Resurrection

Readings for today: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21

Resurrection. It is the reason why I believe in Jesus Christ. It is what makes Him unique among the world’s great religious leaders. All of the rest of them died. He remains alive. The empty tomb cannot be explained away. It cannot be dismissed. It cannot be ignored. I know many people who still want God to “prove” Himself. Prove He exists. Prove He is who He says He is. My answer to them is what more can you want? He literally came to earth, died on a cross, and rose again from the grave. What other proof do you need? What other evidence could God possibly present to convince you? He rose bodily from the grave, showing us the wounds in His hands, His feet, and His sides. Again, what more do you want?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ stands as the seminal event in human history. It demands attention. It requires reflection. One simply cannot pretend it didn’t happen. If Jesus was raised from the dead then we have to take Him seriously. We have to consider every word that He said. We have to grapple with the truth He proclaimed about a Kingdom not of this world ruled by a God who loves the world despite it’s sin and who promises to come again to judge in righteousness. We have to wrestle with what He has to say about the human condition. The sinful state of our hearts and our desperate need for forgiveness and grace. We have to listen to Him when He tells us how to repent of our stubborn, prideful, selfish ways. The resurrection validates everything about Jesus. His life. His teaching. His miracles. His suffering. His death. It is God’s stamp of approval on the unique identity Jesus claimed for Himself as the Son of God. 

Because Jesus rose from the dead, everything He says about the world is true. Everything He says about humanity is true. Everything He says about heaven and hell is true. Everything He says about life and death is true. Everything He says about good and evil is true. Everything He says about me is true. I am loved and I am broken. I am accepted and I am convicted. I am a saint and I am a sinner. I am justified and I am being sanctified. God embraces me as I am but doesn’t leave me there. He has set me free from the power of sin and death and He is still setting me free each and every day. This is what it means to believe in and to follow the Risen Christ.

Readings for tomorrow: Acts 1-4, Psalm 110

Unimaginable Suffering

Readings for today: Matthew 27:32-66, Mark 15:21-47, Luke 23:26-56, John 19:17-42, Psalm 22

There is nothing beautiful about the Cross. It stands unparalleled in human history as a horror. A terror. An act of unspeakable evil. The Cross is where we hung God. The Cross is where we murdered God. The Cross is where we executed God. Creation despising and rejecting her Creator. Humanity lynching her Savior. Sin having it’s way. Satan rejoicing. His victory seemingly complete. 

Jesus’ suffering was unimaginable. After having been flogged and beaten. His flesh in tatters. His blood loss immense. Jesus is forced to shoulder a 300 lbs. Roman cross. (If He just carried the crossbeam - far more likely - it was still 100 lbs.) He carries it some two thousand feet up Golgotha where nails are driven into his hands and feet. They offer Him wine mixed with gall to numb the pain. He refuses. They strip Him naked so His humiliation and shame will be complete. Crowds gather to make a public spectacle of Him. Even the criminals being executed alongside Him take pleasure in His pain. Finally, He cries out, “My God, my God! Why have you forsaken Me?” Darkness falls. The ground shakes. The Temple curtain protecting the Holy of Holies is torn in two. Tombs are thrown open. The dead are raised. The natural order of things is thrown into chaos as the Author of Life dies.

Jesus didn’t just suffer physically. It was existential. Ontological. Impacting his heart, mind, and soul as well. His cry of God-forsakenness reveals the depths of His pain. His body torn. His mind shattered. His heart utterly broken. His soul rent asunder. There is nothing that can compare to the agony He endured as He bore the sin of the world on His shoulders. He hung there alone. Forsaken by all who knew Him. All who loved Him. Even His Heavenly Father. Jesus hung between heaven and earth, making atonement for humanity in the ugliness of all her sin and satisfying the holy justice of God in all it’s beautiful glory. A price had to be paid. God’s righteous wrath had to be turned away. And Jesus - fully God and fully Man - was the only one who could do it. 

