Yeah, so I know that I'm weird, just roll with it. One of my all time favorite Bible characters is Joseph of Arimathea. Love this guy. Here's the set-up (at least in my head. Serious Bible scholars can correct me if I'm wrong.)
Matthew 27 - Jesus is dead. His body is hanging on a cross. All of his buddies have gone into hiding....duh....they might be next. It is a horrible disgrace for a Jew's dead body to be left overnight on a cross. Then there's the whole it was fixing to be the Sabbath thing going on as well. So who's going to ask for Jesus's body? They might decide to kill you, too. If you are really interested in this guy, check out Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19.
Joseph is a member of the Jewish High Council, but secretly a follower of Christ. He has endured the questioning, torture, and crucifixion of Christ. I am curious about how much or how little he spoke out during the trial. Did he yell out with a voice of reason that day, or was he silent with fear? In Luke, it says that he did not go along with the plans of the council, but so much of his story is a mystery that I do not know what he did that day. But what he saw and heard pushed him out of hiding, and he found the courage to be bold in his faith.
Here's this guy who is a secret follower of Jesus. He is the only person with enough courage that night to ask Pilate for Jesus's body. Everybody else had gone into hiding. But not Joseph. He boldly goes before Pilate, and is granted his request for Jesus's body. What was it like to stand before Pilate and ask for the body of a man who was crucified as a traitor? He takes the body, holds it, washes it, wraps it, and buries it. A man who was afraid for others to know he believes, certainly announces himself with a bang!
What was it like to be the one to hold the dead body of God? To gently pluck out the crown of thorns? To carefully cover his nakedness with burial clothes? To wash away the sweat and the dirt and the blood and the spit that defiled the body of our God? Joseph did a woman's job or maybe even a servant's job that night as he washed and wrapped the body of Jesus. Then he carried Jesus, like a son, to his own tomb and buried him. And don't forget that this all made Joseph unclean. During a holy time of the year.
Wondering how one man carried the body alone? Oh, wait, he wasn't alone. He was joined by Nicodemus. (John 19) Nicodemus had first encountered Christ back in John chapter 3, late at night, so that he would not be discovered, because he was also a leader among the Pharisees. (Jesus was talking to him when he said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have eternal life") So Nicodemus comes out as a follower as well at this critical moment in history. He arrives at the cross carrying about 75 pounds of burying spices. A fortune. Spent to bury his God that he had not had the courage to follow openly.
So my mind pursues this story often. Both of these men step out openly with their faith at a moment when others had abandoned all hope and had turned away or had gone into hiding. They come to the cross prepared to take care of the body of the Messiah. He was dead. Why reveal themselves now?
Did they vomit as they pulled out the thorns? Did they weep as they washed his back? Did they discuss their regrets? Did they wonder if only they had spoken out earlier, maybe this madness could have been stopped? Did they have hard feelings about being the only ones there? Where were his friends? Did they know that Jesus would be raised, or did they think it was all over?
Lots of details are missing from this story. I am very intrigued by these two men. Many times I have tried to fill in the gaps with my imagination. I can only imagine the depths of the emotions of this moment in history. How must God have felt as he watched these two adopted sons minister to his only Son? It must have been a proud moment as He watched them come out of the shadows with their faith to do the thing that everyone else was afraid to do.
Application - what does God want from us that we are too afraid to do?
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Jesus's last few days
I am almost finished with Matthew. The last few days, I've been reading about the final days and hours leading up to the crucifixion. I've read this countless times before, but this time, I really tried to focus in on the roller coaster of emotions that Jesus must have felt. In other words...explore the human side of the God of the Universe.
