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Sunday, March 27, 2016

“O Lord – Now What ?”


Scripture: Luke 24:1-12

This had been a roller-coaster week for those who followed Jesus. First, the grand entry in Jerusalem when the entire troop was cheered and praised. Then the heavy teaching began, and the Lord no longer made any bones about what he was telling the people. He had always run counter to the conventional wisdom, but now, he was getting more and more intentional in addressing the Pharisees and their legalistic brand of faith.
The teaching was getting more and more difficult to accept, but on the positive side, it looked like he was beginning to stir the pot real good. Could this be the beginning of a revolt against the oppressive lifestyle they all had been subjected to? Was Jesus going to lead them into a better day?

Then he was arrested and hauled off to the Sanhedrin for trial. This wasn’t a good sign, but then Jesus had never done anything to warrant a conviction, so maybe he will get off. But when the Romans got involved, that possibility vaporized, and the only certainty was that the sentence of death was on its way.

But there were those who truly believed that Jesus had been sent from the Great Jehovah – would the Lord actually allow “His Man” to be tortured? To be executed? Surely God would intervene!
But he didn’t. Jesus would be flogged to within a breath of death, and then he was taken to Calvary for the final act of hatred.

How could this be? How could this strange but wonderful ministry come to such a tragic and abrupt end? What would become of them, now that Jesus was no longer able to teach and encourage and enable them to serve in his name? How could life get any worse than this?

Read Luke 24:1-3

Sabbath had been a very solemn day – more than it normally was. They had gone through the motions of worship, but it held little meaning for most. The day of rest ended at sunrise, and the women went to complete the anointing of Jesus’ body. But when they arrived at the tomb, the stone had already been rolled away and the guards were nowhere in sight. Strange, but then, who could ever understand the Romans!

And then things began to get really bizarre – the body was gone! As if the Lord’s death hadn’t been bad enough, now the women couldn’t even complete the burial ritual! Who would steal a body? And in plain sight of the Roman solders? And if it was by consent, why would Rome want to make him disappear? It just didn’t make any sense?

Read Luke 24:4-8

Suddenly two men appear right in front of them, and they know immediately that these must be messengers sent from God. Their clothing, their sudden, miraculous arrival, the divine presence that radiated from their being – everything about them said “HOLY”!
What now? Where they going to tell the women where the body is? Was this to be one more of Jesus’ miracles? They were scared stiff, and imagined that they were going to be struck dead in the next instant.

But they weren’t – these “men” had a message for them. “He’s alive, so why are you looking for him here? Don’t you remember what he told you?

Slowly, Jesus’ words began to come back to them.
- “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (Luke 9:22)
- “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.” (Luke 9:44)
- “He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” (Luke 18:32-33)
And now these heavenly messengers remind them once again that ”The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.”

It all came flooding back – but they still didn’t know where his body was. If Jesus was alive, why wasn’t he here to greet them? They saw the empty tomb, they heard the divine words, they remembered Jesus’ words from years ago, and still, it didn’t make sense.

Read Luke 24:9-12


As they returned to the locked room, they began to wonder just how they were going to explain this to the men! “Crazy women – are you saying that you didn’t complete the anointing? What’s wrong with you? What do you mean he is missing?” The men didn’t understand, either. And yet, there was something that kept pulling at Peter, and he just had to go and see for himself. The Spirit told him “Don’t walk, Peter – RUN!”! Peter would see for himself, and he would still struggle with the significance of this empty tomb.


These people had been with Jesus for years – some since the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry in the Galilee. They had heard the teaching, had seen the healing, had witnessed the courageous truth that had been shown toward the arrogance of the elitists, and had been privy to the extra time that Jesus spent with them, explaining and giving them even more grace than he did to the masses. Jesus had called them, fed them, encouraged them, empowered them, and I have no doubt that the women experienced almost as much of Jesus that the men did.

But Jesus was unlike any rabbi that they had ever known. He taught the strangest things, but with the most incredible authority and wisdom, that they could never believe that he was wrong. They knew their history, they knew the prophecies, they knew the law, but none of it seemed to help them understand.

But slowly, slowly, everything was beginning to come together – the teaching and all that had happened – but still there were questions. What about them? What were they to do now? How would they know? WHY?

For over three years, they had walked the roads of Palestine and the Galilee with this man. They knew that he was unlike any other they had ever known, but the “why” of today continued to plague them. They now knew that something incredible had happened, and that life for them would never be the same, but what that life would be was a complete mystery. They would just have to wait.


We live in a fast paced, immediate gratification, breaking news reports with little delay, and societal norms that are nearly as corrupt as those 2,000 years ago. And while the message of Jesus’ resurrection is still discounted by many in the world, the truth of Christ is still before us. The disciples would soon discover that faith in Jesus Christ involved more than just heart, mind and soul – that it would require action on their part. And that raises another issue within our nation – many are so caught up in their own selves – their ideals, their entitlement, their self-importance, their self-serving attitude - that faith makes little sense to them.

