Breathtaking!
For God so loved us that he came to our world as a child. I slipped into the hospital room quietly. I didn’t want to wake my friend, Tubby, if he was sleeping. He was in the latter stages of cancer. Tubby had lived a rich and full life, living all over the world with his precious wife, Versie. As I entered, he greeted me with a smile. I slipped out of my jacket and into a comfortable chair, then scooted it closer to his bedside. After some small talk, I asked Tubby to tell me about some of the exotic places they had lived. Working for an oil company, they took a lot of the more difficult or distant locations because they never had children. Well, you know, Phil, we’ve lived in a lot of very unique and beautiful places, but after three months of living there, it was simply home. One place we lived in Africa was incredibly beautiful, breathtaking even. The back of our house looked out over the lush jungle with Mount Kilimanjaro rising in the background. But we forgot how beautiful it was until someone would visit and remind us of how breathtaking the world was just outside our back door! Tubby was right, wasn’t he? We grow overly familiar with breathtaking things. Until we reawaken to them through the eyes of someone else, we forget how incredible they are. We can also do this with the story of Jesus. Recently, I began reading through Matthew one chapter at a time. After reading the first two chapters, I felt as if the Holy Spirit thumped me on my noggin to reawaken my heart to the breathtaking reality of God coming to earth in Jesus. Matthew tells us that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), the son of David, the son of Abraham, the Son of God, the one who took away the sin of his people, and Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:1, 16-18, 21, 23). Matthew tells us about Jesus’ divine identity as the long-awaited coming of the Jewish Messiah and Savior. We sing songs of praise about Jesus’ greatness. Proper confession of Jesus’ identity is central to the faith necessary for salvation. But does Jesus stir our hearts and take our breath away? While recognizing Jesus’ divine identity is important, the breathtaking reality for me comes in the second chapter of Matthew’s gospel. After Matthew reminds us that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) and King of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-4), he drove home the breathtaking reality of Jesus’ vulnerability as Immanuel with one word: “child”! Matthew repeated this simple word for “child” (pais, paidi’on) nine times (Matthew 2:8, 9, 10, 13 [2x], 14, 16, 20 [2x]). The Messiah, the Son of God, Immanuel God incarnate, came to us as a child. Such truth should capture our hearts. The word Matthew chose was a simple word for “child” – not a word of privilege or importance, “just a child.” Of course, there is no such thing as “just a child”! In the eyes of God, who personally created each of us in the womb, we are unique and precious. From conception, God had a plan and purpose for our lives even before our mothers recognized us as a flutter in her womb (Psalm 139:13-16). In Jesus’ day, however, children were not counted among the men at the feeding of the 5,000 or the 4,000 (Matthew 14:21, 15:38). Their testimony and questions were not considered important (Matthew 11:16-17). Jesus rebuked his disciples for forbidding people to bring their children to him to be blessed (Matthew 19:13). In Greek society, a child was not considered a legitimate son or daughter unless they were wanted and named after they were born. Otherwise, they were “exposed” – left to die at the garbage dump or some wild place. The reality of being “just a child” in the ancient world, the world of Jesus, was harsh and fraught with vulnerabilities. Yet God chose to enter our world as such a child! The safety of the Messiah, the Son of God, depended upon a man who adopted Jesus as his son and a handful of stargazers from the East, doing what Israel’s God told them to do. Why? Because Jesus, God with us, came to us as a child in a dangerous world. Breathtaking. For God so loved us that he came into our world as a child. All those titles for Jesus lead us to Immanuel, God with us, the child! For me, there are at least three powerful truths I must carry with me from reawakening to the breathtaking reality that almighty God came to us as a child: Each child is precious because we don’t know God’s plans for him or her (Psalm 139:13-16). No one knew who was in the “baby bump” of Mary except God, and what inkling of the impossible they had in the hearts of Mary and Joseph. We must view each child as a person of value to God. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). “And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18:5). Our goal as Jesus’ disciples must not be to be recognized as powerful and important, but to be humble and serve others with our lives as our Lord did: At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1-4). The Creator of all we know in this vast universe (Colossians 1:15-20), gave up all his status, protection, and power (Philippians
Our Safety Net
