the Romans, the other two being in 115-117AD and 132-136AD.
Finally, I know in my life there have been many times where I found myself rejecting the Lord, His direction, His guidance and at times even questioning my relationship. Regardless, He continues to extend mercy to me every day! He always forgives, always loves me and welcomes me back! He does not hold my sins against me, and does not reject me! He has received the worst treatment possible from those He Loves and never changes His response. He came to save sinners and in spite of my sins, He extends salvation to me!
Thus, my question today, and every day is who is my King? This question can be distilled into many other related questions. Will I follow Him? Will I live my life for Him? Will I claim Him as my King, even if I don't see the answers I seek? Will I choose to worship Him? Will I choose to love Him? Will I stand up for Him? Good questions - and ones I should reflect upon and let my life reflect my answer!
Friday, October 26, 2018
The Gift of Eternal Life
This morning I am reflecting on several verses from John's Gospel. I guess it is appropriate that I reflect on Eternal Life, for yesterday was the third anniversary of my Dad's passing into Heaven, the most full reality of Eternal Life. Here are the verses - John 17:1-7,24-26 NIV:
[1] After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. [2] For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. [4] I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. [5] And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. [6] “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. [7] Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you."
[24] “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. [25] “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. [26] I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
Starting with verse three, Jesus once again defines eternal life as knowing God, "The Only true God, and Jesus Christ" (Himself). As I have written before the Greek word that is translated 'know' is all about relational connectedness, understanding the person, knowing how the person thinks and acts, knowing whats in their heart, and the word was even used to describe the intimacy of a husband and wife. THIS is eternal life - knowing and being in relationship with God. It is not religion, it is relationship.
Stepping back a verse, Jesus says that He has authority over all people, that He might give eternal life to all that He has been given by the Father. Second thought concerning eternal life, it is a gift! We don't earn it. We don't get it as a reward for being good. We receive this gift from Jesus, who gives it freely, for He came to save the world (John 3:16). His desire is that all might be saved (1 Tim 2:4). It is a gift, though, and not all people will accept it.
Third, I love how Jesus was aware that He had completed the work that the Father had given Him to do (verse 4). What a great joy that must be to know that You have accomplished all, that you have run the race and completed it successfully. Oh to hear "well done!" Those were my last words to my father before his burial, as I am sure those were among the first words he heard when he entered Heaven. One day it is my hope that I will here the same.
I don't believe my dad was aware that he had completed his works, for he had much more life planned and in motion, but his day of completion arrived with surprisingly little notice. We had no forewarning, no knowledge of his impending death, yet I know he was ready. As I look at his legacy, I am so thankful for all that he did, all those he touched. He lived life to the fullest, loved to the fullest, and was a light to many! He was experiencing eternal life here on earth, for his life revolved around his relationship with the Lord. I believe his transition to the heavenly realm was almost seamless, closing his eyes here and opening them there. I believe this is the Lord's desire for us all, to be with Him where He is, to see His true glory (see verse 24 above).
So my prayer today is for us all to experience "eternal life" here on earth, and in the life to come. My prayer is that we all might "know" God the Father, Jesus Christ, His loving Son, and the Holy Spirit, our advocate and helper. My prayer is that our lives might be lived to the fullest, loving well, and in relationship with Him. My prayer is that we all might know this Good Father who loves us, who desires us all to be saved and who has made a place for us. My prayer is that we might make Him known to all those who have yet to be introduced to Him as He is, as a God of love, mercy, compassion and life! My prayer is that we all receive this great gift of eternal life!
Amen!
[1] After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. [2] For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. [4] I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. [5] And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. [6] “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. [7] Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you."
[24] “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. [25] “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. [26] I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
Starting with verse three, Jesus once again defines eternal life as knowing God, "The Only true God, and Jesus Christ" (Himself). As I have written before the Greek word that is translated 'know' is all about relational connectedness, understanding the person, knowing how the person thinks and acts, knowing whats in their heart, and the word was even used to describe the intimacy of a husband and wife. THIS is eternal life - knowing and being in relationship with God. It is not religion, it is relationship.
Stepping back a verse, Jesus says that He has authority over all people, that He might give eternal life to all that He has been given by the Father. Second thought concerning eternal life, it is a gift! We don't earn it. We don't get it as a reward for being good. We receive this gift from Jesus, who gives it freely, for He came to save the world (John 3:16). His desire is that all might be saved (1 Tim 2:4). It is a gift, though, and not all people will accept it.
Third, I love how Jesus was aware that He had completed the work that the Father had given Him to do (verse 4). What a great joy that must be to know that You have accomplished all, that you have run the race and completed it successfully. Oh to hear "well done!" Those were my last words to my father before his burial, as I am sure those were among the first words he heard when he entered Heaven. One day it is my hope that I will here the same.
I don't believe my dad was aware that he had completed his works, for he had much more life planned and in motion, but his day of completion arrived with surprisingly little notice. We had no forewarning, no knowledge of his impending death, yet I know he was ready. As I look at his legacy, I am so thankful for all that he did, all those he touched. He lived life to the fullest, loved to the fullest, and was a light to many! He was experiencing eternal life here on earth, for his life revolved around his relationship with the Lord. I believe his transition to the heavenly realm was almost seamless, closing his eyes here and opening them there. I believe this is the Lord's desire for us all, to be with Him where He is, to see His true glory (see verse 24 above).
So my prayer today is for us all to experience "eternal life" here on earth, and in the life to come. My prayer is that we all might "know" God the Father, Jesus Christ, His loving Son, and the Holy Spirit, our advocate and helper. My prayer is that our lives might be lived to the fullest, loving well, and in relationship with Him. My prayer is that we all might know this Good Father who loves us, who desires us all to be saved and who has made a place for us. My prayer is that we might make Him known to all those who have yet to be introduced to Him as He is, as a God of love, mercy, compassion and life! My prayer is that we all receive this great gift of eternal life!
Amen!
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
"Behold the Man!"
This morning my reflection appears headed in a different direction then of late. I am going to reflect on a few verses from John's Gospel that are from Jesus' Passion. Here are the verses - John 19:1-6 NASB:
[1] "Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. [2] And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; [3] and they began to come up to Him and say, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and to give Him slaps in the face. [4] Pilate came out again and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him." [5] Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold, the Man!" [6] So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, "Crucify, crucify!" Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him."
My first thought when reading this, was that they should have been worshipping Jesus rather than beating and insulting Him! I saw in my minds-eye the cries to crucify Him replaced with cries to glorify Him!
When Pilate said to them "Behold the Man!" he was completely correct, for Jesus, the Son of God, had come and emptied Himself, and became fully man! (Phili 2:5-8) He did this because it was the way to restore man's relationship to the Father, becoming as it were the second Adam (1 Cor 15:45-49)! It was the greatest sacrifice ever, by the only perfect and sinless man to ever live (1 Peter 1: 18-20). Jesus laid down His entire human life, His reputation, His body , His strength, His followers, His family, everything for love of us (John 10:17-18)! He did this all willingly, that we might be fully restored to the Father, a way made back to relationship with Our Creator. He showed us what true love is, a willingness to lay down your life for another (John 15:13). He received the blows and beatings, and turned them into blessings for us, for by His wounds we are healed (Isa 53:5). I am reminded of how Isaiah prophesied about all of this 600+ years earlier - Isaiah 53:1-11 NIV:
[1] Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
[2] He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
[3] He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
[4] Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
[5] But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
[6] We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[7] He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
[8] By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.
[9] He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
[10] Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
[11] After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities."
All I can say is that we can never worship Jesus enough, or praise His name enough! We can never make up for the treatment He received that day in Jerusalem, but we can set our hearts to worship Him as our Savior and Lord. We can glorify His name, and lift Him up! We can exalt Him above every other name in our lives! We can thank Him for His love and sacrifice, knowing that He did it all for us!
Jesus!
Jesus!
Jesus!
Glorify!
Glorify!
[1] "Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. [2] And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; [3] and they began to come up to Him and say, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and to give Him slaps in the face. [4] Pilate came out again and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him." [5] Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold, the Man!" [6] So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, "Crucify, crucify!" Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him."
My first thought when reading this, was that they should have been worshipping Jesus rather than beating and insulting Him! I saw in my minds-eye the cries to crucify Him replaced with cries to glorify Him!
When Pilate said to them "Behold the Man!" he was completely correct, for Jesus, the Son of God, had come and emptied Himself, and became fully man! (Phili 2:5-8) He did this because it was the way to restore man's relationship to the Father, becoming as it were the second Adam (1 Cor 15:45-49)! It was the greatest sacrifice ever, by the only perfect and sinless man to ever live (1 Peter 1: 18-20). Jesus laid down His entire human life, His reputation, His body , His strength, His followers, His family, everything for love of us (John 10:17-18)! He did this all willingly, that we might be fully restored to the Father, a way made back to relationship with Our Creator. He showed us what true love is, a willingness to lay down your life for another (John 15:13). He received the blows and beatings, and turned them into blessings for us, for by His wounds we are healed (Isa 53:5). I am reminded of how Isaiah prophesied about all of this 600+ years earlier - Isaiah 53:1-11 NIV:
[1] Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
[2] He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
[3] He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
[4] Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
[5] But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
[6] We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[7] He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
[8] By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.
[9] He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
[10] Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
[11] After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities."
All I can say is that we can never worship Jesus enough, or praise His name enough! We can never make up for the treatment He received that day in Jerusalem, but we can set our hearts to worship Him as our Savior and Lord. We can glorify His name, and lift Him up! We can exalt Him above every other name in our lives! We can thank Him for His love and sacrifice, knowing that He did it all for us!
Jesus!
Jesus!
Jesus!
Glorify!
Glorify!
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Of Sin and Sinners, Including Me!
