He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations (Psalms 105:8)
God hath remembered; that is, in some sense, what He has promised, the psalmist has experienced.
And what does He remember, not your words, not the popular but pseudo ideal of name it-claim it, blab it-grab it, call it-haul it, but He remembered “His word!” That which He spoke! He spoke it to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob. He did not first speak to David, yet He spoke concerning David, before David was. And He spoke it, inscribed it, preserved it, to reveal it, to David when he arrived.
Yet, He did speak to the psalmist, there at his daddy’s house; concerning His portion of the promise, David’s place: the throne of Israel. Just so he could experience God for himself, and partake in the promise. so he could say, “He hath remembered!”
And I have found it necessary in my own life to be careful what I promise to my children, for they will call to my remembrance that which I may have said perhaps casually and passively. However, God never speaks in vain; He never says anything as a matter of momentary appeasement.
And what He says to you is both personal and impersonal. Yes what He says is about you, yet it is at the same time about every one of those who are His. What He says to you in a personable way is yet so universal as the speak to a thousand generations.
Isn’t that something, God’s plan for you is bigger than you, than your immediate family, than your extended family, than your offspring to the third and forth generation; in fact He is bigger than the beginning and the ending. He controls all the events of history. And this is the kind of God you need if He is to remember His covenant to you: general enough to be particular, particular enough to be general.
There are those persons: mom, dad, sister, brother, and even dear friends who have made promises with the greatest intention and determination to fulfill every word, only to be thwarted by a bed of affliction or hindered by a meeting with death. They promised without their own finitude, limitations, and contingencies in view, blind to life’s fading tomorrow and forgetful of the emergencies of yesterday.
Yet in your every right-now moment God is presently in the bitterness of your long nights and in the sweetness of your bright mornings. There is no obstruction to His view of tomorrow; there are not any emergencies to interrupt His course, nothing to break His promise. When you arrive at your long awaited place of resolve, in retrospect, you will realize that He has not forgotten what He said concerning you.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
And His Name Shall Be Called
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
A governor is known by His people’s characterization of him:“a name.” This name is not a formal name, but and nickname of sorts.
And every man is looking for a man, a man he can believe in, a man he can trust. He wants a leader that is consistent and a guide that is sure. He wants an idealist that is a realist; he wants a realist that is an idealist. He wants a man that can and will provide, protect, and preserve. He wants a man that he can name: miracle worker, teacher, comforter, divine and eternal.
And what man has not failed the test? What man’s strength has not waned? What man's threads have not worn thin and revealed the vileness of his nakedness and imperfection? What man’s vices have not competed with his virtues?
There have been other leaders: the Pharaohs have come and gone. The Caesars have come and gone. Alexander the Great, Xerxes, Napoleon, Winston Churchill, all have been leaders which stood head and shoulders above other men. Yet their powers, philosophies and plans have fallen short.
But here is a man that does not will to power; He is power. He does not seek to be virtuous; He is virtue. He does not desire to be King; He is King. He can’t be exalted; He is exaltation. And since He cannot go up, He comes down: down the mountain of His divinity, down into the valley of humanity, down through forty-two generations, down into a lowly manger, born as a child, given as a Son.
And what is His political strategy? Winsomely, He awes us; with clarity, He instructs us; with tenderness, He comforts us; with power, He subjects us; with efficacy, He immortalizes us. He’s a governor, perfectly divine enough to become perfectly human. He‘s a man that is lofty enough to condemn, but lowly enough to console.
So what does His people say of Him? They have been awed by Him standing on the deck of a boat and taming the storm; so they say He’s wonderful. They have been instructed by Him going up into a high mountain and revealing the path of blessedness; so they say He’s a counselor. They have been comforted by Him telling of their place in His Father’s house; so they say He’s the prince of peace. They have become worshippers by Him showing His nail-scarred hands and pierced side; so they say He’s the mighty God. They have been assured immortality by His resurrection from the grave; so they say He’s the everlasting father.
A governor is known by His people’s characterization of him:“a name.” This name is not a formal name, but and nickname of sorts.
And every man is looking for a man, a man he can believe in, a man he can trust. He wants a leader that is consistent and a guide that is sure. He wants an idealist that is a realist; he wants a realist that is an idealist. He wants a man that can and will provide, protect, and preserve. He wants a man that he can name: miracle worker, teacher, comforter, divine and eternal.