And yet, the Church continues to grow in both numbers and understanding. Why? Because the “apostles” of today understand that while salvation is a freely given gift of God, faith requires more than heart, mind and soul – it demands that faith includes action. But all too many think that “active discipleship” is for others, and they have become that third servant who buried his coin in the ground instead of using it to bring honor to his master. (Matthew 25:14-30)

We’ve come a long way since that Resurrection Day, and the time has come for each and every one of us to begin taking that risky and uncertain step in Jesus’ Way. It’s time that we all reach out to those doubters and deniers and rejecters, and begin to show them just what Jesus is all about, and why they need to know him for their own lives.

The fishermen, and the tax collectors, and the farmers, and the women, and Gentiles, and even a Pharisee or two, would begin putting themselves last, and Jesus first. They would begin to live Jesus’ instruction – “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name …” (John 14:12-14)

Do we have faith in Jesus Christ? Then it’s time for us to “do what [he has] been doing”! Jesus had the power of the Father within him, and he tells us that we can have the power of the Son working for us.

Is your Christian faith new, or weak? Then let others help you to grow in faith.

It is time. Today is the day. Today, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus – his emergence from the darkness of death, into a new and glorious existence.
Today is the day that we, too, need to shed the old complacent life, the old controlled life, the old uncertain life, and follow his resurrection into a new and glorious life for ourselves.

May your old, fearful prayer of “O Lord – now what?” fade away, and become one of Resurrection - “I’m ready Lord – send me!” May this be your resurrection day. Praise the Lord!!

May your Easter be blessed!

Thursday, March 24, 2016

“Repaying the Sacrifice” (Maundy Thursday)


Scripture: Psalm 116:1-14

I sometimes wonder at the understanding that the world has brought to the word “friend”. Today’s replacement term “BFF”, (Best Friend Forever) has come to imply a friendship that can outlast anything that the world can throw at it. Unfortunately, BFF will seldom survive the extreme tests of life– if it could, there would be no need for the function to “unfriend” your BFF! It is intended to be even greater than the phrase from yesterday, and yet, it generally means far less.

Even when I was growing up (which was more than a couple years ago!), the commitment to “Best Friend” was still tentative, at best. A lie, a new friendship that struck one of the friends in a wrong way, an unexpected move out of town, a hurtful comment – any number of things could damage the “Best Friend” bond irreparably. And simply adding the word “forever” makes no difference whatsoever!

The military seldom uses the word “friend” – they use the term “buddy”. A buddy is someone you serve with, regardless of any differences that may exist between you. The word means that your lives are inexplicably intertwined, and that your buddy’s life means more to you than even your own. It’s a personal commitment that is greater than anything the world will ever know.

No one uses that word, outside of the military context anymore – most folks can’t commit to that level of relationship, and quite honestly, most adults, and even more of the kids today, don’t even understand what it means to obligate yourself to such an extreme. But Christians around the globe are showing what “buddy” means every day.

Read Psalm 116:1-7

One of the interesting aspects of the Psalms is that in every one, even those that proclaim a deep and overwhelming lament, there is at least one verse that gives glory to God. Take Psalm 38, for instance – the writer, probably King David – is crying out in the pain of life. It seems as though everyone is against him, that everyone is trying to destroy him, and in the opening verses, he implies that he must have done something to anger the Lord, and that the calamities that are falling on him must be the result of some great sin that he has committed. But in the very last verse, we read that he pleas for God’s intervention as his “Lord and Savior”.

But our Psalm for this evening is different – this unknown writer has nothing but praise for his God. He says that his God has been with him through some terrible times, but readily acknowledges that the Lord has been with him through it all – that he has always been ready to hear his cries for help, ready to respond to his needs, ready to save him from whatever it is that afflicts him. And not only does he recognize the fact that God has always been with him, he praises the Lord for his righteous, gracious, compassionate, caring nature, and knows that he can set worry aside because his trust in the God who is with him.

Read Psalm 116:8-11

Death” threatens him, but God saves him. And not only is he spared the sentence of death, his Lord even strengthens his life! He “walks” with God and never stumbles; he lives “in the land of the living” and never fears death; he even rejects all assistance that might come from the world because he knows that it will never be sufficient or true. Even with the extreme affliction that he is experiencing, he never struggles with the burden, never believes that God has brought the punishment, and he never surrenders himself to the world in an attempt to lessen the pain.

Psalm 121 proclaims that our “help comes from the Lord” – not from the world, not from our BFF’s, not from anything in all of creation – it only comes from our Almighty God.

Read Psalm 116:12-14

So how do you repay your “buddy” for all that he has done for you? Things that may have cost him dearly? Things that may have induced others to turn away from him? The answer is simple – never turn away from your commitment to be his buddy! That is exactly what the Psalmist is doing – he is telling the world just how important this person – his God – is for his life.
There is no reluctance, no concern, no hesitation, no caveats, and he says that he will tell every single person who he can possibly reach about this friend who is infinitely better than anyone else he has ever known.