So recently I have been reflecting on the Lord's interactions with sinners. Why? Because we all are sinners. In the Bible we are told that Jesus hung out with sinners, even eating with them. Here is a great example from the Gospel of Matthew 9:10-13 NIV:
[10] "While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. [11] When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
[12] "On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. [13] But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
I want to focus on two things, one being Jesus' response concerning sinners, and the other being the classification of the people labeled "sinners".
I am going to start with the second thought - the people classified as sinners. My tendency when I read this is to assume that I wouldn't be in that list of people who were considered sinners. They are the "bad" people, maybe prostitutes, tax-collectors, loan-sharks, gamblers, or even pimps (or whatever they called them in their day) clearly a group of people I wouldn't consider myself a part of normally. This morning as I was reading this, I realized that my normal classification was wrong!
Looking at the definition of the word that is translated sinners (Verse 13) it is the plural of Hamartano a Greek word defined as follows:
1) to be without a share in
2) to miss the mark
3) to err, be mistaken
4) to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong
5) to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin
Putting these in very modern language:
1) everyone who bought a Megamillions ticket but didn't win (It was for $1B last night) and everyone who didn't buy a ticket - they have no share in the prize
2) to miss the target you are shooting at, specifically missing the bullseye (that is the mark). If you miss by 1 inch or 1 foot or 1 mile, you miss.
3) You think you know something, but find out you are wrong about anything at all
4) You are on a diet and you cheat a little and have that donut that is calling your name, or you go 56mph in a 55mph zone, or you say something bad about someone you know.
5) Pretty much our traditional understanding of the 10 commandments, plus whatever else gets added by your local church expression
When we look at this more modern list, or even the original definition the one thing that stands out to me, is the first four primary definitions are really wide, and likely include pretty much everyone reading this, including me. This is a much wider swath than some list of 10 or 20 or even 100 sins to avoid. So the question that comes to my mind, is how to rightly define sin??
I think about sin as defined two ways, both of which encompass this wide swath as described above. First, I think of sin as doing something that Jesus wouldn't do. We know that He lived a perfect, sinless life. He didn't have all the exact same opportunities that we do, but when we say He didn't sin, it means He did exactly what the Father told Him to do, and said exactly what the Father told Him to say, every day of His life! If that is how we define sin for Jesus, then that is the way we should define it for us!
Secondly, I define sin as not fulfilling God's purpose and plan and will for me in a given instant, or opportunity. This directly points back to my first definition, as this is how Jesus lived, as a man. I am capable of walking in obedience, intimacy and hearing and seeing what the Lord directs me to do, but often times I miss it, or sometimes I know fully well what He is asking me to do, and don't do it. I find that in some big areas of my life, I am pretty close to living in line with His plan and purpose and will, but pretty much every time I get one area of my life straightened out, I find that there is some new area that I hadn't even thought about before, often smaller or deeper in my heart, and not previously apparent.
Growing up I read about many of the Saints, as recognized by the Catholic church, and I was always amazed how each and everyone of them considered themselves as big sinners. It was like the closer they got to being like Jesus, the more aware they were of how they weren't like Him. Most would never have considered themselves saints, yet all aspired to be as much like Jesus as they could. Their understanding of sin, and being a sinner, was clearly different then mine at the time, and much more in line with the wider and more inclusive definition of sin as described above. If we consider the Saints like professional or Olympic archers, we can maybe grasp their perspective. An Olympic archer, still misses the mark (bullseye). They don't miss it anywhere as often as I would, but they still miss. As someone who can hit the mark most of the time, I think they actually feel worse when they do miss, then someone like me, who rejoices the one or two times I actually hit the bullseye!
So back to the definition of sin, I believe that taking a broader approach and more inclusive definition is better for us. First, we are less likely to judge someone else, for we all fit that definition. Secondly, rather than reducing our awareness of our sin, this should help us see ourselves in a more accurate light. We are all sinners, and whether we are missing the mark regularly, or only once in a while, by an inch or by 10 feet, we are all missing the mark. We are all striving towards the same goal, and although Paul uses the race analogy, we aren't competing against each other. We are striving to be like Jesus, each and everyone of us, and we are all failing! We need His mercy, His compassion (understanding what we are like) and His forgiveness, all the time!!!
I want to go back to the story of Jesus eating with sinners to look at His response, which according to my my definition of Jesus living a perfect sinless life (And according to plenty of scripture, not just my definition!), was perfectly inline with what the Father told him to do and say. So we can conclude that Jesus is perfectly representing the Father in this story (Heb 1:3). Thus, when Jesus responds, He is responding with the same heart and words of the Father. Jesus said that He came to call the sinners (to relationship with Him is the inference)! In other words rather than rejecting sinners, He was inviting them to relationship and Jesus was demonstrating this very thing during this particular dinner! This is so much not the judging and punishing God that is often portrayed to us. He was reaching towards the sinners (me included), inviting them, getting to know them, not rejecting them for their sin, but rather seeing the value in them and desirous of relationship in spite of their failings! Wow that is Good News!
Finally, if we go back to the wider definition of sin, including in that "sinners" label all that are not like Jesus, all that are missing the mark, all that are not fulfilling God's plan, purpose and will in their lives, then I think we need to expand our label to include every single person in Matthew's house that night! In other words, if we were there, we would be included in that sinner label! We aren't better then anyone else in that House, or in our church on Sunday, or in our neighborhood, or at work! We are all sinners! Each and every one of us! We all need God's mercy, love and compassion! We all need forgiveness!
So this morning as I read these verses I am aware that I am one of those sinners that Jesus was talking about, one of those sick that needed a doctor, one who should be grateful for the invitation to relationship with Jesus! I am aware of God's mercy! I am aware of His Love! I am aware that He understands my condition, my weakness, my failings, and my disobedience and yet He still invites me to relationship! He is so much better than I thought, so much more merciful, compassionate and forgiving that I just cannot grasp His goodness! Thank You Lord for loving me and not rejecting me!
[10] "While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. [11] When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
[12] "On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. [13] But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
I want to focus on two things, one being Jesus' response concerning sinners, and the other being the classification of the people labeled "sinners".
I am going to start with the second thought - the people classified as sinners. My tendency when I read this is to assume that I wouldn't be in that list of people who were considered sinners. They are the "bad" people, maybe prostitutes, tax-collectors, loan-sharks, gamblers, or even pimps (or whatever they called them in their day) clearly a group of people I wouldn't consider myself a part of normally. This morning as I was reading this, I realized that my normal classification was wrong!
Looking at the definition of the word that is translated sinners (Verse 13) it is the plural of Hamartano a Greek word defined as follows:
1) to be without a share in
2) to miss the mark
3) to err, be mistaken
4) to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong
5) to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin
Putting these in very modern language:
1) everyone who bought a Megamillions ticket but didn't win (It was for $1B last night) and everyone who didn't buy a ticket - they have no share in the prize
2) to miss the target you are shooting at, specifically missing the bullseye (that is the mark). If you miss by 1 inch or 1 foot or 1 mile, you miss.
3) You think you know something, but find out you are wrong about anything at all
4) You are on a diet and you cheat a little and have that donut that is calling your name, or you go 56mph in a 55mph zone, or you say something bad about someone you know.
5) Pretty much our traditional understanding of the 10 commandments, plus whatever else gets added by your local church expression
When we look at this more modern list, or even the original definition the one thing that stands out to me, is the first four primary definitions are really wide, and likely include pretty much everyone reading this, including me. This is a much wider swath than some list of 10 or 20 or even 100 sins to avoid. So the question that comes to my mind, is how to rightly define sin??
I think about sin as defined two ways, both of which encompass this wide swath as described above. First, I think of sin as doing something that Jesus wouldn't do. We know that He lived a perfect, sinless life. He didn't have all the exact same opportunities that we do, but when we say He didn't sin, it means He did exactly what the Father told Him to do, and said exactly what the Father told Him to say, every day of His life! If that is how we define sin for Jesus, then that is the way we should define it for us!
Secondly, I define sin as not fulfilling God's purpose and plan and will for me in a given instant, or opportunity. This directly points back to my first definition, as this is how Jesus lived, as a man. I am capable of walking in obedience, intimacy and hearing and seeing what the Lord directs me to do, but often times I miss it, or sometimes I know fully well what He is asking me to do, and don't do it. I find that in some big areas of my life, I am pretty close to living in line with His plan and purpose and will, but pretty much every time I get one area of my life straightened out, I find that there is some new area that I hadn't even thought about before, often smaller or deeper in my heart, and not previously apparent.
Growing up I read about many of the Saints, as recognized by the Catholic church, and I was always amazed how each and everyone of them considered themselves as big sinners. It was like the closer they got to being like Jesus, the more aware they were of how they weren't like Him. Most would never have considered themselves saints, yet all aspired to be as much like Jesus as they could. Their understanding of sin, and being a sinner, was clearly different then mine at the time, and much more in line with the wider and more inclusive definition of sin as described above. If we consider the Saints like professional or Olympic archers, we can maybe grasp their perspective. An Olympic archer, still misses the mark (bullseye). They don't miss it anywhere as often as I would, but they still miss. As someone who can hit the mark most of the time, I think they actually feel worse when they do miss, then someone like me, who rejoices the one or two times I actually hit the bullseye!
So back to the definition of sin, I believe that taking a broader approach and more inclusive definition is better for us. First, we are less likely to judge someone else, for we all fit that definition. Secondly, rather than reducing our awareness of our sin, this should help us see ourselves in a more accurate light. We are all sinners, and whether we are missing the mark regularly, or only once in a while, by an inch or by 10 feet, we are all missing the mark. We are all striving towards the same goal, and although Paul uses the race analogy, we aren't competing against each other. We are striving to be like Jesus, each and everyone of us, and we are all failing! We need His mercy, His compassion (understanding what we are like) and His forgiveness, all the time!!!
