A Blessing of Service

“When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,” (Joh 2:9 AV)

The event is the wedding at Cana.  The father of the groom ran out of wine.  He was beside himself, for his guests were beginning to talk.  Jesus had brought six vats of new wine as a wedding gift.  Such would have been the custom.  He took those six vats and asked the servants to fill them with ordinary water.  A divine act of His will, and the water was changed to new wine.  Up to this point, It was better than anything the host had offered.  When the host inquired of the origin of this wine, no one but the servants knew.  Service brings with it blessings that leading cannot enjoy.  Servants see the small things.  They see the details.  They see hidden things.  They see things that most do not.

My wife and I watch A Christmas Carol with George C Scott every year.  Of all the actors who have played the part of Ebenezer Scrooge, we like him the best.  Mr. Scrooge is never seen with servants at his home.  We find out later that he had a maid.  She stole belongings while he lay dead.  His nephew, on the other hand, Fred, lived in a delightful house that was bathed in sunlight.  He had a maid who tended to the needs of his wife and him.  In the brief exchange of the maid with her employer, you get the distinct impression he treated her well, and she respected him.  There was no over-lording.  There were no unreasonable requests.  The actor who played her part did so with perfection.  When Scrooge arrived on Christmas morning, the maid was in the background until her master beckoned her to perform her duties.  He never specifically told her to do anything.  Rather, he nods, and she opens the door, takes Scrooge’s hat and cane, and closes the parlor doors behind them.  Now here is the thing.  She is the first of this family to witness Scrooge’s conversion.  She saw something that no one else saw.  And the master would more than likely not have even noticed.

Service is often seen as demeaning.  But it is not.  Service is a privilege.  Service is the gift God gave to Adam and which He passed down to all mankind.  Adam was to tend the garden.  He gave this privilege to Adam before the fall.  Service is not a curse.  Service is an opportunity to be part of what God is doing.  Service is a way to have hands-on experience in the miracles of God.  The servant can see what God is doing in a way that others might miss.  I imagine the servants of the host above grinned a bit when the master could not discern a miracle of God.  They saw the Savior do a wondrous thing and were part of what He did.  Service sees little children saved.  Servants see the drunkard or immoral radically changed.  Servants hear the laughter as the church body enjoys good food.  Servants see how God supplies needs miraculously.  Service is honorable in all!  To avoid it is to avoid a very intimate exchange with the hand of God.

Opening a Window on a sinking Ship

“But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?” (Lu 23:40 AV)

The condemnation of which the thief speaks is the crucifixion.  The miracle was the thief’s ability to discern who and what Jesus was.  The condemnation was death.  The condemnation was death for sin.  For the thieves, the sin for which they died was their own.  For Jesus, the sins for which He died were for all mankind.  The thief rightly stated they were all in the same condemnation.  The one whom he was rebuking was the other malefactor.  The second thief joined the mocking of the crowd, thinking his alliance with the lost crowd would earn him some leniency.  How did that work out for him?  The humble thief knew enough to realize the gravity of their situation.  He knew enough to fall at throne of grace and asked for mercy.  Not from mankind.  They wouldn’t give it to him, anyway.  Rather, he decided the prudent thing to do was to plea from mercy from the only One who could grant eternal mercy.  That being the Son of God!

The reality of the situation hit me a bit this morning.  What struck me is that the case of the first thief is the condition of all people.  We are all under the condemnation of death.  Any one of us could be one of those two thieves and be fully condemned, no matter the sin.  Because of our sin, we deserve eternal death.  When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they brought the sentence of death upon all mankind.  Romans chapter five says that death comes on all people because all people have sinned.  Imagine you are on a sinking ship, stuck in a large room with dozens of people.  Most would try to figure a way out.  They would check hatchways, ceiling tiles, or windows.  Most people would know the certainty of their outcome but still try to find a way out.  Now, imagine you are in that same room.  Rather than most working feverously to save life, they mocked the captain for trying.  Would that not be crazy?  That is exactly what the world is doing.  The only one who can save them from eternal damnation is mocked and cursed.