And what man has not failed the test? What man’s strength has not waned? What man's threads have not worn thin and revealed the vileness of his nakedness and imperfection? What man’s vices have not competed with his virtues?
There have been other leaders: the Pharaohs have come and gone. The Caesars have come and gone. Alexander the Great, Xerxes, Napoleon, Winston Churchill, all have been leaders which stood head and shoulders above other men. Yet their powers, philosophies and plans have fallen short.
But here is a man that does not will to power; He is power. He does not seek to be virtuous; He is virtue. He does not desire to be King; He is King. He can’t be exalted; He is exaltation. And since He cannot go up, He comes down: down the mountain of His divinity, down into the valley of humanity, down through forty-two generations, down into a lowly manger, born as a child, given as a Son.
And what is His political strategy? Winsomely, He awes us; with clarity, He instructs us; with tenderness, He comforts us; with power, He subjects us; with efficacy, He immortalizes us. He’s a governor, perfectly divine enough to become perfectly human. He‘s a man that is lofty enough to condemn, but lowly enough to console.
So what does His people say of Him? They have been awed by Him standing on the deck of a boat and taming the storm; so they say He’s wonderful. They have been instructed by Him going up into a high mountain and revealing the path of blessedness; so they say He’s a counselor. They have been comforted by Him telling of their place in His Father’s house; so they say He’s the prince of peace. They have become worshippers by Him showing His nail-scarred hands and pierced side; so they say He’s the mighty God. They have been assured immortality by His resurrection from the grave; so they say He’s the everlasting father.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Instruct Me In The Night Seasons
Psa 16:7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
What a wholesome resolve. Not only passionate but intellectual – “I will,” yet not only intellectual but passionate – “my reins.” And there is no other way to please God then to remain passionately tied to the word of God in the dark times. Yet this is often when Christians make excuses by appealing to the frailty of our humanity, and are emotionally turned to self-preservation rather than divine dependency.
The wise counsel of God is not as much for day as it is for the night seasons. What need is there to turn to other alternatives in the blissful season? What new source of light is sought in the brightness of day? Temptation dwells in the night, in the uncertainty of the wilderness experience, and in the presence of pain without apparent remedy.
Night seasons are unpredictable and they call for unpredictable behavior. And there is for the believer light in darkness, joy in sorrow, and assurance in uncertainty. Is not counsel given by God, a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path? The word of God instructs us when the day becomes dusk and dusk becomes dark. When what to do is no longer evident and obvious, when everything one thought would help is exhausted, and when all other advisors are at an impasse, what one knows of God remains reliable, stable and sure.
One may have at points blessed his own wisdom. One may have at points blessed his own ingenuity. One may have at points blessed his good friends. All of these bear some level of appropriateness. However, in the night seasons it is time to bless the Lord and Him alone.
The night seasons are not times to turn to the right or left. The night seasons are not times to doubt what God has said. The night seasons are not times to conclude that it’s more than you can bear. The night seasons are not times to conclude that God has forsaken you. The night seasons are not times to fall into fleshly consolations.
In the night seasons, one may have to know like Abraham that the Lord will provide a sacrifice in the place of your son. In the night seasons, one may have to say like the three Hebrew children, “If the Lord will not deliver me from the fire, I still won’t bow.” In the night seasons one may have to do like David after the death of a child, “arise from the earth, and wash, and anoint himself, and change his apparel, and come into the house of the LORD, and worship.” In the night seasons one must be informed by God’s counsel and driven by an unwavering attachment to the same.
What a wholesome resolve. Not only passionate but intellectual – “I will,” yet not only intellectual but passionate – “my reins.” And there is no other way to please God then to remain passionately tied to the word of God in the dark times. Yet this is often when Christians make excuses by appealing to the frailty of our humanity, and are emotionally turned to self-preservation rather than divine dependency.
The wise counsel of God is not as much for day as it is for the night seasons. What need is there to turn to other alternatives in the blissful season? What new source of light is sought in the brightness of day? Temptation dwells in the night, in the uncertainty of the wilderness experience, and in the presence of pain without apparent remedy.
Night seasons are unpredictable and they call for unpredictable behavior. And there is for the believer light in darkness, joy in sorrow, and assurance in uncertainty. Is not counsel given by God, a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path? The word of God instructs us when the day becomes dusk and dusk becomes dark. When what to do is no longer evident and obvious, when everything one thought would help is exhausted, and when all other advisors are at an impasse, what one knows of God remains reliable, stable and sure.
