Hedging Their Bets... Wrongly

John 19-21

Pilate could never be confused for a humanitarian. He finds Jesus innocent and yet has him flogged with a lead-tipped whip, crowned with thorns, and beaten by the Roman guards... not exactly the finding of innocence that I would seek. He then brought Jesus out to the Jews. Pilate had to bring Jesus out, because the Jews would not go into Pilate's house because they wanted to stay ritually clean for upcoming Passover during which they would remember God's act in delivering them from bondage to Egypt... not exactly the picture of purity God had in mind when he set forth the covenant. When Pilate hears that Jesus called himself the Son of God, he is afraid and asks Jesus if that is true... but he is far more afraid of what the Jewish leaders might do to him than what the wrath of God might do. In every circumstance, each group of people tried to hedge their bets by leaning in the way of the world, over leaning towards God and his righteousness. In every case, they were just wrong. You'd think we would have learned this lesson for today, but everyday finds a new Christian hedging their bet by leaning in favor of the world instead of trusting in the one who created the world. Will we ever learn? Who will stand up for the Lord? Those precious few who love God with all of their heart, mind, body, and soul. Will you be one?

Night Guard

John 16-18

What would it have been like to be on the night guard the night that Jesus was betrayed? As a Levite serving your priestly duties you are suddenly thrust into a situation that you either relish or abhor depending on your thoughts of Jesus. But since the High Priest has given you the task, you go out to the olive grove following Judas. As you approach Jesus, suddenly some calls out "Who are you looking for?" You answer back "Jesus of Nazareth" and he replies "I AM he." Inexplicably you lose your footing and fall to the ground. A force has been let loose at the sound of his voice... a power is there that is not of this world... and now you're having second thoughts... could this really be the Christ... the Messiah... the Son of God? Are you ready to die for him or will you go along with the crowd and arrest him. Caiaphas had said that it was better that one man should die than all of Israel, but now you're not so sure. Or maybe you're so full of your duties, that you can't be bothered to notice the supernatural force and just assign it to the wind. Let's get on with this so I can get back home to be with my family. What would I have done as a night guard? Father forgive me for all my transgressions, for not seeing you and believing in your power.

A Gift from Jesus

John 13-15

The first gift I think of when I think of Jesus is the gift of salvation, forgiveness, grace, etc. But on the night he was betrayed he told his disciples that he had a gift for them that was none of these. He told them...

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Jesus was the Prince of Peace and offered us true peace, but that peace is not the same thing that the world refers to as peace. Too often when the world talks of peace, they mean the absence of war, regardless of the cost. But Jesus wasn't talking about this kind of peace at all. The world is able to give us a worldly peace between men, but Jesus said that his peace was something different... something better. His peace must be a spiritual peace between us and God that would truly give us peace of mind and heart, not a material peace between us and our fellow man that is too fragile for lasting peace. His gift of peace is beyond our understanding, but we can know it when we have it... a wonderful gift.

True Knowledge

John 10-12

Jesus tells the people of Judea that he is the good shepherd, that he knows his sheep, and his sheep know him. This is the essence of true knowledge... to know the only one who is capable of saving you from eternal death. Some would brag that they know Pi to 20 digits, or they know how to pick a good stock, or pick a ripe melon, or even read the genetic code... but all this seems somehow bland and useless by comparison. What would a man give for knowledge that can save his life... all his wealth? No, the rich young ruler said that was too much. Belief? Yet many who saw great miracles, even raising Lazarus from the dead, did not see enough to believe. What then? Simply to humble oneself to be his sheep, to be called his, and to follow him in faith.

Blind Trust

John 7-9

I've always liked the story of the blind beggar whom Jesus healed on the Sabbath. His response to the questioning of the Pharisees was based on the innocent trust of a child... even though he was, in his parents words, "old enough to speak for himself." His response to who Jesus was was simple... “I don’t know whether he is a sinner, but I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” Just enough simplicity to get the Pharisee's riled up. But if that wasn't enough for the Pharisees, they decided to try one more approach asking him how Jesus had healed him. His response was to offer total naiveté... asking if they wanted to become his disciple too. It was too much for the Pharisees, and they kicked him out of the synagogue... can't have any truth seekers messing up there tidy church. How often does that happen today?

