Jesus' ministry is often a series of events creating tension and release.
For the people of Jesus' day, it is often a series of events creating hope and disappointment.
Jesus performs a tremendous miracle, transforming scarcity to abundance. This is no small thing.
Then Jesus, sensing the will of the crowd to make Him king, disappears. He even leaves the disciples, who just decide to take off because of His disappearance. Jesus goes up into a mountain, just to be alone. What Jesus is doing there, we don't know. But one thing is for sure- that was a disappointing end for the people and the disciples.
Sometimes, we can't be sure what God is up to or why. Sometimes, we as Christians have to face our disappointment. It's never fun, it isn't romantic, and it just plain hurts sometimes. Even the disciples could be seen as giving up.
However, Jesus approaches us in the storms of disappointment and frustration. Notice that in this story, Jesus does not rebuke the wind and the waves, but gets in the boat with the disciples and sits with them until they get to the other shore (it is pretty immediate). The only thing Jesus tells the disciples is to not be afraid.
Sometimes, Jesus gets us immediately through the storms. Other times, Jesus sits in the boat and reminds us to not be afraid. Either way, I am grateful that Jesus joins me in my frustration and disappointment.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
John 5:31-47
What is the source of life?
One would think that, given the healing Jesus just performed, the answer would be obvious. And given what we know about Jesus' death and resurrection, we would be better equipped for the answer than the people of Jesus' day. Yet, when I carefully examine my life, I wonder what the source is.
Sometimes, it is myself. I place a lot of trust in my ability to work and produce the means for life. I am conscious about my health (moreso than I once was), and do everything from regular chiropractic care to watching how I eat to exercising 4-6 days per week. I place a lot of trust in my strength. Sometimes, though, my strength fails me. At seemingly random times, my muscles will not do as they are intended.
My trust flows out into money. We place a lot of trust in money. We even call them "trusts" sometimes. Our money buys the necessities of life- food, shelter, clothes, etc. And I spend devotional time with my money- checking accounts, meditating on how to better use the money I have. It's a spiritual experience.
Jesus is the true source of life. Jesus, far more than health or money or relationships, is the One in whom I live and move and have my being. It is possible to master Biblical knowledge and not know Jesus. It is possible to be in top physical shape and not know Jesus. It is possible to be filthy rich and not know Jesus. However, it is not possible to live or have the abundant life without Jesus desiring it for me. So today, as I move toward the weekend, my hope is that I will continue to take strides toward Jesus.
One would think that, given the healing Jesus just performed, the answer would be obvious. And given what we know about Jesus' death and resurrection, we would be better equipped for the answer than the people of Jesus' day. Yet, when I carefully examine my life, I wonder what the source is.
Sometimes, it is myself. I place a lot of trust in my ability to work and produce the means for life. I am conscious about my health (moreso than I once was), and do everything from regular chiropractic care to watching how I eat to exercising 4-6 days per week. I place a lot of trust in my strength. Sometimes, though, my strength fails me. At seemingly random times, my muscles will not do as they are intended.
My trust flows out into money. We place a lot of trust in money. We even call them "trusts" sometimes. Our money buys the necessities of life- food, shelter, clothes, etc. And I spend devotional time with my money- checking accounts, meditating on how to better use the money I have. It's a spiritual experience.
Jesus is the true source of life. Jesus, far more than health or money or relationships, is the One in whom I live and move and have my being. It is possible to master Biblical knowledge and not know Jesus. It is possible to be in top physical shape and not know Jesus. It is possible to be filthy rich and not know Jesus. However, it is not possible to live or have the abundant life without Jesus desiring it for me. So today, as I move toward the weekend, my hope is that I will continue to take strides toward Jesus.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
John 5:16-30
So... from the last story, I bet you thought that Jesus got away with healing on the Sabbath, didn't you?
Wrong.
Jesus begins to raise a little controversy regarding His role with the Father. Not only does Jesus play fast and loose with Sabbath regulations, but He also draws from His union with the Father in ways that make people uncomfortable. When Jesus is http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifrebuked for equating Himself with God, Jesus gets people even more uncomfortable. Most striking is that Jesus suddenly places Himself as the standard for loving God. If people do not honor Jesus, they do not honor God the Father.
How is that? Is Jesus so radically changing things that the Old Testament isn't good enough anymore?
Not necessarily. Certainly, the Incarnation of the Son is a pretty significant event that changes a lot. Hebrews certainly makes it clear that beyond Jesus, there is no sacrifice for sin. But what I think is even more striking is the reality that Jesus is the perfect picture of God. If God could ever be contained in human flesh, it would be Jesus. Colossians 1:15-20 makes a pretty clear statement about Jesus being who we look to in order to see God.
So today, let's look toward Jesus. Let's consider who Jesus is and how Jesus lived, in hope that we would grow into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Wrong.