What strikes me as concerning is the mockery that accompanies the rejection.  The second thief didn’t simply reject.  He rejected with attitude.  How absolutely insane.  Even if the thief was successful in gaining leniency from the hostile crowd, it wouldn’t change a thing.  They may bring him off the cross, but he will eventually die, anyway.  The temporal solution to an eternal problem never works.  The second thief looked God right in the eye and mocked Him as though he were God’s superior.  He mocked God because he thought he was entitled to mercy.  He mocked God because he thought God would save him without humility and repentance.  The thief mocked God because he felt the people would appreciate him for his rebellion.  The thief mocked God because he had no intention of submitting to anyone; God nor mankind.  This is the plight of the lost.  They look God right in the eye and mock Him even though they are heading toward a certain appointment with death and hell.

Intimate Knowledge

“Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments.” (Ps 119:108 AV)

The request of the psalmist is not a idle one.  It is not written for mere poetry.  This request is one of sincere passion.  The writer is not asking because he is curious.  He is not asking in passing.  He does not write because he needs to fill lines.  What this writer is asking is to understand who and what God is.  He does not ask for simple theology.  He is seeking the depths of who and what God is.  The first part of the verse is the humility needed to gain the answer.  He is opening his mind and heart for the LORD to fill it.  What is he asking for?  The word ‘judgment’ is the workings of truth.  It is the way and purpose for all that God does.  When the psalmist is asking to better understand the judgments of God, he is seeking a deeper knowledge of why God does what He does and how He does what He does.  This intimate knowledge of God is the heartbeat of the psalmist.  He knows the best way in which to know the God who created Him is by reading His word and observing His hand.

Most children desire to know their father.  Some wish to know who his or hor father is.  Those growing up in a stable home want to know the person of their father.  My father was a bit of an enigma.  His history was not well known.  We had to ask specific questions if we wanted to learn of his childhood and early adult life.  Knowing about our father was different than truly knowing our father.  Our dad was a typical German male.  He was complicated and guarded.  But there were times he let his guard down.  Usually, these times came in the context of camping or Boy Scouts.  There were several times my father, and I had such moments.  There were weekends entailing camping and scouting.  At those times, I got to know my father a bit more than I had known him before.  Whether it was a stroll from the parade grounds to the mess hall, a few minutes fishing in a lake, or sitting by a campfire with guitar in hand, there were moments I understood who he was.  Knowing him deep down took private time, words of exchange, and observations from the eyes of admiration.

God is no different.  Perhaps our biggest hurdle is our blind eyes.  We can read about the LORD in His word.  If we read of Him as a historical figure and not a living God, we miss out on who God is.  Reading about Him is one thing.  Praying to Him is another.  But watching as He interacts with His creation is to truly know Him.  Knowing His judgments reveals His character.  Watching Him work out His perfect plan despite the actions of His creation is nothing short of incomprehension.  Our God is indeed great.  But He is not aloof.  He wants us to know Him.  The LORD wants us to love Him in knowledge and in truth.  The LORD wants us to know Him as we are known of Him.  The psalmist is looking for that knowledge, and his prayer is sincere.  One has to wonder how much of a request like this would be the first thing from our lips.  To know God is the meaning of our existence.  Until we make that our passion, we never will have the joy and meaning of life as we could have.

What is Harder to Believe?

“And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Lu 16:31 AV)

This is an incredible statement.  Imagine you are at the wake of your closest loved one.  They have been embalmed and now lie in an open casket.  They have been gone for several days.  You touch the hand of the departed, and it is cold as ice.  Medically, there is no way someone like that could rise from the dead.  All life-giving blood has been removed.  The dear one’s organs have been static and are hardening.  There is no possible reason to believe that someone in that condition could be reanimated and live among us again.  Next to the casket lay an open Bible.  The verse that is highlight is “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (Joh 14:6 AV) All of a sudden, the eyes of the loved one open.  A finger twitches.  You reach down and touch the hand of the one interred.  He is warm.  It cannot be.  You were at the hospital when the monitor flatlined.  You saw the death certificates.  You felt a cold corpse.  This could not be real.  You look at the Bible.  The words ring in your mind’s ear.  You are asked to believe both or none.  You choose none.  The word of God, being much easier to believe, is rejected.  No obvious miracle from God will change your mind.