Hard Words, But True

John 5-6

Jesus never felt the need to make his message easier for the people to accept... he knew no way other than to speak the truth. If I had to choose only a single area where the church of today has failed, I think that watering down the truth... twisting the truth... substituting the world's truth for God's truth has taken the church farther from Jesus than anything else. Jesus proclaims that the world's approval means nothing to him... he seeks only God's approval, even if all of his disciples should walk away. And the church of today, we seem to seek the approval of all age groups, all people everywhere without offending any. I'm not suggesting that we intentionally insult others, that is not consistent with the love that Jesus commanded that we have. However, we need never water down the truth of the gospel. An article in Friday's Wall Street Journal talks about the perils of wannabe cool Christianity... using sex, lies and videotapes to woo 20-somethings. Somehow, I don't think Jesus would be impressed.

Darkness and Light

John 3-4

Context is so often lost in my normal approach to bible reading... either reading small chunks or large expanses of scripture without necessarily pausing to digest. The oft quoted John 3:16 isn't a stand-alone piece of scripture, but is actually part of Jesus' response to Nicodemus. Nicodemus approached Jesus at night so that his fellow Pharisees would not be aware of his quest. Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again, but then Jesus went on to tell him that God so loved the world. He didn't stop there either. He effectively told Nicodemus that he must believe not just at night, but that he must come out of the dark and into the light... so that others could see too. Reading scripture for what is there... not necessarily what we've always been taught is there... provides all the difference.

Did They Understand?

Luke 21-22

On Jesus' last night with his disciples, he broke bread and shared a cup with the Passover meal. At the end of the meal, he shared another cup with them then offered them a gift of immeasurable worth. He said... "I now grant you the right to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom." Wow!

I have a feeling that this phrase meant very little to them at the time, almost as though it were just more words on top of the other words Jesus spoke that night. I wonder if they really understood the gift that Jesus had just bestowed on them. It's not like he never said anything like this before... he had. It is just that when Jesus spoke truth, there was power behind it. It wasn't just a gesture to thank them for their faithfulness. It was the greatest invitation in the history of the world. And the part that's even better, is that the invitation still stands... for us! Hallelujah.

Dumb as a Rock

Luke 19-20

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, the crowd cheered his entrance... they waved palm branches and shouted "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord, Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven" The Pharisees were angry that he did not rebuke the people for saying these things. Jesus's response had to catch the Pharisees totally off guard... “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” The rocks may be dumb, but even they know their creator, and they can't help but cry out in his presence. How smart are we?

A Servant's Life

Luke 17-18

We started a new sermon series at Mulder this week called Serve - Real Life Stories from Mulder. Lisha was the real life story and she did a fantastic job preaching God's Word. Today's lesson from Luke 17 is a tough one for a would be servant of Christ. Too often when Christians perform a work of service they look for feedback in the form of thanks, etc.... but what did Jesus say about this? "When you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’" Is that what your church looks like... a bunch of unworthy servants, simply doing their duty?

The Hardest Parable

Luke 15-16

Every time I read through the parable of the shrewd manager I think maybe this time God will open my eyes to the true meaning, and every time I come away empty. If I read it online, I often try to Google the understanding, but none of the commentaries I've read ring true. I almost thought I found an answer today, but it didn't really speak to my soul. I'm sure there are other parables that I'm wrong about what message God is telling me, but in this parable, I have no such doubts. I am positive that I don't know.

I was reading a blog the other day about anosognosia... not knowing what you don't know. In this case, I'm not clueless about my lack of knowledge, I know very clearly that I don't know what it means, but it got me to thinking about those areas where I think I know what God is telling me, but I'm wrong. Spiritual arrogance is a dangerous thing... maybe Jesus threw the parable of the shrewd manager in there just so we wouldn't think we knew it all.