I may totally off on some of this, but here are my thoughts anyway for whatever they're worth. So way back in chapter 21, Jesus is headed to Jerusalem for the last time. It never occurred to me to look at these events in light of Jesus was facing certain betrayal and death. In other words....Had a bad day...... First he is escorted into the city with a royal procession. Must have been bitter sweet, knowing that those very people would be killing him soon. On his way into Jerusalem, Jesus fried the fig tree, turned over the tables in the temple, and blasted the Pharisees. Seems like he might be experiencing some frustration over the hard hearts of humans. Not that he sinned in any of these instances....just wondering about his emotions as all this was going on. Frustration? Anger? Why couldn't Eve have just said no?
Then he spent time teaching his friends. These last few stories must have been pretty important. After all, when you know you are dying, you try hard to make every moment count. I wondered a little in chapter 26 where the woman anointed him with perfume. I wondered how awkward it was to be in the room at that moment. I wondered how the tension crackled in the air as the men watched for Jesus's reaction to the suggestive gesture. I wondered if Judas justified his actions of betrayal...."what kind of Messiah would allow a woman to do that?"
The last meal...then off to pray while his three favorites waited with him. In the hour of all eternity when he needed, wanted companionship, humans let him down again. What Jesus faced, he faced alone. God of the Universe...lonely. That's hard to comprehend.
What must it have been like as creator, to stand before your creation and be mocked and misjudged and ridiculed and beaten and killed. To endure it so that you could redeem your creation. So that they could have eternity with you. Why not just blast us all and start over? Why be willing to endure the cross for me? Why would an awesome, powerful, mighty God stand before men and allow himself to be treated as common, as trash, as unworthy? And how could we not see who he really was?
Some heavy thoughts there.....Just trying to contemplate God in all his holiness and all his humanness all at the same time is mind boggling to me. All I know is that I am forever thankful that God was willing to do what it took to redeem me. I am not worthy. But I am redeemed.
I may totally off on some of this, but here are my thoughts anyway for whatever they're worth. So way back in chapter 21, Jesus is headed to Jerusalem for the last time. It never occurred to me to look at these events in light of Jesus was facing certain betrayal and death. In other words....Had a bad day...... First he is escorted into the city with a royal procession. Must have been bitter sweet, knowing that those very people would be killing him soon. On his way into Jerusalem, Jesus fried the fig tree, turned over the tables in the temple, and blasted the Pharisees. Seems like he might be experiencing some frustration over the hard hearts of humans. Not that he sinned in any of these instances....just wondering about his emotions as all this was going on. Frustration? Anger? Why couldn't Eve have just said no?
Then he spent time teaching his friends. These last few stories must have been pretty important. After all, when you know you are dying, you try hard to make every moment count. I wondered a little in chapter 26 where the woman anointed him with perfume. I wondered how awkward it was to be in the room at that moment. I wondered how the tension crackled in the air as the men watched for Jesus's reaction to the suggestive gesture. I wondered if Judas justified his actions of betrayal...."what kind of Messiah would allow a woman to do that?"
The last meal...then off to pray while his three favorites waited with him. In the hour of all eternity when he needed, wanted companionship, humans let him down again. What Jesus faced, he faced alone. God of the Universe...lonely. That's hard to comprehend.
What must it have been like as creator, to stand before your creation and be mocked and misjudged and ridiculed and beaten and killed. To endure it so that you could redeem your creation. So that they could have eternity with you. Why not just blast us all and start over? Why be willing to endure the cross for me? Why would an awesome, powerful, mighty God stand before men and allow himself to be treated as common, as trash, as unworthy? And how could we not see who he really was?
Some heavy thoughts there.....Just trying to contemplate God in all his holiness and all his humanness all at the same time is mind boggling to me. All I know is that I am forever thankful that God was willing to do what it took to redeem me. I am not worthy. But I am redeemed.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
I want to see
Matthew 20:29-34 Two blind men were begging beside the road. They heard a large procession coming. When they were told it was Jesus they began to yell out for Jesus to have mercy on them. vs. 32, "Jesus stopped and called over, 'What do you want from me?' They said, 'Master, we want our eyes opened. We want to see!' Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes. They had their sight back that very instant, and joined the procession."