What Jesus suffered on the Cross is a foretaste of hell. For those who wonder what hell is like, they need look no further than Jesus’ crucifixion. It is truly terrifying. There is no escape. There is no hope. There is nothing redemptive or beautiful or pleasurable about it. It is awful. It is brutal. It is horrible. And it is just. It is what we deserve. Human beings are born sinners. Born rebellious. Born treasonous and seditious. Our hearts naturally oriented away from God. Our desires naturally opposed to God. Our loves naturally self-centered. There is nothing beautiful about sin. Nothing beautiful about evil. We are foolish to think otherwise. 

God forbid we ever get comfortable with the Cross. God forbid we ever take for granted what Jesus had to endure. God forbid we despise His sacrifice on our behalf. Jesus suffered and died for my crimes. My wickedness. My sin. What He endured, I rightfully deserve. And it is good for my soul to sit and ponder the depth of my Savior’s pain. It is good for my soul to sit and reflect on the unfathomable cost of my salvation. It is good for my soul to sit and contemplate how truly fierce and loyal and steadfast and unshakable is the love of God for me. 

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21

Political Pressure

Readings for today: Matthew 27:1-31, Mark 15:1-20, Luke 23:1-25, John 18:28-40, 19:1-16

Why did Jesus die? There are all kinds of answers. The most common answer is the theological one. Jesus died to take away the sins of the world. Jesus died in our place. Jesus died the death we deserved thus setting us free from the judgment of God. This is absolutely right and something every single Christian should affirm. However, it’s only part of the picture.

To the Jewish authorities of His day, Jesus died because of blasphemy. He committed the most serious religious offense one could possibly commit by setting Himself up as the Son of God. He claimed to forgive sin in addition to healing disease, casting out demons, and even raising the dead. He taught as one who had divine authority not as the other teachers of the Law. He even claimed to be equal to God. All of these things, plus His growing popularity, made Him a dangerous threat to the religious groups who were vying for public approval so they had Him killed.

To the Roman authorities of His day, Jesus died because of political expediency. It was simply easier to put Him to death than have to deal with the civic unrest caused by His arrest and secret trial. Pilate could find no fault with Him. Nothing that would require the death penalty. He even tries to pardon Jesus several times or appease the crowd by having Him scourged or release Him according to ancient custom. None of it will do. The crowd smells blood. The religious leaders threaten to report Pilate to Caesar. Herod is no help. So Pilate tries to wash his hands of the whole thing and give the people what they want. He makes the decision to have Jesus crucified.

To the disciples, Jesus died tragically. They didn’t know about the resurrection. They didn’t realize this was all part of God’s grand plan. All they knew was that their beloved rabbi was arrested at night, illegally tried and imprisoned, falsely accused, unjustly tortured and eventually executed. They were helpless to do anything about it. All they could do was stand by and watch as it all went down. Then they scattered in fear that the same thing might happen to them.

The death of Jesus is one of the clearest examples of how God uses everyday, ordinary means to accomplish His divine will. It was His will for Jesus to suffer and die on a cross. This was God’s plan from eternity. It’s foreshadowed in prophecy after prophecy from the Old Testament. There was nothing humanity could have done to delay or stop it from happening. At the same time, human beings made real choices along the way. We exercised our free will and God used the decisions we made to bring about His sovereign will. The Jewish leaders freely chose to accuse Jesus of blasphemy and bring political pressure to bear on Pilate. Pilate freely chose to cave to the pressure and condemn Jesus to death on a cross. The crowds freely chose to call for Jesus’ crucifixion. None of them were forced to make those decisions. None of them realized the gravity of their decisions until after the fact.

At the end of the day, Jesus had to die because God decreed it. And God decreed it because God’s great desire is to bring an end to the powers of sin and death. And God’s decree was necessary because humanity sinned and fell short of the glory God intended. So we are the ones who are ultimately responsible. It was our sin that put Him on the cross. It was for our sake that He died.

