An Attitude of Gratitude

My New Year’s resolution this year was to lose 20 pounds (the same 20 pounds that I needed to loose last year and the year before). While I'm nowhere near my heaviest (a hefty 205 pounds!), I keep creeping up enough where I can see there from here. So I decided to get serious. I joined Weight-Watchers. I started going to the gym 4-5 times a week. I started eating yogurt (Wal-Mart fat-free cherry is the best). I stopped eating fast food and refined sugar… Well OK, I cut way back on fast food and refined sugar. I've watched "The Biggest Loser" on TV a couple of times. And did I mention that I work out 4-5 times a week? And sure enough, I made my Weight-Watcher’s goal, weighing in last night at 161. I remember an old Ray Stevens song about losing weight where he “gave his testimony, went out to celebrate and ate a French-fried Shetland pony.” I didn’t do that, but I did have piece of cheesecake Sunday night at small group.

Here’s a news flash—most people in the world today have never given a thought to needing to lose weight. Oh, a lot of Americans do. Karen, our Weight-Watcher instructor, said last night that 2/3 of Americans are obese and 1/3 are “clinically” or “morbidly obese.” It has become a (ahem) huge problem. But guess what? Most people in the world are more worried about getting ENOUGH to eat, not with eating too much! I keep a big box of Kashi bars in my office just in case I get hungry. (I used to just drive down to Hardees for a biscuit when that happened!) Many people in the world don’t worry about “what if I get hungry” because they know that they will be hungry! We have so much for which to be thankful. Are we? Or do we just so expect our blessings that we aren’t really all that thankful? Do we even stop to realize how blessed we really are?

In our reading today from Luke 17, ten lepers shout to Jesus from a distance (just as lepers were supposed to do), “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" (Lk 17:12). Jesus tells them to go show themselves to the priest; they were healed of their leprosy on the way. One of the men didn’t go to the priest but retuned to Jesus—“He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him” (Lk 17:16). This one man, (Luke tells us he was a Samaritan) was so overwhelmed with gratitude that he could not go on with his normal life until he expressed his gratitude and praise to Jesus. Jesus makes note of that fact, “Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Lk 17:17-18). When your life has been so greatly transformed by God, the proper response is gratitude and worship.

Do we just take our blessing for granted? Do we just expect that we will have enough food to eat, a roof over our head and clothes to wear? Don’t we realize that there are so many people who can’t take those things for granted because they often go without them? Should we not be so incredibly grateful for the good things that God gives us that we express our attitude of gratitude to Him in continual praise? Should we not show our praise by sharing what we have with the people around us and around the world that aren’t as blessed as we are?

Excuse me while I have a Kashi bar.

The Forgive Is Divine

There is well known Norman Rockwell painting of Ruby Bridges, the six year old who integrated New Orleans schools in 1960. Her contribution to history was an important one, but it was not an easy one for either her or her family. Every morning, an angry mob shouted threats and ethnic slurs. She was escorted to and from school each day by federal marshals, and she was the only black student in the entire school. Robert Coles, a young psychiatrist, worked with her for that entire school year, and he later wrote a Pulitzer-prize winning book.

Cole found that it was the faith of Ruby and her family that allowed them to deal with this difficult situation. That faith was seen one day when a crowd followed Ruby to school, screaming at her the whole way. She suddenly stopped and said something that so agitated the mob that the marshals had to draw their guns to calm things. Coles said that that Ruby had prayed for those people. She explained that she prayed for them everyday, but she had forgotten on that day. Ruby’s prayer that angered a mob and pleased God was, “Please God, try to forgive these people because they don’t know what they are doing.”

Alexander Pope said, “To err is human, to forgive divine.” When we see forgiveness like that of little Ruby, we can know it is a reflection of divine forgiveness of God. Humans can learn to forgive, but only because God is the God who forgives. In Luke 15, Jesus tells three stories that speak of God’s forgiveness. The Pharisees are shocked that Jesus would welcome sinners. Jesus’ response is simply that welcoming sinners is what God is all about. The point of the parables of the lost sheep, coin and boy (prodigal son) are really the same—God rejoices when the lost are found. God is a God who majors in forgiveness.

Want to be like God? Forgive someone. Forgiveness truly is divine.

Best Seat in the House

A couple of years ago, I took Lynn to a Casting Crowns concert at Norfolk Scope. It was her birthday, and I wanted to do something a little bit special—so I spent $20 a ticket extra for special seating. Where do you think that seating was? Right up front. People pay a lot more extra money (so I’ve been told) and sit in a special place on an airplane. Where is this special “first class” seating? Right up front. When we went to see Kati in the Tabb school play, we made sure she got us tickets in advance. Where? Right down front. So why is it that so many people seem to think that at church, the best seats are always on the BACK row. I don’t get it. It's just wrong!