How far might this pledge take us? When the “cup of salvation” is raised in honor of the one who has saved us, it is, in essence, saying that we will “pay the gift forward”. Unfortunately, this isn’t a concept that is universally embraced by humanity. Most people want to be repaid for the favors and gifts that they convey to others. “I invited you to my party – when are you going to invite me to yours?” I gave you a loan when you needed – now I need one from you.” You get the drift.

But in paying the gift forward, you don’t necessarily invite your friend to your party – you invite an outsider, a stranger, a loner. Instead of repaying your friend with a loan, be ready to make a load - or better yet, a gift – to someone else – friend or not(! - who is in need.

So what does this have to do with our Christian faith? Jesus has done us a great favor – one that we will never be able to repay! The Lord’s greatest desire is that we will pay the gift of sacrifice forward. This doesn’t mean making some token gesture, some simple gift, but to give all that you have, to set the attacks of the world behind, to ignore the threats and fears and certainties in favor of showing others that you have an intimate and infinite trust in God. It’s about saying “This is something that I am totally incapable of doing, but if I follow, if I surrender, if I trust, the Lord will do it through me.”

Repaying the Lord’s gift of salvation can never be something that we do for him – but it is something that we can do on his behalf. He gave his life that we might live, and now he lives in eternity and invites us to live with him. We can never grant him life, but we can show others the way to a life in him, regardless of what that might inspire the world to do against us.

We can repay the Lord through the gift of our prayers, through the commitment of our time, through the offering of our many blessings in service, and most importantly, through our witness to his grace and glory and salvation.

That’s all that our “Heavenly Buddy” asks of us – no more and no less. Will you?

Sunday, March 20, 2016

"Do Your Worst, and He Will Give His Best"


Scripture: Isaiah 50:4-9

Palm Sunday is one of those days when we can focus our lives on one of two ideals: We can either center on the glory and adoration of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, or we can consider the “Suffering Servanthood” that Jesus would soon take up. My tendency is generally to consider the triumphal entry into Jerusalem – it’s a lot easier, a lot happier, and a lot cleaner - , but today, I am taking the other road. This Palm Sunday will not be one of triumph, but rather one that reflects on the suffering to come.

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that day, he certainly did meet cheering crowds – thousands of them! After spending so much of his ministry in the Galilee, causing a great deal of confusion for his disciples and putting many people in a quandary over just who this man was with all of this new and strange teaching, the Lord was now coming into both the heart of Jewish Legalism, and the center of all the hostility that had turned against him.

Suffering would become a constant condition for Jesus from now until his death.
Emotionally, he would be desperate to make this one and final effort to teach the people that the truth of God was not what they had become comfortable with, and to teach them that the truth of his coming sacrifice was not a condemnation by any means, but a gift of salvation for all who would believe.
Spiritually, the very Son of the Most High God would be falsely charged, falsely testified against, and falsely convicted of the most heinous of all crimes – of sedition, even while he had never in his life said a single word against secular authority.
Physically, his torture would be unlike anything that we can even imagine – he would receive the 39 lashes of a criminal, which normally would be sufficient punishment for anyone, but he would also receive the sentence of death by crucifixion – an excruciating and humiliating form of execution.

And yet, though it all, Jesus never wavered in his journey toward the tomb. Suffering had become a way of life for him – unbelievers, doubters, scoffers, and those followers who had finally turned away from him – all caused our Lord great suffering in his soul because of their decision to follow a path of their own making instead of the one that God was preparing for them by faith. But this should never have been a surprise for anyone – the prophets had told of it centuries before.
As we approach our text for today, it is filled with dire predictions of suffering, but it is also notable that there is never a single word of reproach or condemnation against God – not one accusing him of being the source of the pain and anguish, and not one of blame for not responding to the pleas for help quicker. The struggle is humbly accepted, and the Almighty will be praised for his compassion and presence.

Read Isaiah 50:4-5

Our text begins with an acknowledgment that God has given all that is necessary to live and respond within the Divine will.
God is faithful in the gifts that come to the speaker – he has received the right words to speak to others, and he has the heart and attitude to serve the people in their need.
He opens the eyes that have been closed in sleep, that they might know the glory that is all around – sleep is ignorance, sleep is deadly, sleep is the way of the world as opposed to the way of God, it is the way that is never the Lord’s way.
He has opened ears to hear and know the truth of God, and the recipient has listened closely – he has followed the commands and has not rebelled or turned away from that truth.

This is a description of a true servant – one who is faithfully following the instructions of his Master; to live in the master’s way, to do as the Master requests, to give what the Master requires, to show honor and respect to the Master who provides for him. It’s about showing honor and respect.

Read Isaiah 50:6-7

But service to the Master will almost never produce a comfortable life. There will always be those who oppose the will of the Master, and when we are obedient to the One, we must also stand in unity with him against the onslaught of the others. Wherever the Master goes, whatever the Master experiences, however the Master responds – that must be the servant’s way, too.

