Just a Sheep IV – The Bridge Isn’t Out

Networks of railroad lines cross over the countryside, moving people and things from one location to another. As planners designed the original rail lines, they had to take into account the rise and fall of the land. A path had to be planned over the plains, across rivers, past mountains, and through steep valleys. Even when starting with the most gentle of grades, eventually a geographic difficulty would be encountered and they would need to encompass a new plan.

Imagine crossing a gentle land, then approaching a deep divide with sheer drops cutting away from the ground ahead. Stone sides seem to go down forever, plunging with such a severe fall in height that it makes my head spin. I know that if there is not some alternative measure, this trip ends right here and now. I also know that I cannot possibly force such a thing from thin air. I need a bridge that I cannot construct to move safely from one side to the other. 

Now imagine that same location, the same sheer drop. This time however, a bridge is in place. It is safe, secure, solid and just waiting to provide a way to move across the decline. I think we can all agree that this is a good thing. 

Fourteen words, just fourteen words and yet they create a bridge. Jesus is the good shepherd, the good bridge. Not a mere structure to move people from one place to another, but as one who lays down his life for his sheep. Starting with the first two words, “I am,” I hear an echo of Exodus three, where God is speaking to Moses. Moses, in a moment of witnessing God’s glory, listens and hears the words, “I Am Who I Am.” (Exodus 3:14) Notice again how the phrase starts, “I am the good shepherd.”

I am is a shepherd, but not just any shepherd. He is the good shepherd. The word, kalos means good; but this is not any ordinary kind of good. This type of good inspires and motivates others with a noble and pure goodness. This is the word of one who speaks with authority, who claims his name with no wondering or worrying.

Again, the words do not end here. The good shepherd is not merely a presence, but takes action in giving His life for the sheep. It is the ultimate moment that speaks to the bridge being there, safe and ready; and Jesus being the bridge. It is the bridge of a shepherd who has chosen to give His life for His sheep. It ties into the word of Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Chris died for us.” The good shepherd chose to be the bridge so that we could cross the divide that we could not cross on our own from death to life. 

Just a Sheep III – Life Giver of Abundance

A heavy rain just ended. The clouds carrying evaporative moisture experienced cooling and condensing, turning the vapor into rain. It is as if a cloud were like a towel, too heavy with moisture and it was wrung out. The soil received the rain, it seeped into the dirt and watered the roots of plants burrowed into the ground. With the rain the world turns shades of lovely lively greens; and from some of these green organic structures a harvest can be picked. This season of abundant harvest is shown in the multi-colored farmer’s market stands, as they hold a literal cornucopia of vegetables and fruits. From these harvestings, we are physically nourished for daily life. However, this is no lackluster nourishment. This harvest is rich with color, fragrance, texture and taste. It is abundant, abundance being a wave, a surge and an overflow. Late in the summer, the harvest is ample. But the life that the shepherd provides is more abundant than any a garden can produce.   

Listening to the words of Jesus at the beginning of John 10, it seems as though he might have received some blank stares and puzzled looks talking about sheep and shepherding. Picking up the subject again, Jesus draws a sharp contrast between himself and robbers. While the shepherd seeks the best for the flock to keep it safe and healthy, the thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. No doubt some were pondering these words and felt their tempers rising, realizing that they – the spiritually favorable – had just been referred to as thieves. Thieves comes to rob us of joy, peace, hope, faith and to destroy the relationship with the shepherd.

I love this last contrast in verse ten. Watch the word I, “I have come.” The Lord has come, the Lord is come. And, he comes for a purpose! I have come to give life, a more abundant life. In other words, I am the shepherd and I will take care of my people. Not in a minimal way to just get them by; rather I will give of myself so that they have life more abundantly. This abundance is the kind that is measured, pressed down, shaken together and running over, (Luke 6:38). This is the abundance we cannot contain, it simply keeps overflowing from our hands, running down our arms and seeping into the ground below our feet. 

“Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.’”  John 10: 7-10

In a world of achieve more, faster, higher and better, I occasionally hear someone speak honestly of the desire for an abundance that they cannot make. It is an abundance of life, which has nothing to do with earthbound accomplishments. It is the more of eternity, the more of agape, the more of freedom that comes from reliances on the shepherd. This is the more that cannot be destroyed or taken. This is the more of Jesus, the giver of abundant life.