Jesus calls us to the future, not to fear. How are you doing on your walk through life? Hopefully you are walking tall and strong! However, if you are like many of us, it’s a daily struggle to keep our eyes focused on the Lord and not on the problems, fears, and struggles that Satan throws at us. A friend, Vicki, wrote these words describing her personal struggle – she compared it to Peter and his attempt to walk on the water to come to Jesus. It made me think of the tightrope I feel myself to be on at the moment. I started out on my middle-age business venture with some trepidation, but lots of hope and faith.Now that I’m 2/3 across the rope, instead of focusing on the platform of safety just ahead of me, all of a sudden, just as Peter did, I see my surroundings. I falter long enough to look down and realize, “I’m 20 feet up in the air with no safety net. The people look like ants. My legs are tired and trembling. My eyes are clouded with tears and sweat. What was I thinking?!”I lost sight of the arms of Jesus waiting for me and the safety net of His love and mercy and grace. James reminded us that we need to admit our dependence on the Lord and his ability to rescue us. James says, “When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.” (James 4:10 NLT) We have been taught by our culture that we must be self-reliant, tough, able to handle any situation that comes our way, and able to find the power to succeed within ourselves. I do believe that God expects us to plan and to try to do our best, but nowhere in the Scriptures do we find God demanding that we be self-reliant. Just the opposite is true! God wants us and expects us to call upon him! We are to call upon him when we plan. We are to call upon him as we walk down the path of our plan. We are to call upon him with faith so that he can pick us up and guide our feet as we walk our path and as we put our faith in him! He is our safety net, our Savior, and our source of strength. About the author: Russ Lawson is a former missionary to Africa and minister in Ohio. He now works with World Christian Literature Outreach and writes a weekly email devotional, Messages from the Heart. For more information about Russ, click here.
Life Happens!
No one is exempt from life’s challenges. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogantwhen I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(Psalm 73:2-3) Life happens. Really? Life happens? What does that really mean? Life. Happens. Over the years I have witnessed one crisis after another. With crisis comes devastation. Losses of every kind. Brutality. Hatred. Illnesses. Financial turmoil. Marriages that fail. Shootings. Riots. Pain. And, war. Life happens in every nook and cranny of our existence. No one is exempt from life’s challenges. Many ask: Does God care? Is he aware of the horrific happenings in our lives? Does he not hear our cries for help? Will God not provide comfort? Solutions? Help? Grace? We find it tougher to hang on by the second. The strength it takes to grip our rope of hope is beginning to take its toll. The fatigue feels overwhelming. Weariness has set in for the time being. Emptiness has taken its place in the mind. Loneliness is burdensome. Eyes fill with tears. Anger takes the stage. Guilt pulls into the station. Our souls long for calm in our turbulent storms. Conflicts beat their continual rhythm of frustration. Exhaustion sets in as thinking about adversity become increasingly annoying. Is there any hope for the restless mind that’s constantly on a journey of painful memories, sleepless nights, and fear of what will happen next? GRACE, where are you? Please take your place so the soul can rest, memories will not be so daunting, days are not so long, nights can be met with quality sleep, and fears can dissipate into oblivion. Where is that place to rest? When will we be able to catch a breath and catch up with every emotion journeying through our minds? Is there a sanctuary where we can go to be free to express our hurts? Do we have that one friend who will listen – who can be trusted and who is faithful? Asaph was a music director in the big choir of Israel. He was opining over his life (Psalm 73:1-28). He compared the ways of those who lived godlessly with the way he had been living his life. He wondered if he may have lived his life in vain. He said that the wicked are carefree and live a trouble-free life; yet, his life was banged around with trouble and strife. Asaph didn’t stay in his pity party for long. His connection with God helped him grasp the difficulties of life. Asaph’s sanctuary moment with God reminded him that in life, good and bad happens even to the ones who live honorably. He also remembered that while wicked people may possess an abundance of stuff, apparently live carefree lives, and outwardly seem they have it all together, they will face a day of reckoning. God will hold them accountable for living up to his standard. Life really does happen to all of us. It isn’t always good. Bad things happen to people whose lives are honorable in every way. God, however, is always there for us. Jesus promised us that we can come to him anytime we need him and he will provide exactly what we need. Decisions to adjust one’s life based on bad stuff that has happened or is happening can cost one a great deal. The cost may be a job. Marriage. Financial hardship. Friends. And, a plethora of other things. However, when one sets out on a course to change one’s life for the betterment of him/herself, then it is imperative that one is willing to accept the challenges from those who disagree. The key is to allow God to lead and be willing to be patient. Life happens. It isn’t always good. Life happens. It isn’t always bad. Life happens, and it zaps one’s energy. Life happens, and it fills one with joy. Life happens, and it is totally devastating. Life happens and brings unforgettably good experiences. No matter what is happening in life, God is always on the scene. God is always aware. God is always working out the details to get us where we need to be. God is always providing resources. God is always leading us to be renewed, refreshed and revived. Seeing God in the intricacies of life will enable each of us to be better, feel better, and live better. Life happens, but God is always God! My flesh and my heart may fail,but God is the strength of my heartand my portion forever.(Psalm 73:26). About the author: Brian is preaching minister at Central Church in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He is passionate about preaching the grace of God, the Lordship of Jesus and the indwelling Spirit. Most of all, he believes in preaching Jesus and blogging about practical things that will help believers remain under God’s guidance.