In our Bible reading from Luke 14, Jesus has some things to say about the seats we choose. No, He doesn’t actually say that we should sit down front in church and save the back for late-comers and people with small children. Or maybe that is exactly what He is saying. The place of honor at banquets was always next to the host. The guest of honor would be seated right next to the host, and the seating for the rest of the guests would fan out from there. When you showed up for a banquet, the seat that you chose said something about how important you think you were. Jesus noticed that the people at the banquet were fighting over all the best seats, and he saw that as a teachable moment—

When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. (Luke 14:8-10)

Jesus says to show deference to others. Take the worst seat, and let the host move you to a better one if that is necessary. Don’t emphasize yourself; don’t dwell on your own importance. Don’t make personal choices based upon inflated views of self-importance. Remember that “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”(Luke 14:11).

Of course, none of this applies to us because we don’t have this silly tradition about ranking people in importance based on seating charts (unless you go to $1000-a-plate political fundraisers). But maybe there are some related “seating” issues that might apply to our choices today—

• But where do you sit at church potlucks—with your friends or with people who seem to need company and encouragement?
  
  
• What church events do you find yourself seated in— only the ones that will benefit you or ones where your presence will encourage and benefit others?
  
  
• Do you always sit in the same seat at church (in the back) or do you move around to fill in where you are needed or to be around new people to meet and greet and make welcome?

Maybe the place where we sit shows more about how hung up we are on ourselves than we think. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”(Luke 14:11).

Are You Ready For That Day to Come?

I remember hearing of a church that had a sign posted in their foyer beside the auditorium doors that read, “No one will be admitted after the service has begun; late-comers will be seated in the nursery.” Evidently it was very important at that church to be on time! We could have the same policy here at Denbigh… as long as the nursery was several times larger than the auditorium! Getting here on time is not a huge priority here. Sometimes I wish people were more punctual, but then there are a lot more things we need to work on more in our lives that getting to church on time!

Being punctual isn’t a big deal in the Bible; being ready is a very big deal. Jesus is constantly telling us that “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matt 24:44). We have to “keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matt 24:42). That is then point of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25. And that is the point of our reading today from Luke 12:35–40

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

This sounds like the parable of the ten virgin in Matthew 25. Instead of bridesmaids ready for their part in a wedding processional that has been delayed, here it is a master coming home late from a banquet. The servants don’t know when he will get there, but they will be blessed if they are awake and alert and ready to let him into the house. He will be in good spirits with plenty of leftovers to serve them if they are ready to serve him. Just like thieves don’t announce their coming in advance, they master won’t announce his coming in advance. So the only way to be ready for the master’s arrival is to be watchful and stay ready all the time.

The apostles don’t get it. We know that because Peter goes all Robert DeNiro here, “You talkin’ to me?” (See Luke 12:41). He wants to know whether the warning Jesus gives about being ready applies to the disciples or is it for the general public. Jesus answers by telling another parable that basically says the same thing—you don’t know when the master is coming so stay ready for him all the time (12:42-46).

We know that we don’t know when Jesus is returning. And we know that we don’t know when we are going to die. The 1000+ victims of the earthquake in China this week shared one thing in common with the 200,000 killed in the Haiti earthquake—they did not expect that they were going to die. We know that the only life we are guaranteed is what we are living right now at the present; that could be taken away at any instant. And then its Hebrews 9:27, “Each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment.”

So if we know all that… why do we live like we have ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD? We don’t. One day we’ll wake up to our last day, and we’ll likely still think that we have all the time in the world. If we are going to be ready when our master comes, we’d better be ready right now. What would you do if you thought Jesus was coming today? Why not go and do it?

Sons of Thunder

In today’s reading we have the strange little story of the Samaritan opposition to Jesus (Luke 9:51-55). Generally in the gospels, the Samaritans come across as good guys. How much “gooder” can you get than the “Good Samaritan?” But somehow, these Samaritans didn't get the memo and they refuse to roll out the red carpet to Jesus.

The Samaritans and the Jews were enemies. As is often the case, their religious differences blended with their ancient land hostilities to the point where these two groups pf people simply detested each other. And this story reminds us that the hatred ran both ways; all Samaritans were not good Samaritans. Here a Samaritan village refuses to receive Jesus because he has “resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (v. 51). They in effect said to Jesus, “If you are going THERE, then you aren’t welcome HERE!” The guy on the road to Jericho was lucky that these weren't the Samaritans who found him beaten up by thieves!