Intentional Dreamer

Today is Martin Luther King Day, a fitting day for being a dreamer that is intentional in the dream.  Many of us know a few words of that famous speech, “I have a dream.”  I encourage you each to go back and read that worthy text.  This is no miscellaneous thought, a wisp of a passing moment.  This was a dream that was thought through to an ending, pictured in what it would look like in completion.  There are other dreamers, worthy movers of thought that is contagious to the rest of us because we can grasp both the dream and what the end result’s impact could be.

• John F. Kennedy spoke the words and a dream shared by many became reality in the next decade in the exploration of space.
• Florence Nightingale dreamed of making a difference.  She changed the view of women in the medical profession and was viewed as a woman of mercy on the battlefield, where she tried to save wounded soldiers.
• Thomas Edison had the dreams of an inventory, and beyond the light bulb filaments, his impact on technology we use today was phenomenal.  You probably have heard of what some of the modern offspring of those inventions are – movies, music recordings, and of course electric lights.
• Helen Keller found the dream of communication with the world, reaching out of what was her solitary prison to share herself and show others that it could be done.
• John Bunyan, tinker turned author, spent time in English prisons in the 1600s for his preaching without a license.
• Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine was queen of two countries, and had two of her sons to go on and be kings of England.  Her politics influenced Western Europe through generations. 
• Rosa Parks let her tired feet and hopeful heart dream of sitting in a seat on a bus without being forced to the back or off due to skin color.
• Jesus Christ shared a dream of peace, grace, and hope for the world.  His words still calm our soul, lift our hearts, and set our feet once again on truth and hope through his sacrifice.
• Malala Yousafzai, not even 20 years old, has a dream for the girls of her country of Pakistan and across the world to receive educations and have rights. 

My list could go on and on.  There are millions more who have had dreams.  They have had dreams of raising their children and breaking out of poverty, for beating a disease, for attaining the goal, for meeting their potential, for helping others meet their potential.  Dreams have been set for goals that seem widely unattainable at the time, and now are a normal part of life.  Today is a good day to be reminded that dreams are powerful and important.  Dream big, dream intentionally and put action with those dreams.  Share your dreams and let others capture the vision.  Take a seat, give yourself a moment to let your dreams take flight; who knows what else can be accomplished!

A Collective Breath

Christmas Eve is here!  Complete with snow on the ground, making the White Christmas I sing about happily true this year.  The presents are wrapped with brightly colored paper, completed with sparkly shiny bows.  Cards expressing Christmas wishes to all are nearly ready to be given (my theory is that as long as they go out before the New Year it’s all good).  Soon, the house will be filled with the smell of Christmas Eve chili, lemon pie and a mixture of other goodies; complimented by the sounds of children, friends and family. 

The special time of Christmas is not something that is made up of all these wonderful things, though these are exceptionally lovely things to include.  It is a yearly instance where the world seems to take a collective breath and inhale the sweet newness of an infant in a manger; the feeling we get when we hold a tiny new life that is only minutes, days or weeks old.  Thrust into our arms, the baby’s weight is slight, but it fills us with the weight of love and responsibility. 

The pause of peace that occurs around this time of year is reflected in traditions, spontaneous declarations and heartbreakingly wistful wants of peace throughout history and the world.  The town of Turku, Finland, has declared a Christmas peace since the Middle Ages.  The holly and mistletoe, respectively the kissing plant and the plant of peace, are reminiscent of the kiss of peace monarchs would give and receive from their nobles.  The old history of many carols can be traced to the need of peace that only this new life a baby could bring.  In much more modern history, a desire for peace came out again in the Civil War, even amidst Christmas day skirmishes.  The soldiers’ hearts craved that peace should be the order of the day and reflected it in their letters and songs.  After the capture of Savannah, some northern soldiers delivered several wagons full of food and other supplies to the people who were caught in a land desolated by a bitter war.  In World War I, an impromptu peace broke out in several places as men in opposing trenches exchanged songs, a few gifts, and rallied their impromptu football (a.k.a soccer) teams with cheering, ringing foreign sounds of peace through no-man’s-land.  Much more recent is in war-torn Nigeria; a few Muslim and Christian neighbors have declared this very Christmas a time of peace to celebrate together. 

Beyond the kindness to strangers we many witness at this time, these days have a convention of people drawing in a breath and catching in a singular air of the divine.  I think it is more than just sweet traditions and customs that has brought about these singular moments that we know of, and the thousands we do not know of.  I think it is the celebration of an earthly birth of a heavenly king.  The peace our minds and bodies crave catch a whisper from the spirit, quiet amongst the sounds of wrapping, caroling, sledding, shopping, visiting, and cooking; barely heard and yet keenly felt.  It is the whisper that offers peace, the peace of the spirit.  The peace we have so long wanted is rested in our arms as a new born baby, Jesus.  The emptiness in the longing is filled with the hope of peace.  But, I think that it is not just the baby that impacts in such a tremendous way, it is the man as well.  The man that died for us, died for us out of love and returned to us out of love, to offer peace. 