I want to go back to the story of Jesus eating with sinners to look at His response, which according to my my definition of Jesus living a perfect sinless life (And according to plenty of scripture, not just my definition!), was perfectly inline with what the Father told him to do and say. So we can conclude that Jesus is perfectly representing the Father in this story (Heb 1:3). Thus, when Jesus responds, He is responding with the same heart and words of the Father. Jesus said that He came to call the sinners (to relationship with Him is the inference)! In other words rather than rejecting sinners, He was inviting them to relationship and Jesus was demonstrating this very thing during this particular dinner! This is so much not the judging and punishing God that is often portrayed to us. He was reaching towards the sinners (me included), inviting them, getting to know them, not rejecting them for their sin, but rather seeing the value in them and desirous of relationship in spite of their failings! Wow that is Good News!
Finally, if we go back to the wider definition of sin, including in that "sinners" label all that are not like Jesus, all that are missing the mark, all that are not fulfilling God's plan, purpose and will in their lives, then I think we need to expand our label to include every single person in Matthew's house that night! In other words, if we were there, we would be included in that sinner label! We aren't better then anyone else in that House, or in our church on Sunday, or in our neighborhood, or at work! We are all sinners! Each and every one of us! We all need God's mercy, love and compassion! We all need forgiveness!
So this morning as I read these verses I am aware that I am one of those sinners that Jesus was talking about, one of those sick that needed a doctor, one who should be grateful for the invitation to relationship with Jesus! I am aware of God's mercy! I am aware of His Love! I am aware that He understands my condition, my weakness, my failings, and my disobedience and yet He still invites me to relationship! He is so much better than I thought, so much more merciful, compassionate and forgiving that I just cannot grasp His goodness! Thank You Lord for loving me and not rejecting me!
Friday, October 19, 2018
Freedom and Behavior
Yesterday I started a reflection on Paul's directions about the issue of eating meat sacrificed to idols. I was a bit surprised at the direction of the Lord - to lead me to those passages, but as I reflected, I saw the thematic connection to some of the things I have been working through personally. Here are my notes - Sam
I am reflecting on some interesting verses from Paul concerning the eating of meat sacrificed to Idols, and such. This section follows his discussion on marriage, singleness and devotion to the Lord, so He is providing guidance to the Church in Corinth around several topics. Here are a few verses - 1 Corinthians 8:1-3,9-13 NIV:
[1] "Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. [2] Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. [3] But whoever loves God is known by God."
[9] "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. [10] For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol's temple, won't that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? [11] So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. [12] When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. [13] Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall."
The theme and specific discussion is around eating food sacrificed to idols, but this idea is often applied to other areas of life. The question in my mind is if that is correct, applying this logic to other areas, and if so, how to bind the edges of this to make it understandable and applicable in one's life? The logic is relatively simple - if we are mature in our understanding about something (like the inability for food to defile us) but a 'young' believer could see us doing that which we are free to do, but that for them is sin, we should not do it. In other words, this is dying to one's-self for the sake of those who are weaker, or newer, or sensitive or tempted in a particular area. This sounds good, and if chosen in love and maturity would be good, I think.
The question is how to know what things and what people might be tempted to fall into sin. Where do we draw a line in behavior and not become religious? Can we draw a line and not become religious?? Can we identify certain things that are universally on the edge, or is it all things that might cause people to sin?? Common things in certain religious circles that have been identified as creating the likelihood of sin have been drinking alcohol, gambling, playing cards, dancing, listening to certain music, wearing certain styles of clothes, smoking, swearing, going to certain types of establishments (bars), watching certain types of movies, reading certain types of books, etc. The list could be quite long, and I believe that most of these come from applying this logic and making general rules for behavior. The issue is that these rules become the subject of religious zeal, and get warped into judgment towards those that 'break' the rules. This zeal generates a judgmental attitude towards those that "break" the rules, by those who see themselves as not breaking the rules. I don't believe that is in line with what Paul intended here, nor is it line with Jesus' comments about judgment - as follows in Matthew 7:1-5 NIV:
[1] “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. [2] For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
[3] “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? [4] How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? [5] You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
It is interesting to note here, that Paul follows verses 1-3 by basically saying this eating of meat sacrificed to idols is not sin. This is in line with Jesus' statement as well concerning eating food - Matthew 15:10-11 NIV: "Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. [11] What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” So we must not lose sight of the fact that, at least concerning the eating of meat sacrificed to idols, this is not a sin. I think we could also say that many of the other things on the list above, are NOT always sinful, especially for a mature believer.
The other part of this that is an unintended consequence ( I think) is that this type of rule and judgment then becomes a barrier to reaching people who do these things, for the requirement creates a blockade of judgment. We cannot do these things, nor even be seen as possibly associated with these things, and thus any possible affiliation must be rejected, otherwise it might look like we are condoning these clearly possibly 'sinful' behaviors! The question is whether this blockade mentality is in line with the revelation of Jesus towards 'sinners'? Jesus specifically discusses His fellowship with "sinners" when questioned by the Pharisees (The guardians of religion in His day) in Matthew 9:10-13 NIV:
[10] "While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. [11] When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
[12] On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. [13] But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Thus, if we generally apply Jesus' words here to what I think is the unintended consequence of this logic (stated above), we find that Jesus is not in agreement with the general rule about avoiding sinners, and their habitations, and practices. In fact, those are the very people He was sent to! If we are to continue His ministry, so are we sent to the same! Jesus clearly didn't have a problem with hanging out with sinners, nor should we.
So, how do we correctly apply the encouragement of Paul to our lives, to not become a stumbling block to those who are 'weaker' in their faith? I think the key has to do with his first statement, knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Our behavior should be bounded by love! Who are we called to love? How are we called to love? Jesus makes this quite clear in John 13:34 NIV: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." We are called to love one another, and this must include the sinner (as we see Jesus speaking of earlier). We are called to love as He loved! He demonstrated a pure walk, sinless in all things, and yet He hung out with sinners, and probably even drank alcohol, for later He talks about how some have labeled Him a drunkard (See Matt 11:19). The point is that Jesus was able to interact with sinners without causing others to sin (for that would be included in a definition of a blameless or sinless life).
I believe that the key we need, is relationship with the Holy Spirit to guide us, and relationship with those that are weak in their faith. Relationship requires communication! It is so easy to pass judgment on someone without ever understanding the reason they are doing what they are doing! I know that there are those that are called by the Lord to specifically minister to those that we would consider sinners. They frequent the places these sinners frequent to establish relationships of trust, mercy and kindness. It is through these relationships that they are then able to invite them into relationship with Christ Jesus, who is savior for us all. Some are called to gamblers, some to those addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex-workers, gang-members, and all sorts of "sinners". I know that we are all called to love one another, to love our neighbors, to be a witness to the love of Christ to all those around us, and those we encounter.
So today, I am encouraged to love, to not pass judgment, to extend mercy, to create relationships that can lead to the Lord! I am encouraged to look at my life, at my behavior and at my responsibility as a mature believer, towards those that are new in the faith. I am encouraged to build relationships of trust and transparency, where deep topics can be discussed and there is grace for the Lord to work in each life, as He wills. I am encouraged to look to the Holy Spirit, to guide and direct my steps, my interactions and my conversations. I am encouraged that "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Gal 5:1 NIV) In this case, the yoke of slavery that Paul was talking about was the Law, and a works and rule based religion. Thank You Lord for the Freedom that You won for us!
I am reflecting on some interesting verses from Paul concerning the eating of meat sacrificed to Idols, and such. This section follows his discussion on marriage, singleness and devotion to the Lord, so He is providing guidance to the Church in Corinth around several topics. Here are a few verses - 1 Corinthians 8:1-3,9-13 NIV:
[1] "Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. [2] Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. [3] But whoever loves God is known by God."
[9] "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. [10] For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol's temple, won't that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? [11] So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. [12] When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. [13] Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall."
The theme and specific discussion is around eating food sacrificed to idols, but this idea is often applied to other areas of life. The question in my mind is if that is correct, applying this logic to other areas, and if so, how to bind the edges of this to make it understandable and applicable in one's life? The logic is relatively simple - if we are mature in our understanding about something (like the inability for food to defile us) but a 'young' believer could see us doing that which we are free to do, but that for them is sin, we should not do it. In other words, this is dying to one's-self for the sake of those who are weaker, or newer, or sensitive or tempted in a particular area. This sounds good, and if chosen in love and maturity would be good, I think.
The question is how to know what things and what people might be tempted to fall into sin. Where do we draw a line in behavior and not become religious? Can we draw a line and not become religious?? Can we identify certain things that are universally on the edge, or is it all things that might cause people to sin?? Common things in certain religious circles that have been identified as creating the likelihood of sin have been drinking alcohol, gambling, playing cards, dancing, listening to certain music, wearing certain styles of clothes, smoking, swearing, going to certain types of establishments (bars), watching certain types of movies, reading certain types of books, etc. The list could be quite long, and I believe that most of these come from applying this logic and making general rules for behavior. The issue is that these rules become the subject of religious zeal, and get warped into judgment towards those that 'break' the rules. This zeal generates a judgmental attitude towards those that "break" the rules, by those who see themselves as not breaking the rules. I don't believe that is in line with what Paul intended here, nor is it line with Jesus' comments about judgment - as follows in Matthew 7:1-5 NIV:
[1] “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. [2] For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
[3] “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? [4] How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? [5] You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
It is interesting to note here, that Paul follows verses 1-3 by basically saying this eating of meat sacrificed to idols is not sin. This is in line with Jesus' statement as well concerning eating food - Matthew 15:10-11 NIV: "Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. [11] What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” So we must not lose sight of the fact that, at least concerning the eating of meat sacrificed to idols, this is not a sin. I think we could also say that many of the other things on the list above, are NOT always sinful, especially for a mature believer.