I am so blind. It seems that I often stumble through life without paying attention to where I'm going, or that I miss out on where God is headed until He's already moved on without me. But I love the attitude of the blind men. They pleaded with Jesus for mercy until he heard them and stopped. That's where I want to live my life...pleading with God for mercy and seeking God's hand in my life and not giving up until he stops and lets me join him. "Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes." Isn't it awesome that Jesus is deeply moved when we want him and are seeking him and when we are in need and are burdened! Then the healed guys joined the procession that was following Jesus. That's my prayer. That I will be able to see where God is headed so that I can follow along closely behind. I don't want to be blind and miss it.
A random blurb or two:
James, now in middle school is cracking me up. I was hanging out with him this afternoon listening to him tell me all about band. He's learning to play the sax. Definite progress there! But what was really funny was listening to the rivalry between the clarinets and the saxes. He was telling me that their class is called the trucks and the mice. Because the saxes are big and loud and the clarinets sound like squeaky mice. Then he was talking about a boy, and said with slight disdain, "He's my friend, even though he plays the clarinet."
I am so blind. It seems that I often stumble through life without paying attention to where I'm going, or that I miss out on where God is headed until He's already moved on without me. But I love the attitude of the blind men. They pleaded with Jesus for mercy until he heard them and stopped. That's where I want to live my life...pleading with God for mercy and seeking God's hand in my life and not giving up until he stops and lets me join him. "Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes." Isn't it awesome that Jesus is deeply moved when we want him and are seeking him and when we are in need and are burdened! Then the healed guys joined the procession that was following Jesus. That's my prayer. That I will be able to see where God is headed so that I can follow along closely behind. I don't want to be blind and miss it.
A random blurb or two:
James, now in middle school is cracking me up. I was hanging out with him this afternoon listening to him tell me all about band. He's learning to play the sax. Definite progress there! But what was really funny was listening to the rivalry between the clarinets and the saxes. He was telling me that their class is called the trucks and the mice. Because the saxes are big and loud and the clarinets sound like squeaky mice. Then he was talking about a boy, and said with slight disdain, "He's my friend, even though he plays the clarinet."
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Where'd last night's blog go?
I noticed that my blog from last night did not upload. Not sure why. Maybe for the best. I was just praying really hard for several of my friends with heavy burdens who are in deep crisis. I was even intentionally vague so that identities would remain secret. However, must have been that God wanted those prayers to be just between me and Him. But you might want to know...very cool....one of my friends that I was praying for got a very unexpected and incredible relief from her crisis early this morning. She said today that it was as if a car had been lifted off her chest. Another friend has a pretty clear answer about her future as well. So apparently God answered some of the prayers, even though they didn't make the blog for you to pray along with me.
Spiritual moment: Matthew 20:17-28. Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem when James and John's mom waylaid him. Imagining him to soon be king, she tries to secure her sons a place in Jesus's kingdom. I've met moms like that. The ones that push their children and try to finagle favors for them. Jesus talked to her about kingdom priorities...that being great means becoming small....and that Jesus came to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage. I was thinking about what a good description this is of life. Held hostage....and then Jesus makes us free. That's pretty stinkin' awesome! Sometimes I forget that I've been set free. I wander in darkness as if I am still a hostage to sin. It seems to be a learned behavior to walk every day like I've been set free.
Random blurbs about life: While I was freaking out about my flu shot today, I was reconsidering getting a tattoo. I have my design picked out, planning to get inked maybe for my birthday, but I really don't like needles and I don't do pain. I don't even tweeze my eyebrows 'cuz it hurts.
What do you buy your wife who's not very girly, but who's a facebook junkie and a bloggin' fool? high-speed internet and unlimited texting. Major brownie points for the husband! After I sent out a mass message that my texting is back, I had over 30 messages in my inbox in about an hour. So excited to be reconnected to the world. Seriously...having to have real conversations with people....what's up with that?