In the hectic moments the next few days presents, I wish you a merry and peace filled Christmas.  That you will draw in a breath and catch a faint hint of the smell of a new baby in a manger, of a man on a cross, of the promise of peace in love. 

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
 I heard the bells on Christmas day
 Their old familiar carols play,
 And wild and sweet the words repeat
 Of peace on earth, good will to men.

 I thought how, as the day had come,
 The belfries of all Christendom
 Had rolled along th'unbroken song
 Of peace on earth, good will to men.

 And in despair I bowed my head:
 'There is no peace on earth,' I said
 'For hate is strong, and mocks the song
 Of peace on earth, good will to men.'

 Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
 'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
 The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
 With peace on earth, good will to men.'

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

   

  

Wash It Away

A sudden rain came down a few days ago, that for all its brevity could be called a gully washer.  I was inside, and though I paused to admire the actual sheeting of rain that blocked my view to see across the street, I did not really think much about the outside effects.  Later that day, I walked to my car to head home.  The rain had stopped and it was nicely cool and fresh outside.  I noticed that there were brown lines around cars, where the rain had washed cars and removed the layers of dirt.  Outlines now existed around cars, and in parking spots where cars were once parked.  My car shined quite nicely in the sun, looking clean and sparkly.  The remnants the rain left were not on my car, but in a car sized dirt outline

As I got in the car, and headed home, it struck me that the car could not wash itself.  There had to be an outside source to remove the dirt.  In much the same way, the sins that accumulate on, around, and in me are also something I cannot remove.  Jesus, in much the same way, performed an act that worked like that gully washer.  He shed his blood and died for my sins, in essence removing them by the sacrifice of love.  What left was a bright and shiny forgiveness of my sins and your sins in the person of me and other followers of Christ, and that human size dirt outline you see there on the ground, that is the sin that is no longer mine to pick-up. 

Why? That is one of my favorite questions.  I think it is important to understand why things happen or don’t happen certain ways.  Why would a perfect God do something to even bother with the messiness of people?  Love.  God loves us so much that He gave us his one and only Son.  We in turn, if we believe in him, we are given eternal life.  Because, the Son (Jesus) did not come to condemn the messy structure we call humanity, but to save us instead.  I accepted that Love.  I hope you do too.  

Standing in the Gap for Me

A horrible thing happened today in Boston, one or two or a small number decided to attack a much larger number through explosives and through fear.  On a day celebrating the patriots of Massachusetts, at an event that inspires many around the globe to strive for a lofty goal, this terrible thing occurred.  We don’t even really know the details yet.  We don’t really know yet what the fall-out will be, who will be held responsible, or what attempts to legislate a stop of evil intent this will inspire. 

What we do know is that it is in this, this war where the front line is anywhere and everywhere, that we all must take a stand.  We must all stand up and realize that though our methods and philosophies may not agree, we are not accepting this behavior.   Even more, we must not lose hope.  We are not alone in this, and this is not something unique in our time. 

Ezekiel wrote of how God, angered at the decisions that Israel was making, finally had had enough.  Intent on pouring out just anger against the terrible things that were occurring, in effect saying “stop” I have had enough.  Even then, at the moment of anger, God looked for someone among the Israelites who could “stand before him in the gap.”  He was looking for a way to save them.

Today, we have someone to stand in the gap.  Jesus stands in the gap!  So that even when horrors occur, terrible tragedies; we do not have to lose hope.  Someone stands in the gap for me and wants to for you as well.  In the everyday neighborhood trenches, in the meeting rooms, classrooms, and commuter trains; in the births, marriages, and deaths; in the tragedies and in the triumphs.  

Ezekiel 22

Snow Melt

   After a few days of sunshine and warmer temperatures, the fluffy white stuff is starting to turn to little streams and spongy earth. I have noticed over the last years that around trees and bushes the snow melts first. The warmth of the trunk and the roots creates a warmer area of ground and the snow melts faster. If you have grown up around snow, this may just be an accepted part of winter melting. But, why does that happen?

