Distracted by the Good

Most of us are aware of how negative things can distract us from following Jesus, but we may fail to recognize that sometimes the allure of good things can do the same. This was the point of one of Jesus’ parables to the people. Jesus taught that a master had prepared a banquet and invited others to come, but they were all too busy. One had a field to go inspect, another had just purchased oxen and needed to try them out, a third had just gotten married. They all asked to be excused. Each one had an apparently legitimate excuse to refuse. We can recognize the importance of attending to our affairs and fulfilling our responsibilities. However, they failed to recognize the value of the invitation. They were given a once in a lifetime opportunity, which they refused. Their priorities were out of alignment. So there place was taken by others and the invitation would not be repeated to these men.

Jesus wants us to realize the value of following him, that nothing on earth, even the wonderful blessings and responsibilities that we have on earth can compare with following him. The result of refusing Jesus’ invitation can only be the sadness that the Rich Young Ruler felt when he left Jesus’ presence. While he had maintained his wealth, he felt sadness. All the wealth in the world could not make up for the emptiness he felt from not following Jesus. In another place, Jesus put it more bluntly with the question, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Something we should keep in mind as we set the priorities for our own life.

The Love and Wisdom of Jesus

On an occasion in which Jesus taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath, he saw a woman who was disabled for 18 years. She was crippled to the extent that she could not stand up straight. When he saw her, he healed her by laying hands upon her for which she glorified God. However the leader of the synagogue objected, stating that there were six days in which they could come and be healed, but not the Sabbath. His words reflected an attempt to apply the commandment not to work on the Sabbath, but to keep it a day of rest. However, Jesus recognized the hypocrisy of his application. Each day, including the Sabbath, the leader of the synagogue would untie his ox and his donkey from their stalls and lead them to water. Jesus pointed out that what he had done for the woman was similar to what leader did each Sabbath for his animals. Ironically, the leader treated his animals with more love and compassion than he had for the crippled woman. She also needed to be set free on the Sabbath. In his response Jesus revealed that he applied the law of compassion and love to each situation, rather than trying to apply a rule of law to the situation. In no way did Jesus disregard or disobey the law of Moses, but he revealed that the laws of love and compassion were higher ones. This was another example of his wisdom and genius. Even though he authored the rules written down in the Old Testament, he applied them through the lens of love and compassion. While not breaking those laws, he revealed their fulfillment. In order for us to live in a similar manner, we need Jesus’ wisdom, rather than attempting to use human wisdom like the synagogue leader. The apostle Paul summarized Jesus’ action and teaching in 1 Corinthians 13, where he taught that any type of religious or spiritual activity that neglects love is worthless. As we follow Jesus, we reveal our connection to him as we demonstrate love and compassion for those we encounter.

Jesus’ Call To Us

The Jewish people of Jesus’ day had a similar view of the world to what we now call “Karma”. If you do bad things, bad things will happen to you. Recorded in Luke 13, some came to Jesus telling him that Pilate killed some Galileans and mixed their blood with sacrifices. Jesus addressed their assumption that these men were worse people than others, because they perished in this manner. Jesus told them that unless these men repented they too would perish, indicating that the men who perished were no worse than those standing before Jesus. Jesus went on to ask whether they thought that the 18 men who had died due to the collapse of the tower at Siloam were worse individuals as the rest of the men dwelling in Jerusalem. He again repeated his warning that unless they repent, they would perish as well.

It seems to be human nature for us to compare our behavior with others. We look around and find those who behave worse than us and tell ourselves that we are not so bad, that actually we are pretty good. In this way, we justify our own shortcomings. However, Jesus will not have any of that. Like to these men, Jesus calls us to repent from comparing ourselves to one another. We are to recognize that we do not measure up to what God wants for us. Jesus warned these men not to condemn them, but to motivate them to look to heaven for their examples, not to earth. We are to look to Jesus to see how we are to live, not to look to one another. In Matthew 11, Jesus encouraged his followers to take his yoke upon them. What did he mean by that? We are to live our lives in relationship with Jesus, not without him which leads us to becoming weary and worn down. The way for us to find freedom is to repent from thinking that we are alright and look to Jesus for the help he offers to become like him.