I can imagine what rationalization this hypothetical observer might posit.  The doctors got it wrong.  My loved one didn’t really flatline.  After all, it monitor is not perfect.  Perhaps when we all left the room, he came to.  Maybe his heart beat so slowly the doctors never picked up on it.  When the morgue came to pick up his body, they took for granted the hospital did their job and assumed the person was deceased.  Maybe the mortician believed the deceased was of such a religious background that forbade embalming.  Perhaps they messed up and embalmed someone else.  Then, over the next three days, the body slowly reanimated.  The heart began to speed up.  The warmth of the overhead lamps warmed the body.  Maybe the precious person simply never fully died.  One can imagine the rationalizations the mourner might use to explain a miracle from heaven.  The same rationalization is used when rejecting the miracles of the Bible.  Men make mistakes.  Only the original writers wrote perfectly, and only in the original languages can the word of God be preserved.  Over time, things degrade.  How can the word of God be perfect?  Translation always loses meaning.  Therefore, then the word of God is translated to a non-original language, it cannot by definition be perfect.  I’ve heard it all.

The point Jesus is making is that if those who reject truth saw someone rise from the dead, they wouldn’t believe it either.  It is not a matter of rationalization.  It is not a matter of observation.  It is a matter of humility and faith.  If someone will not believe the word of God, then they won’t believe anything.  The written word is the easiest revelation of God to man by which man may know God.  If he will not believe the written word, he will believe nothing.  This is a sad truth.  Most of the world, including almost all faith traditions, does not wholly believe the word of God.  I can include most of fundamentalism is the same category.  They may believe the word of God for the most part, but if they believe the word of God, including translations, cannot be perfect and therefore, not completely trusted, then they fall into the same category.  Albeit not nearly as far as a fall.  Faith rests and falls on what we do with the word of God.  If we will not believe the entire book, perfect in inspiration and translation, it wouldn’t matter if the universe rearranged itself.  We wouldn’t believe the hand of God did that, either.

Verbal Affirmation

“And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments. So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.” (Ps 119:43-44 AV)

Well, that is interesting.  The writer asks the LORD not to take the word of truth out of his mouth.  And here we thought every word that proceeds out of the mouth of man is totally under man’s control.  Apparently not so.  Lest we go into the way of error, our writer is not implying that all spoken words are caused directly by the hand of God.  If this were the case, then there would be no words of warning regarding the tongue.  Rather, what the writer is seeking is the LORD’s hand so that the words of the Bible are not lost and that the Holy Spirit empowers him to speak the word of God frequently.  What we want to muse on is the connection between speaking the word of God and keeping the word of God.  It is suggested that the more the writer speaks the word of God, the more he is apt to obey it.  He might be onto something.

I have noticed that the older we get, the more we tend to talk to ourselves.  This is not a sign of senility.  Rather, what we are doing is talking through a process so that we can keep on track and do it correctly.  I have witnessed this more and more than we minister to older saints.  Perhaps they are getting ready to go out.  There are any number of tasks that are required.  From getting dressed to locking up the house on the way out the door, if they do not talk to themselves, they will forget a step.  There is something about verbal feedback that helps the mind to focus.  When I went on a military base and witnessed the recruits marching in cadence, it was not silent.  As they marched, the drill sergeant would call out half a verse, and the recruits would answer in echo.  It was the verbal cadence that kept them in time, distracted the physical demands of the run, and united them as a core.  There is something about verbalizing one’s goals that makes them come to pass.

We struggle with obedience and faith.  Partly because it is not constantly before our mind’s eye.  One of the ways in which we can do this is to memorize scripture and recite it back to ourselves.  David did this often.  Several psalms were written to himself.  He yelled at himself when his emotions were out of control.  When he didn’t see things right, he would preach to himself.  So, what if the world thinks we are crazy?  It is better to trust and obey while being verbal about it than to worry about what others think.  The writer is passionate.  He wants this for himself.  He asks the LORD to help him remember the specific verses need to obey, but also the courage to verbalize what the LORD would have him do.  Just like the recruits would echo to their sergeant the instructions for their run, perhaps more consistent living is a matter of appearing a bit off.  Maybe if we talk to ourselves and remind ourselves of the truth of the word of God, then we will find the discipline to live right.

