The Problem of Competing Interpretations

January 25, 2012 Leave a Comment

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:27 ESV)

Wouldn’t you have like to have heard this? While I would probably consider myself pretty biblically literate, there are parts of the Bible I don’t always understand. One thing that I find really difficult is the differing interpretations of the same biblical texts.

For instance while many Christian churches don’t have a problem with women cutting their hair or wearing pants, there are equally sincere Christians who think that a woman in pants is sinful. While some Christians (and Jesus) think that drinking alcohol in moderation, others think that this too is sinful. To confuse things even more, all of the folks espousing these competing doctrines say that their view comes from scripture.

At least in this instance, Cleopas and his companion could be certain that Jesus interpretation of the scriptures was perfect.

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Right, Left or Jesus

January 25, 2012 Leave a Comment

Russell Moore had a piece on his blog recently that looked at where American Christianity has been since World War 2, and where it is heading today. While many evangelicals will readily point to liberal Christianity as having abandoned the Gospel for social engineering, they have ignored the plank in their own eye. Moore has this interesting comment:

“On the one hand, the tactics of the old social gospel liberals have been inherited, ironically enough, by the Religious Right. Once again, in many quarters, a political program has replaced the gospel. Just listen to Christian talk radio for an hour and see where the emphasis is.”

via Moore to the Point – The Evangelical Uneasy Conscience Faces the Future.

Maybe both the Christian Left and the Christian Right should examine their aims to see if their square with the mission of Jesus.

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What? No Marriage In Heaven?

January 23, 2012 Leave a Comment

For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. (Matthew 22:30 ESV)

Jesus was asked a question by some religious folks who weren’t really looking for an answer but instead were looking to instigate trouble. But their question centered around marriage, heaven, and life after death. I find the answer to their question troubling.

I love my wife. I like being married to her and can’t imagine life without her. In fact, later this year we will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. While I am not perfect and neither is she, we are perfect for each other. But according to Jesus’ teaching, when we die and go to heaven, we will no longer be married to each other. I don’t know about you but I find this sad.

But I also know what else the Bible and Jesus teach about heaven. I know that God loves me and wants me to enjoy eternity in heaven with him. For whatever reason, he has something else in store for us after our life here is over. I have to trust that it is better than my already wonderful marriage.

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Increase My Faith To Remove My Doubts

January 19, 2012 Leave a Comment

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5 ESV)

I can relate to the apostles’ request. How often I’ve prayed a similar request. But I don’t have a desire to throw mulberry trees into the sea, or to move mountains. I want to increase my faith in order to have an all consuming faith without doubt.

Can I say that? That I am a Christian who sometimes has doubts?

That’s why I’ve asked “increase my faith”. I want a faith that works it’s way through my whole life. I want a faith that’s real, alive and vibrant. I want a faith that allows me to put aside my fears and to step out on faith. I want a faith that causes me to live like Jesus would.

Is this too much to ask?

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The Corrupting Influence Of Religionists

January 17, 2012 Leave a Comment

How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16:11-12 ESV)

Shortly after witnessing a confrontation between Jesus and the religious authorities of they day, the disciples mistakenly assume that Jesus was admonishing them about lack of food when he warned them to “beware of the leaven” of these authorities. Jesus corrects their mistaken assumption and tells them that he was referring to their teaching as “leaven” or yeast.

When making bread, one uses a little bit of yeast, which then reproduces and works it’s way through the entire lump of dough. This metaphor of yeast as being like the teaching of these religious leaders is apt. It only takes a little bit of errant religiosity to work it’s way through the entire institution and corrupt the entire thing.

I had a conversation recently with a man who indicated that he struggled as a child with organized religion. What’s funny is that Jesus’ harshest criticism was not directed at ordinary sinners such as unchaste women, or dishonest tax collectors but instead was leveled at religionists. In fact, Jesus usually welcomed the sinners and rejected the religionists. Sinners often know their lives aren’t what they should be. Religionists often don’t because the teachings of their religion become a functional god to them, obscuring their view of God himself and of their need for a savior.