One may have at points blessed his own wisdom. One may have at points blessed his own ingenuity. One may have at points blessed his good friends. All of these bear some level of appropriateness. However, in the night seasons it is time to bless the Lord and Him alone.
The night seasons are not times to turn to the right or left. The night seasons are not times to doubt what God has said. The night seasons are not times to conclude that it’s more than you can bear. The night seasons are not times to conclude that God has forsaken you. The night seasons are not times to fall into fleshly consolations.
In the night seasons, one may have to know like Abraham that the Lord will provide a sacrifice in the place of your son. In the night seasons, one may have to say like the three Hebrew children, “If the Lord will not deliver me from the fire, I still won’t bow.” In the night seasons one may have to do like David after the death of a child, “arise from the earth, and wash, and anoint himself, and change his apparel, and come into the house of the LORD, and worship.” In the night seasons one must be informed by God’s counsel and driven by an unwavering attachment to the same.
Monday, November 17, 2008
He Put His Hands Again Upon His Eyes
After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. Mark 8:25
A blind man, subject to the sight of others, dependent on their interpretation and explanation of the world; he can provide no leadership or guidance to others, for he has no visual discernment, and perception. Jesus rhetorically asked, “Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?”
This is not the only blind man healed by Jesus. John accounts another episode of blindness in the ninth chapter of his gospel. All cases of blindness indicate a lack of divine wisdom, yet there is dissimilarity in the two accounts. John broadly conveys the “characteristics” of blindness and sight, while Mark narrowly focuses on the “progressive nature” of a man coming to see. The former posits that “seeing-men” are opposed by “blind-men”; the latter teaches that “seeing-men” do not look to “blind-men” any longer.
Mark’s telltale term is that he saw men as “trees” walking. If one understands that the word “trees” is loaded with meaning and symbol, one then understands that this man, like Eve, “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise.” Yet there is a reversal: In the Garden all the trees were good for food except one; now only one tree (Christ) is good for food.
There are other subsequent touches by Christ which are just cloaked in different paradigms. One man cried out, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief”, in which the distinction is made between general faith in Christ and faith for a specific situation. After first raising Lazarus from the grave, Jesus says, “Loose him, and let him go,” demonstrating that one raised from the dead still needs to be freed from a dead man’s mentality through the body of Christ.
The miracle of the two touches is fleshed out later in this same chapter. Peter says, “Thou art the Christ Son of the living God!” He had the first touch and yet he needed a second touch. WHY! Because in attempting to rebuke Jesus only moments later, Jesus clearly stated, that Peter had in mind “not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.”
The point of the two touches is that the same Jesus who justifies also sanctifies. So it is that every Christian needs a second touch. How often it is that sinners are converted, yet they come to the church with the belief that the church operates by the same premises as the world; it is not that Christ has not touched them; it is that they need to be touched again. Or what of that person who believes that after coming to Christ his problems are all over; it is not that Christ has not touched him; it is that he needs to be touched again. Or what of that person who thinks that the church is supposed to be perfect; it is not that Christ has not touched him; it is that he needs to be touched again. Paul aptly stated,”if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.” Where one sees men as trees walking, he is indeed in need of another touch for discernment, for clarity, for truth, and yes indeed, to see “every man clearly.”
A blind man, subject to the sight of others, dependent on their interpretation and explanation of the world; he can provide no leadership or guidance to others, for he has no visual discernment, and perception. Jesus rhetorically asked, “Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?”
This is not the only blind man healed by Jesus. John accounts another episode of blindness in the ninth chapter of his gospel. All cases of blindness indicate a lack of divine wisdom, yet there is dissimilarity in the two accounts. John broadly conveys the “characteristics” of blindness and sight, while Mark narrowly focuses on the “progressive nature” of a man coming to see. The former posits that “seeing-men” are opposed by “blind-men”; the latter teaches that “seeing-men” do not look to “blind-men” any longer.
Mark’s telltale term is that he saw men as “trees” walking. If one understands that the word “trees” is loaded with meaning and symbol, one then understands that this man, like Eve, “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise.” Yet there is a reversal: In the Garden all the trees were good for food except one; now only one tree (Christ) is good for food.