Just A Simple Flick

“But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.” (Lu 11:20 AV)

The people marveled at the ability of Jesus to cast out devils. The world wants us to think the devil and his minions are greater in power than they actually are.  Hollywood like to portray the evil forces of this world as capable of destroying mankind and the planet in very dramatic and violent ways.  This is why horror films are so popular.  The world is attracted to powers greater than itself.  The problem is they refuse the greatest power of all.  As we saw yesterday, the wicked are more afraid of the grace and mercy of God than they are the wickedness of Satan.  The phrasing that Jesus uses expresses remarkably the comparison of God and the devil.  All it takes is the finger of God to control the entire spiritual world.  Just His finger.  It takes no effort at all for the God of the universe to defeat the forces of evil.  That is more than encouraging.

Sometimes we get the feeling that the forces of evil are winning and the world is out of control.  I am not a fan of amusement park rides.  Most are designed to throw you around and make you feel like the ride is out of control.  It doesn’t matter if it is the tilt-a-whirl, or a very tall rollercoaster.  The ride is designed to make you exist on the edge of survival.  The thrill of cheating death is the thrill that drives people to these rides.  One of the steepest roller-coaster rides in the world is found in my home state and city.  It wasn’t a particularly large rollercoaster.  But the initial drop pulled you down faster than gravity.  At one time, this rollercoaster was the steepest in the world.  But that was many decades ago.  To survive the ride, one must be strapped in.  If a failsafe tripped, it would end the ride. If the restraint would become dislodged, the ride was over.  Riding the coaster gave you a sense of fatal chaos.  Teetering on the verge of eternity made for an exciting ride.  People like myself who cannot deal with the fear of heights or falling, this ride was torture.  It was no fun at all.  This is how the world can seem to us.  On the verge of utter collapse.

Lately, the condition of our nation and world is termed by this idea.  Many wise people are seeing the violence and disfunction of our nation and world.  They are rightly stating that if something doesn’t happen, our world will collapse in utter chaos and destruction.  They are not wrong.  Never in the history of man has the world as a whole been totally out of control.  Not since the days of Noah and the day Israel made a golden calf and the entire world been consumed with the spirit of self-destruction.  If we didn’t know what the word of God said, we would say the doomsday clock is striking midnight and we are only a few dongs away from total extinction.  The level of hate toward the LORD is higher than it ever has been.  This is evident by the violence perpetrated on God’s people.  It appears as though the forces of evil are making unprecedented advancement and there is nothing that will stop them.  But there is a finger.  There is a finger that will flick them all into eternity.  One little snap of the finger, and it all goes away.  This is the God whom we serve.  This God is the God who, with one little finger, can cast the forces of evil into eternity!  And He will.  It won’t take much.  Just one little flick and it all goes away!

Fearing Grace and Mercy More Than Evil

“Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.” (Lu 8:37 AV)

I think it is quite ironic that the people feared Jesus more than the devil-possessed man.  The man whom Jesus healed was a terror to those people.  He ran around naked, cutting and hurting himself, casting dirt and ashes in the air.  He did this day and night.  No doubt he was not the best person to have in town.  He was the one person everyone avoided.  This devil-possessed man struck fear in everyone with whom he had to do.  They walked on the other side of the street.  When they saw him coming, they ducked into a storefront.  If perhaps their meeting was a momentary one, no doubt the sane would flee the possessed.  Then Jesus came along and cast out the evil spirit.  The insane became sane.  The possessed was not in his right mind.  He sat with the Savior over bread.  This is what terrified the people.  Rather odd!  They were more comfortable with the possessed being possessed than they were the possessed being in his right mind.

Those of us who have lived in both the big city and the country are familiar with this phenomenon.  Living in the country, one is not faced with the evil of mankind nearly as often as those who live in close quarters.  It is not that living a remote lifestyle means less evil.  It is that the evil is further removed.  Per capita crime is the same regardless of how closely packed or far apart people live.  The per capita does not change.  People are basically evil.  But when living in an urban setting, evil is seen more frequently.  You get used to it.  Nothing surprises you.  In my urban area, there is drug use, theft, armed robbery, and murder.  It is seen more often only because we are closely compacted.  What surprises me, however, is how used to this people can become.  When I moved from rural Kentucky to urban Milwaukee, having heard of the crime in the area, I began to ponder that choice.  Doing a quick search, I found that per capita, the crime rate was no different.  You get used to it.  Hearing sirens is as common as the chirping of birds.  Hearing of a shooting doesn’t seem to bother most.

