Giving Honor

I am continually amazed at how the Gospels portray what an amazing man Jesus is. Early in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17), Jesus warned his followers not to assume he had come to abolish the law, that is the Old Testament law given through Moses. Rather, he came to fulfill it. Immediately, after descending the mountain from teaching, having said those words, Jesus encountered a man suffering from leprosy. The man didn’t actually ask for healing, he declared that Jesus could heal him if he were willing. Jesus responded that he was and pronounced him cleansed. Then we read something curious. Matthew wrote that the leprosy was cleansed (Matthew 8:3), he didn’t say that the man was healed, but that the disease itself was cleansed. That is a curious statement by Matthew, but I believe it relates back to what Jesus said earlier about fulfilling the law. Jesus went on to tell the man that he was to tell no one what had happened, but go show himself to the priest and present the offering prescribed by Moses as a testimony to them.

Jesus’ command was not merely a testimony to the priests to substantiate the healing that Jesus had done, but it was a fulfillment of the law regarding those who suffered from leprosy. In Leviticus 13-14, Moses had given specific actions the priests and sufferers of leprosy were to take if someone were to be healed of leprosy. It was the priest who had the authority to declare a person clean from leprosy. Although Jesus healed the man and informed him that he was cleansed, Jesus honored what Moses had written and left it to the priest to declare the man officially cleansed. Even though many priests and Pharisees opposed and would oppose Jesus, he still honored the authority that God had bestowed upon them through the law. In so doing Jesus also gave honor to his Father in heaven who had originally given the law to Moses. We often assume we should only give honor to those whom we consider to be honorable, or who agree with our position. We should take note of Jesus’ example to us. We give honor to those our heavenly Father has declared should receive our honor regardless of whether they are honorable or whether we agree with them. God determines who should be honored, not us.

Knowing and Being Known

In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus instructed his followers to enter through the narrow gate, because the road to destruction is wide and easy and many take that route, not realizing that it is taking them to their ruin. On the other hand the road that leads to life is both small and can be difficult, therefore few take that route. The important question is what did Jesus mean by taking the narrow gate? A few verses later, Jesus would explain that many who think they had found the way did not. Even those who appeared to have lived in a manner consistent with Jesus would not enter Jesus’ kingdom. They prophesied, healed and cast out demons in Jesus’ name. Yet, Jesus will inform them that he never knew them and to depart from him because they practiced lawlessness (Matthew 7:21-23). I believe there is a connection between these two sections. The road to destruction is so wide that even some who think they are following Jesus, who think they know him, are actually not known by him. How do we avoid ending up like these misguided individuals?

When I was in college, a friend and mentor instructed me that I should never allow that which is good to distract me from that which is excellent. It is clear that these individuals who prophesied, healed and cast out demons forgot what it meant to know Jesus. During his ministry when the 70 returned rejoicing for what they had accomplished in Jesus’ name, Jesus instructed them not to rejoice because they had authority over disease and demons, but to rejoice because their names were written in heaven. We are not to let anything, even the blessings and power of God working in and through us distract us from our destiny to know Jesus and be known by him.

So how do we know that we know Jesus? The apostle Paul answers our question. It is not through what we accomplish in this life, but the role of the Holy Spirit in our life. The Holy Spirit who was sent by Jesus to dwell with his followers, bears witness to our own spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16). There are many ways we can live our life; the way of destruction is easy and broad and many take that road. There is only one narrow gate; that way is a determined pursuit of an ever growing relationship with Jesus, which leads to our living out the implications in our life of that relationship. Jesus told his disciples that he is the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). That means truth is not what you know, it is who you know. Truth is not a “what”, it is a “who”, a living, breathing person, whom we know as Jesus.