   The truck of the tree is darker and absorbs more heat in the light than the white snow does. The tree is also much more than meets the eye on the surface. A whole other part of the tree sits underground, sheltered by the deeper earth and containing a greater degree of heat. They work together and soon that snow melts off much faster than what is in the neighboring field.
   So, can we learn anything from that that applies back to people? Sure! We all experience snow, the frozen condensation that piles up and up and up in life. Will it ever melt? The deeper the roots, the more protected we are from the frost that is permeating the ground. The trunk stands strong and holds the heat, it just stands and holds that heat, storing it up for usage. We need to plant our roots deep, by digging into the Word. In our busy world, we also need to stand still and soak in the warmth of Jesus. We don’t have to run around like a crazy person to enjoy the presence of Jesus.   
   So, as the snow melts, take a look at the trees. Enjoy your roots, stretch out, be still, and enjoy the presence and warmth of Jesus.

The Impact

   I’ve been blogging about the concept behind the community that was impacted by their involvement in eternal history. A baby is born and it ripples the history of the world for a family, generations even perhaps. But, after so many many years, the current significance wanes and it becomes historical impact instead. Then, there was a child born that changed the precedent and made such an impact that it forever changed history and our current lives.

   You are most likely familiar with parts of the Christmas story. Maybe it’s the touch of the mother Mary holding her new baby. Or perhaps it’s through the beautiful and ear catching tunes of the season. But, there are many details that we are not privy too. And thinking about the impact of that life, the birth of God’s son, I cannot imagine the community being impacted in anything less than dramatic and impactful. We are not told the story of the how the shepherds retold the story of that night filled with angels for years to come. We do not know what the actual sight of the birth was like, who heard the cry of a woman giving birth, who heard the sound of a brand new baby. Who held him and watched him blow bubbles as all babies do or roll over for the first time? Did Joseph pace or sit near Mary, encouraging her. Perhaps he was squeamish and removed himself from the birthing area. Were there others there to help her? Zechariah was part of Mary’s life and no longer silent after his son John was born. How did he share that story, with whom?
   In my own community, there are many who are preparing to celebrate. My own hands are feeling the tired strain of writing Christmas cards, knowing that my a’s and e’s and starting to blur together in cursive writing. Trees are decorated, presents are purchased (though not yet wrapped), there are parties and programs, choir concerts, friends and dinners. Such a hubbub of the next few weeks. Obviously, that birth still impacts us in a tangible way now. But, what about our hearts, does it impact our hearts? The birth was a miraculous thing. It entailed the sovereign Son of God relinquishing his total control, total power to a mother and father who did not have a manual in how to raise him. There was no magic wand that could be simply waved over his head and wah-lah – it’s all done and good. It took work and care. Today, the relationship with Jesus still takes work and care. And the effort that is plied into this will be reimbursed many times over, in an eternally impactful way.

Dirty Knees

Silence may be good for the soul, but so is some sunshine on my back and dirt under my fingernails. My back was just on fire today, sitting at work I would squirm from one side to another. Finally I gave up and dispersed with the chair choosing work by standing instead. Coming home, I was looking forward to getting into the yard and weeding.

Weeding as a help for a sore back? Yes, in this case – I knew that what I really needed was the movement of my back stretching as I bent for weeds, reaching for roots deeply rooted. Dandelions, sticky weeds, clovers, grasses – they all came out of the ground and were tossed behind me. My knees grew red as I kneeled on the grass and dirt. Breathing deeply, I smelled dirt, sweat, and grasses.
Dirty knees are good for me, and not just to stretch out my back. Dirty knees mean that I am recognizing and working on removing weeds. Sometimes, I can’t pull them out with my hands. Their roots go deep and I may need a shovel. There are times in life when I need to pull out roots of weeds. By myself, sometimes I can break them off and at least make it a bit prettier. But, the weeds just grow back. I need a shovel, I need the Master Gardening skills of Jesus to come and get rid of my weeds. Digging carefully around the plants he has planted, he removes the weeds and burrs. It is much easier to recognize and get rid of weeds when I’m down and getting my knees dirty.