Then along comes a ministry and all of a sudden, people are scared to death.  They don’t know what will become of their precious neighborhood.  Will the bars with their loud music and violent crowds go away?  Will there be psalms and hymns rather than music that celebrates man’s depravity?  Will the church bring a standard of decent living to their neighborhood?  This is the way the world is.  They fear the grace of God more than the wickedness of the devil.  It is the very definition of insanity.  It makes no sense.  Much like a biting dog who does so out of fear and not out of dominance, most of the world’s reaction toward the gospel is based in ignorant fear.  As odd as it might be, that is the way it is.  The place of the saint is to share with the world that which scares them, knowing it is for their own good.  Like Mom telling you to take that nasty medicine, and you fear the taste but know it will cure the cold, the gospel may not be appealing at first, but it is for your own good.  Mercy, grace, and salvation come at the end of uncomfortable conviction and repentance.  But it must come!  Don’t fear that which changes your mind into a sound one!  Embrace the grace!

Out With The Old, In With The New

“And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.” (Lu 5:37 AV)

The new life in Christ is not compatible with the old life of sin.  Some see the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in this verse.  It might very well be so.  The application is the same.  Jesus tags this parable at the end of a sermon that is similar to Matthew’s record of the Sermon on the Mount.  The last few words of this sermon recorded in Luke stresses the above application.  If the disciples are to be true and faithful disciples, then the old and new life cannot dwell together.  In fact, the picture is new wine but into old bottles.  The result would be that the pressure of the wine would burst the bottles.  If that happened, then the bottle would be destroyed, but the wine would also go to waste.  This application is also a warning.  Those who would walk a tightrope between the old and new life will accomplish neither.  The old man will be destroyed.  But the new man will be of no use.  It reminds me of Paul’s desire not to be a castaway.  He brings his body under subjection to the holiness of God lest his life come to of no use to God.  What is old must become new because they cannot dwell together

I know a bit of how old and new bottles work.  When I was young, my father insisted we recycle glass.  This was before the law mandated it.  We would recycle it for money.  Around we would go and pick through the garbage of our neighbors.  We would silicate bars.  The YMCA and VFW hall were regulars.  We asked them to save their glass, and we would pick it up.  Bringing it home, we had this glass smasher.  It was rather ingenious.  This machine had a motor that spun an arm around.  It was made of two-inch angle iron.  We put a metal garbage can top on the top to keep glass from flying everywhere.  This machine was placed over pressed paper 40gal vats.  The glass was sorted by color.  When we collected a truck full, off we would go to the glass plant.  They bought our glass, and Dad saved up that money for family vacations.  Old glass and new glass are very different.  Old glass has settled.  The old windowpanes of the 1800s and earlier settled.  The bott0m became thicker than the top.  Old bottles were very brittle, and we didn’t need to run the machine.  We just threw them into the vat, and they broke on their own.  These bottles were good for nothing but museum pieces.

Jesus gave us a great gift.  He gave us the gift of eternal life.  Because we have been born again into the family of God, our lives must, by definition, change.  The work of the Holy Spirit will not be abated.  He will do what He can to encourage us to that end.  He will convict of sin.  He will encourage with promises.  He will teach.  He will guide.  But the choice is ours.  The Holy Spirit cannot force us to change.  He can motivate us in absolute terms.  Sometimes, that motivation can be rather severe.  It will make us or break us.  That old bottle will become new, or it will be useless.  The choice is ours.  What is old must become new again.  Or neither is of any use.

What's in a Name?

“And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not [so]; but he shall be called John.” (Lu 1:59-60 AV)

This has always intrigued me because I assumed John to be a unique name of a different origin than Hebrew.  It sounds a bit more Greek than Hebrew.  So, the thought came as to why the LORD would give John a name that did not sound particularly Hebrew.  This is partially correct.  The name John is a Greek derivative of the Hebrew name, Johanan.  If we look back in scripture, we can find only one man named John.  That would be Saul’s son, Jonathan.  There are seven or eight other men with similar names that have the same Hebrew meaning.  The name John means “God is a gracious giver”.  Zacharias is an equally noble name.  His name means, “remembered of Jehovah”.  It was the normal custom to name the firstborn son after his father.  Yet, because God chose the child’s name, John was named “God is a gracious giver”.  Obviously, the name could refer to John being born to such an old couple as Elizabeth and Zacharias.  John would naturally have been a gift from a gracious God.  But the name has to do with his calling.  He was the preacher who declared the coming of the Messiah.  He was the last of the Old Testament prophets who declared the coming of the Messiah.  He prepared the people to meet their God.  He was not the gift.  Rather, John revealed the gift.