The attacks that this servant is subjected to are being offered as insults and condemnations. This is not just a vilification for the things the servant stands for – they are meant to coerce the servant into renouncing his Master and to turn to the way of those who are afflicting him.

But we read that the Master – the Sovereign Lord – helps the afflicted to bear up under the attacks, and deflects any shame that is intended away from the faithful servant. The assaults that are aimed against the servant’s character and being will have little effect, for as the servant is faithful to the Master, so will the Master be faithful to him.

This describes a true and honorable Master – one who is worthy of the servant’s faithful service. Not all masters who we encounter in this life are this praiseworthy – most are only in it for themselves, and their “servants” are expected to do their bidding without any expectation of appreciation or gain in return. “You owe me your all, but don’t expect anything from me!” Who wants to serve a master like that?

Read Isaiah 50:8-9

“You want to attack me because of my allegiance to my Master? Well bring it on!” So often in the Old Testament, whenever we read of trouble and strife that befalls Israel, the people attribute it to their Almighty God as a punishment brought against them for their sin, and as a sign of his displeasure. Struggle, failure, even illness and infirmity, are all attributed to God as the response of a demanding and overbearing Task Master.

But this Master – this view of God – stands in stark contrast to the conventional wisdom. This is a benevolent and caring Master, this is a loving and supportive Master, this is a Master who is worthy of allegiance. And because of his faithfulness toward the servant, every request and command can be joyfully carried out, regardless of the conflict that may come against the servant.

This passage is written in such a way that it is all too easy to believe that it is only about the prophet. But let’s see it in a new light – one that reflects the faithful servant Jesus.

Consider the “instructed tongue” – in Matthew 4:4, we find Jesus being tempted by Satan, and he tells us that we “live by every word that comes from the mouth of God”. We also read a number of times that Jesus was always teaching the “word of God” – not his own word, but God’s (e.g. Luke 5:1). God has given, and the “Servant” has received.

He opens my eyes, he awakens my ear – how often do we read of Jesus’ taking time away, before the hustle and bustle of the day begins, to be in conversation with the Father, such as in Mark 1:35? Where would he be without the faithful and loving guidance of his Father?

Insults and mocking and attacks on his character – Jesus is subjected to this throughout the gospels, and his followers would be subjected to the same fate in the years to come.

Vindication? Jesus was condemned by the pride and jealousy of humanity, but his ministry and sacrifice was proven and justified by God. The hatred of earth will, one day, vanish in a puff of smoke, and the opposition that has continued against him for 2,000 years and more will wear out and disintegrate.

Disgrace? Shame? Our Lord would be hated and ostracized by the world, but his ministry, his teaching, his life, his sacrifice can never be diminished. Shame and disgrace will, one day, only fall on those who oppose him and who will not obey and follow his way.

On that day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem in the back of that colt, the crowds cheered him as the one who would save them from Roman oppression, and the disciples would finally bask in the warmth of adoration from the masses. But Jesus never heard the acclamation of earth – his life, his heart, his eyes and ears, they were all focused on the love of his Master – his Father – and the will and plan of salvation that had been placed squarely on his shoulders. And he accepted it humbly and graciously.

Jesus would go forward to Calvary, knowing that no matter what the world threw at him – whether doubt, or insults, or hatred, or lies, or deceit, or denial, or all the rest of it – his Father would never allow his purpose to be demeaned or diminished or interrupted by the ignorance of the people he had come to save.

The world could do its worst, and they will continue to do that very thing, but God’s plan and way will not only never be compromised by their hatred, but his best – the salvation that has been won by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ – will continue to be offered to anyone who will believe and accept that faithful servanthood.

Praise the Lord – his goodness will survive beyond the flood of animosity.
Nothing could sway Jesus from his task, because the Father cared for his every wound, and nothing can defeat us, because the Lord God Almighty will take and heal every wound that the world can ever hurl at us.

Praise the Lord for his faithful righteousness. May we be that faithful to him.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

“Nicodemus”

This message was offered as a monologue at an area wide Lenten Worship Service, held at the Tioga Center United Methodist Church.


John 19:38-39

I am one of those men, you know. That was such a horrible day - but now, everything has changed, and life has taken on a whole new meaning for me.

Oh, I should probably introduce myself – my name is Nicodemus, and I, too, am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m also a Pharisee, believe it or not, or at least I was a Pharisee. I expect that they will have some very interesting words for me this week, and I know that they won’t be very kind.

You may be wondering how a man who held such a well-respected and admired position could wind up in a situation like this? So since you asked, if you have a few minutes, I would like to share my testimony of how Jesus changed my life.