Heaven and Hell

The wisdom of Jesus is that we are to always address our own issues first and foremost and to absolutely avoid addressing another’s issue, because that role belongs to the Holy Spirit. If that is true, then how are we to turn another away from sin as is mentioned in Scripture? This can be done through teaching and proclaiming truth, rather than addressing directly that which might be amiss in another person. We are to be instructors of truth, rather than confront another’s sin. This is the way of Jesus, who rather than condemning mankind for its rebellion and evil, took upon himself the consequences of our sin. If anyone had the right to condemn it is Jesus, he refused to do so, we are to do the same. This leads to another question regarding what we call “hell”.

I’ve been reflecting on hell and what it is. I used to think it a place of punishment, but I don’t any longer. It is a place of confinement where the natural consequences of our decisions are lived out absent of God’s grace and intervention. It is a place where men live doing what men naturally do. They look out for only themselves and only do what is right in their own eyes. Some ask why doesn’t God let everyone into heaven. This question implies that heaven is primarily a geographic location, when in fact, heaven is primarily a relationship with God through knowing Jesus and others who love God. Even though heaven is a place, it is only heaven for those in relationship with Jesus. For a person who has no love for God or even hates God, being in God’s presence constantly would be terrible. It would be like living in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and you know absolutely no one. I remember shortly after moving to Florence, Italy and knowing very little Italian. I’d go to pay our electric bill and stand in line with all the others, many of whom knew one another and were chatting it up. I felt extremely lonely because I was in a place where I didn’t know anyone and could not even communicate with the people around me. I imagine this would be just a little taste of what it would be like for a person with no relationship with Jesus to be present in heaven. Since such an individual is not suitable for what we call heaven, the only place for them is a place that fits their nature, which we call hell. Jesus called it a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Why is it that? Because when men live selfishly everyone suffers. Their suffering would be the same exact suffering that would be on earth, if God removed his sustaining grace. The only thing that makes earth bearable or enjoyable is God’s grace bestowed upon all who live upon it. Jesus said that the sun shines upon the righteous and unrighteous and the rain falls upon the godly and the ungodly all the same. Those who don’t know God presume upon his grace and attribute it to the natural order of things and their own efforts. I do not believe God is punitive because some, even many, wind up in a place we call hell. God is not obligated to continue to bestow grace upon those who refuse to acknowledge him. God is not unjust and would not be unjust if he stops preventing individuals from experiencing the natural consequences of their own decisions.

Defeating Temptations

Jesus’ 40 days in the desert to be tested by the devil give us a strategy for defeating temptation. First Satan may use our physical needs against us, in order to tempt us to live for ourselves, rather than living in a dependent relationship on our heavenly Father. Jesus refused to use his own power independently in order to meet his own physical needs. Jesus understood his mission to give his life for many. If he starved to death in the desert, he was OK giving his life in that manner. Likewise, we need to understand our purpose and role in the Kingdom. Just like Jesus, as sons and daughters of God, we live and serve at his pleasure to accomplish the purposes that he has set out for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

Second, the devil may use Scripture against us. In this case he used Psalm 91:11-12 against Jesus to get him to test God. In this case he used Scripture to test Jesus regarding pride. Would Jesus make an open demonstration of God protecting him to reveal who he was? Here on this occasion, Jesus again revealed his dependent relationship upon our Father. He would not force his Father’s hand and make him fulfill what he had promised through the prophet David. He was fine living in relative obscurity without a clear revelation of who he was. For us, it is key that we realize that Scripture can be used to tempt us, we need to keep in mind the higher principles of the Kingdom to hold us in check. Again as in the first temptation, we must grasp our role in the Kingdom. We are not seeking recognition or the praise of men. Jesus lived out what we read Peter exhorting all of us to do, to humble ourselves before God and in due time he will lift us up ( 1 Peter 5:6-11).