What is interesting to note is the friends and relatives of Elizabeth and Zacharias presumed to know what John’s life purpose was.  They assumed John would follow in the family business.  They assumed John would serve in the temple just as his father had done.  This is particularly true of a Levite.  Levites served in the temple.  That was all that they did.  They were not landowners.  They were not farmers.  They were not tradesmen.  They did not serve in the military.  They did not serve in government.  Levites did not practice medicine.  They were priests, and that was all they did.  Being born into a home of a Levite meant your future was already determined.  No wonder his aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends wanted to name him after his father.  However, Zacharias would soon be out of a job.  When Jesus rose from the grave and the curtain in the temple was rent in two, the job of the Hebrew priest was eliminated.  No need for John to be raised in the house of Levi and the priesthood when that job would become obsolete.  When the angel Gabrial told Elizabeth and Zacharias their son’s name was to be John, they gave these parents direction and purpose for John’s life.  His name was God’s command for his life. 

Regardless of what our parents may have named us, we have a unique purpose given from our divine Creator.  The ‘Johns’ are one in a million.  Not too many people are called to change a nation.  There is not too many Abrahams that begin a nation.  There are not too many Davids, Solomons, or Hezekiahs who lead a nation into godliness.  Our calling in life is not determined by how large an impact we might have.  We all have distinct personalities, gifts, and abilities.  No two people are the same.  The nature of our calling does not determine the worth of our calling.  Whether we have one, three, five, or ten talents, all the LORD expects is for us to be good stewards of what God gives.  All He expects is for us to do as we are called to do.  The friends and relatives of John felt they knew better.  They thought they knew what John should be.  What they had not as yet realized is that if he pursued their opinions, John would not have served as a priest for very long.  John was given a name that reflected his unique calling.  We all have a calling unique to us.  Find what that might be and do it with all your might!

Our Big God

“What [ailed] thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, [that] thou wast driven back? Ye mountains, [that] ye skipped like rams; [and] ye little hills, like lambs? Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;” (Ps 114:5-7 AV)

We cannot comprehend the vastness and power that is God.  The psalmist is speaking to the Jordan river as one would address a petulant child.  He is speaking of Israel’s crossing of the Jordan River Bed into the land of Canaan.  By using the word ‘ailed’, the writer is speaking of a river that responded in turmoil to the hand of God.  The parting was not a peaceful one.  As the waters clave, they did so violently.  The earth is spoken of as trembling.  The mountains skipped like rams.  When the LORD opened the river for Israel, it was not a subtle act.  The hand of God was so mightily on the natural world that His presence was not in doubt.  It is assumed that since the Jordan was stopped from one direction, God simply damned up the Jordan and the north end.  Yet the writer uses the word ‘fleddest’ which suggests a far more dramatic method than a simple damn.

We fail to appreciate completely the greatness of God.  He is immeasurable.  He is infinite in His attributes.  He does not posses all power in the sense that once He has it all, there is no more to be had.  Rather, when we state that God is all-powerful, we speak to an infinite power.  It is a power that has no measure because it does not cease.  The same is true of all His attributes.  Events will continue well into eternity.  That means God must know an infinite measure of facts.  God is infinite in scope.  There is no place where God is not.  He is in and at all places at the same time.  He filles eternity.  God is our Creator.  He made us.  He deserves our worship and fear.  The picture that came to mind is God in the heavens looking down at the speck of sand that is Earth.  He is above all our thoughts.  We cannot understand Him.  This inability to comprehend Him should result in deep and profound respect.  The Bible uses the word ‘awe’.

Mankind has accomplished much.  We can board a plane and ascend to 35,000 feet.  We can gaze down at the cities, villages, or topography while feeling very large.  We look down at them, and we see specs where enormous building should be.  We look down and cannot see people.  They are too small for our eyes to pick them up.  We take off.  We land.  We have the sense of being larger than life.  After all, we ascended to a place where we are larger than what we control.  Flying so high in the sky helps us to understand the command to have dominion over the earth.  After all, we are above it and anything we do up there has more impact than if we roamed among our fellow beings.  Mankind has devised means to eradicate ourselves from the planted.  We have visited the moon, and interplanetary travel is not beyond reason.  We think much of ourselves.  Yet our God, by a mere thought, can shake the world.  Peter tells us that the LORD will destroy the entire material universe and recreate it.  We serve a God beyond our mind’s comprehension.