Stranger

I have moved seven times, over four states. That is plenty of times for me to grow a strong dislike for moving boxes and moving companies and moving in general. Each location held challenges, unique opportunities, difficulties, and potential. Some of the places were fairly easy to adjust to and others were much more difficult. But, overall I have had my fair share of days when I felt like a stranger and an outsider in the midst of people who belonged and fit.
“To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia….” (1 Peter 1:1). To the strangers, here we have this addressed to the strangers, those who don’t quite fit in the world around them. But, why are they strangers? I would imagine that many of them grew up and lived their entire lives in that area.
Stranger danger, it’s what we teach children in order to help them recognize the difference between friend and foe. If God’s children, or elect, are strangers in the world, then we must be designed to be at home with each other or within the body of Christ.
As a stranger, as a migrant of sorts in new communities, it can be a lonely thing. Not just getting lost trying to find new grocery stores, but needing the fellowship of the family of friends. But, Peter did not stop with acknowledging the strangers in the world, instead he goes on by saying “…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood,” (1 Peter 1:2). I don’t want to go into the difficult theology here, but want to point out one thing.
The words through, for, and by. Let me say it this way, “…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood,” (1 Peter 1:2). Through sanctification or growth in grace through Jesus is provided. This is a promise that the Holy Spirit will work with us through these things for growth. What is the purpose of this growth? To obey and be saved. Obedience to Jesus is to be a Christ follower, listening to and acting in such a way that we are obeying what Jesus tells us to do. Sprinkling by his blood, forget the arguments of sprinkle versus dunk and go to the next word, by. This is not sprinkled by the water sprinkler, garden hose, or shower. This is a sprinkling by the blood of Christ, the blood that saves us from our sins. So, a stranger is acknowledged as such, a stranger to the world. Separated out by the work of the Holy Spirit, obedience to Jesus, and being saved by his blood.
Fellow strangers, don’t forget the next part. “Grace and peace be yours in abundance,” (1 Peter 1:2).

Easter Weekend

Easter weekend, yes I know I’m late, had to be such an extreme emotional event for those who actually lived through it. There were so many events packed into a few days they are a bit overwhelming, bit for us and way overwhelming for those who walked those days. There was the betrayal by Judas, the gardens dark hours, and then the moment when the soldiers were involved. Jesus was arrested and brutally taken for trial. The trial was held, and the administrating official understood that it was envy that had really led to this moment. It was the envy of the reaction of the people to Jesus by the Pharisees.

While I highly recommend reading the story in detail yourself, it is a time to think through. The disciples acted out their fear of being turned over as well. There were denials that they knew or followed Jesus. Then, tears of bitter hurt and anguish were shed. Then, the moment happened. “Crucify him.” The shouts of the crowd gained momentum and led to Jesus on a cross. A cross, an execution device that Roman citizens who were criminals were not subjected to, that is what the Son of God was hung up on. They stood there, they watched the mockery and heard the wailing, heard the whispered fears. Imagine the stomachs and chests that physically hurt with stress and grief. What now?

Then, Jesus died.

A tomb was given over to lay the body of Jesus in. The hope that had lived in the disciples was doused and they tried to move away from the limelight.

The next day was the Sabbath. I wonder how many of that group even slept that night, or tossed and turned at best. Getting up the next morning, bleary eyed, they would have witnessed others going on as if it were a normal Sabbath. Instead, you may have found the followers with red rimmed eyes, slumped shoulders, with grief and fatigue written on their faces. No appetite that day, I would imagine. Many signs instead were probably heard and then sobs broken out.

Perhaps angry and confused discussions took place elsewhere, among the Pharisees. He is dead – what will be done now? Post guards at the tomb to make sure that his disciples don’t try to come and steal the body – make sure that nothing disturbs that tomb. That trouble maker is gone. But, then another topic might have kept working its way in – the temple curtain was torn, top to bottom. Did you hear about that? What caused that? You don’t think that… No – of course not…

Sabbath, Saturday, might have felt it was creeping by, only to be followed by another early morning. The women went to the tomb with the idea to dress the body for burial, with herbs and ointments. Yet, when they came there, the body was not there.

He is Risen! He is Alive!

Lessons from the Fig Tree

If you keep reading Matthew 24, Jesus goes on to provide examples of the signs of the upcoming season.  There are a "darkened sun, a lightless moon, falling stars, and the shaking of the heavenly bodies.  The list goes on, the Son of Man appearing in the sky, the nations of the earth, the power and glory of the Son of Man as he comes on the clouds.  Angels and trumpets, trumpets with some volume, and the gathering of the elect," (Matthew 24:29-31).

That sounds like quite the tumult to me.  Shaking, falling, this way and that way - rather chaotic.  And yet, I know that God is a God of order.  Thus, it is following a plan.  Which reminds me of the way seasons change.  Here in the Midwest, we see snow, rain, sleet, tornadoes, and sudden heat waves plunging into cold snaps as part of the transition into summer.  There are signs present which give us a warning or heads up that the change is coming. 