Whom Shall I Fear?
What are you so worried about? David begins Psalm 27 with these words: “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” Those words are worth repeating: “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” Maybe we should read them again, this time out loud! “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” David had his enemies. He had his foes. He had those who would betray and forsake him. He had those who wanted to do him harm. Yet he could say, “Whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid?” We have our enemies. We have our foes. We have those who have betrayed us, forsaken us, or who are about to. We have those who would do us harm. So we ask, “Whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid?” David’s response would be, “No one! If the Lord is your light and your salvation and the Lord is the stronghold of your life, then you have nothing to fear. No matter whom the enemy is, no matter what foe you come against, you have no reason to be afraid.” So, why do I fear? Why do I allow myself to get worked-up and whacked-out and worn-down? If “the Lord is my light and my salvation” and if “the Lord is the stronghold of my life,” then what is keeping me from living courageously and confidently and fearlessly? I forget. I forget the promise! “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” I forget that no foe has a chance against my Lord. I forget that there is no enemy who can come close to overcoming the stronghold of the Lord. I forget that God is strong enough, powerful enough, wise enough, loving enough, resourceful enough, and is determined to protect me from anything or anyone that may try to harm me. When life gets dark, I forget that He is my light. When I am in the midst of battle, I forget that He is my salvation. When I feel weak and weary and worn-down, I forget that He is my stronghold. I forget, so I must learn to remind myself that “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” When others are afraid, or discouraged, or weary, or near defeat, I must remember to remind them, “The Lord is your light and your salvation – whom shall you fear? The Lord is the stronghold of your life – of whom shall you be afraid?” So, just in case that description fits you, I remind you, “The Lord is your light and your salvation – whom shall you fear? The Lord is the stronghold of your life – of whom shall you be afraid?” Through His servant, David, God is speaking to us. “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” If I try not to forget that this week, and if I try to remind others this week, and if you will do the same, by the end of the week, maybe we will be able to say what David said at the end of the Psalm, “I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” We have our message. Now, let’s live it. For a powerful promise of God related to this theme and displayed graphically, check out the following Heartlight Scripture graphic:http://www.heartlight.org/powerpoint/2205.html About the author: Tom Norvell is the author of “A Norvell Note” — Thoughts and reflections on God, life, people, and living as a follower of Jesus. He has ministered with followers of Jesus for four decades and loves Jesus, his family, and those seeking Jesus, passionately.