Jesus begins to raise a little controversy regarding His role with the Father. Not only does Jesus play fast and loose with Sabbath regulations, but He also draws from His union with the Father in ways that make people uncomfortable. When Jesus is http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifrebuked for equating Himself with God, Jesus gets people even more uncomfortable. Most striking is that Jesus suddenly places Himself as the standard for loving God. If people do not honor Jesus, they do not honor God the Father.
How is that? Is Jesus so radically changing things that the Old Testament isn't good enough anymore?
Not necessarily. Certainly, the Incarnation of the Son is a pretty significant event that changes a lot. Hebrews certainly makes it clear that beyond Jesus, there is no sacrifice for sin. But what I think is even more striking is the reality that Jesus is the perfect picture of God. If God could ever be contained in human flesh, it would be Jesus. Colossians 1:15-20 makes a pretty clear statement about Jesus being who we look to in order to see God.
So today, let's look toward Jesus. Let's consider who Jesus is and how Jesus lived, in hope that we would grow into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
John 5:1-15
Here is a story familiar to many. Jesus goes to a mystical healing spot called Bethesda, where there is a pool. Nearby the pool are a bunch of sick people, waiting for a certain moment each year. "The Big Moment" is when something or someone (the legend say it's an angel) comes and stirs up the pool and it has healing qualities for the first person into it. And here is a man who has been unable to move in 38 years. Who knows how many years he has sat at the pool of Bethesda, waiting for his chance?
Yet Jesus gives this man his chance right away, without the power of the waters. The man grabs his mat and starts walking. It happens to be the Sabbath, and so he gets in some trouble for working on the Sabbath, but he points out that the mysterious healer told him to do it.
It seems, at first blush, a normal healing story. Jesus heals on the Sabbath all the time (okay, 7 times in Matthew, Mark and Luke), and it usually results in some kind of conversation about the healing. But this story takes a bizarre turn when the man meets Jesus again in verse 14, and is immediately warned by Jesus to stop some kind of sin because it may result in a worse illness. This is a unique story to be sure.
We don't know exactly what happened in the story. Perhaps as a young man, this guy was caught up in doing some bad things that led to his particular injuries. Or, as an invalid, his whole life became about his condition and he steadily drove the people around him away. After all, there were no friends or family to help him get into the pool at Bethesda. Who knows?
I think what we learn about this story is not to blame all illnesses and ailments on personal sin, because Jesus rarely delivers the message to stop sinning to those whom He heals. I think what we learn about this story is that Jesus was able to see into this man's life and not only bring healing to his body, but his spirit. May we all experience Christ's healing today.
Yet Jesus gives this man his chance right away, without the power of the waters. The man grabs his mat and starts walking. It happens to be the Sabbath, and so he gets in some trouble for working on the Sabbath, but he points out that the mysterious healer told him to do it.
It seems, at first blush, a normal healing story. Jesus heals on the Sabbath all the time (okay, 7 times in Matthew, Mark and Luke), and it usually results in some kind of conversation about the healing. But this story takes a bizarre turn when the man meets Jesus again in verse 14, and is immediately warned by Jesus to stop some kind of sin because it may result in a worse illness. This is a unique story to be sure.
We don't know exactly what happened in the story. Perhaps as a young man, this guy was caught up in doing some bad things that led to his particular injuries. Or, as an invalid, his whole life became about his condition and he steadily drove the people around him away. After all, there were no friends or family to help him get into the pool at Bethesda. Who knows?
I think what we learn about this story is not to blame all illnesses and ailments on personal sin, because Jesus rarely delivers the message to stop sinning to those whom He heals. I think what we learn about this story is that Jesus was able to see into this man's life and not only bring healing to his body, but his spirit. May we all experience Christ's healing today.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
John 4:43-54
All four Gospels include Jesus pointing out that prophets are generally not accepted in their hometowns. And Jesus usually has that experience. In Luke, His former neighbors get ready to kill Him after a synagogue service in which Jesus takes part. Jesus has to escape their wrath.
In John, this gets pointed out right as the Galileans accept Jesus back into Cana. Recall that Cana is where Jesus turned water into wine. Perhaps the free alcohol had something to do with Jesus' reception. Either way, it seems that Jesus is wrong about not being accepted.
As a rule, I don't walk around with the conception that Jesus was wrong about things. So I took another look at the passage. And while Jesus was accepted, Jesus was also treated with skepticism. Jesus was treated as the miracle worker who came to do some neat tricks. Jesus reveals the heart of the people- that they need to see miracles in order to have faith. In that, Jesus did not have honor in Himself, but needed to prove Himself.
And so when a royal official comes, having exhausted every method for healing his child, Jesus saw not an opportunity to prove Himself, but a child who needed healing. Jesus did not take the crowd down to watch the healing take place. Jesus did not even go for the spectacle of going with the royal official. Jesus healed the child from a distance.