There are other subsequent touches by Christ which are just cloaked in different paradigms. One man cried out, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief”, in which the distinction is made between general faith in Christ and faith for a specific situation. After first raising Lazarus from the grave, Jesus says, “Loose him, and let him go,” demonstrating that one raised from the dead still needs to be freed from a dead man’s mentality through the body of Christ.
The miracle of the two touches is fleshed out later in this same chapter. Peter says, “Thou art the Christ Son of the living God!” He had the first touch and yet he needed a second touch. WHY! Because in attempting to rebuke Jesus only moments later, Jesus clearly stated, that Peter had in mind “not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.”
The point of the two touches is that the same Jesus who justifies also sanctifies. So it is that every Christian needs a second touch. How often it is that sinners are converted, yet they come to the church with the belief that the church operates by the same premises as the world; it is not that Christ has not touched them; it is that they need to be touched again. Or what of that person who believes that after coming to Christ his problems are all over; it is not that Christ has not touched him; it is that he needs to be touched again. Or what of that person who thinks that the church is supposed to be perfect; it is not that Christ has not touched him; it is that he needs to be touched again. Paul aptly stated,”if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.” Where one sees men as trees walking, he is indeed in need of another touch for discernment, for clarity, for truth, and yes indeed, to see “every man clearly.”
Friday, November 7, 2008
I Was Blind, Now I See
He answered and said, whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see (John 9:25)
What an undesirable condition, to be blind. We may attempt to minimize this condition by touting the by-product of heightened awareness in the other senses; however, there is no virtue to blindness, but only social dependence, constant darkness, and visual depravity. We have assumed that one cannot miss what he never had; however, even this born-blind man wanted to see.
Yes, this man was born blind and wanted sight, but what of us who have sight but seem to prefer blindness? Can you imagine having sight but acting as though you are blind: asking people to lead you around, walking and tapping a stick on the ground, utilizing a seeing-eye dog? Can you imagine not responding to that which is obvious, bumping into walls that are apparent, stumbling over things in the floor that are in plain view?
This man was born blind by no fault of his own, nor the fault of his parents, yet his blindness comes through his parents as a result of the Adamic rebellion. However, for us who have already come in contact with Christ, our blindness is not a matter of malfunctioning faculties, but of covering our eyes with fleshly obstruction. It is an issue of doubt, obstinacy, and refusal to consist with a clear view of the Savior.
Yet it is human tendency to love darkness rather than light. To thoughtlessly be led around by others: choosing the non-contentious ease of worldly conformity, giving in to the persistence of peer pressure, or the fuzzy warmth of compromise. Perhaps believing the personal accountability that the virtue of sight ultimately requires can be avoided. Sight ushers one into unquestionable realities, undeniable responsibilities, and unavoidable worldly resistance to the wonderful truths of God.
How often it is that the eyes of parishioners are opened by sermons and bible studies and that the truth of God is communicated with incontrovertible clarity? The faithfulness due our savior amid His enemies is plain. The righteous answers to those who oppose our Christ are made obvious.
We have received sight but continue to trip and stumble as though we cannot see. We have been healed by the master and yet persist in denying the realities, shucking the responsibilities, and fearing the worldly resistance that our faith fosters.
What an undesirable condition, to be blind. We may attempt to minimize this condition by touting the by-product of heightened awareness in the other senses; however, there is no virtue to blindness, but only social dependence, constant darkness, and visual depravity. We have assumed that one cannot miss what he never had; however, even this born-blind man wanted to see.
Yes, this man was born blind and wanted sight, but what of us who have sight but seem to prefer blindness? Can you imagine having sight but acting as though you are blind: asking people to lead you around, walking and tapping a stick on the ground, utilizing a seeing-eye dog? Can you imagine not responding to that which is obvious, bumping into walls that are apparent, stumbling over things in the floor that are in plain view?
This man was born blind by no fault of his own, nor the fault of his parents, yet his blindness comes through his parents as a result of the Adamic rebellion. However, for us who have already come in contact with Christ, our blindness is not a matter of malfunctioning faculties, but of covering our eyes with fleshly obstruction. It is an issue of doubt, obstinacy, and refusal to consist with a clear view of the Savior.
Yet it is human tendency to love darkness rather than light. To thoughtlessly be led around by others: choosing the non-contentious ease of worldly conformity, giving in to the persistence of peer pressure, or the fuzzy warmth of compromise. Perhaps believing the personal accountability that the virtue of sight ultimately requires can be avoided. Sight ushers one into unquestionable realities, undeniable responsibilities, and unavoidable worldly resistance to the wonderful truths of God.