Rest In Our Father’s Care

Jesus warned his disciples not to fear what their enemies could do to them (Luke 12:1-7), because their enemies only had power in the physical realm, but no power in the spiritual. Rather, they were to respect God who had authority and power in both the physical and spiritual realms. As God cares for nature, he cares much more for those who follow him. Because of that, Jesus’ followers are not to live in fear. These words are always appropriate for us to remember, because there always seems to be something troubling in whatever period we live in. During my lifetime there have been many concerns on peoples’ hearts. As I child I remember talk of building “Fall Out Shelters” to protect against a nuclear attack. Several years later there were riots in the major cities after the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, followed by an economic recession. A few years later Watergate took place and many started to question whether the government could be trusted. Hostages were taken in the fall of Tehran, as our economy saw high unemployment, high interest rates, and high inflation; many of us as young adults wondered if we would ever get a job or own a home. In 2001 the terrorist attacks on 9/11 took place and shook up our entire nation. Thousands returned to church to pray out of concern for what might happen. Recently a global pandemic has hit and many are fearful for the future. However, Jesus’ words to his followers remain the same, do not be afraid. In another place, he declared again that in this world we face tribulations, but to take courage because he has overcome the world (John 16:33). In this world, we will always be facing a trial of one sort or another. Our purpose is not to live a life without trials, but to learn to face them with courage, not with fear. Jesus lived his life with constant opposition from the ruling authorities. They tried to trick him, plotted against him and finally arranged for him to be condemned by the Roman governor. Yet through it all Jesus faced his accusers with courage and wisdom. In this way he shows us how to live, but it is not an example we need or more information. Rather it is a continually growing relationship with Jesus that empowers us to face life’s challenges with courage. Jesus told his followers that his sheep hear his voice. As we learn to hear and recognize Jesus’ voice to us, we also learn to live in a manner similar to the way that he lived.

Choosing The Better Over The Good

The story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42 is a curious one. It reveals that the values of Jesus’ Kingdom are quite opposite to the values of the world. In our world those who accomplish are valued and praised. Martha was a doer; she accomplished; she served Jesus. She was also stressed out because she was doing it by herself and her sister wasn’t helping. Her life is a pretty accurate picture of the way life goes in our world. There are expectations galore. Expectations of ourselves and expectations of others. When our expectations are not met, we get frustrated. In Martha’s case, she went to Jesus and complained about her sister’s lack of assistance. How could Mary just sit around when there was so much to be done? Jesus’ response is other worldly. He commends Mary, not for doing nothing, but for her choosing to be with Jesus. Make no mistake, Jesus is not commending laziness; he is commending devotion to him. Martha was devoted to service, which in the world is good. Mary was devoted to Jesus, which in His Kingdom is even better.

The question is how do we put into practice the lesson that Jesus gave to Martha? There will be times in our life when our spirits crave time spent with Jesus. A loving devotion to him will move us to take time to seek out his presence and hear his voice. In those times, we are wise when we resist the temptation and call of the world to do, do and do more. What needs to be accomplished will be waiting for us after we’ve spent time focused on Jesus. I remember when we lived in Italy and I was stressed out about finishing a big project. My Italian friends gave me wise counsel. They encouraged me to relax, to keep working on the project a little each day, because my stress and frustration was not helping the project get done any faster. What I didn’t get done would not go anywhere, but would be waiting for me the next day, but not to stress out and wear myself out about it. There counsel was wise. I began to relax, the project was completed in due time. I learned a lesson in that experience, that the best way for me to decompress was to find ways to spend time with Jesus. For each of us that way might look differently. What is important for us is to learn in what ways we hear Jesus’ voice and rest.