In much the same way, we have these changing things mentioned as something to make us aware that the Son of Man is coming to gather his elect.  In fact, Jesus goes so far as to point this out with the fig tree lesson.  "As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.  Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.  I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away," (Matthew 24:32-35). 

Lessons from the Fig Tree - enjoy spring!

Ignorance is Bliss?

Ignorance can sometimes be a difficult thing to take. It can lead to the what ifs in life that are hard to quiet. At other times, you wish you really didn’t know the upcoming details. It can be a frightening thing.



Jesus and the disciples were on the Mount of Olives. The disciples came to Jesus and wanted to know what to expect. They were cautioned to continue seeking truth, enjoined to rest in God’s peace. But, then there came a moment when the ignorance was stripped away somewhat. The words they heard were dire, terrible, and very frightening. I think I would have been tempted to stick fingers in my ears at this point, sing very loudly at the top of my lungs, shut my eyes, and spin in circles – trying to block out the words which were coming.


“You will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and the each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold…”(Matthew 24:9-12).


Yes, most definitely fingers in ears, singing loudly, eyes, shut, and spinning! Then, it gets worse. “When you see standing in the holy place, ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof on his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in these days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time,” ((Matthew 24:15-25).


Nah nah nah nah nah (hands are in ears, spinning is occurring, and eyes are shut)!


Is there any good news? Yes! The disciples were not left without hope. Instead, “he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come,” (Matthew 24: 13-14).
Maybe I can take the hands out of my ears after-all. I think I will keep my eyes shut still for right now.

In the Same Room

Recently a friend came to visit, and along with her came her little boy. He is an adorable little boy, full of laughter and love. He is a great kid, and a normal little boy. But, in those teaching moments, discipline and instructing moments, his mom was right there with him. She never told him to not do something from another room, handed out a punishment from another room, but was right there with him instead.

Jesus had spent time correcting the Pharisees. He strongly disciplined them, “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33). What was he going to do? Condemn them and say forget it, they deserve it? No – instead, he responded by saying “Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers.” It continues into a prophecy that these prophets and wise men and teachers will be killed and crucified by these men, flogging them and pursuing them! The men were warned that they would suffer from the blood of the righteous.


“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing,” (Matthew 23: 37). This was a moment of the parent grieving over the poor choices of wayward and making bad choices children, standing in the same room and disciplining them with hope that they would make a different choice.

Woes

I admit that when I hear woe, I hear the phrase, “O woe is me,” in a very whiny petulant voice. Jesus had been correcting the Pharisees, after they were trying to test him and prove him wrong and inaccurate. They were now in that woe is me stage. Have you ever been there? I have! Woe is me, because that didn’t work out, this isn’t what I planned, my day went badly, and it is one of those times you think that you should stay in bed for the rest of the month.


There is another kind of woe – the woe of the heart, the deep down sorrow that is truly hurting and painful. There are woes of another kind, the woes are kind of placed on another – woe to you, like a disparagement on them.


Check out Matthew 23 to read the full passage of what I will refer to when saying, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees.” Why woe to them? They were turning people away from God through the use of laws, brow beating them with imperfections. Woe to them for turning people away from God and to the enemy instead. Woe to them for their blindness and foolishness, losing the forest for the trees and making silly rules which did not make sense nor really benefit the people. Woe to you for neglecting the people, for “straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel,” for focusing on the surface issues and missing the important things. Woe for cleaning the outside, for making what people see appear good, but not taking care of the heart and the hidden sins. Instead, they are called “whitewashed tombs, where everything is beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.” Woe for false witness, for claiming righteousness against those who lived before.


These woes were serious. The reaction of the Pharisees was not terribly happy at being called to account for their attitudes and hearts that were darkened with pride and arrogance. Instead, it was an angry time.


Imagine what would have been different if the Pharisees had listened to this, turned with great sorrow to God, and asked even begged for forgiveness. What would have happened? What would happen if we do that now? Lord, change me! Fix me! Mold me into the person you want me to be and take care of all of the gnats and camels!

Fear in the Answer

In the prior verse, Jesus had his authority questioned by the chief priests and elders.  But, he didn’t just hear the question and walk away from it without a response.

“Jesus replied, ‘I will also ask you one question.  If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things,’” (Matthew 21:24).  Okay fellas, I will answer your question but first, tell me one thing…  It seems pretty easy doesn’t it?