Just to show that they were much more mature spiritually, James and John volunteered to call down fire from heaven to destroy these pertinent Samaritans. Jesus had told thm earlier in the chapter that if people refused to welcome them, they were to “shake the dust off your feet” (v. 4). Evidently, that wasn't dramatic enough, so the “Sons of Thunder” volunteered to go all Elijah on them and call down fire from heaven. Why this response? One has to suspect that their sudden zeal had as much to do with the fact that these were Samaritans (whom they didn't like) that were dissing Jerusalem (which they did like) as much as rejection of Jesus (which they should have been used to by now). They never offered to call down fire on the Pharisees, did they? They hated the Samaritans already, so it was easy to judge their sin.

Here’s a question for you. Why are many (most?) Christians ready to call down fire from heaven to condemn homosexuality as sin and homosexuals as sinners? Is it because the holiness of the Lord burns within us? If so, then why aren't we just as ready to call down fire on other sins? I wonder why we don’t go after sins like greed (which is as idolatry), lying (remember Rev. 21:8) and divorce (which God says he HATES)? Why do Christians seem to hate homosexuality while sometimes giving a free pass to sins that are actually condemned MORE OFTEN in the Bible? Simple. We hate homosexuality anyway. We do. It’s gross. It’s unnatural. It’s a perversion. We harshly condemn it for the same reason James and John were ready to call down fire on the Samaritan village. We hate it anyway!

Please. PLEASE don’t read this as “Gay is OK” article. It’s not. Homosexuality is gross, unnatural and a perversion... just like greed, lying and divorce. All sin is a gross, unnatural perversion of God’s holy will and what He created us to be. My point is not that we should learn to tolerate homosexuality MORE. My point is that we should learn to tolerate greed, lying and divorce LESS. Jesus rebuked James and John and their willingness to judge the Samaritans. He will rebuke us and our inconsistencies over where we demand holiness and where we tolerate unholiness. Maybe we need to spend less time looking at the culture and more time looking in the mirror.

How Resolute Are We?

OK, it's been awhile since I've blogged. Lynn and I spent a week in a place so backward that there was no wireless internet available. OK, we spent a week on the beach in Aruba, and I must admit I did not think of the blog the whole time! But now its back to the old grind.

Our reading today is from Luke 9, and Luke really does fill this chapter with some very significant stories. Jesus sends out the Twelve on the limited commission, feeds the five thousand, is confessed as the “The Christ of God” and casts a demon out of a boy. This was definitely not a slow news day! Oh yeah, Jesus was also transfigured into a spiritual form and sets out on His last trip.

I remember being taught the story of the Transfiguration on a flannelgraph (if you don't know what that is then I'm not going to tell you). I've taught and read this story enough to where it seems like an old story. But think about it-- Jesus is walking along with Peter, James and John, and then POW! His appearance changes to where he is as bright as a flash of lightening. And then POW! Moses and Elijah appear with him... although we’re not told just how Peter, James and John KNOW that these visages were Moses and Elijah. Maybe they had "My Name Is..." badges?

This is really some story! Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus. And they don't just appear-- they discuss with Jesus “his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.” (9:31). The apostles will have a really hard time understanding the coming cross (see 9:22, 9:44-45), so Jesus discusses it here with Moses and Elijah! Jesus knows where He is going and He really needs to talk about it with someone who understands!

And then there is the last trip (9:51). Like the confession of Jesus, this verse marks a critical turning point in Luke's telling of the story of Jesus. While John makes it clear that Jesus made several different trips to Jerusalem, Luke telescopes all of them into one trip. He organizes his material in such a way that Jesus makes the conscious decision to go to Jerusalem to "resolutely set out" for Jerusalem where he will go to the cross. Most of the action and teaching in Luke takes place during this intentional trip from Galilee to Jerusalem... and the cross.

Jesus knew where he was going. His life had a purpose, and every decision that he made contributed to that overall purpose. He resolutely set out to accomplish the will of the Father, and he would not be distracted from that course.

So what is the purpose of our life? Do we really understand that we were made for God's glory? Is that not what God is telling us through Isaiah—

Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. (Isaiah 43:6-7)

I was made for God’s glory. So were you. The reason we exist is to glorify God. Jesus knew that the reason he was on earth was to glorify God, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (John 17:44). He was able to do that because he knew his purpose and resolutely set out to accomplish it. How resolute are we?

The Resurrection Changes Everything

Following the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples were huddled together behind locked doors (John 20:19). They had fled in fear when Jesus was arrested; now in fear, they hid after His death. It wasn't that Jesus had not prepared them for the cross, but they did not understand Him... or didn't believe Him. Even when the women ran to tell the apostles that the tomb was empty and an angel told them that Jesus was alive, they dismissed the idea as utter nonsense (Luke 24:11). And so the disciples cowered in their locked room, waiting for something to happen.