He Didn't Say

Luke 13-14

Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He replied, “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’

Jesus said to work hard to enter the narrow door. He didn't say, that it was okay as long as you sincerely believe something else. He didn't say, you'll get a pass if you have a good excuse. He didn't say, that the most important thing was your happiness. He didn't say, everyone who goes to church on Sunday, we gt a pass. He didn't say, that if you follow the 10 commandments then you'll make it. He told us to work hard to enter the narrow door. If you see a crowd moving towards what they say is the Kingdom of God, be wary. The narrow door, is not the choice of the crowd, but the narrow door is the only way. Jesus is the way.

The Beginning and the End

Luke 11-12

I am struck and convicted by the narrowness of my scriptural knowledge. The parable of the rich fool in Luke 12 is very familiar and an example that I use in my walk, but my familiarity is only with the actual parable, not the lead in or the walk away. A man comes to Jesus to have his brother judged as guilty for not sharing, but Jesus will have none of that... knowing the other side of the story too. Perhaps this man had sold his portion of the estate to his brother as Esau did, whatever the case Jesus' response must have caught the accuser off guard. He asks the man "who made me judge over you?" but doesn't leave it there. Instead, Jesus addresses the bigger issue of greed on both sides of the argument, thus introducing the parable of the rich fool, whose life would be required of him that very night. But Jesus' lesson is NOT that it is improper to merely possess wealth. Rather, his ending line is this... “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

If you quit the story too early, you miss the whole point, for wealth is not sin, although greed is. And greed is sin in that it steals your heart from what your true love should be... a rich relationship with God. Not just a friend relationship, or a bride relationship, but a relationship like the love that Elizabeth Barrett Browning spoke of...

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

Vicarious Righteousness

Luke 9-10

When Jesus sent out his disciples to cast out demons and heal diseases, he caught the attention of Herod. Herod knew that he couldn't be John the Baptist because he had beheaded him, so Herod "tried to see him." What was it about Herod that drew him towards men of God, yet kept him at arms length once he was in their presence.

Perhaps Herod is proof that God desires that none should perish and yet that we have free will to choose to follow him or follow our own desires. God wrote the truth on Herod's heart and sent messengers to speak the truth and be the truth, yet Herod remained mired in his own selfish pride and sin. Herod was only interested in vicariously living a righteous life while actually living a licentious life. Are we guilty of the same?

Just a Little Faith

Luke 7-8

Stories of faith and the lack of faith fill today's reading. A Roman Centurion has more faith than Jesus has seen in all of Israel because he understands the authority to whom Jesus responds... John the Baptist and his disciples entertained the doubt that Jesus might not be the Messiah, but Jesus reassured them... A woman of ill repute had faith enough to shower Jesus with everything she had hold back nothing, while his Pharisee host looked on with disdain... many women had faith enough to provide the financial support for Jesus and his followers... When his family comes near, Jesus explains that all who hear and obey God's word are his mother and brothers... When the disciples cower in fear from a storm, Jesus asks where their faith is... A woman with a bleeding disorder had faith enough to think that if she could just touch the hem of his garment she would be healed... the crowd at Jairus' house laughed at Jesus' statement that his daughter was only sleeping.

Men would should have had great faith, had none. Women who should not have had any faith, were filled to overflowing with faith. God's arithmetic of faith is contrary to man's expectations. Jesus tells us that if we had the faith of a mustard seed, we could move mountains. Within the church, we depend on the presence of faith... but do not really know how to generate even an ounce of it. Jesus' response to the apostles questions about the parable of the farmer and the seed explains it perhaps better than anything else... "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’ "

Sorrows Await

Luke 5-6

Jesus proclaims to his listeners "what sorrow awaits... you who are rich... you who are fat and prosperous now... you who laugh now... you who are praised by the crowds." Everything that we seek here has its rewards here, but sorrow awaits us later. Kinda makes you wonder if we are praying for the wrong thing. Should we be praying for sorrow and suffering now, that we might have riches later? Or is there a different dynamic at work here? What is the message that Jesus is trying to get across to us? Backing up a couple verses we see Jesus speaks blessings to those whom people hate and exclude and mock and curse because they follow the Son of Man. So if we attain worldly happiness because we value the things of the world, then sorrow will await, but if we seek first the kingdom of heaven, then joy awaits us, even if we do not see it here.