“John’s baptism – where did it come from?  Was it from heaven, or from men?” (Matthew 21:25).   In essence, did John come up with this idea himself or was it inspired by God? 

Then, comes the tension filled moments, the leaders talked about what was occurring and what the questions were, their answers were wrapped in fear.  “They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’ – we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” (Matthew 21:25-26).  From heaven – then there is fear of a discipline, a correction from not believing John.  Then, they considered from men – but they were afraid of the power of the people, the beliefs that they held. 

Think about being tossed a question you don’t particularly care to answer.  If you hem and haw long enough, you may just answer – I don’t know.  This is what happened here.  “..they answerd Jesus, ‘We don’t know.’ (Matthew 21:27).

The response Jesus gave was , “he said, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.’” (Matthew 21:27).  Sometimes, we are required to step out on a limb and make a choice, make a declaration of what we think.  It is not possible to always ride between the two choice, eventually we either fall on the fence or fall off one side or the other. 

I am going to pray that any fences I am trying to ride will be shown to me so that I can make choices.  And, honestly I don’t want to fall off or on the fence (ouch!).  But, I would like to land well, on my feet, and continue on.  What about you?

Authority Revealed

Have you ever met someone who exudes authority?  It’s not positional, it’s not from money or political power, but authority is there nonetheless.  When they speak, people listen.  When they move, people watch.  Jesus must have been one of those people.  He spoke and people listened.  He moved and people watched.  Many sought him, many more wanted to. 

“Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of he people came to  him. ‘By what authority are you doing these things?’ they asked.  ‘And who gave you this authority?’” Matthew 21:23). 

It is easy to sit back now and wonder why these people would ask this question, and how they could really question Jesus so much.  It is easy to shake our heads at the elders, at the chief priests.  Shake our heads, wag our fingers at them – how could they miss it?  It’s so obvious!

Yet, I think about my own life and my own choices.  How often do I miss an opportunity, how often do I not obey and resist the authority of Jesus.  Perhaps I can’t really shake my head at these leaders.  Instead I must be careful to follow and obey the authority of Jesus.  I think I should thank those leaders in a way, they have allowed me a chance to be reminded of this need in my own life.  

Withering Fruit

Jesus spent the night away from the city, away from the stirred up crowd.  But, he didn’t stay away for ever.  The next day, “early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry,” (Matthew 21:18).  Before I go on, what a wonderfully subtle reminder that God was in Jesus fully God and yet fully human. 

“Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves.  Then he said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’” (Matthew 21:19).  Now, knowing a little of the characteristics of Jesus, I doubt very much that this was some morning randomn sleepiness which promotes bad moods.  Instead, I think this was a fig that was not fulfilling it’s purpose, it was not bearing fruit. 

What was the result?  Jesus “said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ Immediately the tree withered,” (Matthew 21:19). A fig tree has a purpose to bear fruit.  But, by just speaking Jesus caused the fig to wither.  It sounds like something from a movie.  The disciples were “amazed, ‘How did the fig tree wither so quickly?’” (Matthew 21:20). Wow!  How did that happen? 

“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer,” (Matthew 21:21-22). 

That is a pretty bold statement.  Mountains into the sea and receiving whatever is asked for in prayer?  Yet, lets dig just a little deeper with this.  Mountains seem to be things that are pretty sturdy, how in the world can faith make them move into the sea?  I guess I think of a couple different kind of mountains.  One is a real mountain, and for that my faith would need to be considerably stronger.  There are other mountains though, when the task or hurdle in front of me is looming larger and larger on the horizon.  I can’t climb it, can’t go around, can’t go under.  It either has to move or I’m not going to be able to move forward.  Prayer can help move that mountain. 

You will receive whatever you ask for in prayer… Oh my human mind, the created creature who thinks well, let’s see… I’m going to pray for this and that and the other.  It makes it sound like a Christmas wish list.  But, do you remember that fruit the fig tree didn’t have? No fruit, no faith.  But, with the fruit, with the faith, the nature of the prayers will be changed as well.  Instead of that wish list, it becomes something focusing on what God’s will is.   

The Stirring of the City

The donkey and the colt were brought to Jesus.  The disciples brought their cloaks and spread them out over them.  I wonder what the cloaks looked like.  I would imagine the donkey looked and smelled like a donkey.  But the cloaks, I wonder how many cloaks were put over that animal’s back.  The cloaks provided perhaps some sort of cushion for Jesus during the ride. 