True Joy

After the 70 returned from proclaiming the kingdom of God throughout Galilee, they reported to Jesus that they saw that spirits obeyed their commands. Experiencing such authority over the spiritual realm brought them great joy. Even Jesus told them that he had seen Satan fall from the heavens like lightning. However, Jesus cautioned them that they should not rejoice because of the authority they had over spirits, but to rejoice because their names were written in heaven. What did Jesus mean? In no way did he discount the importance of what his followers had done in liberating people from lies and deception; he merely put it in the proper perspective. The followers of Jesus are to rejoice in what is eternal and relational. Being eternal beings the joys that we experience on earth cannot bring us lasting joy, because they are all temporal. They come and go. The joy comes and as quickly as it comes it also fades provoking us to look for something else. Jesus was giving his disciples the secret to true and lasting joy. As we train ourselves to rejoice in our relationship with him and God the Father; our joy never fades, in fact it increases, because relationships are meant to grow and expand. This is true, because our relationship with Jesus is eternal; it is not tied to this world, but to heaven. As we grow to know God in increasingly greater ways, our joy will also grow. Jesus’ point was that we should continue to do what is right on earth, while at the same time cultivating a never ending relationship with him and God our Father.

Jesus Meets Our Real Needs

While Jesus was alone praying, his disciples gathered around him. Jesus asked who the people said he was. Responding, the disciples said John the Baptist, Elijah or one of the ancient prophets raised again. Then Jesus directed his question to the disciples and asked them, Peter responded that he was the Christ (Messiah) of God, meaning the anointed one of God. Virtually no one outside of the disciples considered Jesus to be the Messiah even though he did greater things than the prophets from the Old Testament. Jesus did not fit their understanding of what the Messiah would do, probably because they believed the Messiah to be someone more like David, a warrior who came to defeat to the national enemies of Israel. Jesus came to give the people what they needed, not what they wanted or expected. The people’s response to Jesus is instructive to us today. Jesus rarely does for us what we expect him to do, because we rarely understand what we truly need. We often get stuck focusing on our immediate physical needs, rather than on those things that will transform us and change our lives forever. We want our finances fixed, our bodies strengthened, our relationships healed. While Jesus often does those things for us, our hearts also need attention, related to developing a thankful, forgiving and generous heart toward others, both friend and foe. Jesus issued to us a new commandment, to love one another as he has loved us. First of all did you notice the standard and how it differs from the Old Testament law? In the Old Testament the command was to love your neighbor as yourself. Our love for ourselves was the standard, which meant anyone could obey this command. However, in his new command Jesus made himself the standard of love. We are to love one another, not as we love ourselves, human love, but as Jesus loves us, divine love! How do we do that? We cannot love in that manner unless we seek help from Jesus, because that type of love is not in us without divine intervention. Second, Jesus referred to his followers loving each other. Even though on an other occasion Jesus had told us to love our enemies, this time he instructed us to love other followers of Jesus. Why did he do that? Perhaps, Jesus knows something we don’t; it can be more difficult to forgive and be reconciled to a friend who has hurt us or betrayed us, than it is to even forgive an enemy. Why? We expected an enemy to hurt us, so that when an enemy desires to be reconciled, it can be easier than when a friend hurts us which came as an utter surprise to us. It doesn’t take us long to consider the history of the Christian church to observe how divided and even violent church divisions have been. This indicates how difficult it has been for us to apply Jesus’ command for us to love each other. The point is that our need is for Jesus to do much more in us than we often ask him for.

Defeating Fear

The account of Jesus accompanying Jairos to heal his daughter reminds us of an important life principle. When messengers from Jairos’ home came to inform him that his daughter had died, Jesus told him not to be afraid. Literally, Jesus told him to stop being afraid, and believe or have faith. Jairos was to have faith in Jesus and what Jesus was about to do.