How often it is that the eyes of parishioners are opened by sermons and bible studies and that the truth of God is communicated with incontrovertible clarity? The faithfulness due our savior amid His enemies is plain. The righteous answers to those who oppose our Christ are made obvious.
We have received sight but continue to trip and stumble as though we cannot see. We have been healed by the master and yet persist in denying the realities, shucking the responsibilities, and fearing the worldly resistance that our faith fosters.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
When Jesus had Ended These Sayings
And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: (Mat 7:28)
How does one respond when Jesus is finished speaking? Does one relegate his words to a place of optional suggestions? Does one regard his speech as we regard so many others: hear but don't hear, into one ear and out the other? Or are His words properly regarded as the only foundation on which a worthwhile life may be build?
A man tends to live in a house that is comparable to his career - to his life's work. A house says something about a man; its size, its location, its composition, its content, all of this speaks volumes about the man who calls this place his abode. Yet what good is it if a man builds his house out of the most expensive wood, gold, silver, and precious stone; however, all his time, efforts, and expense is placed upon an untrustworthy foundation.
Befittingly so, Jesus ends the last three chapters which comprise the Sermon on the Mount with a warning encapsulated in a parable of two men, two houses, and two foundations. No doubt, the wise man looked at the foolish man and wondered how he could finish so quickly; the foolish man looked at the wise man and wondered what was taking him so long. Wisdom informed the former, while foolishness left the latter ill-informed, ill-equipped, and ill-prepared. It seems that the wise man understood the inevitability of the storm; and that the place wherein he would live was worthy of some diligent response to that consideration.
I've heard a popular song rooted in word-faith theology saying, "I told the storm to pass; storm you can't last." The failure in this thinking is that it is God that sent the storm. The storm will pass; because, every storm passes anyway. The challenge is what the storm does while passing, thus the issue is preparation. So the important thing is not speaking to the storm, but speaking to yourself about what Jesus said before the storm comes.
The fact is that there are only two choices in life; one is to live according to the words of Christ and the other is not to live according to the words of Christ. The former is a life that is built sturdy, stable, and strong; the other is a life that is weak, wavering, and destined to certainly come crashing in on its resident when he is most dependant on it to stand. What a lesson! As the storm came to both houses, judgment is certain. Thus the great issue of any person's life is preparation. And adherence to Jesus' words are the only proper preparation for the coming judgment.
How does one respond when Jesus is finished speaking? Does one relegate his words to a place of optional suggestions? Does one regard his speech as we regard so many others: hear but don't hear, into one ear and out the other? Or are His words properly regarded as the only foundation on which a worthwhile life may be build?
A man tends to live in a house that is comparable to his career - to his life's work. A house says something about a man; its size, its location, its composition, its content, all of this speaks volumes about the man who calls this place his abode. Yet what good is it if a man builds his house out of the most expensive wood, gold, silver, and precious stone; however, all his time, efforts, and expense is placed upon an untrustworthy foundation.
Befittingly so, Jesus ends the last three chapters which comprise the Sermon on the Mount with a warning encapsulated in a parable of two men, two houses, and two foundations. No doubt, the wise man looked at the foolish man and wondered how he could finish so quickly; the foolish man looked at the wise man and wondered what was taking him so long. Wisdom informed the former, while foolishness left the latter ill-informed, ill-equipped, and ill-prepared. It seems that the wise man understood the inevitability of the storm; and that the place wherein he would live was worthy of some diligent response to that consideration.
I've heard a popular song rooted in word-faith theology saying, "I told the storm to pass; storm you can't last." The failure in this thinking is that it is God that sent the storm. The storm will pass; because, every storm passes anyway. The challenge is what the storm does while passing, thus the issue is preparation. So the important thing is not speaking to the storm, but speaking to yourself about what Jesus said before the storm comes.
The fact is that there are only two choices in life; one is to live according to the words of Christ and the other is not to live according to the words of Christ. The former is a life that is built sturdy, stable, and strong; the other is a life that is weak, wavering, and destined to certainly come crashing in on its resident when he is most dependant on it to stand. What a lesson! As the storm came to both houses, judgment is certain. Thus the great issue of any person's life is preparation. And adherence to Jesus' words are the only proper preparation for the coming judgment.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
The Two Voices that Crucified Christ
Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required (Luke 23:20-24)
Here Pilate’s humanity is caught in the vortex of Divine will. When we arrive at this scene, make no mistake about it, Christ must die!