The other part of this that is an unintended consequence ( I think) is that this type of rule and judgment then becomes a barrier to reaching people who do these things, for the requirement creates a blockade of judgment. We cannot do these things, nor even be seen as possibly associated with these things, and thus any possible affiliation must be rejected, otherwise it might look like we are condoning these clearly possibly 'sinful' behaviors! The question is whether this blockade mentality is in line with the revelation of Jesus towards 'sinners'? Jesus specifically discusses His fellowship with "sinners" when questioned by the Pharisees (The guardians of religion in His day) in Matthew 9:10-13 NIV:
[10] "While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. [11] When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
[12] On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. [13] But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Thus, if we generally apply Jesus' words here to what I think is the unintended consequence of this logic (stated above), we find that Jesus is not in agreement with the general rule about avoiding sinners, and their habitations, and practices. In fact, those are the very people He was sent to! If we are to continue His ministry, so are we sent to the same! Jesus clearly didn't have a problem with hanging out with sinners, nor should we.
So, how do we correctly apply the encouragement of Paul to our lives, to not become a stumbling block to those who are 'weaker' in their faith? I think the key has to do with his first statement, knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Our behavior should be bounded by love! Who are we called to love? How are we called to love? Jesus makes this quite clear in John 13:34 NIV: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." We are called to love one another, and this must include the sinner (as we see Jesus speaking of earlier). We are called to love as He loved! He demonstrated a pure walk, sinless in all things, and yet He hung out with sinners, and probably even drank alcohol, for later He talks about how some have labeled Him a drunkard (See Matt 11:19). The point is that Jesus was able to interact with sinners without causing others to sin (for that would be included in a definition of a blameless or sinless life).
I believe that the key we need, is relationship with the Holy Spirit to guide us, and relationship with those that are weak in their faith. Relationship requires communication! It is so easy to pass judgment on someone without ever understanding the reason they are doing what they are doing! I know that there are those that are called by the Lord to specifically minister to those that we would consider sinners. They frequent the places these sinners frequent to establish relationships of trust, mercy and kindness. It is through these relationships that they are then able to invite them into relationship with Christ Jesus, who is savior for us all. Some are called to gamblers, some to those addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex-workers, gang-members, and all sorts of "sinners". I know that we are all called to love one another, to love our neighbors, to be a witness to the love of Christ to all those around us, and those we encounter.
So today, I am encouraged to love, to not pass judgment, to extend mercy, to create relationships that can lead to the Lord! I am encouraged to look at my life, at my behavior and at my responsibility as a mature believer, towards those that are new in the faith. I am encouraged to build relationships of trust and transparency, where deep topics can be discussed and there is grace for the Lord to work in each life, as He wills. I am encouraged to look to the Holy Spirit, to guide and direct my steps, my interactions and my conversations. I am encouraged that "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Gal 5:1 NIV) In this case, the yoke of slavery that Paul was talking about was the Law, and a works and rule based religion. Thank You Lord for the Freedom that You won for us!
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Stretching My Understanding and Faith
This morning I was reading a few verses from Mark's Gospel, and was grabbed by a reality that Jesus demonstrated. Here are the verses followed by my reflection - Mark 11:1-6 NIV:
[1] As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, [2] saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. [3] If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' ”
[4] "They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, [5] some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” [6] They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go."
As this is part occurrence of the story for what is celebrated as Palm Sunday, I have heard the story many times, and thus am likely to read over it without really considering the deeper meaning or reality. This morning, my attention was focused on the reality of Jesus demonstrating very accurate prophetic fore-telling to the disciples. It is important to note that Jesus was not operating out of His divinity here, but rather as man. Thus, what He was demonstrating is available to us, through the Holy Spirit, for clearly that was what Jesus was doing! In other words, we can and should expect that God will speak to us concerning future events, or people we will encounter, giving us direction, guidance and even specific instructions of what to say or do!
I was just reminded of a time when a ministry that I was part of was responsible for the youth track of a large international conference. We had a training session beforehand, and we must have been influenced by this or similar stories from scripture, for we were asking God to show us names, situations and even faces of people we would have the opportunity to meet and minister to at the event. We believed that God could show us ahead of time those He wanted us to meet. We wrote down a whole list of people and situations that we saw or heard during prayer, and then prayed for the names and situations the week before we traveled to the actual ministry event. I don't remember how many we actually confirmed, but I do remember that every day we were checking people off our list, and seeing God touch people in the exact things we had been praying for. It was a very cool experience of seeing God move, and it was very encouraging to be experiencing prophetic intercession and even foretelling. These are not meant to be weird or extra-special anointing stuff, but I believe are meant to be part of our normal everyday walk with the Lord. He desires us to walk in intimacy with Him, and represent Him to those we encounter, and we would be be far more effective if we knew who we should be looking to meet!
I was also reminded of a good friend of mine who actually operates in ministry as a prophet. He was describing how the Lord would give him details of the things He would encounter weeks before setting foot in a particular church. He would write everything down in a notebook, and then during his ministry time, the Lord would direct him to call out certain things, and His ministry was very accurate. I found his description of his ministry really encouraging, and at the same time stretching my paradigm of how God works! If God s outside of time, He can see everything that has and will ever happen, and can speak into the present time, things that He knows will happen, or have happened that no one knows about, to give direction, guidance, or even just to let the person know that He loves them and is interested in their life!
Again, I don't believe this is meant to be a super-special gift or anointing, but rather something that any of us can operate in, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Paul actually talks a bit about this in His first letter to the 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 NIV: "But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, [25] as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” Paul is speaking of this same type of ministry, as a part of a normal worship service!
Again, this is not meant to be some sort of super-spiritual stuff, but the daily interactions of the Lord, as He expresses His intimate love and knowledge of us, and invites us to represent Him in that way! He loves all of us, and He wants us to understand that fact. If He, in His mercy and compassion for an individual, speaks to us about the very things that are hidden in their heart, and we are able to speak those back to them, they will know that God really does exist and loves them intimately, or as Paul says, they will fall down and worship exclaiming, "God is really among you!"
Thus, I am deeply encouraged today to look to the Lord, to be open to His direction and guidance, even to His speaking of things that are hidden in hearts, so that all might know He really is among us! I am encouraged to open my heart and mind, allowing Him to stretch my understanding of how He can operate, and how He can use me! I am encouraged that God does love me and know me, even my deepest thoughts and dreams! I am encouraged that He can even tell me exactly what I will encounter, and what I should say in that encounter! Lord, I pray that You might help me to grow, stretching my faith in this normal gift of guidance and direction, being open to Your leading!
Amen!
[1] As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, [2] saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. [3] If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' ”
[4] "They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, [5] some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” [6] They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go."
As this is part occurrence of the story for what is celebrated as Palm Sunday, I have heard the story many times, and thus am likely to read over it without really considering the deeper meaning or reality. This morning, my attention was focused on the reality of Jesus demonstrating very accurate prophetic fore-telling to the disciples. It is important to note that Jesus was not operating out of His divinity here, but rather as man. Thus, what He was demonstrating is available to us, through the Holy Spirit, for clearly that was what Jesus was doing! In other words, we can and should expect that God will speak to us concerning future events, or people we will encounter, giving us direction, guidance and even specific instructions of what to say or do!
I was just reminded of a time when a ministry that I was part of was responsible for the youth track of a large international conference. We had a training session beforehand, and we must have been influenced by this or similar stories from scripture, for we were asking God to show us names, situations and even faces of people we would have the opportunity to meet and minister to at the event. We believed that God could show us ahead of time those He wanted us to meet. We wrote down a whole list of people and situations that we saw or heard during prayer, and then prayed for the names and situations the week before we traveled to the actual ministry event. I don't remember how many we actually confirmed, but I do remember that every day we were checking people off our list, and seeing God touch people in the exact things we had been praying for. It was a very cool experience of seeing God move, and it was very encouraging to be experiencing prophetic intercession and even foretelling. These are not meant to be weird or extra-special anointing stuff, but I believe are meant to be part of our normal everyday walk with the Lord. He desires us to walk in intimacy with Him, and represent Him to those we encounter, and we would be be far more effective if we knew who we should be looking to meet!
I was also reminded of a good friend of mine who actually operates in ministry as a prophet. He was describing how the Lord would give him details of the things He would encounter weeks before setting foot in a particular church. He would write everything down in a notebook, and then during his ministry time, the Lord would direct him to call out certain things, and His ministry was very accurate. I found his description of his ministry really encouraging, and at the same time stretching my paradigm of how God works! If God s outside of time, He can see everything that has and will ever happen, and can speak into the present time, things that He knows will happen, or have happened that no one knows about, to give direction, guidance, or even just to let the person know that He loves them and is interested in their life!
Again, I don't believe this is meant to be a super-special gift or anointing, but rather something that any of us can operate in, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Paul actually talks a bit about this in His first letter to the 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 NIV: "But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, [25] as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” Paul is speaking of this same type of ministry, as a part of a normal worship service!
Again, this is not meant to be some sort of super-spiritual stuff, but the daily interactions of the Lord, as He expresses His intimate love and knowledge of us, and invites us to represent Him in that way! He loves all of us, and He wants us to understand that fact. If He, in His mercy and compassion for an individual, speaks to us about the very things that are hidden in their heart, and we are able to speak those back to them, they will know that God really does exist and loves them intimately, or as Paul says, they will fall down and worship exclaiming, "God is really among you!"