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 27:32-66, Mark 15:21-47, Luke 23:26-56, John 19:17-42, Psalm 22

Gethsemane

Readings for today: Matthew 26:36-75, Mark 14:32-72, Luke 22:39-71, John 18:1-27

It’s important not to rush through these readings. As familiar as these stories may be, it’s important to read slowly. Savor each word. Let your heart connect to the deep emotions being expressed in the text. Jesus’ grief and anxiety over what’s to come. His heartfelt request to His Father to let the cup pass. His humble submission to the Father’s will. The temptation He faces to call down legions of angels in His defense. His disappointment with His disciples. Jesus is experiencing the full range of human emotion as He approaches the final hours of His life here on earth.

I will say it helps having been there. I’ve walked in the Garden of Gethsemane. I’ve seen the olive trees whose lineage may trace back to the first century. I’ve walked the road up to Caiaphas’ house where Jesus was taken after being arrested. I’ve stood in the courtyard where Peter denied Him. I’ve read Psalms of lament in the storage room where Jesus probably spent His final night. It’s a powerful experience. All of the events of the final hours of Jesus happen within a very small geographic area. The close proximity of Gethsemane to Caiaphas’ home to the Antonio Fortress to Golgotha and the empty tomb is striking. You can literally walk to all these places in the same day. You can touch the same stones. Breathe the same air. Taste the same dust.

Many theologians - myself among them - believe the agony Jesus began to feel in the Garden of Gethsemane was due to the withdrawal of the Holy Spirit. For the first time in His life, He was beginning to feel alone. The full weight of humanity’s sin was now being placed upon His back. He would bear this final burden to the cross alone. Bereft of His Father’s presence. Bereft of the Spirit’s power. Jesus now walked this final leg of the journey in existential isolation and this caused Him unimaginable suffering that far outstripped any physical pain He would endure. It’s impossible to get our minds around. It’s a mystery beyond our understanding. Somehow the Trinity experiences a rupture without being ruptured. A separation without every separating. Isolation without ever losing communion. And all this takes place so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled and the Triune God’s plan of salvation come to pass.

Jesus did all this for me. That’s perhaps the biggest reason to slow down and let these words sink in. Jesus wept in the Garden over what it would cost Him to save me. Jesus prayed in the Garden for another way to save me. Jesus submitted in the Garden to unimaginable suffering so that He might save me. My sin created these conditions. My crimes against God deserved His full wrath and judgment. My rebellion is what Jesus came to put down. Not with violence but with love. Can I not pray with Him one hour? Can I not walk with Him without rushing through the reading? Can I not sit with Him and let the magnitude of what He’s done sink in?

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 27:1-31, Mark 15:1-20, Luke 23:1-25, John 18:28-40, 19:1-16

The Holy Spirit

Readings for today: John 14-17

I love the Holy Spirit. He is the literal gift of God from God to anyone who places their faith in God. He proceeds from the Father and the Son. He comes to transplant our souls. Regenerate our hearts. Renew our minds. He is the Guide, Comforter, and Friend. He comes to make Christ known to us. He comes to remind us of all Christ taught and how Christ lived and most of all, to show us the meaning behind Christ’s death and resurrection. He comes to give us peace. True shalom. He comes to make us whole and happy and fulfilled. He comes to expose the world’s sin. He comes to teach the world righteousness. He comes to bring judgment on the evil one and all his works. He comes to make sense of why the world is the way it is and what God is doing about it. The Holy Spirit doesn’t come to draw attention to Himself but to point beyond Himself to what God has done in Christ and what He will do in Christ to make all things new.

Sadly, the Holy Spirit is often misunderstood these days. Even by Christians. We perceive Him to be something like the “Force” from Star Wars or we think of Him like we think of ghosts and spirits. We talk about Him as if He is a power not a Person. We fail to recognize His Presence as the very Presence of God with us. We often overemphasize or underemphasize His gifts and we neglect His fruit. We do not seek to be filled with the Spirit. We do not know how to tune into the Spirit to hear what He is saying to us. We do not draw on the strength and wisdom of the Spirit to guide our everyday decisions in life. And the result of all this is a often a passionless, weak, impotent walk with Christ that doesn’t live up to the Biblical hype.