Too bad about the missing blog...it was a very spiritual moment.
Spiritual moment: Matthew 20:17-28. Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem when James and John's mom waylaid him. Imagining him to soon be king, she tries to secure her sons a place in Jesus's kingdom. I've met moms like that. The ones that push their children and try to finagle favors for them. Jesus talked to her about kingdom priorities...that being great means becoming small....and that Jesus came to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage. I was thinking about what a good description this is of life. Held hostage....and then Jesus makes us free. That's pretty stinkin' awesome! Sometimes I forget that I've been set free. I wander in darkness as if I am still a hostage to sin. It seems to be a learned behavior to walk every day like I've been set free.
Random blurbs about life: While I was freaking out about my flu shot today, I was reconsidering getting a tattoo. I have my design picked out, planning to get inked maybe for my birthday, but I really don't like needles and I don't do pain. I don't even tweeze my eyebrows 'cuz it hurts.
What do you buy your wife who's not very girly, but who's a facebook junkie and a bloggin' fool? high-speed internet and unlimited texting. Major brownie points for the husband! After I sent out a mass message that my texting is back, I had over 30 messages in my inbox in about an hour. So excited to be reconnected to the world. Seriously...having to have real conversations with people....what's up with that?
Too bad about the missing blog...it was a very spiritual moment.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Who Am I?
Matthew 16:13-20. Jesus asked the disciples who they thought he was. Peter said that he thought Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus was excited that Peter found the right answer. I've read this many times, but here's the part I had not really noticed. vs. 17-18, "My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock."
It was in the wake of Peter's relationship with Christ and recognition of who Jesus truly was that Peter found out who he was meant to become. God saw beyond the whole 'are you willfully being stupid' aspect of Peter's character into the foundational believer that Peter would become.
It is in knowing God intimately that we discover who we are. I think I blogged on this once before. Not sure, I've kind of lost track. Then there was vs. 25-25, "Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self."
Yeah, all this to simply say, I cannot foresee the future that God has for me. He continually speaks in riddles and circles about my own life until I am dizzy with confusion. But at the same time talks to me intimately about others. Sometimes I think that he is going to teach me to love teaching so that I will be content with where I am, but other times I think he is saying that I am not at all where he called me to be. Lately he seems to be saying both at the same time. I am certain that right now, today, I am in the place on the planet that he has planned for me. But I am almost as certain that this is only a short-term assignment. That's what I don't understand. I don't see anything beyond where I am right now. That's the whole I'm really confused and frustrated part.
That's why, in this chapter of Matthew, I was reminded that the great quest in life is not finding myself...it is finding Christ. It is only as I discover Christ and become intimately intertwined with his will and purposes and teachings that I can find myself. The hard part is the waiting and being patient with simply seeking to discover Christ. It is challenging for me to not be exceptionally frustrated with the conflicting voices in my head.
It was in the wake of Peter's relationship with Christ and recognition of who Jesus truly was that Peter found out who he was meant to become. God saw beyond the whole 'are you willfully being stupid' aspect of Peter's character into the foundational believer that Peter would become.
It is in knowing God intimately that we discover who we are. I think I blogged on this once before. Not sure, I've kind of lost track. Then there was vs. 25-25, "Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self."
Yeah, all this to simply say, I cannot foresee the future that God has for me. He continually speaks in riddles and circles about my own life until I am dizzy with confusion. But at the same time talks to me intimately about others. Sometimes I think that he is going to teach me to love teaching so that I will be content with where I am, but other times I think he is saying that I am not at all where he called me to be. Lately he seems to be saying both at the same time. I am certain that right now, today, I am in the place on the planet that he has planned for me. But I am almost as certain that this is only a short-term assignment. That's what I don't understand. I don't see anything beyond where I am right now. That's the whole I'm really confused and frustrated part.