Finally, Satan may use our own desires for ease and comfort against us. He offered Jesus a short cut to Lordship over the earth. Rather than taking a shortcut to power and authority, Jesus preferred to honor God. Jesus was willing to endure suffering in order to accomplish what God had for him. Again in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus reaffirmed his commitment to submit to our Father’s will rather than follow his own desires. Even though Jesus was the Son of God, he learned obedience through what he suffered (Hebrews 5:8). Did you catch that? Jesus, like us, needed to learn obedience! We are not on earth to seek out success and comfort, but to accept difficulties that come our way in order to become what God created us to be. This is why James can write to us that we are to consider it all joy when we encounter difficulties in this life, because those difficulties produce in us endurance, which in turn brings us to a state of perfection and completion in Jesus (James 1:2-4).

Like Jesus, we are to come to understand who we are, who God is and learn to live according to our heavenly Father’s design for our lives, so that when we come to the end of our earthly journey, we too can say “it is finished” and hear Jesus tell us “well done”.

Seeking the Eternal

When I was in college I remember my pastor, mentor and friend telling us that there are only two things on earth that are eternal, Jesus’ words and people. Jesus said that heaven and earth will pass away, but his words would never pass away. Therefore what Jesus said is worth exploring, pondering and applying. Furthermore, God created individuals to live forever. Therefore individuals also are well worth investing in. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul warned the Corinthians about discord within their church. They had divided over who they were following, some Paul, others Apollos and still others Cephas (Peter). Paul reminded them that there was only one who had died for them, Jesus and he was the only one worthy of following. Throughout church history, we have seen the tendency of the Corinthians play out over and over again, as Christians attach themselves to the teaching of men and women, creating discord between themselves. We have seen religious wars break out as Christians of one group fought Christians from another. There always seems to be some form of justification for that type of behavior, but they have departed from what Paul taught the Corinthians. When we focus on “Jesus words”, we discover a commonality and unity in our relationships with other Christians. When we deviate from what Jesus taught, and begin to follow the teaching and strategies of men, division often results.

Later in that same chapter, Paul talked about those who build upon the foundation of Jesus with gold, silver and precious stones. Those who do will receive their reward, but those who build with wood, hay and stubble will suffer loss, when their individual efforts are destroyed by fire. Paul’s statement here is worth pondering. How do we build with gold, silver and precious stones and not build with wood, hay and stubble? I believe there is a connection between what Paul said later in 1 Corinthians 3 and what he said earlier. Those who build their lives upon what Jesus taught and build others up with that same teaching are building with gold, silver and precious stones. Jesus called this building your house upon the rock. However, when we begin to deviate and begin departing from what Jesus taught and modify it with what men have taught, we are building with wood, hay and stubble. Jesus called this building your house on the sand. The wise man or woman will examine his or her own life to discern with whose words they are impacting others.

Overcoming Evil

Recently I was reminded of the age old question, if God is so loving, why doesn’t he stop evil in the world. This is both a concerning and personal question, but it also raises the problem that humanity faces. Adam, when he was confronted with his transgression of eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, implied God was responsible for his mistake. He declared that the woman whom God had given him, gave him the fruit and he ate. Adam refused to take responsibility for the evil that he had introduced to the human race. Mankind has been refusing to take responsibility for the evil in the world ever since. The question about God addressing evil does the same thing. It ignores humanity’s responsibility for evil’s existence and its continuation in the world. Paul, the apostle, addressed both the problem of evil birthed by Adam and the solution to evil resolved in Jesus in his treatise to the Roman people. When we arrive at chapter 12 of that letter, Paul gave us very practical advice on how we can address the evil around us. In considering his teaching, we should remember that he is speaking to individual followers of Jesus. He doesn’t expect those who don’t know Jesus to live this way and neither should we. In any case, his instruction is surprising, but not new, Jesus instructed the same in his Sermon on the Mount.