The ARC of Grace
What does grace really look like in real life? Isolated. Alone. Forbidden. Labeled. Diseased. Terminal. Forsaken. Forgotten. Desperate. For a variety of skin conditions thought to possibly be leprosy, the Torah had clear instructions. These instructions were for the safety of the many – especially the community and the family. For the one with this disease, life was nearly unbearable if a cure wasn’t quickly found and restoration to normal life wasn’t quickly accomplished. Living outside the city gates, wearing clothing (rags of desperation) showing they were diseased and outcast, crying out their warning to others who came nearby, life was barely human (Leviticus 13:1-46). This, then, is the background of our story told by Mark: Jesus: It’s time we went somewhere else – the next village, maybe – so I can tell more people the good news about the kingdom of God. After all, that’s the reason I’m here. So He traveled to the next village and the one after that, throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and casting out unclean spirits. A leper walked right up to Jesus, dropped to his knees, and begged Him for help. Leper: If You want to, You can make me clean. Jesus was powerfully moved. He reached out and actually touched the leper. Jesus: I do want to. Be clean. And at that very moment, the disease left him; the leper was cleansed and made whole once again. Jesus sent him away, but first He warned him strongly. Jesus: Don’t tell anybody how this happened. Just go and show yourself to the priest so that he can certify you’re clean. Perform the ceremony prescribed by Moses as proof of your cleansing, and then you may return home. (Mark 1:37-44 The Voice) Grace is what happens in this story. Grace is what Jesus gives this man. Grace! We talk about it freely. We depend upon it completely. We love to believe we’ve received it. And, I fear much like Jesus’ brother Jude warned (Jude 1:4), we have abused and distorted it frequently. So I wonder, have we taught much about how Jesus shared grace frequently and calls on us to do the same? Over the last few years as I have immersed myself in the story of Jesus in the gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – I’ve noticed a pattern repeating itself in the interactions of Jesus with people he helps. I like to call this the ARC of grace: Acceptance Relationship Community Jesus has a mission to accomplish and he has set out on this mission (Mark 1:35-39). Yet this man with leprosy approaches Jesus as he walks along the road – something the man is forbidden by the Torah to do. What does Jesus do? What does grace look like in this situation? The ARC of grace begins with acceptance. Jesus sees the man, hears his cry, knows from his garments what his desperate condition is and Jesus accepts the man right where he is and as he is. Jesus had every right – maybe even a social obligation – to keep on moving past the man and stick with his mission agenda. Yet the Lord paused and fully accepted the man into his presence and heard his request. Notice that Jesus directly responds to the man’s request: “If you want to, you can make me clean.” “I do want to…” (Mark 1:40-41). Jesus didn’t give the man platitudes. The Lord didn’t avoid the conversation. The Teacher didn’t give him a lesson on the requirements of the Torah. The Son of Man didn’t throw him some money and keep moving on his way, keeping a safe distance. Jesus listened to the man’s request and validated that request with the words and actions of his response. Jesus gave this man afflicted with leprosy grace – the grace of acceptance. Yet the ARC of grace doesn’t end with verbal, social, and physical acceptance. Gracious acceptance leads to relationship – personal relationship. Before Jesus heals the man with his verbal command, Jesus does the most humanizing thing possible in this moment. “Jesus was powerfully moved. He reached out and actually touched the leper” (Mark 1:41). Jesus shares this man’s uncleanness and enters into a deep, personal, relationship of grace. While it is hard for us to imagine the depth of this move from Jesus, I have seen it demonstrated. More than twenty years ago, when AIDS was deeply feared, drugs were just being tried to combat HIV, and the few hospitals that really treated AIDS patients kept them in dedicated wards for AIDS patients. Visitors were few and fear was high. There was a young man in his twenties in the last stages of the disease. The young man had long before expressed deep regret for his IV drug use that led to his infection and turned his life around. He had been reading the Bible again and taking communion each week with one of the men at church who had said this young man desperately needed a visit from church leaders. This young man had lesions all over his frail stick of a body. His breathing, even in the oxygen tent, was heavily labored. Human touch was forbidden. I went there with an elder in my church who was immunosuppressed and should have been the last person to do what he did. Yet as we offered this young man communion and prayer, this elder unzipped the tent, gave this young man the Body and Blood of Jesus, called him brother, placed his hands on this young man’s chest and prayed over him to know that his church family and his Father in heaven loved him. Tears flowed. Grace made sure relationship was experienced. The words of the prayer were powerful, but the young man said that what meant most was that this was the first skin to skin contact he had received from anyone but a nurse in months. This young man lived less than two more
Live Simply
How simply can you live? Thanks to Elaine St. James for writing this: “Living fully doesn’t mean having it all and going everywhere and doing everything and being all things to all people. Many of us are beginning to see that too much is too much; it gets in the way of being able to enjoy the things we do want in our lives and to simply be who we are.” Achieving a level of inner simplicity makes it possible to choose intelligently the things that are meaningful in our lives. And they contribute to our peace of mind if they ultimately mean that we do fewer things and have less stuff. But that decision will not come so much from self-denial, but from wisdom that comes from taking the time to figure out what is important to us, and letting all the rest go. The message today: learn to live simply with peace. Yet true religion with contentment is great wealth. After all, we didn’t bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. (1 Timothy 6:6-8 NLT) About the author: Dr. Faulkner was the very first person of note and influence who shared his content with us at HEARTLIGHT.org beginning in 1996. Paul Faulkner taught on the Abilene Christian University campus full-time for 35 years. He was honored in 1982 as the university’s Teacher of the Year. He has written several books and was a much sought-after speaker and seminar leader along with his Marriage Enrichment partner, Dr. Carl Brecheen. Dr. Faulkner mentored many ministers and church leaders, shared his loving homespun humor and wisdom through many channels, and endeared himself to thousands. Our dear friend and mentor went to be with the Lord in 2022, but his legacy lives on in the lives of those he touched and made better.