The choice that appears is not there. Yes we will acquiesce that our sin demands Jesus’ death, and yet fail to see that our righteousness is just as demanding.
Jesus’ death is not at Pilate’s will. Jesus’ death is not at the people’s will. He stated it, "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down."
Pilate must have wondered that day “How did this man end up in my court?” He talked to his wife; she tried to help. And maybe his hand washing was an attempt to apply her advice. However, Pilate is a Politician. The root of the word “politics” is “pole.” The politician hopes that he can make all the people happy. If this is impossible, then the majority rules. Rarely is a politician a leader and rarely is a leader a politician. People like politicians; they don’t like leaders.
Pilate believed in and advocated for Jesus’ innocence. Then as a last resort he attempted to mediate a compromise. Yet neither would avail; because, Jesus is not dying because He is guilty, but because He is innocent; Jesus is not dying because the crowd is angry, but because they are sinful; Jesus is not dying because of man's will but because of God's will. And what can change God’s will: a declaration, a vote, a compromise?
Pilate selfishly served Caesar. Pilate selfishly served the people? Likewise Pilate believed he could selfishly serve Christ. However, one can never do God’s will without great cost to himself. A man must back up on his own life, put it down, lose his life, deny himself, forsake it.
The only proper answer for any man at the crucifixion is to die with Jesus. Die to one’s old agenda… Die to one’s prestige and popularity… Die to the crowd’s acceptance… Die to positions of power… Die to the prosperity of this world…
On that day there were two voices calling for Jesus’ death, both God and the crowd. Which voice will you hear concerning His death? If you hear the crowd you will try to save Jesus, but if you hear God, you will desire to die with Jesus.
Here Pilate’s humanity is caught in the vortex of Divine will. When we arrive at this scene, make no mistake about it, Christ must die!
The choice that appears is not there. Yes we will acquiesce that our sin demands Jesus’ death, and yet fail to see that our righteousness is just as demanding.
Jesus’ death is not at Pilate’s will. Jesus’ death is not at the people’s will. He stated it, "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down."
Pilate must have wondered that day “How did this man end up in my court?” He talked to his wife; she tried to help. And maybe his hand washing was an attempt to apply her advice. However, Pilate is a Politician. The root of the word “politics” is “pole.” The politician hopes that he can make all the people happy. If this is impossible, then the majority rules. Rarely is a politician a leader and rarely is a leader a politician. People like politicians; they don’t like leaders.
Pilate believed in and advocated for Jesus’ innocence. Then as a last resort he attempted to mediate a compromise. Yet neither would avail; because, Jesus is not dying because He is guilty, but because He is innocent; Jesus is not dying because the crowd is angry, but because they are sinful; Jesus is not dying because of man's will but because of God's will. And what can change God’s will: a declaration, a vote, a compromise?
Pilate selfishly served Caesar. Pilate selfishly served the people? Likewise Pilate believed he could selfishly serve Christ. However, one can never do God’s will without great cost to himself. A man must back up on his own life, put it down, lose his life, deny himself, forsake it.
The only proper answer for any man at the crucifixion is to die with Jesus. Die to one’s old agenda… Die to one’s prestige and popularity… Die to the crowd’s acceptance… Die to positions of power… Die to the prosperity of this world…
On that day there were two voices calling for Jesus’ death, both God and the crowd. Which voice will you hear concerning His death? If you hear the crowd you will try to save Jesus, but if you hear God, you will desire to die with Jesus.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
That Which is Born of the Spirit is Spirit
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:6
Although Luke makes it clear that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, one can’t help but notice that his coming is rather pretentious; there is some superficial sense of daylight in his own mind, reverently raving of Jesus as a teacher, yet irreverently considering himself as Jesus’ colleague.
He approaches the master as an emissary, speaking not only for himself, but on behalf of a committee who has made observation and consideration of this strange itinerate rabbi from the country side. Nicodemus stated what he could not know: “We know that thou art a teacher come from God.” Yet in the presence of Christ all his nobility, wisdom and status is brought to naught. Nicodemus’ plan of qualifying and inducting Jesus into the elite Pharisaical club results in the reduction of his own pompous suitability to an unqualified leader and an ill-equipped teacher.