It all started one morning, about 2 ½ years ago, when several other Pharisees and I were deep in study and contemplation over the prophecies regarding Messiah. (Isaiah 9:1-7; Daniel 9:24-27; Micah 2:12-13; Malachi 4; etal) During our conversation, someone brought up the issues surrounding the man Jesus – it seems that he had been teaching some pretty far out things – things that ran counter to our law, and people had begun to flock to him. So we decided to start following him to hear this teaching for ourselves and maybe find a way to stop him.

The last we had heard, he was up in the Galilee region, and since I had some relatives living in Tiberius, I knew that we could stay with my cousin Ezra. It took us the better part of two weeks to get there, but as soon as we arrived in Capernaum, we immediately heard that he was still at it. As a matter of fact, we found him at a house near the synagogue, and there was quite a commotion. Apparently, some men couldn’t even get near this Jesus to have him heal a paralyzed friend of theirs, so they lowered him down through the roof! Can you imagine?
Anyway, as we arrived, we heard Jesus tell this man that his sins were forgiven! Of all things! We were speechless! We were incensed! I started to think “What blasphemy! Only the One with the Unspeakable Name can forgive sins.” We all began to spit on the ground – why, even thinking those words was a sin! But somehow, even though none of had spoken a single word, this Jesus came over to us and accused us of having no faith – US, the keepers of the law, had no faith? Who did he think he was?
Then he said “Come with me, and I will show you.” He went to the crippled man and told him to stand up, take his mat, and go home. I thought “Oh, this is going to be good! How is he going to pull this one off?”

But to all of our amazement, he actually did! The man was a bit unsteady at first, but with every step he took, his legs became stronger, a wonderful smile began to stretch across his face, and he even began to dance through the streets!

Well, I have to admit that I was astounded – I had never seen anything like this – NEVER! Who was this man? (Mark 2:1-12)

My companions began grumbling, and headed down to the lake to talk this over, but I was so taken by the experience, I began walking back to Ezra’s house to think. Could this actually be a holy man – one who had been blessed with these abilities?
You can imagine that I didn’t sleep very well that night, or most of the next day – I had to learn more about him. So I decided to go back to Capernaum to see more, but I knew I had to be careful. If my friends saw me, it could mean trouble. So I decided to sneak back at night.

It took me several hours to make the journey, and by the time I got there, it was already very dark. I had an idea as to where he was staying, but wasn’t completely sure, when suddenly, a man appeared right in front of me, scaring me half to death! After I caught my breath, I realized that it was Jesus. I was nearly flabbergasted, but somehow, I managed to blurt out “You’re an incredible teacher Rabbi, and the things that you do must be from a power that none of us can even imagine. Is the Holy One from on High with you?”

Strangely, he never actually answered my question – all he said was “Nicodemus, you have been born of a woman, but you also need to be born of the Spirit. The flesh brings us knowledge, but the Spirit brings Life. You’re highly educated, so you must already know that even you, a Pharisee, must be born again.”

Well, that didn’t make any sense to me, so I asked him “How can anyone be born more than once? It’s impossible to reenter my mother’s womb! Isn’t it?”

We talked for a few more minutes, but the only thing I remember now were the words “The Holy One loves you so much that the Son of the Most High has come to give you life eternal, simply by the faith you show to him.” Then he put his hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eye, nodded his head and smiled the most reassuring smile I had ever seen, and just as suddenly as he had appeared, he vanished and I was alone with my thoughts once again.

“Who is this man?”, I thought. (John 3:1-21)

My thoughts were jumbled, my life was a mess. I started walking toward nowhere in particular, and before I knew it, I was back in Tiberius at Ezra’s house. I started packing – I just couldn’t stay here any longer – I had to get back to Jerusalem.

Everything that I had witnessed in the Galilee haunted me for over two years. His teachings, his healing, his forgiving, and those words that I had to be born a second time. Nothing seemed to make any sense, so I began searching the holy writings for help. Some of it seemed to fit him perfectly, but the beliefs that we had held for centuries … I don’t know.
Then there was the day when my brothers were arguing vehemently against Jesus, saying that only the poor and ignorant were believing in him, and that no one with any intelligence ever could. I tried to stand up to them, but with no success. They just accused me of being one of “his Galilean dogs”. (John 7:45-52)

It wouldn’t be long before we heard that Jesus had come back to the City, just in time for Passover. Talk began to center on catching him in the act and ending this travesty. But I had started to think that maybe it wasn’t false teaching after all! Maybe it was all true. Could it be?

Then a few days later, some men came rushing in to tell us that they had come up with the perfect plan – they had found two guys who would testify that Jesus had blasphemed in the temple, and they had even turned one of Jesus’ disciples – someone named Judas – to help them. It was all set, but I reminded them that this was Passover, and Elohim would not be pleased. It made no difference, though – all was arranged, and all would go forward.