So what can we do? We begin by seeking the Spirit. We seek the Spirit when we intentionally spend time in His presence. We learn to listen to the Spirit’s voice by reading God’s Word, meditating on it’s meaning in silence and solitude, and waiting on Him to reveal His will to us. We learn to pay attention to the ways the Spirit speaks through Scripture to address our circumstances and we trust Him to lead us to godly decisions and godly actions. We learn to trust the Holy Spirit even when His will for us might run counter to what we might normally do or naturally feel. We ask the Spirit to bear His fruit in our hearts and to give us His gifts so that we might serve. As we practice these things, we learn to tune in more and more to the Spirit and become more attuned to His abiding Presence.

How are you being filled with the Spirit today? Where do you need the Spirit to move in your life today? Have you asked Him? Are you following Him? Are you seeking His guidance for your life?

Readings for tomorrow: None

The Pain of Betrayal

Readings for today: Matthew 26:1-5, 14-35, Mark 14:1-2, 10-31, Luke 22:1-38, John 13

Betrayal. None of us believe we are capable of it. All of us have probably experienced it on some level. It’s one of the most painful things we can experience in this life. I think of the people I know who have experienced betrayal in their marriages when their spouse steps out on them. I think of the people I know who have had a business partner make deals behind their backs. I think of pastors I know who feel like their congregations turn on them or vice versa. I’ve seen it happen to close friends, associates, family members, you name it. It’s brutal every time.

In our reading for today, Peter makes a bold claim. “Though the whole world walk away from you, I will never betray you, Jesus.” Famous last words. I still remember standing in the courtyard of Caiaphas’ house in Israel and thinking about Peter’s words. Just a short walk away in the upper room, Peter seems so courageous and yet when confronted by a servant girl, he caves. Just a stone’s throw where Peter makes his denial, Jesus will be confined to a basement storage room for the night before His crucifixion. It’s amazing how close everything is over in the Holy Land. All of the events of the final few days of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection happen within a small geographic area. It really drives home the pain Jesus must have felt when he heard Peter betray him.

If you’ve been tracking with us this year as we’ve read through the Bible, you know “betrayal” is something God experiences over and over again. By committing Himself to His people, He exposes Himself willingly and freely to the pain of repeated betrayal. It’s part of the cost God bears in order to remain faithful to His covenant. I can’t imagine the pain God must have endured throughout the centuries. I certainly cannot imagine the pain God must have endured by being betrayed by His closest friends. At the same time, the story of the Bible is not about me identifying with God’s pain as much as God identifying with my pain. He comes to us. He becomes one of us. He is with us. He never betrays us. Never forsakes us. Never abandons us. That’s the great news of the gospel. God is faithful.

Readings for tomorrow: John 14-17

Be Prepared

Readings for today: Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21:5-38

Be prepared. It’s the Boy Scout motto. As an Eagle Scout, it’s a message that was drilled into me from a very young age. Be prepared when you go camping. Be prepared when you go hiking. Be prepared when you start a project. Be prepared for just about anything life will throw your way. I’ve taken that motto to heart. It’s served me well over the years. Perhaps it’s why I resonate so deeply with the passages we read for today. Jesus is essentially telling us to be prepared. Be prepared to suffer. Be prepared for the trials and tribulations to come. Be prepared for rejection. Be prepared for wars and violence and suffering and pain. Be prepared for natural disasters and disease. Be prepared for people to love injustice and ungodliness and unrighteousness. Be prepared for them to call good “evil” and evil “good.” These are just the beginnings of the birth pangs of the new age.

In this confusing time, many will claim to speak for Jesus. They will claim to speak for God. They will push their own agendas. They will offer up their own ideas in place of God. They will promote selfishness and pride and narcissism. They will promote unrighteousness and lawlessness and unfettered freedom. They will sound so good that many will be led astray.

There will be abominations of desolation. Incredible acts of self-worship and idolatry that would make the ancient Canaanites blush. Worship will grow cold. Honoring God will become rare as people choose to do what feels good or what seems right in their own eyes. It will be like the days leading up to Noah. The days when the Judges reigned in Israel. Hatred. Rage. Violence. Injustice. All will become the norm as the world rebels against the authority of God.