That's why, in this chapter of Matthew, I was reminded that the great quest in life is not finding myself...it is finding Christ. It is only as I discover Christ and become intimately intertwined with his will and purposes and teachings that I can find myself. The hard part is the waiting and being patient with simply seeking to discover Christ. It is challenging for me to not be exceptionally frustrated with the conflicting voices in my head.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Unforced Rhythms of Grace
I think that it is probably not spiritual to be excited when I find traces of Jesus' temptations in scripture. It is a perverse thing about humans that we feel better knowing that other people are fighting against temptation, too. Today, in Matthew 11, I saw a hint of frustration in Jesus' voice. Maybe I am projecting my own emotions into the passage, but maybe not. Jesus is in the middle of a monologue about people's opinions about the messiah and about the sin of the cities and how Sodom would have repented if they had seen the signs and wonders Jesus was performing. His monologue seems to be growing in intensity verse by verse. The He abruptly ends his monologue and breaks into prayer. After his prayer, he resumes speaking....no longer angrily but tenderly. Now obviously Jesus is without sin in this passage, but I wondered if he was tempted in that moment to really, literally blast the people and had to abruptly stop to pray. I don't know....but it seems to me like a good technique to try. When I can not control my mouth any longer, maybe I should try shutting up and praying before I finish my conversations.
When Jesus was through praying, he said, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me -watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." The unforced rhythms of grace.... that's a word choice that I have contemplated all day. I think that I make the religion thing too complex at times. I love how Jesus says to just walk beside him and watch him at work and learn about true religion. It's just that easy - and just that hard. I am easily distracted. Then there's also the part of me that wants God to watch me work or I assume that I know where He's going and rush ahead, totally in the wrong direction. I feel like I still need my floaties on in the pool when it comes to discovering the unforced rhythms of God's grace. But I am looking forward to a lifetime of seeking to fully understand what that looks like when lived out.
When Jesus was through praying, he said, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me -watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." The unforced rhythms of grace.... that's a word choice that I have contemplated all day. I think that I make the religion thing too complex at times. I love how Jesus says to just walk beside him and watch him at work and learn about true religion. It's just that easy - and just that hard. I am easily distracted. Then there's also the part of me that wants God to watch me work or I assume that I know where He's going and rush ahead, totally in the wrong direction. I feel like I still need my floaties on in the pool when it comes to discovering the unforced rhythms of God's grace. But I am looking forward to a lifetime of seeking to fully understand what that looks like when lived out.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
10 follows 9
In all my years of church and Bible study I had never realized that Matthew chapter 10 came right after chapter 9. Now...obviously I can count....I do teach 1st grade. What I mean is that chapter 9 closes with Jesus praying for workers for the harvest and chapter 10 opens up like this..."The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields." I had never connected the two passages. Shawn will probably say that he has preached on this before, but it was probably when I was tuning him out, or on bedrest, or listening to the music in my head, or daydreaming or something. Seriously, when I pray for workers for the harvest, it never occurs to me that God might answer that immediately. I need to have more faith, and be more aware of looking for God's immediate provision.
Then all of chapter 10 is like the instruction manual to the first church planters. Hello...never noticed that before either. It's like I have never read this chapter. Maybe it was missing in my other Bible. Seriously, maybe I should go check. Listen to these ministry guidelines from vs. 5-8, "Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously." Dude...I don't think that matches my ministry description so well. Talk about living large and courageously and boldly and ooooh...awesome! I want to get me some of that power!!!!!
Then there's vs. 9-10, "Don't think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light." How much easier would that make church? If people were our only equipment. How much less stress. Certainly adds some perspective to ministry.
OHHHH, and I love this verse, vs. 16, "STAY ALERT. THIS IS HAZARDOUS WORK I'M ASSIGNING YOU...." Definitely a different take on ministry. Not a cushy, easy, cruise ship lifestyle. But way more exciting. I love good spy movies and occasionally entertain daydreams about being a sexy, secret agent (Okay you can stop laughing now and finish the rest of the blog you silly people...it's not like you don't daydream, too).... so I guess I love the the drama in this verse and the reminder that we are on a critically important mission....maybe not a covert operation, but certainly not a safe one either.
