Finding Peace For Troubled Hearts
January 16th, 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.
How Do People Know You Follow Jesus?
January 14th, 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.
Your Speech Is A Reflection Of Your Heart
January 13th, 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?
Too Busy To See Jesus
January 11th, 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?
To Deny Myself Every Single Day
January 10th, 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.
Politics And Pandering To The Faithful
January 9th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 6:1 ESV
I don’t like being patronized. Yet it seems like every political candidate of every stripe goes out of their way to “practice their faith” before men. This election season has been particularly bad in regards to this. At least one candidate started his campaign with a tent revival like prayer meeting complete with preachers. Others have signed a pledge to live out Biblical values in their marriage even though it’s arguable whether they have ever lived that way as demonstrated by their string of marriages wrecked by adultery.
Some of these folks may actually have a real faith practice that drives their life. However, when they trot it out at every opportunity and use it to try and win over voters it loses it’s legitimacy and becomes more of a shtick. The sad part is that when they do this they are in effect communicating that they think we are stupid enough to fall for it. And when we fall for it we confirm our stupidity to them.
What does it say about our faith that we let ourselves be used for crass political purposes? Are we really so desperate to have our faith validated by politics that we’ll think this kind of pandering is acceptable?
Eating And Drinking With Some Of Those People
January 6th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.
And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” – Luke 5:27-32 ESV
I must admit that there is quite a lot in the Bible that makes me uncomfortable. This is one of those passages. It makes me uncomfortable because I can identify with the Pharisees and their questioning Jesus about his choice to eat and fellowship with some of “those people”. I think that if we are honest, we all probably have a very personal definition of who “those people” are. They are the kind of people who we think we are better than. They are the kind of people we may greet in a half hearted way when we are forced to acknowledge them. They are the kind of people we don’t want our kids around. They are those people we hope never learn where we live.
I mean we’re glad that they come to church, after all they probably need church much more than we do. But we’d likely be more comfortable if they went to another church and not to ours. We want to keep our church filled with people just like ourselves. People who look like us, and dress like us, and talk like us.
We certainly don’t want our church to be filled with sinners like them. People who are broken. People who are lonely. People who struggle. People who have fears. People who doubt.
People that have no hope without Jesus.
Yet as I think about it, I doubt. I have fears. I struggle. I’m lonely. I’m broken. I’m a sinner.
I have no hope without Jesus.
I am so grateful that Jesus would choose to eat with “those people” like me.
To Follow Jesus Means Leaving Something Behind
January 4th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
via Matthew 4:18-22 – ESVBible.org.
Simon, Andrew, James and John were all much braver than I am. When Jesus called them, they all walked away from their livelihoods to follow him. Simon Peter was married and had a wife to support. I don’t specifically know if the others were married but there is a pretty good chance that they were. I’m not sure that I would want to tell my wife “Gee Honey, I quit my job so I can follow this carpenter from Nazareth around. No, there’s no money in it but he says we’ll get to fish for men.”
I guess I’d like to think that if I saw Jesus in the flesh I’d know he was the Son of God and that it would be ok to leave everything and follow him. But so many others around Jesus didn’t recognize him for who he really was. Even the disciples didn’t really figure it out until after Jesus died and was resurrected. But still, for whatever reason they walked away from their jobs to follow him.
I wonder if there was a fisherman named Bart that Jesus also asked but was too afraid to follow him? If there was, did he regret his decision later?
Handling Disappointment With Grace
January 4th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” – John 3:30 ESV
I must admit, I don’t think I would make a very good John The Baptist. I mean John was really sacrificing for his faith. He was living in the desert. He was wearing terrible clothes and the food he had to eat was worse than awful. And after all that, another one comes after him and steals his followers.
Like John I worked hard at what I once thought was my calling. I taught Bible studies, I was at the church every time the doors were open, took a few seminary classes when I could and even filed in for our pastor on occasion. I felt sure that one day I would go on staff with a church somewhere.
But then it all went off the rails.
Unlike John the Baptist I couldn’t sit back and gracefully watch others be successful. I’d see others fulfilling the dream, their calling and have success in the ministries they worked at and this would make me resentful. I’d withdraw so I didn’t have to face my disappointment in myself and in God.
If I’d have been John I doubt I could have stepped aside and say “He must increase, but I must decrease.” I’d be angry with God arguing that my life in the desert, my uncomfortable clothing and my bug filled diet should have at least qualified me for something more.
But that’s why John has his honored place in the Gospels. He’s not like me. He knew what his role was and it wasn’t to lead a group of followers but instead it was to be “The voice of one crying in the wilderness.” (Luke 3:4 ESV).
We could probably all learn a lot from John. When others are successful and you’re overlooked are you happy for them? When a co-worker gets the promotion you wanted will you celebrate with them? Will you handle disappointment with grace?
A Year With The Gospels
January 2nd, 2012 § Leave a Comment
For about the past fifteen years, I have made it a point to read the Bible through cover to cover every year. I have used various reading plans to accomplish this over the years. Regardless of whether you are a Christian, an atheist or somewhere in between, it’s not hard to see that the Bible has had a profound effect on our history. There are so many aspects of our culture that is derived from or influenced by the stories and teachings found in the Bible.
If you’ve never set out to read the entire Bible though, I would highly encourage it. You can spend about 15 minutes a day for the entire year and read every word in the Old and New Testaments. A real easy way to find and keep up with a Bible reading plan can be found here. You can even download apps for your phone that has apps for reading plans integrated with the Bible text.
This year, I have decided to do something a little different. Instead of reading the entire Bible through this year, I am going to spend the entire year in just the four books of the Bible known as the Gospels. That is: the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. My reason for cutting back from 66 books to just four this year is that I want to really grok the biblical text. I have a pile of commentaries, study Bibles, other books and Bible software that I plan on using this year to help me understand the text and all it’s implications.
Today one of the passages in the Gospel’s I read was in Luke 2. At the end of this chapter this story of an incident in Jesus’ boyhood.
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. – Luke 2:41-51 ESV
One part of this passage that really struck me is found in v. 51 where it says:
“And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them.”
While I have read this passage many times over the years, it was almost as if I had never noticed that sentence. I also find it interesting that Luke thought this was significant enough to note. Why is it so important to note that as a boy, Jesus was submissive to his parents? As a bit of a side note, there are scholars that believe that because of the comment that Jesus’ mother “treasured up all these things in her heart” that Luke’s source for this story was likely Mary herself. If this was the case, then why would Mary think it important to say it?
When we hear the word “submission” what comes to mind? Does it bring to mind something negative or something positive? I bet you that by itself, the word likely has a negative connotation. We’re rough and tough Americans. We wave flags that say “Don’t Tread On Me” because we don’t submit to anyone or anything. Would you characterize Dirty Harry as submissive? How about Captain Kirk?
Yet, in this passage we see that even for Jesus there are times that submission is appropriate. It’s important to submit to our parents, to our spouse (both husbands and wives) and to others who are in positions of authority over us. Most importantly, it’s important for us to submit to God.
Do you have a plan for reading the Bible this year?