Facing Evaluations
How can I survive this with my fear of layoffs? It takes a lot of courage, to put things in God’s hands,To give ourselves completely, our lives, our hopes, our plans.To follow where God leads us and make His will our own.But all it takes is foolishness, to go the way alone! (Betsey Kline, “Trusting God”) Many of you have been or will be evaluated by someone. You feel anxious. You work to prepare a report that accurately reflects what you do. On the day of the meeting you pay more attention to the way you dress in order to look professional. You may even practice saying several of your statements out loud. For most, your fears were greatly exaggerated. The evaluation went well. For a few, your fears were accurate and there are disappointments to be faced and dealt with. Being evaluated can be a genuinely frightening experience. I know because I am evaluated regularly. My supervisor is kind and gracious but she has high expectations for me and the churches I serve. But truthfully, the real evaluation doesn’t come at work. The real evaluation comes within our relationship and our service to God. All of us answer to God. How are we doing? Paul wrote a letter to a young minister named Timothy and in the midst of the letter provided evaluation standards to be measured by: If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers. Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them (1 Timothy 4:6-13 nlt). Paul gives Timothy nine standards worthy of evaluation: Explain these things to the brothers and sisters. Be a worthy servant of Christ who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas. Train yourself to be godly. Work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God. Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. Don’t let anyone think less of you. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. I don’t know about you but measured by those standards, I definitely come up short. Here is the lesson though. Paul did not write to point out our shortcomings. Paul illustrated the standards we are to strive for and to point out, we are not alone in our journey. God is with us in the midst successes, failures, good evaluations and not so good evaluations. A few years ago, I copied the following poem: It takes a lot of courage, to put things in God’s hands,To give ourselves completely, our lives, our hopes, our plans.To follow where God leads us and make His will our own.But all it takes is foolishness, to go the way alone! You already demonstrate great courage by putting your life in God’s hands. In so many ways, you give yourself completely: your life, your hopes, your plans. Good evaluation or bad, you are called to follow where God leads and make His will your own. Finally … You are not foolish because you are never, ever alone. There are many who love you, pray for you and support you. There are others who are greatly impacted by your life and ministry. There are more in the future who will be impacted by you. Finally, God called you, continues to strengthen and encourage you, and always walks with you. To give ourselves completely, our lives, our hopes, our plans. To follow where God leads us and make His will our own. But all it takes is foolishness, to go the way alone! After writing this, I confess to still feeling anxious about evaluations. After knowing God’s standards, feeling God’s grace and receiving God’s promise to always be walking beside me, I am no longer afraid. About the author: Larry Davies is a used-car salesman turned preacher. He serves at Timberlake UMC, and is the author of several books and the online devotional site Sowing Seeds of Faith.