Vs. 38-39, "If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me." Many of God's principles are backwards and upside down. But this is one that I have discovered and rediscovered many times over in my life. It is only when I am emptied and filled back up with Christ that I am able to really know who I am and what my purpose is in life. When I am pursuing my own desires, I am never satisfied.
Vs. 40. "We are intimately linked in this harvest work." I know that this is talking about our relationship to Christ. And it is a beautiful truth that when we are on mission for Christ we enjoy an amazing intimacy with Him. However, I have also found this to be true about my relationships with people on the launch team. It is as we have gone into "harvest work", aka, "missions" together that our relationships have become so amazing. The people that have walked with us on this journey have very much become part of my family. I can't believe that I never knew that the Bible talked about this relationship growth that occurs when you are involved together in ministry.
Anyway, this is the most a passage of scripture has spoken to me in a long time. I condensed, edited, and cut out several other points due to the length of the blog. You'll just have to read this chapter for yourself. I love the way the Bible is eternally new. That no matter how many times I read a passage, I never have it all figured out. There is always so much more to learn and apply. God is cool like that.
Then all of chapter 10 is like the instruction manual to the first church planters. Hello...never noticed that before either. It's like I have never read this chapter. Maybe it was missing in my other Bible. Seriously, maybe I should go check. Listen to these ministry guidelines from vs. 5-8, "Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously." Dude...I don't think that matches my ministry description so well. Talk about living large and courageously and boldly and ooooh...awesome! I want to get me some of that power!!!!!
Then there's vs. 9-10, "Don't think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light." How much easier would that make church? If people were our only equipment. How much less stress. Certainly adds some perspective to ministry.
OHHHH, and I love this verse, vs. 16, "STAY ALERT. THIS IS HAZARDOUS WORK I'M ASSIGNING YOU...." Definitely a different take on ministry. Not a cushy, easy, cruise ship lifestyle. But way more exciting. I love good spy movies and occasionally entertain daydreams about being a sexy, secret agent (Okay you can stop laughing now and finish the rest of the blog you silly people...it's not like you don't daydream, too).... so I guess I love the the drama in this verse and the reminder that we are on a critically important mission....maybe not a covert operation, but certainly not a safe one either.
Vs. 38-39, "If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me." Many of God's principles are backwards and upside down. But this is one that I have discovered and rediscovered many times over in my life. It is only when I am emptied and filled back up with Christ that I am able to really know who I am and what my purpose is in life. When I am pursuing my own desires, I am never satisfied.
Vs. 40. "We are intimately linked in this harvest work." I know that this is talking about our relationship to Christ. And it is a beautiful truth that when we are on mission for Christ we enjoy an amazing intimacy with Him. However, I have also found this to be true about my relationships with people on the launch team. It is as we have gone into "harvest work", aka, "missions" together that our relationships have become so amazing. The people that have walked with us on this journey have very much become part of my family. I can't believe that I never knew that the Bible talked about this relationship growth that occurs when you are involved together in ministry.
Anyway, this is the most a passage of scripture has spoken to me in a long time. I condensed, edited, and cut out several other points due to the length of the blog. You'll just have to read this chapter for yourself. I love the way the Bible is eternally new. That no matter how many times I read a passage, I never have it all figured out. There is always so much more to learn and apply. God is cool like that.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Matthew 9:18-26 ... Story is that a local official finds Jesus to say his daughter has died, can Jesus come heal her and bring her back from the dead. So Jesus immediately abandons what he is doing to go with this official. On his way he is interrupted by a woman who has been hemorrhaging for 12 years. She slips through the crowd, touches the hem of his robe, and is healed . . . at the risk of public embarrassment.... the risk of making an entire crowd unclean according to Jewish law....at the risk of being seen as forward...touching a Jewish male in public....at the risk of ridicule....at the risk of failure....maybe it wouldn't work....at the risk of anger from the crowd and from Jesus. So what does Jesus say? "Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you're well." Then Jesus continues on his merry way, heals the dead daughter, some blind men, casts out some evil spirits, etc.