They caught up with him at that olive grove on the other side of the Kidron Valley, and he was dragged before us at the Sanhedrin. We held the mock trial – the witnesses lied just as they had been told to, Jesus was mocked, he was hit several times – it was terrible - I was so ashamed. But there was little that we could to do to him, except to send him to the Roman governor, which we did. He wouldn’t do anything at first, and send him back to us. After this see-saw battle of wills, Pilate finally agreed to question him, and, of course, Jesus was convicted and sentenced to die as one who was an enemy of Caesar. But Jesus had never said a single word against Caesar!
As I stood there in the crowd, hearing the angry words and threats, I could hardly bear it. But as I endured this atrocity, his teachings all started to come back to me –
I remembered his teaching that we never put new wine into an old wineskins, because the seams will burst wide open,
I remembered those words about being born anew and that the Son of the Most High had been sent to us out of love, not out of condemnation,
I remembered his knowing smile and the gentle hand that touched me that night, and
I suddenly understood that he had been telling me to set my old life aside so I could begin a new life in him.

It all began to make sense! How could I have been so blind! But they were starting to lead him off to his execution, and I just couldn’t watch. What should I do now?
I remembered a wealthy man named Joseph who I suspected was also a believer in Jesus, so I went to look him up. When I found him, he had just come from a meeting with Pilate, who had agreed to let him have Jesus’ body to bury. I reminded him that Sabbath was almost upon us, but Joseph just smiled, very much like Jesus had smiled, and said, “Don’t worry – it will be OK”.
I told him that I would find some embalming oils, and would meet him back at Golgotha. I probably bought too much, but so what – after all, it was for Jesus!

Joseph was right – Jesus died within a few short hours, and we buried him without too much fanfare. But what was I going to do now? What good would this “new life” be without Jesus to lead me?

I didn’t get much sleep those next two nights, but this morning, unbelievable news came – some women had gone to the tomb to complete the anointing, and discovered that the tomb was empty, and one of them – I think her name was Mary - even met Jesus in the garden! Face to Face! Living! Talking! Breathing! It was so hard to believe, but there it was – he had said that he would rise from the dead on the third day, and he did!

So I decided this morning that I can no longer be a Pharisee, because I now know the Unspeakable Name that is above all names, that it is Jesus, and I have speak that name to everyone who will listen – I have to tell them about this new life that I now have in him, and that they, too, can have it, simply by believing in his name.

I don’t know what it all means yet, but I know that I will learn, if I only listen to the things he tells me. But I have to go now – I have to begin living this new life – I mean, really living.

Praise the Living Lord,
Praise Jesus the Christ,
Praise Jesus Messiah,
Praise Jesus Risen,
Praise Jesus alive forever,
Praise Jesus, you sinners and know his forgiveness,
Praise his holy name …

“So What Is It All Really Worth?”


Scripture: John 12:1-8

One of the issues that was constantly arising in the disciples’ confusion over Jesus’ teaching, was the difference between the world’s standards that they had always lived under, and the new focus that the Lord was calling them to claim. As an example, his conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, as far as the disciples were concerned, was a social and religious no-no, and yet, Jesus saw it as an opportunity to show love to an ostracized woman. When he forgave the crippled man’s sin, releasing him from his debilitating life, the Jews were appalled at his arrogant words of forgiveness, and yet, this is what God is all about – restoration and healing for our soul.

What would the value of Jesus’ ministry have been, if he had worked solely within the concepts and ideals of earth? The truth is that they would have been meaningless! The worthiness of Jesus’ time among us has little to do with the worldly things that we are used to – it is truly about the gifts of heaven that will not only nourish us spiritually in this life, but more importantly, they will sustain us in the life that is yet to come.

Read John 12:1-3

Each of the gospel writers relate an event that is similar to this one – in each, Jesus is anointed by some unknown woman. In Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9, a woman pours the fragrant oil on the Lord’s head, and Jesus states that it is an anointing for his death. In Luke 7:36-50, the woman pours the oil on his feet and dries them with her hair, much like Mary does in John’s gospel. In this instance, though, it seems to be more of an act of repentance for her sins than a preparation for death, and Jesus pronounces that she is forgiven.
But the interesting point of all 4 accounts is that someone always complains that such an expensive and valuable commodity has been wasted. And additionally in the account found in Luke, a Pharisee proclaims that Jesus can’t be such a great prophet, otherwise he would have known that the woman was a sinner and would never have allowed her to touch him.

Each and every account is about a person who reaches out to Jesus to anoint him because of some amount of understanding as to who he is and what he does for us. This act of anointing is found throughout scripture as an act of preparation for some holy endeavor. The priests would be washed and anointed before assuming their duties in the temple. The dead and dying would be anointed as a sign of surrender of this life and preparation for the next. Even today, we anoint people in our healing services as a sign of seeking God’s intervention in their situation. And those who are venturing out in mission or ministry are anointed as a sign of seeking God’s blessing and guidance in their efforts.

So why did so many people miss the significance of Jesus’ anointing by the hand of these women? First, they were only seeing the monetary value of the oil, and completely missed the worthiness of the act. Second, I suspect that there was also that societal prohibition against women touching men in public that was in play. They just weren’t worthy to do this.