Well, something happened. It wasn't long before the same apostles are standing without fear before the Sanhedrin council, looking the Jewish high court in the eye and saying, "You can kill us if you want, but we cannot stop telling the world about Jesus!" The Sanhedrin was astonished by the courage and the power of these ordinary and unlearned men, until they took note that these men had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

Well, it wasn’t simply they had been with Jesus. They had been with Jesus when he was arrested, and they scattered. Peter had been with Jesus the very day that he denied that he even knew Him. But what changed as they stood boldly before the Jewish high council was that had been with the resurrected Jesus. The resurrection changed everything. Something happens when you come to know one who has conquered the grave. The resurrection of Jesus Christ changed the apostles to the very fiber of their being. From that point, the resurrection, as well as the cross, becomes the very centerpiece of their preaching (Acts 2:22-23). For Peter, James and John and the rest, the resurrection simply changed everything. Max Lucado puts it like this--

Something happens to a man when he stands within inches of the Judean Lion. Something happens when he hears the roar, when he touches the golden main. Something happens when he gets so close that he can feel the Lion's breath. Perhaps we could all use a return visit. Maybe we all need to witness the majesty and sign at His victory.

The resurrection changes everything. Without the resurrection, there is no Christianity and there is no hope (1 Cor. 15:19). With the resurrection, we experience the power of God in our lives that makes everything new. The same power that raised Jesus raises us (Romans 6:3-4). Like the apostles, once we truly experience the resurrected Lord, then nothing is the same. Once the resurrection for us becomes a personal event, once we raise with Christ, then everything becomes new.

The Temptation of Jesus

I’ve always had a little bit of a problem with the tory of Jesus’ temptation (our reading today from Luke 4). Intellectually, I think I understand the temptations and why they would be tempting—

• Jesus is tempted to turn stones into bread at the suggestion of Satan. After all, he hadn’t eaten in over a month and (Luke assures us) he was hungry. But he was fasting, and he wasn’t going to break his fast because Satan suggested it.
  
  
• Jesus is tempted to bypass the cross and go straight to the throne of the world. I imagine that Satan can offer the kingdoms of the world because he controls those who control them, but Jesus isn’t going to worship Satan, “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”
  
  
• Jesus is tempted jump off the Temple and have God preserve him, thus showing to all in a dramatic way that he is the Messiah. Jesus doesn’t fall for that—he’s going to do more dramatic miracles (like raising the dead) and people still won’t acknowledge his identity.

I get the temptations. I see how they would be tempting to Jesus. What I don’t get is how Luke presents this confrontation—and I’m not talking about the fact that he has them in different order than does Matthew. What bothers me is the complete lack of drama in the story. We would assume this would be a clash of titans as the Holy One and Evil one go at it toe to toe. But there is no drama-- Satan tempts and Jesus resists. There is no struggle to do the right thing; there is no pause or consideration of the wrong thing. Jesus simply says, “No” and Satan moves on. Later, Luke presents Jesus agonizing in Gethsemane as he faces the coming cross. But there is no struggle here, no pause to consider—Jesus resists and Satan leaves. End of story.

Did Jesus really have such an easy time resisting temptation? Did he never have to count to 10 before making the right choice? Did he ever chuckle to himself while he waiting for his temper to cool so he could say or do what he should rather than what he wanted? Did Jesus ever seriously WANT to do the wrong thing before he does the right thing?

Luke specifically says that Jesus was “tempted” by the devil. This is the same word used when the Pharisees try to “test” or trap Jesus (Matt 16:1, Matt 19:3, Matt 22:18). It is the word the Hebrews writer uses when he says Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin” (Heb 4:15). It’s the word used by Paul when we feared for the Thessalonians that “the tempter might have tempted you” (1 Thess 3:5). Not only was Jesus was really tempted in the wilderness, we should not think that these were the only temptations there. Luke says, “where for forty days he endured temptations” (Lk 4:2, NET). The NET footnote explains, “Here the present participle suggests a period of forty days of testing. Three samples of the end of the testing are given in the following verses.” Satan didn’t just take three wimpy shots at Jesus and then gave up. These represent only three of the temptations in the desert.

The very next story in Luke is Jesus going home to preach for the first time in his hometown, only to be rejected to the point where they tried to kill him! Satan doesn’t show up in person anymore in Luke story until the temptation of Jesus (Lk 22:3), but Jesus constantly deals with his temptations. And he never sins. Not once. And not even his bitterest enemy can accuse him of sin (see John 8:46), Perhaps this is His greatest "miracle" of all!