Jesus’ instruction to Jairos reminds us that there are two parts to overcome fear, stop being afraid and believe. 1 John says that perfect love drives out fear. Jesus told the father not to fear, but to believe. A firm faith in Jesus will overcome fear, because it opens us up to acknowledging God’s love for us. 1 John tells us that those who fear have not fully understood God’s love for them. What we tend to do is put faith in our ability to understand and solve a fear inducing situation. Sometimes that works and we do solve the situation and defeat fear. There are other situations that are beyond our ability to understand, so that our fear persists usually in the form of worry. However, Jesus tells us to be like children. Children understand very little and accept that they cannot change their situations, but they do trust in those who love them and believe it when they are told it will be all right. Their trust results in their fear subsiding. This is how Jesus tells his followers to live. We must unlearn this tendency to trust ourselves, our abilities to understand and problem solve and learn to seek help from Jesus. As we trust in Jesus and his love for us, the reasons for fear and worry melt away. In other words, the worrisome situation is not really the problem, but how we respond to it. The problem that tempts us to fear is actually an opportunity to grow in our trust in Jesus and then see his solution unfold.

Freedom or Fear

Jesus came to set people free! His purpose is revealed in the liberation of the man possessed by many demons. The man’s liberation set off a chain of events which revealed much about him and those living in that area. Oddly, rather than rejoicing because the man had been healed, his neighbors were filled with fear. Their response reminds us that when we encounter something we don’t understand the result can be one of great fear. In this case, fear prompted the people to request that Jesus leave their area. Ironically, the one who had come to set people free, was being asked to leave because of fear. There must have been many others in that area who were sick, but rather than bringing them to Jesus to have him help them, they asked Jesus to leave them. Their fear drove them to make an illogical decision that would maintain the status quo, rather than seeing transformation take place in their region. On the contrary, John reveals to us in 1 John that perfect love drives out fear. When we encounter Jesus’ love for us there is no place left for fear. However, those who continue to live in fear reveal that they have not yet understood the depth of Jesus’ love for them. The man who had been healed wanted to leave with Jesus, but Jesus instructed him to go to his own family and tell them what God had done for him. This he went on to do. The man was a contrast to his fearful neighbors, since he had experienced Jesus’ love for him. He felt no fear, but told others what Jesus had done for him. In this way he combatted the fear that had filled his neighbors hearts. His presentation of the truth began to overturn the dominance of fear in his region. His example reminds us that when we respond to a fearful situation, we should seek the truth that will overcome the fear. Fear and anxiety in our lives can actually be an opportunity for freedom and victory to take place in that area, if we face it with Jesus and his love.

Moment of Truth

At certain times in our life we encounter situations that can define the rest of our life. After Pilate heard the priests declare that Jesus made himself to be the Son of God; Pilate paused and went back to Jesus for further information. Already he had determined that Jesus didn’t deserve to die, but to be released. Previously his wife had come to him with a warning not to have anything to do with Jesus. Pilate told the priests that Jesus didn’t deserve to die, but in the end, he would have to decide what was most important to him. Would he do and declare what he knew was right or would he choose what he determined to be self-protection? All of us face such situations at one time or another; will we pass the test or not? The answer will lie in what we have cultivated in our heart up to that point. Jesus’ knew Pilate and even made it easier for him, when Jesus declared that those who had handed him over to him had the greater sin. Jesus’ statement motivated Pilate to increase his attempts even more, but the priests knew exactly what buttons to push in Pilate to force him to capitulate. Like Jesus, they also knew what motivated Pilate. They played their winning card, their Caesar card, by declaring that since Jesus made himself a king, he was opposed to Caesar, therefore by releasing Jesus Pilate could be no friend of Caesar. That was it, hearing this Pilate capitulated. More than truth, he loved his position of authority, for which he depended upon the favor of Caesar. In Pilate’s eyes to lose favor with Caesar meant to put his position at risk. He would not risk that. So he cooperated with the great injustice of condemning Jesus. His example begs the question for you and me. Is there anything so important to us that to risk losing it we would commit a great injustice to someone who is innocent? In other words, do we have some weakness or button that someone could push to pressure us to do what they wanted rather than for us to do what is right? I wonder if when Jesus taught us to pray in what has been called the Lord’s Prayer, “Deliver us from evil”, he had some dilemma like this in mind. We often think that evil resides outside of us, but it is possible that all of us carry the ability to choose something evil because we value something too much and the thought of losing it is too much for us to bear.