I have to admit that I am a spectacle. I love things that make a spectacle out of me. It goes hand-in-hand with being a public speaker. And so, to become more like Jesus, I have to ask myself the question of when being a spectacle is important. When hanging out with friends, it may be entirely appropriate. In ministry, it is often (not always) more important to be in the background. Interesting questions to ponder, always. May we all be more like Jesus.
In John, this gets pointed out right as the Galileans accept Jesus back into Cana. Recall that Cana is where Jesus turned water into wine. Perhaps the free alcohol had something to do with Jesus' reception. Either way, it seems that Jesus is wrong about not being accepted.
As a rule, I don't walk around with the conception that Jesus was wrong about things. So I took another look at the passage. And while Jesus was accepted, Jesus was also treated with skepticism. Jesus was treated as the miracle worker who came to do some neat tricks. Jesus reveals the heart of the people- that they need to see miracles in order to have faith. In that, Jesus did not have honor in Himself, but needed to prove Himself.
And so when a royal official comes, having exhausted every method for healing his child, Jesus saw not an opportunity to prove Himself, but a child who needed healing. Jesus did not take the crowd down to watch the healing take place. Jesus did not even go for the spectacle of going with the royal official. Jesus healed the child from a distance.
I have to admit that I am a spectacle. I love things that make a spectacle out of me. It goes hand-in-hand with being a public speaker. And so, to become more like Jesus, I have to ask myself the question of when being a spectacle is important. When hanging out with friends, it may be entirely appropriate. In ministry, it is often (not always) more important to be in the background. Interesting questions to ponder, always. May we all be more like Jesus.
Friday, August 19, 2011
John 4:27-42
The aftermath of Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman is twofold- it transforms the Samaritan community, and it transforms the disciples. The disciples are surprised, but they do not want to upset Jesus by confronting his activities. Instead, they ask if He wants any food. This leads into a conversation about what sustains Jesus. Just like Jesus would say to the devil in the wilderness, Jesus is sustained by every word from the mouth of God (and obedience to it). And what is the will of God?
I'll say it once, I'll say it again- to seek and to save the lost. The fields are ripe with harvest, eternal life is ready to be had. The best news is that the harvest was not prepared by us, not tended to by us, not dependent on us. No, the harvest is prepared by God, tended by God and dependent on God's activity.
That harvest is shown in real and physical form by the Samaritan woman, who becomes an evangelist and catalyst to her community's faith in Jesus Christ.
I pray that we can be like her- ready to show Jesus to people in our lives.
I'll say it once, I'll say it again- to seek and to save the lost. The fields are ripe with harvest, eternal life is ready to be had. The best news is that the harvest was not prepared by us, not tended to by us, not dependent on us. No, the harvest is prepared by God, tended by God and dependent on God's activity.
That harvest is shown in real and physical form by the Samaritan woman, who becomes an evangelist and catalyst to her community's faith in Jesus Christ.
I pray that we can be like her- ready to show Jesus to people in our lives.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
John 4:1-26 pt 2
As I mentioned in the last post, there are a few significant things going on in this passage. One is the interaction Jesus has with a Samaritan woman, the other is the theological debate they have as part of their conversation.
The basic argument goes something like this: The Samaritans worshiped on Mt. Gerizim, claiming that the northern kingdoms of Israel were "true Israel" and that the Jews were imposters. They claimed that they were the true heirs of the promises of God (hence why the Samaritan woman claims Jacob as an ancestor). The Jews worshiped on Mt. Zion/Jerusalem and also claimed to be the "true Israel."
Jesus is drawn into this debate, and changes it considerably. Certainly, Jesus does fall on the side of the Jews, but then says that the debate's relevance is limited. After all, soon the mountain and the ancestry won't matter. All that will matter is spirit (or Spirit) and truth (or Truth). What God seeks is not pilgrimage to the right place (although pilgrimage is a valuable spiritual practice), but that people are connected to God's Spirit and worshiping the Truth (that is, Jesus) and truthfully.
I take those words as words of comfort today. Because of the work of Jesus, you and I are enfolded into God's plan. And we have the chance today to worship God in spirit and in truth.
The basic argument goes something like this: The Samaritans worshiped on Mt. Gerizim, claiming that the northern kingdoms of Israel were "true Israel" and that the Jews were imposters. They claimed that they were the true heirs of the promises of God (hence why the Samaritan woman claims Jacob as an ancestor). The Jews worshiped on Mt. Zion/Jerusalem and also claimed to be the "true Israel."
Jesus is drawn into this debate, and changes it considerably. Certainly, Jesus does fall on the side of the Jews, but then says that the debate's relevance is limited. After all, soon the mountain and the ancestry won't matter. All that will matter is spirit (or Spirit) and truth (or Truth). What God seeks is not pilgrimage to the right place (although pilgrimage is a valuable spiritual practice), but that people are connected to God's Spirit and worshiping the Truth (that is, Jesus) and truthfully.
I take those words as words of comfort today. Because of the work of Jesus, you and I are enfolded into God's plan. And we have the chance today to worship God in spirit and in truth.
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