Thus, I am deeply encouraged today to look to the Lord, to be open to His direction and guidance, even to His speaking of things that are hidden in hearts, so that all might know He really is among us! I am encouraged to open my heart and mind, allowing Him to stretch my understanding of how He can operate, and how He can use me! I am encouraged that God does love me and know me, even my deepest thoughts and dreams! I am encouraged that He can even tell me exactly what I will encounter, and what I should say in that encounter! Lord, I pray that You might help me to grow, stretching my faith in this normal gift of guidance and direction, being open to Your leading!
Amen!
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
My Fallow Ground
Continuing my reflection on sowing and reaping and fallow ground, I need to note that on Sunday during worship at our church the Lord was speaking a bit about the fallow ground in my life. I had been asking Him if I had any, and His answer during worship, was that "my" free-time was my fallow ground. I realized that most of the time I consider "My" time, mine, rather than thinking that it is His as well, since He is my Lord, and I am in relationship with Him. Now that I think about it, that is is the basic meaning of the parable of the servant coming in from the field, and having to wait on the Master. Here are the verses from Luke 17:7-10 NIV:
[7] “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? [8] Won't he rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? [9] Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? [10] So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' ”
Our natural thought (or at least mine) is that serving the master is like a job. I can compartmentalize my life into serving God during certain hours, or certain days. This is clearly not the way it should be, but that is where my mind certainly wants to go! I can argue that the Lord is our good, good Father, and what Father would expect their child to come in from the fields and continue to serve Him? The truth is this is all about relationship! I am not just married to my wife during certain hours of the day, or on certain days. I am not a Father to my children only from 5-10pm on weekdays, it is every hour of every day. In the same way, my relationship to our "Lord" is a 7x24x365 relationship.
If we take seriously our accepting Him as our Lord, within the context of relationship, then it should also impact the way we spend our time. It is the same in my marriage, for my free-time in my marriage is always impacted and affected by my relationship with my Honey. I don't just decide to do what I want to do, rather I am always in conversation and communication with my sweetheart about what I am doing , thinking of doing, or inviting her to do. If God is our Lord, Savior, God and Father, then the way we spend our time should be impacted by this relationship as well.
Taking the idea of His Lordship in our lives a bit further, we could say His Lordship extends over our free-time! Or I guess you could say it like this, "We have no free-time of our own, all our time is the Lord's." I know for me, my concept of His Lordship sometimes seems a bit draconian, in that I think if He is my Lord, then its all about obedience, and Him being in control, and there not being any real interpersonal relationship. We can think of Him like a task-master, or boss and that is not the reality of what He desires in our life at all (at least in my experience). He is first and foremost a God of Love, and all of His interactions with me are founded on and related to His love for me! He doesn't boss me around, or assign me things to do that I detest, instead He invites me to follow a path that is for my best, every single time! He invites me and draws me, not through harsh commands, but through the bonds of love. So, when I say His Lordship extends over my free-time, it is this relationship of love that extends over my free-time and should influence how I think and how I act.
So, in light of what I heard during worship on Sunday, I need to look at my life and see how I need to change. This is the whole of what repentance is about, thinking differently and then acting differently. Lord, You are inviting me to bring my free-time more fully into the context of relationship with You! You are asking me to listen and see what You would have me do during my free-time. You are inviting me to change my focus from "me" to You. Lord, I know this is correct, but my flesh certainly doesn't like this invitation, for it means dying a bit to myself! I know You are offering me this invitation, so that I might break up some fallow ground, and see more fruitfulness in my life, and my heart says yes, but my selfishness isn't convinced. Lord, I ask Your help in rebuking my flesh, and bringing all "my" time under Your Lordship, and into relationship with You!
Amen!
[7] “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? [8] Won't he rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? [9] Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? [10] So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' ”
Our natural thought (or at least mine) is that serving the master is like a job. I can compartmentalize my life into serving God during certain hours, or certain days. This is clearly not the way it should be, but that is where my mind certainly wants to go! I can argue that the Lord is our good, good Father, and what Father would expect their child to come in from the fields and continue to serve Him? The truth is this is all about relationship! I am not just married to my wife during certain hours of the day, or on certain days. I am not a Father to my children only from 5-10pm on weekdays, it is every hour of every day. In the same way, my relationship to our "Lord" is a 7x24x365 relationship.
If we take seriously our accepting Him as our Lord, within the context of relationship, then it should also impact the way we spend our time. It is the same in my marriage, for my free-time in my marriage is always impacted and affected by my relationship with my Honey. I don't just decide to do what I want to do, rather I am always in conversation and communication with my sweetheart about what I am doing , thinking of doing, or inviting her to do. If God is our Lord, Savior, God and Father, then the way we spend our time should be impacted by this relationship as well.
Taking the idea of His Lordship in our lives a bit further, we could say His Lordship extends over our free-time! Or I guess you could say it like this, "We have no free-time of our own, all our time is the Lord's." I know for me, my concept of His Lordship sometimes seems a bit draconian, in that I think if He is my Lord, then its all about obedience, and Him being in control, and there not being any real interpersonal relationship. We can think of Him like a task-master, or boss and that is not the reality of what He desires in our life at all (at least in my experience). He is first and foremost a God of Love, and all of His interactions with me are founded on and related to His love for me! He doesn't boss me around, or assign me things to do that I detest, instead He invites me to follow a path that is for my best, every single time! He invites me and draws me, not through harsh commands, but through the bonds of love. So, when I say His Lordship extends over my free-time, it is this relationship of love that extends over my free-time and should influence how I think and how I act.
So, in light of what I heard during worship on Sunday, I need to look at my life and see how I need to change. This is the whole of what repentance is about, thinking differently and then acting differently. Lord, You are inviting me to bring my free-time more fully into the context of relationship with You! You are asking me to listen and see what You would have me do during my free-time. You are inviting me to change my focus from "me" to You. Lord, I know this is correct, but my flesh certainly doesn't like this invitation, for it means dying a bit to myself! I know You are offering me this invitation, so that I might break up some fallow ground, and see more fruitfulness in my life, and my heart says yes, but my selfishness isn't convinced. Lord, I ask Your help in rebuking my flesh, and bringing all "my" time under Your Lordship, and into relationship with You!
Amen!
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Soil Types and Sowing
I was wondering what scripture I should read, said a brief prayer and 'Matthew 13' seemed to be the Lord's reply. I generally don't know my Bible books, chapters and verses well enough to associate a particular theme with a particular book, chapter and verse. Before I was praying that brief prayer, I was rereading my Blog entry from yesterday on sowing and reaping and fallow ground. I was wondering if the Lord had more to say about that theme, so, when I turned to Matthew 13, the title of chapter immediately caught my attention, for it is the parable of the sower and the seed! I guess the Lord has more to say to me about this theme!!
Here are the verses I will be meditating on this morning - Matthew 13:3-9,13-23 NIV:
[3] "Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. [4] As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. [5] Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. [6] But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. [7] Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. [8] Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop---a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. [9] Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
[13] "This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. [14] In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“ 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
[15] For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'
[16] "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. [17] For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
[18] “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: [19] When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. [20] The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. [21] But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. [22] The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. [23] But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
I added verses 13 - 17 to this reflection, as those verses are Jesus explaining His use of parables, and it has to do with the people's hearts and minds being hardened. A hardened heart is reflected in the fact that we don't want to listen to God. The condition of the soil in this parable is really the condition of the individual hearts, the openness to receive God's word. The condition of our hearts is in large part due to our choice! We can be soil like the path, the shallow soil, the thorny soil, or good soil, and it has to do with our willingness to see and hear God's word, and allow His word to be planted deep in our heart. It also has to do with our willingness to change according to God's word!
Yesterday I was thinking about fallow ground, which is ground that has been left unplanted or is unfruitful during a growing season. In Hosea the invitation is to breakup or plow your fallow ground, thus opening up one's life, or that area of one's life to receive the Word, which is the seed. As I was thinking about the types of soil descried here in Matthew's Gospel, there is soil that is now a path, soil that is shallow, soil amongst the thorns, and good soil. Again these have to do with the condition of one's heart, so as I was thinking about these themes, it I felt like we could replace those descriptions with the following:
Soil along the path = a life so busy, there is no room for God.
Shallow soil = a life that desires God's word, but is also not totally open to change (not plowed deeply)
Soil among the thorns = a life where good intentions are over-ridden by other cares, concerns, or busyness in life - or maybe the cost of change is too high
Good soil = those who have opened there lives, been willing to change and grow in response to God's word, and those that bear consistent fruit
If I look at each of these new definitions, I see myself in each of them, and in each case it is because of my choices.
Soil along the path - There are times where I am just so busy, I don't even pay any attention to God and what He might be trying to say.
Shallow Soil - Other times, His Word lands in parts of my life where I am just not that willing to change, or ready to change. I might have some quick change on the surface but not down deep where it really matters.
Thorny Soil - I find I generally have good intentions and want to bear good fruit, but if you were to ask me what God was speaking to me last week, last month or over the last season of my life, I find that I often have lost track of those intentions, and even the Word. I get so focused on so many other things that my path forward into fruitfulness ends up being choked out, or having some change but very limited fruit.
Good Soil - I wish I could say I am 100% good soil and seeing fruit in every area of my life, but the truth is simply that I am not. I want to see God's word produce good fruit in every area, and in some areas I have seen much progress, and much good fruit, and that encourages me to keep on keeping on! I find I must constantly remind myself of Paul's own exhortation to himself found in 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 must allow God's Word to reach every area of my life, allow it to settle deeply, choose to change in accordance with His Word, then make the change a regular part of my life, and then consistently watch over and care for that Word so that it produces much good fruit! That sounds like a bunch of work, and in reality it is! It is also spread over quite some time, so intentionality, and persistence is critical. Without that focus and drive that Paul talks about, I can lose track, or even forget those things that God has spoken into my life. I must learn to be intentional and committed to becoming like Christ in every area of my life, for that is the real invitation and purpose of God's Word to me!