Blinded by the Light

Luke 3-4

Jesus visits his hometown synagogue and boldly proclaims that scripture is fulfilled in the hearing of the congregation. The crowd is amazed at his words and is seemingly on his side until someone speaks up "Hey, wait a minute, isn't this Joseph's son?" Jesus explained that a prophet is never accepted in his hometown, using Elijah as an example and oddly their blind eyes are opened. Unfortunately, instead of seeing the king amongst them, they see only insult. In their new blindness, they decide that Jesus must die. They become furious and mob him to cast him over the cliff, but their blindness once again arises and "he passed right through the crowd and went on his way." Jesus, the light of the world, still evokes the same reaction in men... amazement, awe, jealousy, rage and blindness. Can you see him? What does he look like to you?

Zechariah's Son

Luke 1-2

When the angel Gabriel greeted Zechariah in the temple of the Lord with that familiar greeting "Fear Not", his purpose was to announce the precursor to the greatest event in the history of man. John was that precursor. Gabriel declared that John would... prepare the people for the coming of the Lord... turn the hearts of the fathers to their children... and cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly. Zechariah's son was to be a man unlike his brethren. He was set apart... made holy to be used by God for his purpose... and John rose to the occasion.

I tend to think of John as some super human, but he was just a man. Just a man who followed after God's purpose for his life even when he didn't fully understand it. Imagine how this world would look today, if we were dedicated to performing God;s purpose for our lives... how it would look if everyone at Mulder was dedicated to fulfilling his purpose... if all were proclaim the name of the one John announced had the same dedication as Zechariah's son. I can only imagine...

In His Shoes.

I often wonder what it would be like to be in various biblical character's shoes... a historically possible, but fictional account of their lives. Khalil Gibran does this for Simon of Cyrene in a short vignette, and W.G. Griffiths does the same for Malchus the servant of Caiaphus the High Priest of Israel in Jesus' day in novel form. Today, I wonder about Barabbas... Who was Barabbas and what did he do with the new chance he was given? Did he turn to the one who saved him from crucifixion again for eternal salvation, or did he rebel even in his second chance? Did he learn anything, or did he die still trying to fight old fights?

Would You Recognize Jesus If He Knocked on Your Door?

Mark 13-14

In college, we used to pat each other on the back by rhetorically asking if someone would recognize Jesus if he returned today. More often than not, this would be a rationalization for doing something that Baylor society deemed sinful, but we (in our enlightened state) knew was exactly the kind of thing that Jesus would be doing if he were here then. From time to time, I still hear these kinds of fantasies, but the issues have changed. Back then, Jesus was most surely a partier (please re-read the gospels if you don't buy into this), whereas today I often hear it in the form of what kind of car Jesus would drive... the environmentalists claim he'd drive a hybrid because he cares about the earth and their opposites claim he'd drive an SUV because he'd want to be able to go to the ends of the earth and fit everyone into the vehicle. Blasphemy? Probably. But the real focus of these lines of questions is not about Jesus at all, but rather about us and our petty notions that we so jealously guard.

I like the understated manner in which Mark deals with this topic... "everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory." We're not going to have to guess whether that [insert stereotype here] is really Jesus, because when he comes for the second time around, it will not be as a babe in a manger, but rather with great power and glory. When I ponder the amazing, awesomeness of an infinite God, there is little doubt that when his son who has united with him comes in power and glory, that anyone will have trouble recognizing that it is Jesus who has returned. Believers and non-believers alike will instantly know that Jesus has knocked on their door. The only question remaining will be whether we answered.