I just loved the way Jesus commended her for taking a risk of faith. Wow. It has been in my biggest moments of the greatest risks in my faith where God has shown up in amazing ways. Yet, still I struggle with taking big risks. I want to chase the Lion in a pit on a snowy day!!!! (reference to Mark Batterson's awesome book) Somehow I spend way too much time on the mundane and the safe. I am done with safe.
I just loved the way Jesus commended her for taking a risk of faith. Wow. It has been in my biggest moments of the greatest risks in my faith where God has shown up in amazing ways. Yet, still I struggle with taking big risks. I want to chase the Lion in a pit on a snowy day!!!! (reference to Mark Batterson's awesome book) Somehow I spend way too much time on the mundane and the safe. I am done with safe.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
pursue life
Matthew 8:22, "First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life." This is in an account of Jesus addressing people who expressed an interest in following him half-heartedly or when it would be convenient. But here's what I noticed.
Pursue life...... Follow me....... I would say that I try to pursue life passionately. Actually, sometimes I find myself in over my head in my pursuit. But there is a qualifier to the passionate pursuit - following Christ. So my thoughts today have been thinking through what I am passionately pursuing that does not involve following Christ. I came up with some ideas, but they are mostly things that need doing and doing well. There is some sin that I tend to passionately pursue as well that I could definitely stand to give up. But, I can't figure out the solution to all the stuff that has to get done in life.
Overwhelmed - that's the number one descriptive word among women that I know. Overwhelmed by the tyranny of the urgent that crowds out the ability to passionately pursue the life God created them to live. So where's the solution? I'm pretty sure that overwhelmed is not a spiritual gift and that God did not create us to live a life characterized by being overwhelmed.
So, I don't have any answers today....just more questions.
Pursue life...... Follow me....... I would say that I try to pursue life passionately. Actually, sometimes I find myself in over my head in my pursuit. But there is a qualifier to the passionate pursuit - following Christ. So my thoughts today have been thinking through what I am passionately pursuing that does not involve following Christ. I came up with some ideas, but they are mostly things that need doing and doing well. There is some sin that I tend to passionately pursue as well that I could definitely stand to give up. But, I can't figure out the solution to all the stuff that has to get done in life.
Overwhelmed - that's the number one descriptive word among women that I know. Overwhelmed by the tyranny of the urgent that crowds out the ability to passionately pursue the life God created them to live. So where's the solution? I'm pretty sure that overwhelmed is not a spiritual gift and that God did not create us to live a life characterized by being overwhelmed.
So, I don't have any answers today....just more questions.
Friday, September 12, 2008
No Worries! and It's not my show!
It has been really interesting to start over in the New Testament in the Message Remix. Today I was reading in Matthew chapter 6 about a God-centered lifestyle. Here's some of the stuff that I noticed.
No worries:
Vs. 30-33, God's talking about the beauty of the flowers and then here's the application, "What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. .....don't worry about missing out."
I thought - OH! that's it! I am often so afraid of missing out on the "good life" that my friends are living that I find myself chasing after some of the same dreams instead of relaxing and living in God's grace and mercy. The more my focus shifts onto God and his giving and his other attributes, the less I can focus on getting.
It's not my show!