Paul wrote to the Roman followers of Jesus to bless, not curse, those who persecute, or hurt, them (v. 14). How might our world be different, if those who know Jesus were to bless those with whom they disagree, rather than showing disrespect? When was the last time we blessed someone who has hurt us? Further on, Paul instructed to never pay back evil with evil, but to live at peace, as much as possible with all men and never seek your own revenge, leaving that to God (v. 17-19). Revenge and payback are natural responses to being hurt, even something as simple as withdrawing from a relationship with someone who has hurt us or with whom we disagree is a form of revenge and paying back evil with evil. Paul summarized his teaching with a powerful statement. We are to overcome evil with good (v. 21). Do you realize what Paul said here? Evil can be overcome and does not require a position of power and authority! As we confront evil with goodness received from Jesus, evil is defeated. In other words, we who follow Jesus, are responsible for conquering and defeating evil in the world, simply by inspiring those around us with the goodness and peacefulness of our lives and relationships.

Pride and Humility

The Scripture that declares that God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud (James 4:6) is easy to understand at one level, but can be difficult to accept in practice. This was Paul’s point as he concluded his discussion in Romans 9. When he declared that the Gentiles, who had lived dissolute lives were accepted by God, because they repented with faith in Jesus, while the Jewish people who had lived morally upright lives were rejected, because they thought they were good enough through their efforts, rather than also placing their faith in Jesus. The immoral people who came to Jesus, understood their position and repented. However, the moral people who came to Jesus felt themselves justified and were blind to their own pride. Their pride is why both John the Baptist and Jesus referred to the religious people as children of the devil, because they struggled with the same problem that consumed Satan, pride.

As a result, it can be hard for us to accept when we see God blessing and working powerfully in a person who once lived a horrible life. While we may have lived an outwardly better life, we may not see that same blessing on our life and wonder why. We need to learn not to be either impressed or distracted by the person through whom God works, because it is the Spirit dwelling in that individual who is operating through and partnering with them. Remember, all the 12 disciples including Judas Iscariot prophesied, cast out demons and healed people, but Jesus would later say of Judas that it would have been better had he never been born. God can and has the right to choose any person or any type of person to communicate His message and promote His kingdom. The better response is to accept and be open to the fact that we can learn from anyone, because the Spirit of God may use anyone, young or old, moral or immoral, to teach us. Then it is that humility to learn from anyone, that will also open up the way for the Spirit of God to work through us as well, whatever that may look like.

Divine Surprises

The story found in Matthew 2 of the Magi coming from the east to worship the newly born King of the Jews demonstrates one of the amazing ways that God encourages, protects and provides for his people. In a manner that the Magi, who study the stars, would understand, God revealed to them that the King of the Jews had been born. How did he do that? According to the Magi when they spoke with King Herod, they saw the newborn king’s star in the east and came to Jerusalem to worship him. Of course, this news was a surprise to Herod and threw him and the entire city of Jerusalem into bedlam. This raises yet another question. Why would the Magi associate this star with the newborn King of the Jews? Taking a step back from this story and considering the broader history of Israel, we understand from the latter chapters of 2 Kings and Daniel in the Old Testament, that after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came and defeated Jerusalem, he took both the king and some of young men from the royal family into exile. One of these young men was Daniel. From the book of Daniel we learn that Daniel became the chief of the wise men (Magi) of Babylon. That means he would likely have taught them about the prophecies regarding his own nation, including the coming Jewish Messiah. It is curious to consider that out of a disaster, the defeat of Jerusalem and the exile of the king and members of the royal family, God brought about blessing and provision hundreds of years later for his own son. It was as if Daniel was a type of John the Baptist, sent ahead of Jesus to prepare the way for Jesus and bring provision for him.

Through the chief priests and the scribes the Magi were informed that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem according to the prophet Micah’s prophecy (Micah 5:2). That information along with the star reappearing led the Magi to the very house in Bethlehem where Jesus, Mary and Joseph resided. As part of the Magi’s worship of Jesus, they gave him expensive gifts, which subsequently would have been useful to sustain the small family as they lived in exile in Egypt having fled the terror that Herod rained down on Bethlehem. It also would have been a powerful reminder to Mary and Joseph that Jesus was the Messiah and that God was protecting and providing for them.