In every case, Value and worth become totally subjective determinations, if we leave Jesus out of the mix.

Read John 12:4-8

Regardless of all that may have been going on in the minds of the opposition, they were placing the earthly value of the product above the divine value of the loving act that was being offered.
So how much are our gifts to God worth? Do we consider the “worth” of our offering and all that our resources can do for us, as more important and vital, than providing them as sacrificial gifts to the Lord? If we have such great expectations for all that we keep, shouldn’t we have even greater hope for all that we give to God?

I know that I’ve told this story before, but here it is again – John D. Rockefeller was once asked in a press conference “How much is enough?” Without even hesitating, he replied “Just a little more.” Even the excessively wealthy never have enough, if they don’t place a Godly perspective on their riches.

Our attitude shouldn’t be “how much can we get and hang onto”, but rather “how much good can come from the amount that I give?” The women in these stories gave all that they could, because they could see the value of the blessing that was being offered, and not just the monetary value of the blessing.

In the instance of our text for today, both of these attitudes are being displayed for us. Mary models the attitude of a faithful disciple who is giving lavishly to the Lord, while Judas models that of a self-centered and self-serving one, who is only concerned for himself.
We are also told that Judas was a thief. In John 10:7-20, Jesus teaches about his being the gate for the sheep of his fold, and addresses the issue of both thieves who try to break in, as well as that of unfaithful and uncaring hired hands. He says that the thief only wants to destroy, while he comes to save. And hired hands receive little better in Jesus’ assessment of their attitudes. At the first sign of difficulty and danger, they turn and run, because they have no stake in caring for the flock.
Judas is being described as a combination of these two “less-than-stellar” individuals. His only desire is to tear down and destroy, because he has never taken up the mission of Jesus in his own life. Judas is only about Judas – Mary is all about Jesus.

Do you think that Mary had “Jesus’ Eyes”? We all would probably say she did, but what does that phrase actually mean? All too many folks think that it means that we should see others in a good light – that no matter who they are or what they have done, that we are to accept them just as they are. And while that is partially true, and does reflect at least part of Jesus’ vision of us, there is one vital part that is missing.
While we are to love others just as they are, we are never to be content in leaving them in that place. Jesus put great value on the woman who was caught in adultery, but it was never his desire to leave her there. (John 8:2-11) The man who was filled with a legion of demons was loved, but the demons who were controlling him were detested. (Luke 8:26-39) This is what it means to “see others through the eyes of Jesus” – that we are to love all people, even while we hate the things that seem to control their lives.

The world would have us believe that we are defined by what we do and think. But the Lord would have us “see” otherwise. We need to separate the “earthly” side of people from the “Image of God” side (Genesis 1:26-27), and to strive to lead them into the Light of Christ – that new life and way and purpose that is founded in the Ways of the Lord God Almighty.

But we all have a difficult time in making that distinction – the determination of what is of value to the Kingdom of God, and what is only a shadow of worth that falls on the things of earth.

Daniel Webster – the great American orator – once loudly proclaimed from the floor of the U.S. Senate– “I have never heard of anything more ridiculous, more absurd than the claim that the nation will profit by the acquisition of California. I contend it is not worth one dollar.”

--Daniel Webster, in an 1848 speech before the United States Senate.

Webster might have erred just a bit in his analysis!

But what is it all really worth? This life? A life in Christ? The honor we show to our Almighty and Redeeming God? Our gifts of praise? The love that we show to our “neighbors”? The actual worthiness of this life is based on the Lord’s determination, not in ours, and whether it makes a lot of sense to us or not, we need to trust in Godly Wisdom, and not that of earth.
Verse 3 tells us that the fragrance of the perfume filled the house. That’s the worthiness of grace – that’s the worthiness of service and love and truth that is offered in the name of Jesus. It fills our life and the lives of all who we come in contact with!

So what is our worth? Our worth comes from our love of Christ, from those things we are doing in his name and way, and from the love of God that we are able to show to the people of earth, regardless of who they are and what they do.

“Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And a second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (>Matthew 22:34-40)

Do this, and we all will be blessed by the fragrance of glory for the rest of our lives!

Sunday, March 6, 2016

"The New is Here!"


Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Last week, we talked about the change that comes to us when we give our lives to Christ. Today, we consider what can come from that change, where that change comes from, and what it can do for each of us.

George Whitefield, an 18th century Anglican priest and close personal friend of the Wesleys wrote: “The renewal of our natures is a work of great importance. It is not to be done in a day. We have not only a new house to build up, but an old one to pull down.”
-George Whitefield.
Whitefield was, of course, speaking of our lives, but the “new house” that he mentions is not just our own rebirth, but a newness in the way we live in Christ’s call on our lives.