Any of this sound familiar? Any of this feel familiar? What’s a Christian to do in the midst of it all? Endure to the end. Persevere in their faith. Cling to Jesus. The world may hate us. The world may seek to destroy us. The world may persecute us. Throw us into prison. Torture us and even kill us. They may restrict our rights. They may label the preaching of the gospel “hate speech.” They may make faithfulness to the law of God a hate crime. They may drag us into courts. They may put us on trial. They may do all they can to force us to abandon our faith. These things have certianly happened throughout history and are continuing to happen around the world today. And Jesus promises things will get so bad that if they weren’t cut short – if God somehow delayed His return – no one would be saved.

Things will get so bad even nature itself will feel the effect. The sun will darken. The moon refuse to shine. It will seem like the stars have fallen out of the sky. And just when it seems like we cannot go on, Jesus will appear. He will come on the clouds with great glory and power! A trumpet will sound and the angels will gather His family from the four corners of the earth. We do not know exactly when this day will come but we know it draws ever closer. Seemingly with every single breaking news story! Climate change. Political corruption. Racism and hatred. Economic upheaval globally. Terrorism and warfare. The world seemingly stands on the brink.

So what’s a Christian to do? Stay wise. Be prepared. Make sure we stay about the work God has assigned to us. Caring for the least among us. The hungry and thirsty. The naked and ashamed. The sick and imprisoned. As we care for them, we care for Jesus. Seek the lost. Fulfill the Great Commission. Take the gospel to every tribe, tongue, and nation in the world. This is the work the Master has assigned to us and when He comes again, may He find us faithful!

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 26:1-5, 14-35, Mark 14:1-2, 10-31, Luke 22:1-38, John 13

Love God, Love Others

Readings for today: Matthew 22:15-46, 23:1-39, Mark 12:13-44, Luke 20:19-47, 21:1-4, 13:31-35

You can spend a lifetime learning to love and still never plumb her depths. You can spend years training yourself to scale the mountain of love and never reach the summit. You can work on love every hour of every day and still never reach the end. The love of God is infinite. It is boundless. It is eternal. It is steadfast, faithful, loyal, and true. I could preach every sermon from here to eternity about love and still not scratch the surface. That’s how I feel every time I get to this part of the Gospels and read the words of Jesus in response to the question about the greatest commandment.

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” (Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭37‬-‭40‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

These two commands are the pegs on which hang not only the Law and the Prophets but all of life itself. From the beginning, we were created in love to love. We were created to love God first. To walk with God in the Garden in the cool of the day. At the end when Jesus returns again, we will walk before the Lord once more. We will see Him face to face. We will dwell in the light of His presence. We will live in the midst of His glory. We will worship and adore Him continually. We were also created to love one another. It is not good for human beings to be alone. It’s why loneliness creates an existential crisis. We were made for relationships. Made to relate to those around us. Made to relate to other human beings. We see this reflected in our biology. Male and female literally made to fit together. We see this reflected in our psychology as our emotions are specifically designed to help us engage with those around us. We see this reflected in our neurology as the brain literally fires up every time someone smiles at us or waves. God fearfully and wonderfully and specifically making us to live and move and have our being in love. Love is the foundation of all creation for God is love and He is the Creator. Love is what sustains all of life for God loves the world so much He will never let it go. Love is the antidote to our fear and anxiety because God’s perfect love casts those things out. Love is the basis for our foundation for it is love that drove Jesus to lay His life down on the cross. Love is power for it is love that conquered the grave and raised Jesus from the dead. It’s why Paul says to the Corinthians, “Love bears all things. Love believes all things. Love hopes all things. Love endures all things. Love never fails.”

How are you cultivating love in your life? Love for God? Love for those around you? Do you spend time with God each day, basking in His great love for you? Resting in His delight in you? Worshipping Him from a place of devotion and adoration? Do you worship God each week with God’s people? Loving those around you even though they may be different? Loving those around you even though they may be at a different stage in the journey? Loving them even as you express your love to God through music and prayer and self-offering? How are you intentionally loving those around you? Your family? Your friends? Even those you are in conflict with right now or your enemies? Love is the answer, friends. It is always the answer because it is God’s answer to the problem of human sin that corrupts everything in our world. Take courage today and press into love!