The Great News is that God totally understands my human weakness, my poor attention, my good intentions and poor follow-through, and my difficulty enacting long-term change, and He has compassion and mercy on me! In spite of His intimate knowledge of me and all my failures, He continues to call me forward, issuing the invitation daily! This is where I must choose to forget my past failures and focus on the new opportunity today brings!
So, today I am encouraged to keep pressing on to be fruitful! I am encouraged to reduce the bad, shallow and thorny soil in my life, choosing instead to allow God's word access to every part of my life, and choosing to change in accordance with His Word. I am encouraged to do more than just have good intentions, but instead to press forward into actual change! I am encouraged to put my faith and belief into action, for that is Good Fruit" I am ncouraged to increase the amount of good soil!
Amen!
Here are the verses I will be meditating on this morning - Matthew 13:3-9,13-23 NIV:
[3] "Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. [4] As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. [5] Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. [6] But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. [7] Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. [8] Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop---a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. [9] Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
[13] "This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. [14] In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“ 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
[15] For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'
[16] "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. [17] For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
[18] “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: [19] When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. [20] The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. [21] But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. [22] The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. [23] But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
I added verses 13 - 17 to this reflection, as those verses are Jesus explaining His use of parables, and it has to do with the people's hearts and minds being hardened. A hardened heart is reflected in the fact that we don't want to listen to God. The condition of the soil in this parable is really the condition of the individual hearts, the openness to receive God's word. The condition of our hearts is in large part due to our choice! We can be soil like the path, the shallow soil, the thorny soil, or good soil, and it has to do with our willingness to see and hear God's word, and allow His word to be planted deep in our heart. It also has to do with our willingness to change according to God's word!
Yesterday I was thinking about fallow ground, which is ground that has been left unplanted or is unfruitful during a growing season. In Hosea the invitation is to breakup or plow your fallow ground, thus opening up one's life, or that area of one's life to receive the Word, which is the seed. As I was thinking about the types of soil descried here in Matthew's Gospel, there is soil that is now a path, soil that is shallow, soil amongst the thorns, and good soil. Again these have to do with the condition of one's heart, so as I was thinking about these themes, it I felt like we could replace those descriptions with the following:
Soil along the path = a life so busy, there is no room for God.
Shallow soil = a life that desires God's word, but is also not totally open to change (not plowed deeply)
Soil among the thorns = a life where good intentions are over-ridden by other cares, concerns, or busyness in life - or maybe the cost of change is too high
Good soil = those who have opened there lives, been willing to change and grow in response to God's word, and those that bear consistent fruit
If I look at each of these new definitions, I see myself in each of them, and in each case it is because of my choices.
Soil along the path - There are times where I am just so busy, I don't even pay any attention to God and what He might be trying to say.
Shallow Soil - Other times, His Word lands in parts of my life where I am just not that willing to change, or ready to change. I might have some quick change on the surface but not down deep where it really matters.
Thorny Soil - I find I generally have good intentions and want to bear good fruit, but if you were to ask me what God was speaking to me last week, last month or over the last season of my life, I find that I often have lost track of those intentions, and even the Word. I get so focused on so many other things that my path forward into fruitfulness ends up being choked out, or having some change but very limited fruit.
Good Soil - I wish I could say I am 100% good soil and seeing fruit in every area of my life, but the truth is simply that I am not. I want to see God's word produce good fruit in every area, and in some areas I have seen much progress, and much good fruit, and that encourages me to keep on keeping on! I find I must constantly remind myself of Paul's own exhortation to himself found in 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 must allow God's Word to reach every area of my life, allow it to settle deeply, choose to change in accordance with His Word, then make the change a regular part of my life, and then consistently watch over and care for that Word so that it produces much good fruit! That sounds like a bunch of work, and in reality it is! It is also spread over quite some time, so intentionality, and persistence is critical. Without that focus and drive that Paul talks about, I can lose track, or even forget those things that God has spoken into my life. I must learn to be intentional and committed to becoming like Christ in every area of my life, for that is the real invitation and purpose of God's Word to me!
The Great News is that God totally understands my human weakness, my poor attention, my good intentions and poor follow-through, and my difficulty enacting long-term change, and He has compassion and mercy on me! In spite of His intimate knowledge of me and all my failures, He continues to call me forward, issuing the invitation daily! This is where I must choose to forget my past failures and focus on the new opportunity today brings!
So, today I am encouraged to keep pressing on to be fruitful! I am encouraged to reduce the bad, shallow and thorny soil in my life, choosing instead to allow God's word access to every part of my life, and choosing to change in accordance with His Word. I am encouraged to do more than just have good intentions, but instead to press forward into actual change! I am encouraged to put my faith and belief into action, for that is Good Fruit" I am ncouraged to increase the amount of good soil!
Amen!
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Sowing, Reaping and Fallow Ground
This morning I felt like reading fro the Prophet Hosea, not one of my usual stops. I like rereading some of the minor prophets on occasion to remind myself of the religious climate and understanding that Jesus came into, to bring revelation of the Father! My verses for today are as follows - Hosea 10:12-13 NIV:
[12] "Sow righteousness for yourselves,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.
[13] But you have planted wickedness,
you have reaped evil,
you have eaten the fruit of deception.
Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors,"
I was just looking at some of the original language, and saw that the NASB translation reads a bit differently, which is closer to the original language, although not as easy to understand. Here are the same verses from the NASB - Hosea 10:12-13 NASB:
[12] "Sow with a view to righteousness,
Reap in accordance with kindness;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.
[13] You have plowed wickedness,
you have reaped injustice,
You have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors,"
Sometimes it is good to compare the different translations, to see how certain verses are translated a bit differently. Although these read quite similar there are some significant differences that we can see. If we look at just at the concept of sowing and reaping, we see different things sowed and reaped according to the two translations:
NIV - Sow righteousness, reap fruit of unfailing love - sow wickedness, reap evil
NASB - sow (not stated) but with a view to righteousness, reap (not stated) in accordance with kindness - sow (not mentioned), reap injustice.
In my mind the NIV is easier to understand, especially in view of sowing and reaping. The idea the author is trying to bring out is that sowing and reaping are related, and we see this in the New Testament as well, as Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians 6:7-9 NIV: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. [8] Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. [9] Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
The key here is that in verse 12 - Hosea says we should sow - looking to God, seeking Him, sowing righteousness into our lives and the fields around us. We are called to look to God and depend on Him. In verse 13, Hosea is identifying the problem with depending on our own human thoughts and own works and dependence. We can think that we don't need God, and we end up eating the fruit of deception or lies, which is never good.
This was a regular theme for the Jews, and God was constantly calling them back to Himself, asking them to rely on Him, rather than on their own ideas and thoughts. They rejected His leadership at one point (1 Sam 8:4-9) and asked for a human King to rule them, like the other nations around them. They were constantly forgetting the statutes of the Lord, which were given to them to keep them focused on God and listening to Him. In the same way, Paul was writing about sowing and reaping - either looking to ourselves (flesh) or looking to God through the Holy Spirit.
We see the natural rule of sowing and reaping all around us, if we plant an acorn an Oak tree will grow, if we plant a corn kernel, corn will grow, if we plant a carrot seed, a carrot will grow. In this case, the sowing and reaping are about our attitudes and reliance. If we sow our own thoughts and ideas, depending only on ourselves, we reap the fruit of that, and it is not good. If we sow God's word into our lives we reap the fruit of that -- as God's unfailing love, and His righteousness showering down on us.
If we want to be fruitful in an area of our life, bearing good fruit that is pleasing to us and God, then we need to sow the right seed. Breaking up fallow ground is the addressing of unfruitful areas of our life. It is areas where we could bear fruit, but nothing has been planted (the definition of fallow - according to Webster's Dictionary). God is inviting them (and us) to look at their lives, to see areas where they have not allowed His Word to be planted, that they might have a harvest in the next growing season in that area.
I believe that God wants us to be fruitful in all areas of our life, and if we are not seeing good fruit in an area, or any fruit, then we should be looking to see what it will take to plow that area up and plant it with God's word. If you aren't seeing Godly fruit in the area of your relationships, then maybe you need to ask the Lord, what to do, how to plow and what to plant from His word! If you are not experiencing the blessing of God in the area of your finances, then maybe you need to take a good look at what you are planting. This principle works in all areas of our lives, and the Lord uses this simple law to draw us deeper in Him. He says if we will reap according to Him, and wait on Him, seeking Him, He will rain down on us His righteousness, and we will reap the fruit of His unfailing Love.
This morning I am encouraged to look at my life, to consider how I am sowing and what I am sowing, and whether I have any fallow ground in my life. I want to be fruitful, bearing good fruit in every area! I don't want to leave areas of my life unfruitful, and thus I am asking God for understanding and a plan, concerning any areas that seem unfruitful. He does love me and desires the best for me, so it is only right that I turn to Him, seeking His guidance and direction, pointing me to those places in His Word (Seed) and helping me to sow that into my life. Sometimes it might take a little plowing to get that area of my life ready, but I know its for the sake of bearing good fruit. I know that God will be faithful to send the rain to water the seed that I might bear good fruit!
Amen!
[12] "Sow righteousness for yourselves,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.
[13] But you have planted wickedness,
you have reaped evil,
you have eaten the fruit of deception.
Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors,"
I was just looking at some of the original language, and saw that the NASB translation reads a bit differently, which is closer to the original language, although not as easy to understand. Here are the same verses from the NASB - Hosea 10:12-13 NASB:
[12] "Sow with a view to righteousness,
Reap in accordance with kindness;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.