Elton Trueblood, a noted 20th century American Quaker author and theologian wrote: “The renewal of the church will be in progress when it is seen as a fellowship of consciously inadequate persons who gather because they are weak, and scatter to serve because their unity with one another and with Christ has made them bold."
-- Elton Trueblood, The Incendiary Fellowship, (Harper and Row, 1967), 31.
Trueblood is proposing that renewal of the Church comes, not when the gifted and powerful get behind the movement, but when the weak and imperfect allow the Spirit to unite them and lead them to glory in the name of Jesus.

And that, I believe, is what Paul is leading up to in our text for today.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

The world is no longer our standard for living. That is the “old house” that Whitefield says needs to be torn down. And what is their standard? What is its basis? It is founded totally in personal ability, personal strength, and personal accomplishment.

Warren Bennis, scholar, author, and leadership consultant wrote:
"Great things are accomplished by talented people who believe they will accomplish them."

But on the other hand, the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu wrote:
“Accomplish but do not boast, accomplish without show, accomplish without arrogance, accomplish without grabbing, accomplish without forcing.”

Two very different world views of the approach that we all should take in striving for a goal. Paul, though, says that it isn’t the effort that we put forth – that neither humbleness nor great skill will ever win the day, but rather, it is the goal of allowing Christ Jesus to work his way in our lives that truly wins. And he even points out that Christ is the source of any accomplishment, of any new thing, of any new goal in our life. It’s about the way we live – no longer for ourselves, but for our crucified and risen Savior.

During Jesus’ ministry, people seemed to see Jesus in a worldly context. The people saw him as a great rabbi who could heal them and feed them, but even with the miracles that he could bring about, he was poor and humble, and could therefore could never be the Messiah – he was just a great teacher. The Pharisees saw him only as a poor, misguided, blasphemous man, and therefore he could never, in a million years, be Messiah – he wasn’t worthy.
But Paul says that not only is Jesus the Messiah, but he is Messiah in an entirely new context. He is no longer to be seen or sought after in a worldly way, but in one that brings newness - not just relief - to our worn out lives. The old ways, the way that people traditionally looked, perceived, understood, and even evaluated faith - that of being good enough, and doing enough good - has to be rejected, and replaced with a new, deeper and more profound trust in God’s ways.

It’s about allowing Christ to make us new – to become that “new creation” in him.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

In Romans 5:10, Paul writes that by Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary, we have been reconciled to the Father, and in that reconciliation, there comes a guarantee of Salvation. The people of that day, as well as those of ours, still want to see the law, or their “good works”, as a pertinent means of deliverance, but Paul would have us know that it can be ours only be faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The problem with the world’s view is that sin is still sin, and the basis for defining sin never has been, and never will be, our prerogative! It is for God to define and for him to deal with, and we have no input or decision in the process. Once a sinner, always a sinner, and no amount of “good works” on our part can ever reverse that fact. The only decision that we have to make is whether we release our sin to Christ, or go on holding tight to our death sentence.

The message of Jesus Christ is that no matter what we do, the broken covenant can never be repaired by us. It is only by the grace of God. Now before you interpret the part that says the ministry of reconciliation has been given to us, as meaning that we can do the deed all on our own, we need to rethink the intent of Paul’s words. Our ministry is not in the reconciling per se, but in leading others to the source of the restoration – Jesus Christ.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

And since there is all of this renewal, all of this reconciliation, all of this ministry that has been offered and conveyed to us, we can no longer trust in the old ways of our “goodness”. The New Way of Jesus Christ has arrived, and will never be recalled. We are the “ambassadors” of the New Way to the people of earth.
Consider, for a moment, the purpose of being named an ambassador. In the political and diplomatic world, an ambassador is a representative of the ruling authority. They are given a certain amount of leeway to make decisions, but only within the purview of the national leadership. As God’s ambassadors, we are authorized to act on behalf of Almighty God, but only within his standards. The values and principles of others can no longer apply to us – it is a new way, as well as a new day, for all who would claim the name Christian.

That last verse has been a stumbling block for folks throughout the life of the Church. How can someone who has no sin become sin for those who are sin? It’s almost a riddle, isn’t it? It is certainly a difficult concept to grasp, but it is also true that we will never understand it if we try to make sense of it by the world’s standard. We have to look at it in, and as, the New Way that Paul is writing about.
Christ took our sin so that he could pay the blood penalty on our behalf – a penalty that we could never resolve on our own - and in return, since the penalty of sin is no longer ours, we can receive the righteousness that is purely an attribute of God – one which we could never gain on our own. Notice that the entire effort involves God and God alone, and is given totally for our benefit and ours alone.

This is the New Way. It makes little sense to the world, and when we accept this new way, there can be no room for the world’s Old. Paul says that “the old has gone, the new has come.” George Whitefield wrote that the “Old House” must be torn down, now that we have a “New House” to live in.

If the new has come into our lives, then the old can no longer have a place with us. That is the Good News of Easter, and the promise of Lent – the change in the Way of Life has finally come for all who will believe, and who will let the work of Christ change the life that is within them. Praise the Lord!