Ignorance does not Imply Ineffectiveness

“And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.” (Mr 14:40 AV)

It is interesting the LORD found it necessary to tell us that the ignorance of the disciples and their slumber were related.  One wouldn’t blame them.  How are you supposed to solve the agony of the Son of God?  How are you supposed to comfort someone going through something unique?  What words are you supposed to share at that moment?  Jesus is facing His death.  Not just any death.  He is facing an agonizing death for the sins of all mankind.  No one has done this before, and no one will.  How are we to expect the disciples to have anything profitable to say?  We understand the predicament.  What we must recognize that in their ignorance, they decided to sleep.  This is natural.  If there is nothing that can be done, why not disengage and get some rest?  Activity will keep one awake.  Doing ministry and easing the situation of another can delay rest.  These poor men had nothing they could do to make the situation any better for their beloved Master.  Or was there?

The first time that they slept, Jesus asked a question.  He asked why it was they could not stay awake for one hour while he went yonder to pray.  The second time He asked a similar question.  Clearly, the expectation was for these men to be awake and aware of the passion of Christ regardless of their ability to ease His situation.  There wasn’t much they could do.  But they could empathize.  There were no words that would make this situation any easier.  In fact, if they did try, it might have made it worse.  What they could do is they could stay awake and pray.  What they could do was stay awake simply to say that they cared.  What they could do was to be there for Him with a look on their faces that said, “We don’t understand and maybe never will.  But we care that you are having a hard time.”  Ignorance was the problem.  They didn’t know what to do.  They were at a loss for words.  No matter the question or concern, there simply were no words that would fix this.  At least none that they could come up with.  Maybe a heart of gratitude and words expressing as such might have helped.  After all, Jesus was going to the Cross for them.  Maybe words of appreciation for the last three plus years and all they had seen and all the ways in which Jesus made a difference might have eased the passion.  They simply didn’t know what to say.

No one would blame them for being overwhelmed at the moment.  Anyone who has attended a funeral of someone very close knows exactly what the above scenario must have been like.  Anyone standing at the deathbed of a loved one knows what the disciples faced.  Those who have stood with others through tragedy, financial collapse, a marriage that fell apart, or any such circumstances know what these men were feeling.  They felt totally inadequate.  They felt like total failures.  They felt out of place.  Awkward doesn’t even begin to describe it.  These men were in over their heads.  Therefore, disengaging and resting seemed the likeliest of responses.  If there were nothing to say and no way to ease the affliction, then no energy is expended.  Rest comes naturally.  But there is something we can do.  Ignorance does not imply ineffectiveness.  These men could have stayed awake.  They could have had a prayer meeting all their own.  They could have met Jesus with open eyes and a heavy heart simply to convey the thought that they cared.  Ignorance may bring rest.  But it doesn’t have to.

What Would Your Answer Be?

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.” (Mr 10:51 AV)

What a question.  The blind man approached Jesus for a miracle.  One would think the answer to the question would be self-evident.  Yet the LORD asks anyway.  We do this to our children.  We require that they ask before their need is met.  This keeps the relationship within proper boundaries.  But this also begs another question.  Even though the answer to the question would seem self-evident, the answer was not a given.  Jesus asked a question that could have been answered with a multitude of responses.  The blind man could have asked for wealth.  He could have asked for long life.  He could have asked for more than his sight.  He could have asked for the privilege to follow Him.  The blind man could have asked for many different things.  Yet he sought only one desire.  Most of all, he wanted his sight.  This stirs a thought in the heart of the saint.  If the LORD asked us the same question, what would be our response?