[13] You have plowed wickedness,
you have reaped injustice,
You have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors,"
Sometimes it is good to compare the different translations, to see how certain verses are translated a bit differently. Although these read quite similar there are some significant differences that we can see. If we look at just at the concept of sowing and reaping, we see different things sowed and reaped according to the two translations:
NIV - Sow righteousness, reap fruit of unfailing love - sow wickedness, reap evil
NASB - sow (not stated) but with a view to righteousness, reap (not stated) in accordance with kindness - sow (not mentioned), reap injustice.
In my mind the NIV is easier to understand, especially in view of sowing and reaping. The idea the author is trying to bring out is that sowing and reaping are related, and we see this in the New Testament as well, as Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians 6:7-9 NIV: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. [8] Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. [9] Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
The key here is that in verse 12 - Hosea says we should sow - looking to God, seeking Him, sowing righteousness into our lives and the fields around us. We are called to look to God and depend on Him. In verse 13, Hosea is identifying the problem with depending on our own human thoughts and own works and dependence. We can think that we don't need God, and we end up eating the fruit of deception or lies, which is never good.
This was a regular theme for the Jews, and God was constantly calling them back to Himself, asking them to rely on Him, rather than on their own ideas and thoughts. They rejected His leadership at one point (1 Sam 8:4-9) and asked for a human King to rule them, like the other nations around them. They were constantly forgetting the statutes of the Lord, which were given to them to keep them focused on God and listening to Him. In the same way, Paul was writing about sowing and reaping - either looking to ourselves (flesh) or looking to God through the Holy Spirit.
We see the natural rule of sowing and reaping all around us, if we plant an acorn an Oak tree will grow, if we plant a corn kernel, corn will grow, if we plant a carrot seed, a carrot will grow. In this case, the sowing and reaping are about our attitudes and reliance. If we sow our own thoughts and ideas, depending only on ourselves, we reap the fruit of that, and it is not good. If we sow God's word into our lives we reap the fruit of that -- as God's unfailing love, and His righteousness showering down on us.
If we want to be fruitful in an area of our life, bearing good fruit that is pleasing to us and God, then we need to sow the right seed. Breaking up fallow ground is the addressing of unfruitful areas of our life. It is areas where we could bear fruit, but nothing has been planted (the definition of fallow - according to Webster's Dictionary). God is inviting them (and us) to look at their lives, to see areas where they have not allowed His Word to be planted, that they might have a harvest in the next growing season in that area.
I believe that God wants us to be fruitful in all areas of our life, and if we are not seeing good fruit in an area, or any fruit, then we should be looking to see what it will take to plow that area up and plant it with God's word. If you aren't seeing Godly fruit in the area of your relationships, then maybe you need to ask the Lord, what to do, how to plow and what to plant from His word! If you are not experiencing the blessing of God in the area of your finances, then maybe you need to take a good look at what you are planting. This principle works in all areas of our lives, and the Lord uses this simple law to draw us deeper in Him. He says if we will reap according to Him, and wait on Him, seeking Him, He will rain down on us His righteousness, and we will reap the fruit of His unfailing Love.
This morning I am encouraged to look at my life, to consider how I am sowing and what I am sowing, and whether I have any fallow ground in my life. I want to be fruitful, bearing good fruit in every area! I don't want to leave areas of my life unfruitful, and thus I am asking God for understanding and a plan, concerning any areas that seem unfruitful. He does love me and desires the best for me, so it is only right that I turn to Him, seeking His guidance and direction, pointing me to those places in His Word (Seed) and helping me to sow that into my life. Sometimes it might take a little plowing to get that area of my life ready, but I know its for the sake of bearing good fruit. I know that God will be faithful to send the rain to water the seed that I might bear good fruit!
Amen!
Thursday, October 4, 2018
The New Covenant and Relationship
This morning I am reflecting on quite a few verses from the Letter to the Hebrews. It is always important to remember that this was written to Jewish believers, who were struggling with the issue of the Old Covenant of the Law and the New Covenant instituted by Jesus. The Old Covenant was their complete foundation for understanding their relationship to God. To come in a replace this with a new covenant was definitely unsettling to all they had been taught, and there were many questions as to what to keep, what not to keep. The verses I am reflecting on today lays the theological underpinning for why God replaced the Old Covenant with the New. Here are the verses - Hebrews 8:6-13 NIV":
[6] "But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs (priests of the Old Covenenat) as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. [7] For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another."
[8] "But God found fault with the people and said : “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. [9] It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord." [10] "This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time", declares the Lord. "I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [11] No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. [12] For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
[13] "By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear."
It is very interesting to me that God had spoken of His plans some 600 years earlier, and these were clearly well-known verses to the Jewish believers, yet they did not understand what they meant or how they were going to be fulfilled. The author of the letter is walking them through the basic understanding that God had planned this all along, and it was now a Covenant of real relationship, existing internally in the people, written in the minds and hearts. It will be a Covenant of "knowing" God.
The Hebrew word that Jeremiah originally used for "know" is the word 'yada'. It is one of their primitive roots and is defined as follows (I am listing the just the first several entries as there are about 30):
1) to know
a) (Qal) to know 1a
1) to know, learn to know 1a
2) to perceive 1a
3) to perceive and see, find out and discern 1a
4) to discriminate, distinguish 1a
5) to know by experience 1a
6) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess 1a
7) to consider
The definition continues on but these sufficiently describe what I believe God was communicating to the Jews. He wanted the new covenant to be individually experienced and centered. This was not a Covenant of a nation or people, but of individuals, each in their heart and mind. A knowing of God, perceiving Him, knowing Him by experience, and it is only possible if it accomplished in the heart and mind of each person!
This is such a radical departure from what they knew, it is clear they were going to struggle with understanding what it meant. Their whole religious system of worship and calendar of life with the festivals and celebrations were based around the Old Covenant Law and now that was passing away, and they struggled to understand the radical shift.
As an example of what his must have been like, I had an interesting conversation with a Chinese young man who had been raised under the teaching of Mao all his young life. At some point after he finished school, the official Chinese doctrine moved on from Mao-ism, and his generation were told that Mao's teachings were wrong. I was asking about what he believed and he responded that he didn't believe in anything, or know what to believe as everything he had been told was true was now considered false. He really wanted to believe in something, but now was jaded in his beliefs, or even his ability to believe.
I imagine this is similar to what those Jewish believers experienced as they tried to understand this New Covenant, and what it meant for them. We see from the scriptural record that many were choosing to grab hold of some of the law, some of the traditions and were trying to make those as requirements in this New Covenant (See Galatians 1-6 for Paul's defense against this push). I am sure that it was such a significant paradigm shift that it required much discussion, and thought. My heart does go out to those that were confronted with this massive shift of thinking, for change is never easy, but it is always an opportunity to grow.
So, regarding our present day walking out of this New Covenant, we also must look to our thoughts and teaching and make sure that we are not carrying over some of the traditions and thinking of the Old Covenant. It was a Covenant with rules, regulations and works. The New Covenant is about relationships! We must resist the urge to go back to the previous rules and works mindset and allow the God, who lives within us, to gently lead us on the path of relationship. This requires us to recognize that we are all under the same New Covenant, one of relationship and knowing God.
For those of us that are task and goal oriented, our difficulty with this is that it is hard to keep track of our progress. We have a hard time allowing others to walk a unique relational path, that while similar to ours cannot be compared to ours. We are so used to judging and being judged on progress and achievement, that we feel more comfortable with a set of rules and regulations to tell us what to do, not to do, and how we can progress forward. We tend to fall back to what is understandable and comfortable, and in many cases this is not the path of relational based faith.
Additionally, from a very early point in the church the enemy was busy sowing seeds of deception and heresy into the church. There were several times that the true teaching of Jesus was being deafened and defamed by the newest ideas of people like Marcion, Montanus, and the Gnostic teachers, in addition to the Circumcision Party. Paul and John both wrote several pieces specifically against these "false" teachings, and the organized church later had several councils to define the true beliefs of the church, and establish the creed, which was transmittable via simple sayings to the uneducated. The effort was to help keep people on the rails of right relationship with God. At times these efforts were embraced and turned into a "new" set of rules and regulations, and the church slowly lost the idea of relational faith, instead replacing it with learned (head-knowledge only) faith. This seems to be where many of us exist today with faith that was taught, but is not relational in our minds AND hearts!
Oh Lord, that we would learn to walk in true faith in real relationship, knowing You intimately as You know us. Help us to see in our lives the residue of the Old Covenant, and embrace Your love for us, and for each other. Help us to pursue You in relationship, knowing that this is the true expression of the New Covenant! As You said in the letter to Hebrews, "..if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another." We have the better Covenant available to us, and we should avail ourselves of this invitation to relationship with You, the living God!
Amen!
[6] "But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs (priests of the Old Covenenat) as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. [7] For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another."
[8] "But God found fault with the people and said : “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. [9] It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord." [10] "This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time", declares the Lord. "I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [11] No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. [12] For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
[13] "By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear."
It is very interesting to me that God had spoken of His plans some 600 years earlier, and these were clearly well-known verses to the Jewish believers, yet they did not understand what they meant or how they were going to be fulfilled. The author of the letter is walking them through the basic understanding that God had planned this all along, and it was now a Covenant of real relationship, existing internally in the people, written in the minds and hearts. It will be a Covenant of "knowing" God.
The Hebrew word that Jeremiah originally used for "know" is the word 'yada'. It is one of their primitive roots and is defined as follows (I am listing the just the first several entries as there are about 30):
1) to know
a) (Qal) to know 1a
1) to know, learn to know 1a
2) to perceive 1a
3) to perceive and see, find out and discern 1a
4) to discriminate, distinguish 1a
5) to know by experience 1a
6) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess 1a
7) to consider
The definition continues on but these sufficiently describe what I believe God was communicating to the Jews. He wanted the new covenant to be individually experienced and centered. This was not a Covenant of a nation or people, but of individuals, each in their heart and mind. A knowing of God, perceiving Him, knowing Him by experience, and it is only possible if it accomplished in the heart and mind of each person!