Groundhog Day
Is it Groundhog Day again? “That’s right, woodchuck-chuckers – it’s … Groundhog Day!” You may or may not recognize that line from the Bill Murray movie “Groundhog Day.” And if you don’t live in the United States, you may not even know that February 2 is Groundhog Day, the day when the superstitious look to a small mammal to determine how soon spring will arrive. In the movie, Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is trapped in a 24-hour time period that seems to repeat itself endlessly. Nothing he does allows him to move forward with his life. Once Connors realizes what is going on, he gives himself over to pleasure: gratuitous sex, crime, and selfishly trying to woo Andie MacDowell’s character. Eventually he learns that all of this leaves him empty inside, and Murray begins to find ways to better himself and serve others. This being Hollywood, Connors eventually ends up with the girl, and they set off to live happily ever after, beyond Groundhog Day. Phil Connors’ quest reminds me of one we find in the Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes. This writer, a king, tells of some of the things in which he sought fulfillment: a quest for knowledge dedication to pleasure possessions commitment to work rivalry with others political power unrivaled riches children long life food and drink In the end, he admits that none of these brought lasting pleasure. It was all, in his words, “a chasing after the wind.” He only found one thing that could give him the sense of meaning that he sought: “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Some of us feel like Phil Connors, trapped in an endless routine. All of our attempts to find purpose and meaning in life leave us right back where we started. In the end, most of us learn what he learned on Groundhog Day: happiness begins with looking outside ourselves. But I want you to know that your journey isn’t complete until you learn what the writer of Ecclesiastes learned, all those centuries ago: only by basing our lives on God and His teachings can we be truly fulfilled. So this Groundhog Day, don’t let your life continue to be a series of meaningless days. Look to God, and let Him fill your life with a sense of purpose. To find out more about how that works, contact me at tarcher@heraldoftruth.org or visit our www.hopeforlife.org web site. (Expressed written consent must be obtained prior to republishing, retransmitting or otherwise reusing the content of this article. Contact us at info@hopeforlife.org) About the author: Tim Archer is the author of Church Inside Out and leads a seminar by the same name on behalf of Hope For Life, a Herald of Truth ministry.
Neighboring
Who is my neighbor? “So just who is my neighbor?” This question was launched by an expert on the Old Testament law to test Jesus. While it may seem innocent enough at first glance, underneath it was the push to find out just what is needed to qualify for eternal life (Luke 10:25). To put it crassly, “What’s my minimum requirement on being neighborly?” Jesus addressed the question in three powerful ways, never letting the “expert in the law” off the hook . Jesus was going to make sure this expert had to “own” his answer. Jesus asked the man to state his understanding of God’s truth twice, rather than Jesus giving the “expert” an answer (Luke 10:26; Luke 10:36). First, Jesus made clear the issue is about “neighboring”: intention and emotion are important, but godly compassion always involves action (James 2:14-17; 1 John 3:16-17). Jesus made this powerfully clear by answering the question by telling the story of “the good Samaritan” (Luke 10:30-35). The question is not, “Who is my neighbor [who I must serve]?” Instead, the question is, “Who needs neighboring: who needs my help and support?” And Jesus frames the story by the emphasis on “doing compassion” by framing the story with these two phrases: (1) “Do this and live” (Luke 10:28 TNIV), and (2) “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:35). Second, Jesus demonstrated what it means to “love your neighbor as yourself.” A simple scan of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – the books in the Bible that tell the story of Jesus – help us understand just what “neighboring” means. We meet men and women, religious and non-religious, leaders and powerless, rich and poor, able-bodied and those who are sick, dying, and dead. Jesus simply ignored the categories we so easily force people to fit. He broke social barriers, gender barriers, and religious stereotypes. He did not meet someone who was not his neighbor and he calls us to live the same way. Third, Jesus always kept the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” connected to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27). We become like the One we love! We cannot love God and not love others (1 John 4:7-21). So what’s the point of all of this? Simple: it’s not about figuring out who is our neighbor, but about neighboring those around us in need! Make a list of all the different kinds of people Jesus served – take a quick scan of the gospels to remind yourself of all the different kinds of people Jesus’ life touched in a redemptive way (Matthew 8:1-38; Mark 9:1-50; Mark 3:1-64; Luke 7:1-50 are a good start). What do you think the message is for you and how you are to “neighbor” others based on Jesus’ example? How would you describe what “neighboring” others means in your daily life? What leads you to keep from “neighboring” those who need our help? What makes it hard “neighboring” others you may not know? What makes it hard “neighboring” those you do know? About the author: Phil Ware has authored 11 years of daily devotionals, including VerseoftheDay.com, read by 500,000 people a day. He works with churches in transition with Interim Ministry Partners and for the past 21+ years, he has been editor and president of HEARTLIGHT Magazine, author of VerseoftheDay.com, God’s Holy Fire (on the Holy Spirit), and aYearwithJesus.com. Phil has also authored four books, daily devotionals on each of the four gospels.