Nicodemus had been taught all his life that we, the Jews, are it and they, the gentiles, are not. He believed that being in the physical lineage of Abraham was innate spirituality, inborn status and instant salvation. Jesus wrecked his world by telling him, Nicodemus the old birth will not do; there must be a new one, not of earth, but of heaven, not of men, but of God, not of the first Adam but of the second Adam, not of the old creation but of a new creation.
And there is that human tendency to postulate that God’s agenda does not differ from our own, that God finds a high degree of pleasure in the person that we are, and that our associations are good and godly. Few do not regard their lineage, ethnicity, and/or societal status as having some innate degree of virtue. Yet these things are inconsequential before God. One must possess something altogether differently than has been supply by the natural birth. This requires a new birth, sonship to a new father, kinship into a new family, and citizenship in a new nation.
Although Luke makes it clear that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, one can’t help but notice that his coming is rather pretentious; there is some superficial sense of daylight in his own mind, reverently raving of Jesus as a teacher, yet irreverently considering himself as Jesus’ colleague.
He approaches the master as an emissary, speaking not only for himself, but on behalf of a committee who has made observation and consideration of this strange itinerate rabbi from the country side. Nicodemus stated what he could not know: “We know that thou art a teacher come from God.” Yet in the presence of Christ all his nobility, wisdom and status is brought to naught. Nicodemus’ plan of qualifying and inducting Jesus into the elite Pharisaical club results in the reduction of his own pompous suitability to an unqualified leader and an ill-equipped teacher.
Nicodemus had been taught all his life that we, the Jews, are it and they, the gentiles, are not. He believed that being in the physical lineage of Abraham was innate spirituality, inborn status and instant salvation. Jesus wrecked his world by telling him, Nicodemus the old birth will not do; there must be a new one, not of earth, but of heaven, not of men, but of God, not of the first Adam but of the second Adam, not of the old creation but of a new creation.
And there is that human tendency to postulate that God’s agenda does not differ from our own, that God finds a high degree of pleasure in the person that we are, and that our associations are good and godly. Few do not regard their lineage, ethnicity, and/or societal status as having some innate degree of virtue. Yet these things are inconsequential before God. One must possess something altogether differently than has been supply by the natural birth. This requires a new birth, sonship to a new father, kinship into a new family, and citizenship in a new nation.
Monday, October 6, 2008
A Safe Position in a Dangerous Time
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (Hab 3:17-18)
Habakkuk lived in a time of cultural corruption and degradation from the leadership to the laity. The economy was unstable and the future was bleak.
He prayed, asking God for deliverance. God paradoxically promises spiritual deliverance through physical bondage to Babylon. Therein is how God deals with his people; if you desire to be like them, then I will hand you over to them.
Yet in the mist of this certain decline and fall of the nation, Habakkuk has found for himself a safe position: a place of joy. That joy is found in the salvation that God has provided. Not a salvation, according to a man’s dictates and desires, not a salvation that could or would be contrived by men, not a salvation that would be accepted as such by the carnal heart, but a salvation that can only be embraced by one who loves, submits, and relies on God.
Can you trust God when your humanity is screaming in fear and dread? Can you trust God when He informs you of certain degradation and devastation and tells you to be silent? Can you trust God when the answer to your prayers seems to take things in the same downward direction? Will you believe that the nation’s economy is not your economy? Will you believe that God can find a needle in a haystack and their suffering is not your suffering? Will you believe that danger for others is deliverance for you?
Habakkuk lived in a time of cultural corruption and degradation from the leadership to the laity. The economy was unstable and the future was bleak.
He prayed, asking God for deliverance. God paradoxically promises spiritual deliverance through physical bondage to Babylon. Therein is how God deals with his people; if you desire to be like them, then I will hand you over to them.
Yet in the mist of this certain decline and fall of the nation, Habakkuk has found for himself a safe position: a place of joy. That joy is found in the salvation that God has provided. Not a salvation, according to a man’s dictates and desires, not a salvation that could or would be contrived by men, not a salvation that would be accepted as such by the carnal heart, but a salvation that can only be embraced by one who loves, submits, and relies on God.
Can you trust God when your humanity is screaming in fear and dread? Can you trust God when He informs you of certain degradation and devastation and tells you to be silent? Can you trust God when the answer to your prayers seems to take things in the same downward direction? Will you believe that the nation’s economy is not your economy? Will you believe that God can find a needle in a haystack and their suffering is not your suffering? Will you believe that danger for others is deliverance for you?
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