A crowd gathered, the city was being stirred.  Think of the excitement, the stirring of the heart of the city as Jesus approaches.  “A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  The crowds that went ahead of him…,”(Matthew 21:8-9).  Imagine, the excitement as people ran and cut the branches off.  The road itself must have been a fragrant green sward of leaves.  Clopping along, the donkey’s ears swiveling in rhythm to the sound of the crowd, I wonder how often Jesus reached up to scratch that fuzzy creature on the neck.  The colt, tending to stick close to it’s mothers side, might have nuzzled his leg as they walked along. 

The cheer went up among those that were following –

“‘Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest!’”

Matthew 21:9

The city was stirred, the hearts were stirred, it was a moment of jubilation.  It was a time of great celebration, of excitement that was contagious and the people asked, ‘Who is this?’

The answer came from the crowd, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

What great excitement!  I think of my own heart and how God stirs it.  Sometimes, I am so amazed and blessed by God that my heart is stirred to the point of being ready to fling right out of the bowl.  Those times are precious.  Yet, there are other times when the stirring is not so pleasant, it may be a stirring to quiet or to listen, to turn from something chaining me, or to turn away from something taking my focus off of God.  The stirring, it brings things up from the bottom and presents it at the top.  If things are going to be stirred, what will come up?  The city was being stirred, what was going to come up? 

Have Mercy

The pinchy shoe moment has ended. Jesus and the disciples have packed up and are leaving Jericho, with a large crowd following behind.


And though in my mind I have pictured some sort of gigantic van, I know that they didn’t have on at that time and were walking. Walking along, two men are sitting by the roadside, blind. Sitting there, passersby might have taken pity on them and helped to meet a need.

If you ever cover your eyes with a scarf and try to operate for a while, you may notice that your other senses start to grow sharper. Hearings, smell, taste, touch all start compensating for the loss of sight. So imagine these two men, sitting on that road. Perhaps the sun was out that day and they were feeling heat, listening to the sounds of people passing on the road, maybe bugs were out buzzing (and bugging), the smell of people who have walked and their animals could have drifted by. But if these two men sat there often, this would all have been familiar to them. Then, something strange happens – there is a crowd walking past and the men hear news.

Jesus is coming!

What fabulous news for all of us to hear! How did they respond? “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” (Matthew 20:30). Mercy, shouting for mercy! It was a cry of help! What a great response to Jesus. We all need help and when we hear that Jesus is passing by, we can either cry out for mercy, try to ignore the crowd, or hide. These men showed wisdom in their pleading.

The crowd’s response was to tell the men to be quiet. Shhhhhhh!!!!! Can’t you hear it now; practice it in your very best movie librarian voice. Don’t interrupt us, don’t bother Jesus, and don’t get in my way! We do that too don’t we? That person has something wrong with them – don’t look, don’t ask, don’t talk, don’t, don’t, don’t.... Or better yet, let’s hide what’s wrong so that nobody else knows. We have an inner Shhhh at times that comes out, telling us that it is just too minor, major, horrible, silly, etc... to be shared.


So again – I applaud these men, they were not daunted by the crowd, but shouted out even louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” (Matthew 20:31).

Jesus stopped, called the men to him. “What do you want me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32). These few verses are just packed with information! We learn more about Jesus here. He knows what is wrong with these men. He knows about their vision, about every cell and every hair, every hope and every dream, every wrong and every right that has ever surrounded these men. But, he stops to ask – what do you want me to do? Jesus does that for us too. He doesn’t charge in and make us change. Instead, he calls to us, stops for us, and then asks us about the change. What love that is! Think how we would rebel if it was pushed on us, instead we are wooed.


What did the men want? Their sight! “Lord, we want our sight.” (Matthew 20:33). Can you imagine the butterflies in the stomach, the elbowing and jostling in the crowd, the excitement in the air? Sight for these men carried so much with it, possibilities and freedoms that were currently unattainable.


Jesus had mercy on them, he had compassion, and he knew that he could heal these men and what it would mean. Jesus “touched their eyes.” (Matthew 20:34).


What I would give to have been able to see those men’s faces as they took it all in. What was the first thing they saw? Did they know what their road side compatriot looked like? Did they hear familiar voices in the crowd and start putting faces with them? We don’t know if they had always been blind, perhaps they had never seen sunlight or starlight, shadows, green leaves, and the dust of the road. There would be so much to do right then, I think I would want to go five directions at one time! I want to see everything!!


But, these men “received their sight and followed him,” (Matthew 20:34). They received their physical sight, but they also followed Jesus, receiving the sight of their souls. Jesus did have mercy on them.