This is such a radical departure from what they knew, it is clear they were going to struggle with understanding what it meant. Their whole religious system of worship and calendar of life with the festivals and celebrations were based around the Old Covenant Law and now that was passing away, and they struggled to understand the radical shift.
As an example of what his must have been like, I had an interesting conversation with a Chinese young man who had been raised under the teaching of Mao all his young life. At some point after he finished school, the official Chinese doctrine moved on from Mao-ism, and his generation were told that Mao's teachings were wrong. I was asking about what he believed and he responded that he didn't believe in anything, or know what to believe as everything he had been told was true was now considered false. He really wanted to believe in something, but now was jaded in his beliefs, or even his ability to believe.
I imagine this is similar to what those Jewish believers experienced as they tried to understand this New Covenant, and what it meant for them. We see from the scriptural record that many were choosing to grab hold of some of the law, some of the traditions and were trying to make those as requirements in this New Covenant (See Galatians 1-6 for Paul's defense against this push). I am sure that it was such a significant paradigm shift that it required much discussion, and thought. My heart does go out to those that were confronted with this massive shift of thinking, for change is never easy, but it is always an opportunity to grow.
So, regarding our present day walking out of this New Covenant, we also must look to our thoughts and teaching and make sure that we are not carrying over some of the traditions and thinking of the Old Covenant. It was a Covenant with rules, regulations and works. The New Covenant is about relationships! We must resist the urge to go back to the previous rules and works mindset and allow the God, who lives within us, to gently lead us on the path of relationship. This requires us to recognize that we are all under the same New Covenant, one of relationship and knowing God.
For those of us that are task and goal oriented, our difficulty with this is that it is hard to keep track of our progress. We have a hard time allowing others to walk a unique relational path, that while similar to ours cannot be compared to ours. We are so used to judging and being judged on progress and achievement, that we feel more comfortable with a set of rules and regulations to tell us what to do, not to do, and how we can progress forward. We tend to fall back to what is understandable and comfortable, and in many cases this is not the path of relational based faith.
Additionally, from a very early point in the church the enemy was busy sowing seeds of deception and heresy into the church. There were several times that the true teaching of Jesus was being deafened and defamed by the newest ideas of people like Marcion, Montanus, and the Gnostic teachers, in addition to the Circumcision Party. Paul and John both wrote several pieces specifically against these "false" teachings, and the organized church later had several councils to define the true beliefs of the church, and establish the creed, which was transmittable via simple sayings to the uneducated. The effort was to help keep people on the rails of right relationship with God. At times these efforts were embraced and turned into a "new" set of rules and regulations, and the church slowly lost the idea of relational faith, instead replacing it with learned (head-knowledge only) faith. This seems to be where many of us exist today with faith that was taught, but is not relational in our minds AND hearts!
Oh Lord, that we would learn to walk in true faith in real relationship, knowing You intimately as You know us. Help us to see in our lives the residue of the Old Covenant, and embrace Your love for us, and for each other. Help us to pursue You in relationship, knowing that this is the true expression of the New Covenant! As You said in the letter to Hebrews, "..if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another." We have the better Covenant available to us, and we should avail ourselves of this invitation to relationship with You, the living God!
Amen!
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Favoritism, Mercy and Love
This morning I am reflecting on some verses from James' letter. I find it quite interesting the significance that James places on what he calls the sin of favortism. Here are the verses - James 2:1,8-10,12-13 NIV:
[1] "My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism."
[8] "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. [9] But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. [10] For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it."
[12] "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, [13] because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment."
If I was to create a list of important things to cover in a letter to all Christians, I don't think favortism would make my list, and maybe that is why I am a bit surprised by James' lengthy rebuke and direction. However, as I reflect on his words, I see what He is talking about. I know I am constantly in judging mode as I walk around. I encounter people all over that I don't know, and I am quick to judge them and label them according to my judgment, all without ever knowing them, or interacting with them at all.
I am called, even commanded by Jesus to love as He loved (John 13:34). One thing I always loved about Jesus was the way He met people and loved them for who they were! It seems like He was able to look past the outward appearance and see the beauty of their soul, and love them. I am reminded of the woman at the well (John 4), thinking about how Jesus knew her sins yet engaged in conversation with her and through His conversation, she was changed forever. I would probably distance myself from someone of ill repute, and yet Jesus loved her and welcomed conversation with her.
As I reflect on James words, I realize that too often I find myself judging and labeling those I see and deciding who I would be willing to talk to or show kindness towards. I find I do it all the time. Lord, please forgive me and help me to see with your eyes and heart.
As I was reflecting I also realized that we can show favortism in other ways, and one of the ways we do so is when we judge ourselves and compare ourselves to others. We can look at others and find ourselves lacking. This should not be the case, for each of us was created uniquelly, and as such we will be different than others! We can look around and always find someone with a better life, better car, better house, better body, better looks, better hair, better voice, better job, etc. James quotes the Law as "love your neighbor as yourself", but if you don't love yourself, how are you to love your neighbor??
I wonder if sometimes our showing favoritism is because we envy the life of the wealthy and the powerful and want to be like them, so we like them, and show them favor over others. James calls this a sin.
I am reminded of Paul's writing where he talks about being content in all circumstances and situations - Philippians 4:11-13 NIV: "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. [12] I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. [13] I can do all this through him who gives me strength." It is all a matter of perspective and attitude. We can choose to put on a mindset that determines to see God's provision, love and blessing in everything.
One of my favorite Catholic authors, St. Alphonsus De Liguori wrote something like the following, 'all things in life are meant to serve two purposes, our greater sanctification (becoming like Christ), and God's greater Glorification'. If my goal is to become more and more like Christ, I can embrace those things that cause me to grow and become more like Him, rather than complain about them.
Finally, as we look at our lives, we must go back to the anchor that is God's love for us as His daughter or son. He loves each of us more than we can ever know or comprehend. He loves each of us, saved and unsaved, known and unknown, equally. When I look at any other person, I should be aware of the fact that God loves them as much as He loves me! I heard someone say recently that 'I will never look into the eyes of someone that God doesn't love', and that should change the way I think about people and treat people. Rather than judging, I should respond in brotherly love, extending mercy and compassion, being interested in their life, caring for them in their need. I should love them as I am loved by Christ! I should love all equally, as I am able!
This morning I am encouraged to love others as the Lord loves me! I am encouraged to extend mercy and compassion to all those I meet, as my brothers and sisters. I am encouraged to see my life experiences as opportunities to become more Christ-like!
Amen!
[1] "My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism."
[8] "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. [9] But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. [10] For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it."
[12] "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, [13] because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment."
If I was to create a list of important things to cover in a letter to all Christians, I don't think favortism would make my list, and maybe that is why I am a bit surprised by James' lengthy rebuke and direction. However, as I reflect on his words, I see what He is talking about. I know I am constantly in judging mode as I walk around. I encounter people all over that I don't know, and I am quick to judge them and label them according to my judgment, all without ever knowing them, or interacting with them at all.
I am called, even commanded by Jesus to love as He loved (John 13:34). One thing I always loved about Jesus was the way He met people and loved them for who they were! It seems like He was able to look past the outward appearance and see the beauty of their soul, and love them. I am reminded of the woman at the well (John 4), thinking about how Jesus knew her sins yet engaged in conversation with her and through His conversation, she was changed forever. I would probably distance myself from someone of ill repute, and yet Jesus loved her and welcomed conversation with her.
As I reflect on James words, I realize that too often I find myself judging and labeling those I see and deciding who I would be willing to talk to or show kindness towards. I find I do it all the time. Lord, please forgive me and help me to see with your eyes and heart.
As I was reflecting I also realized that we can show favortism in other ways, and one of the ways we do so is when we judge ourselves and compare ourselves to others. We can look at others and find ourselves lacking. This should not be the case, for each of us was created uniquelly, and as such we will be different than others! We can look around and always find someone with a better life, better car, better house, better body, better looks, better hair, better voice, better job, etc. James quotes the Law as "love your neighbor as yourself", but if you don't love yourself, how are you to love your neighbor??
I wonder if sometimes our showing favoritism is because we envy the life of the wealthy and the powerful and want to be like them, so we like them, and show them favor over others. James calls this a sin.
I am reminded of Paul's writing where he talks about being content in all circumstances and situations - Philippians 4:11-13 NIV: "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. [12] I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. [13] I can do all this through him who gives me strength." It is all a matter of perspective and attitude. We can choose to put on a mindset that determines to see God's provision, love and blessing in everything.
One of my favorite Catholic authors, St. Alphonsus De Liguori wrote something like the following, 'all things in life are meant to serve two purposes, our greater sanctification (becoming like Christ), and God's greater Glorification'. If my goal is to become more and more like Christ, I can embrace those things that cause me to grow and become more like Him, rather than complain about them.
Finally, as we look at our lives, we must go back to the anchor that is God's love for us as His daughter or son. He loves each of us more than we can ever know or comprehend. He loves each of us, saved and unsaved, known and unknown, equally. When I look at any other person, I should be aware of the fact that God loves them as much as He loves me! I heard someone say recently that 'I will never look into the eyes of someone that God doesn't love', and that should change the way I think about people and treat people. Rather than judging, I should respond in brotherly love, extending mercy and compassion, being interested in their life, caring for them in their need. I should love them as I am loved by Christ! I should love all equally, as I am able!
This morning I am encouraged to love others as the Lord loves me! I am encouraged to extend mercy and compassion to all those I meet, as my brothers and sisters. I am encouraged to see my life experiences as opportunities to become more Christ-like!
Amen!
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