There was a lot of good stuff in this chapter. I love this phrasing of verse 5, "And when you come before God, don't turn that into theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayer, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat!" HAAAAA! Wow!!!!! Can I repeat that in traditional church? There is so much that we did to look spiritual or to keep up with other churches or for whatever reason. We have often treated God like he is a spectator at our show. Instead for the rest of my life, I want to be an actor in HIS SHOW! I am willing to play a minor role, as long as I get to work alongside the King of Kings. Please, don't ever let me be guilty again of putting on a show for others and expecting God to watch me from the sidelines.
No worries:
Vs. 30-33, God's talking about the beauty of the flowers and then here's the application, "What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. .....don't worry about missing out."
I thought - OH! that's it! I am often so afraid of missing out on the "good life" that my friends are living that I find myself chasing after some of the same dreams instead of relaxing and living in God's grace and mercy. The more my focus shifts onto God and his giving and his other attributes, the less I can focus on getting.
It's not my show!
There was a lot of good stuff in this chapter. I love this phrasing of verse 5, "And when you come before God, don't turn that into theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayer, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat!" HAAAAA! Wow!!!!! Can I repeat that in traditional church? There is so much that we did to look spiritual or to keep up with other churches or for whatever reason. We have often treated God like he is a spectator at our show. Instead for the rest of my life, I want to be an actor in HIS SHOW! I am willing to play a minor role, as long as I get to work alongside the King of Kings. Please, don't ever let me be guilty again of putting on a show for others and expecting God to watch me from the sidelines.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Desperation and temptation
My quiet time this morning was in Matthew 4. I had an interesting thought after reading about Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. Satan tries hard to take advantage of us when we are tired, hungry, and alone. I've recognized this personally, and there it was in the account of Jesus' temptation. When I reach the bottom emotionally and physically, Satan's plans tend to sound pretty good, and I catch myself justifying temptation. I try to rationalize my way through the situation and examine my own thoughts and conscience - which of course is flawed by selfishness. Instead, Jesus just lays it all out against scripture. Scripture is always right. Anytime that my bright ideas are not lined out with scripture, that is not God's voice talking in my head. Sometimes I face temptation with desperation, and I panic. Jesus seemed to have a better plan.
Now - I don't know that any of that was new, but here's the new thought that I had. Sometimes I have been in situations where I am too tired, or drained, or whatever, to even think through or rationalize my actions. I wondered if that was where Jesus was emotionally on that day. Today when I read this account, I seemed to see some different emotions than I ever have before. Maybe Jesus quoted scripture because that was the only truth he could hang onto that day. I guess from Sunday School I always thought that Jesus had this temptation thing really well under control, (after all, He was God), but maybe, just maybe, there was more desperation in his voice than I ever heard before.
Rereading this, I'm not sure that I have done a good job explaining myself. But here's the bottom line. Rereading the account of Jesus' temptation made me think that he understands desperation in the face of temptation. And he handled it with the only truth that is certain. He did not trust even his own wisdom and understanding. He used scripture instead. If he needed to use scripture, maybe I should not feel so ashamed when I cannot rationalize my way out of temptation in my own strength. I guess it made me feel some relief that it was hard for Jesus, too.
Now - I don't know that any of that was new, but here's the new thought that I had. Sometimes I have been in situations where I am too tired, or drained, or whatever, to even think through or rationalize my actions. I wondered if that was where Jesus was emotionally on that day. Today when I read this account, I seemed to see some different emotions than I ever have before. Maybe Jesus quoted scripture because that was the only truth he could hang onto that day. I guess from Sunday School I always thought that Jesus had this temptation thing really well under control, (after all, He was God), but maybe, just maybe, there was more desperation in his voice than I ever heard before.
Rereading this, I'm not sure that I have done a good job explaining myself. But here's the bottom line. Rereading the account of Jesus' temptation made me think that he understands desperation in the face of temptation. And he handled it with the only truth that is certain. He did not trust even his own wisdom and understanding. He used scripture instead. If he needed to use scripture, maybe I should not feel so ashamed when I cannot rationalize my way out of temptation in my own strength. I guess it made me feel some relief that it was hard for Jesus, too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)