In the case of the religious authorities of Jesus’ day, they missed the long awaited Messiah promised in their religious texts because they had allowed some of this leaven to work it’s way through their entire system. I think that we should probably heed the same warning ourselves and make sure that our institutions haven’t had leaven work through them in the same way. Are the teachings of your faith more important than the object of your faith?

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Finding Peace For Troubled Hearts

January 16, 2012 Leave a Comment

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27 ESV)

When I read this verse my first thought was about a line in the book The Lord of The Rings where the elf Galadriel welcomed the fellowship of the ring to Lothlorien. The fellowship had struggled mightily in their quest thus far and felt defeated. They were greeted by Galadriel with these exact words “Let not your hearts be troubled.” and then encouraged to rest their weary bodies.

Likewise Jesus ties his blessing of “peace” with this admonition to also “let not your hearts be troubled”. Yet, it’s often a troubled heart that prevents us from having peace and rest. It’s a troubled heart that keeps us awake during the watches of the night. It’s a troubled heart that either causes or is caused by a lack of peace in our lives.

In the very first verse of this chapter in John’s Gospel Jesus tells his disciples:

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. (John 14:1 ESV)

It’s a troubled heart that demonstrates our need for Jesus and it’s in him that we find true peace.

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How Do People Know You Follow Jesus?

January 14, 2012 1 Comment

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)

It’s interesting that near the end of his ministry, Jesus gives this command to his disciples. I think that this proximity shows the importance that Jesus placed on this command. People would know that the disciples were followers of Jesus because of the love that they had for others. I wonder if people would recognize me as a follower of Jesus for that reason. I fear that they wouldn’t.

If love for others is the badge of a Christian, does this mean that not showing love to others is a roundabout way of denying Jesus? Every moment that I don’t treat someone as Jesus would, my actions are telling the world that Jesus doesn’t matter much to me, regardless of what my lips might say.

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Your Speech Is A Reflection Of Your Heart

January 13, 2012 Leave a Comment

The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” – Matthew 12:35-37 ESV

One of my greatest struggles is with my tongue. Too many times I have spoken careless words and let those “evil treasures” buried deep inside me come to the surface in the things I say. No matter how many times I say to myself that I am going to do better, that I am not going to join in malicious gossip around the water cooler at work, I slip and the blackness in my heart is apparent by the things I say.

I also struggle with my speech when I am behind the wheel. I know it sounds silly but if another driver is not driving particularly well I have been known to let a few choice words fly questioning their lineage, their intelligence or even their humanity.

Why is it so hard to control our speech?

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Too Busy To See Jesus

January 11, 2012 Leave a Comment

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:38-42 ESV

So who are you more like Mary or Martha? Martha’s problem was that she was too busy doing good things to see Jesus. Those things she was doing, serving others and meeting their needs got in the way with her fellowship with Jesus.

I suppose that I have fallen prey to this myself. I have let laudable undertakings get in the way of the time I should be spending sitting at Jesus’ feet. It’s not that those things don’t have to be done, but we should make sure that we take the opportunity to set them aside and let them go undone when the opportunity to listen to Jesus comes around.  There will be plenty of times to serve but the times at Jesus feet don’t come nearly as often.

What good things should you set aside for a time in order to spend time listening at Jesus’ feet?

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To Deny Myself Every Single Day

January 10, 2012 2 Comments

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. – Luke 9:23 ESV

This verse is a popular one. It’s not unusual to hear it quoted in all kinds of different contexts. As I was thinking about this verse and what it means for me I first thought that to “deny myself” might be a call to become some sort of aesthetic. You get a mental picture of a hermit living a very frugal existence in a cave somewhere or of an anchorite being walled up in their cell. But given the other advice Jesus gives in the Gospels, he can’t mean that we all should leave secular life and become a monastic.

One commentary I read said that the implications of this verse is that we are to give up control of our lives. To be honest, this might be more difficult than to become a monastic. I like to be in control. I like to think that I can direct my own destiny. I don’t want to give it up. But if I am to follow Christ, I am going to have to deny myself the control I thought I had over my life.

The next part is equally troubling: to take up his cross daily. I really think that the admonition to do this “daily” is significant. I am going to have to let Jesus assert control over my life every single day. It’s not something that just happens once. It’s not something that we only do on Sunday.

It’s every single day.

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