I have learned that what God did here for Jesus, he does and will do for us. He sometimes leads us down paths that we did not expect to go and provides for us in ways we never could have imagined. Several years ago, we were going through a difficult financial time. Out of the blue I received an email that at first I thought was a scam. However, it was a job opportunity for a teaching contract from an organization that I had never heard of. It led to my teaching Italian on a six month contract providing desperately needed income for us as well as encouragement to me. Later when I inquired as to how they got my email address, no one could remember or knew why they had contacted me. That experience reminded me that God sometimes brings provision for us in completely unexpected and unforeseen ways, just as he did here for Jesus. Such knowledge should spark joy and hopefulness in our lives, particularly when we are navigating a challenging time in our life.

Marriage and Loving God

Lately I’ve been reading what Paul wrote to the Romans about following God. Knowing that Paul addressed people who were being taught to live according to the Old Testament law as Christians, Paul addressed the concept of living lives of love and freedom for and toward Jesus, without the regulations of the law. Under the law people often just go through the motions and do what the law says following its regulations out of obligation, but with no thought for love for God. However, when an individual knows Jesus, the law’s regulations cease to exist for them, leading to living life with a consideration for the desires of the one they love, Jesus. In this the Christian life is very similar to a loving marriage, in which partners do things which they know please their spouse, rather than living according to a set of regulations, because that is what they are supposed to do.

Since God created us in his own image, that which we desire in our relationships, reflects what God desires in his relationship with us. It is unheard of for a married couple to live their life according to a book or regulations that govern their marriage, where they go through the motions following the regulations of the book to guide their marriage. Rather in a loving marriage each partner desires to naturally do things that please their partner out of love and affection and not because they are required to do so, because that is what the marriage rule book tells them. Likewise, God desires us to seek him and do that which pleases him out of an affection for him, rather than going through the motions of some religious rule book.

Righteous or Self-Righteous

I have learned and am learning that much of God’s truth for us is quite subtle. In Romans chapter 4, Paul makes some statements that are quite easy to gloss over, but when you ponder them, they are quite profound. In Romans 4, Paul uses the case of Abraham to argue the concept of being justified before God by faith in Jesus rather than through the practice of religious works. It is commonly summarized as “being saved by grace through faith”. While this phrase is very true, Paul implies other things about us in his explanation of what Jesus does for us. Pride can have no place in God’s kingdom. Regarding those who are justified through faith, Paul wrote that God is the one who justifies the ungodly. In other words, if anyone has been “saved by grace through faith”, that individual also acknowledges that without God, they are ungodly. Nothing they possessed was worth anything. Later, Paul would write as much to the Philippians when he said that all his previous accomplishments, he considered as loss in comparison to knowing Jesus. On the other hand, those who believe that their good deeds can outweigh their bad deeds and make themselves acceptable to God, don’t really grasp what they are saying. They are saying that through their own efforts they can justify themselves before God, that they can make themselves righteous before God. In such, they are literally the definition of being “self-righteous”. This is what Paul explains in Romans 4 as being impossible. We cannot be “good enough” to make ourselves righteous. Why? Because by definition, without God we are ungodly. We need Jesus to transform us from being ungodly to godly, we can’t do it on our own.

Perhaps it is easier to understand this concept when considering our physical bodies and sickness. When we have a physical condition that we cannot not address by exercise, diet and rest, but we remain sick and possibly get worse, we go and see a physician. Our self-help and self-treatment are not sufficient, because our condition is greater than what we can accomplish. However, the physician can help us find a cure. In the same way, Jesus is our physician, who transforms us from our ungodly condition to one of godliness. This is why pride has no place in God’s kingdom; we have nothing to be proud about in ourselves, because anything of value that we’ve done has been received through Jesus. This is why it is tragic that the world considers Christians to be self-righteous, harsh and judgmental, when in fact we should be the most humble, kind and gracious people, because we understand from where we have come and what Jesus has done for us.