Living Beyond the Formula
Jesus > You + X (all your dos) + Y (all your dont’s)! Dear Church People, I used to be a math teacher. You might think, based on this whole writing gig, I would have been an English or Reading teacher… neh eh. I just cannot grade all those essays with all those words. Me? I really like a clear formula. I like a DEFINITE right or wrong answer, no wondering, no questioning. I like that 2+2=4 and will always equal 4. I will never have to ponder if it’s right or wrong. It’s black and white. Objective. You can’t argue it. I grew up in a faith that loved itself a clear formula. I grew up knowing all the rights and all the wrongs, all the dos and all the don’ts, all the get-into-heavens and all the heading-straight-for-hells. Don’t dance. (You’ll get pregnant.) Don’t drink a DROP of alcohol. (You’ll get pregnant again.) Don’t cuss. Don’t have sex. (For obvious aforementioned reasons.) But seriously, don’t touch boys. And I get it. It was a formula. It was a simple, easy-to-follow, surefire way to determine an outcome. X (all the dos) > Y (all the don’ts) = Z (eternity in heaven) It’s simple. Easy to understand. No gray areas. So I grew up tallying marks for and against, learning blacks and whites, and always worrying whether my X > Y. Now, I totally get how this happens. We humans love control. We crave to feel in control of everything. We plan and rationalize because that makes us feel safe and protected, in control of our lives and our destinies. We don’t want to ACTUALLY place something so significant in the hands of something or someone we can’t see or hear or touch. So we construct a formula that makes sense, gives us something concrete to refer back to. But the older I got and the more scripture I read, the more I wondered about the formula. Because the formula seemed to be missing something pretty big. What about Jesus? What about grace? What about my heart? What about the Holy Spirit? (Yikes, the Holy Spirit. Don’t go all willy-nilly.) The problem with formulas (one of them) is that it allows us to take credit for our own salvation (if we do enough and don’t do enough, we win. YAY.) which leads to pride, which leads to judgment, which leads to separation and division, which leads to being Literally The Worst. If you have been following the formula like I did for so long, don’t forget: you need Jesus. Maybe even more than the sinners you’ve been so quick to condemn. Jesus quoted Isaiah when he said to formula-keepers in his day: “‘These people [the Pharisees and teachers of the law] honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men’” (Mattew 15:8-9). Rules taught by men = The Formula. Jesus continued: “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile [that person], but what comes out of [that person’s] mouth, that is what defiles…” (Matthew 15:10-11). – – – – – I have a feeling the formula isn’t working for you. Maybe you can’t figure it out, or the anxiety of it all is pressing down against you, or you feel like you’re buried in Ys and will never be able to stack up enough Xs to climb out, to make you feel like you’re worthy. Or maybe you feel like you’ve mastered the formula but in the meantime have found it hard to connect with people. And your heart feels less full of joy and more full of anger and resentment because the world is going to hell in a handbasket and IF EVERYONE WOULD JUST LIVE THE WAY YOU DID… Jesus is saying that what you do or don’t do, what you DID or DIDN’T DO, isn’t what makes you unclean. It isn’t what sanctifies you, purifies you, or makes you worthy of love or redemption or heaven. It’s your heart. And you know how to make your heart clean? Well, YOU can’t. You cannot cleanse yourself. But if you bind yourself, attach yourself like a vine is connected to a branch, your fruit will be good, your heart will transform. You will produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). If you can’t see the production of those things in your life, it’s time to reattach. If you see a sinner and your initial reaction is fear and condemnation rather than love and compassion, it’s time to reattach. If you feel angry at everyone, it’s time to reattach. And probably detach from social media because this place will not always restore your hope in humanity. And for those of you who still need a formula, here’s a fool-proof one: Jesus > You + X (all your dos) + Y (all your dont’s)! – – – – – [Jesus told his disciples,] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing [NOTHING!!]. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:5-8). Special thanks for the use of images related to Jesus’ ministry from The Lumo Project and Free Bible Images for use on this week’s post.