This exercise is even more effective if we limit our answer to only one thing.  It only works if we examine our hearts while we produce that answer.  Instead of answering it as we know the LORD would have us do, answer it according to the honesty of our heart.  We know the right answer would be something like perfect Christlikeness.  But let's face it.  Most of us have more pressing concerns.  Some would ask for better health.  Some would ask for a financial windfall.  Others might ask for repaired relationships.  Still others might seek better accommodations.  There are careers to consider.  There is concern for our missionaries, our churches, and our country.  The list we compile is long.  All these things are not necessarily wrong to seek.  Some are commanded from scripture.  We are to pray for our leaders.  We are to pray for the lost.  We are to seek the LORD for forgiveness, wisdom, and humility.  The LORD teaches us to seek our daily bread, the heart to love others, and for God’s perfect will to be accomplished.  The list is a long one.  The blind man was asked, and only one answer came to his lips.

One might say that such an exercise is not productive or downright unfair.  Not really.  By asking, the LORD did not limit the answer to only one thing.  Jesus did not insert the words “one thing” in the question.  He asked a simple question.  What is it that I can do for you?  By asking, Jesus is requiring the blind man to prioritize his needs.  He is requiring the blind man to evaluate his needs and present the most pressing one at the moment.  In other words, if the LORD asked us that same question, where would our priorities fall?  What would be the most important thing to us?  This may change depending on present circumstances.  When a recovering patient is laying in extreme pain, his priority differs from the saint with a migraine who is sitting in a pew.  Their needs may be the same.  But to different degrees.  Therefore, if Jesus asked you that question, what would be your priority?

Salt is Good

“Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.” (Mr 9:50 AV)

It always puzzles me that salt and pepper have to be added when cooking.  I often wondered why the LORD simply didn’t make all food with enough salt and pepper that additional seasoning isn’t necessary.  There are some foods that are naturally salty and need no additional seasonings.  Soy sauce comes to mind.  As I watch cooking shows, there are a pinch of salt and pepper added to most recipes.  What further stirs my interest is that salt and pepper are the only two seasonings that are absolutely necessary.  There are others like ginger, Romano, or sesame that may or may not be used.  Rosemary, sage, or thyme are more that are not always on the list of must use seasonings for all occasions.  Only salt and pepper.  Fascinating.  Salt and pepper are almost always added.  Then I noticed that these seasonings are added to taste.  Not necessarily a set amount.  Unless one is baking, then salt and pepper are discretionary.  Salt adds life to all that it touches.  Too much, and it can kill yeast or sterilize meat.  However, the most common use of salt is to add flavor to all that it influences.

When we are around other people, whether we know it or not, we influence them.  No one is an island unto themselves.  There are some who are overbearing.  There are others who are the life of the party.  Still others can enter a room with a dark cloud hanging over their heads.  Our personality or spirit changes people.  We react to the demeanor of others while they react to ours.  It is only natural.  We all know types of personalities.  There is the Debby or Dougie Downer.  There is the Peppy Petunia or Peter.  There is the Angry Angela or Andy.  Then there is the Malicious Max, the Optimistic Olivia, or the Wild Wendy.  We have the Quiet Quincy, the Informative Isaac, and the Boisterous Bob.  There are the Noisy Nancys, the Sleep Sams, and the Cheap Charlies.  Personalities abound.  How they affect others is important.  In our Lord’s words, we see various applications.

First, the LORD tells us to have salt in ourselves.  That means the way we affect others is under our control.  Second, we see not pepper, but salt.  Salt affects food in livening it and drawing out the natural flavors of the food.  How we affect others should be to draw out their good qualities and helping them to be a blessing to others.  Third, since salt is added to taste, each person you meet will tolerate or be blessed by your salt to different degrees.  Circumstances may also dictate how much salt is added.  I’ll give you a great example.  I tend to de-escalate situations.  When something is intense, my reaction is to turn down the flame.  Humor is a good go-to tool in my toolbox.  But this does not always work.  A funeral or serious hospital stay is not the time for humor.  When someone is facing a surgery or procedure in which they are seriously concerned, even if I know it will be ok, I cannot go into the room treating it like no big deal.  How much salt we use, when we use it, and for what purposes we use it matters.

What which the Spirit is expressing is using my personality and gifts to benefit the lives of others.  The same goes for all.  Have salt within yourselves.  Have life and personality within yourselves.  Don’t be a log.  Rather, have a bit of well-defined traits.  Let them grow.  Then, use them to flavor the life of another.  As we touch each other’s lives, we should be better for it.  Each affecting another to the edifying of the Body.  Have salt in yourselves.  Then use it for the blessings it can and will be for others.