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21:5-38

By Whose Authority…

Readings for today: Matthew 21:23-46, 22:1-14, Mark 11:27-33, 12:1-12, Luke 20:1-18, John 12:37-50

I raised my kids to be independent thinkers. Strong-willed young men and women who can make their way in the world. I love how each of them is finding their place and it is a privilege to walk the journey with them. One of the many lessons I’ve tried to teach them is the difference between stewardship and ownership. When we grow up, we don’t own much. Everything from food to clothing to a roof over our heads is provided. Our job is to be good stewards. Clean our rooms. Follow the house rules. Take care of what we’ve been given. Then we get older. We graduate from high school. Become legally responsible. We start to become owners. We get a job. We pay the bills. We buy things like our own cars or cell phones. As a parent, I no longer have much authority over how my child takes care of their home or how much money they spend on gas or the number of apps they download on their phone.

All four Gospels tell the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple. Mark’s Gospel, however, contains a very important nugget of information. When Jesus drives out the money-changers and turns over the tables of the loan sharks, the Jews ask Him an important question. “Who authorized you to speak and act like this?” In other words, by whose authority do you do these things? Who gave you the right to disrupt the Passover? Who told you to bring in the blind and the lame and begin healing? Will you not put a stop to the praises of the children? Jesus’ reply could not be more clear, My house shall be called a house of prayer but you make it a den of robbers. Jesus is claiming rightful ownership of the Temple. He is making it clear to the religious leaders that their stewardship of the sacred places has come to an end. The rightful owner is now on the scene and He will do with His house as He wills. And what is His will? His house shall be a place of prayer. A hospital for healing. A sanctuary for praise.  

Imagine how you would feel if someone lived in your home and trashed the place. I have a good friend who owns a rental house in the Denver area. Several years ago, a tenant used his house to grow weed and cook meth. After going to court to get his tenant evicted, my friend had to gut the house and start over. It cost him thousands of dollars not to mention the time and effort he had to put in to get his house back in working order so it could be rented again. Now put yourself in Jesus’ sandals. The people you’ve entrusted your home to have trashed the place. They have turned it into a den of robbers. Exploiting the pilgrims who come for Passover each year. They make hefty profits by price gouging the people, especially the poor. So He makes a whip of cords and drives them out. He turns over the tables and throws them out. Do you understand now why Jesus is so upset? Zeal for His own home has consumed Him and He will do whatever it takes to restore His house to it’s former glory.  

Now let me give you an even more radical take. Jesus doesn’t just assert His authority over His house, He asserts it over all of creation with the fig tree. Not only that but He tells His disciples that if they have faith and embrace the Kingdom life, they will be able to operate with His authority in the world. They will be able to do to the fig tree what Jesus did or throw mountains into the heart of the sea. Most importantly, whatever they ask for in prayer will be given to them. Why? They are no longer tenants in God’s Kingdom but sons and daughters! In a sense, we’ve been given an “ownership” stake in all of creation and God expects us to exercise dominion and authority and responsibility in His name and for His glory.

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 22:15-46, 23:1-39, Mark 12:13-44, Luke 20:19-47, 21:1-4, 13:31-35

Making Room

Readings for today: Matthew 21:1-22, 26:6-13, Mark 11:1-26, 14:3-9, Luke 19:28-48, John 2:13-25, 11:55-57, 12:1-36

One of the things God continues to challenge me on in my life is making room for the hurting, the broken, the wounded, the suffering. Making room for the sinner as well as the saint. Making room for those who are going through all kinds of heartache and pain. Making room for those whom the world casts out. Making room for those the church often shuns. Making room for those who don’t have it altogether, don’t have it figured out, don’t seem to be on the road to success. It’s so easy to isolate people in these situations in the name of healthy boundaries and/or putting an end to toxic relationships. It’s so easy to justify cutting such folks out of our lives because walking with them is too hard, too awkward, too uncomfortable. It’s so easy to forget such people because we get so wrapped up in everything we want to do. But then we read these words from Jesus…

“Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text: My house was designated a house of prayer; You have made it a hangout for thieves. Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them.” (Matthew‬ ‭21‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

At first glance, we cheer Jesus on. Throw those bums out! But when we actually dig into the text, we realize all those moneychangers served an important purpose. They were making life easier for the Israelites as they came to the Temple to make their sacrifices. Instead of bringing their sacrifices with them and running the risk that they may get hurt or injured or blemished along the way, they could bring money and buy an animal at the Temple. It makes perfect sense except for the fact that the moneychangers charged exorbitant rates. Not only that but they were so focused on making sure the Temple economy ran smoothly and the “worship” of God went on uninterrupted that they lost sight of the meaning behind the whole enterprise! The whole point of the sacrificial system was to make a relationship with God possible! It opened the door into heaven where God heard their prayers, answered their cries, healed their hurts, and ministered to their every need.

The same purpose remains for us. When the church gathers in worship, it is like a field hospital in the midst of a war zone. People often come in, beaten and bruised and often bloodied, by life in this broken world. They often come in carrying heavy burdens and struggling under the weight of their sin. They often come in with doubts and fears and anxieties and questions. They often come in looking for healing. Looking for hope. Looking for love. And the question for us is…will we make room for them? Will we make room for the blind and crippled and hurting to get in? Will we throw our doors open wide so people could come in and meet Jesus? Will we do this not only at church but also in our personal lives as well?

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 21:23-46, 22:1-14, Mark 11:27-33, 12:1-12, Luke 20:1-18, John 12:37-50

The Call to Seek and to Serve

Readings for today: Matthew 20, Mark 10:32-52, Luke 18:31-43, 19:1-27

“This is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.” (Matthew‬ ‭20‬:‭‭28‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.” (Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭10‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

I often wonder how different the world would look if followers of Jesus would take just these two verses literally. Can you imagine the impact we would make if we had the courage to serve as the Son of Man served and seek as the Son of Man sought? Perhaps that’s why I love going to places like Ethiopia or Uganda or South Sudan so much because I get to see such faithfulness in action on a fairly regular basis. At the same time, I also have seen such faithfulness in my own church family in Parker, CO. What God has assured me, even in times when I get discouraged, is that He is at work raising up believers who take the words of Jesus seriously and are changing the world as a result.

I think of Lydia. A 22 year old woman with two babies who ministers in a Muslim village outside of Dire Dawa. Everyday she travels the streets of her town on foot preaching the gospel in the open air. She suffers verbal and sometimes physical abuse. She has put her life and the lives of her family at risk. But she considers it a privilege to serve the least and seek the lost like Jesus. God has honored her faithfulness! Street women are coming to faith and leaving behind their former lives of prostitution. Her description of their desperation and the hope they find in Jesus is powerful.

I think of Marshall. A middle aged man in my own congregation who helps lead a Bible study every Friday morning for 30-40 guys, many of whom are seeking a relationship with Jesus Christ. He invites them out for lunch. He gets to know them personally. He makes sure to minister to their needs. He meets them where they are and does all he can to talk to them about Jesus. Fundamentally, they all know he loves them and it keeps them coming back week after week.

I think of Yitsgelu. A Somali man who converted to Christ out of Islam. His family publicly shamed him and drove him from their village. He came to Dire Dawa to serve the least and seek the lost like Jesus. His denomination sent him to a suburb of the city where he ministers among the Muslims, bringing many to Christ. It is not easy work as they suffer just like he suffered. Their families disown them. Their community abandons them. They often lose their jobs. But God is using Yitsgelu’s own story to bring redemption in the name of Jesus.

I think of Susan. A mom of teenagers in our church family who has an incredible gift of hospitality. The love and care she showers on students is amazing. She invites them into her home. She feeds them great food. She talks to them about their lives. She loves them so well. I know she’s become a second mother to many along the way. Why does she do it? She wants them to know the love of Jesus. She seeks to serve them because she knows that’s what Jesus would do.

These are just a few of the stories I could tell and there are so many more to share. One of the greatest gifts God has given me as a pastor is the number of people I’ve had the privilege to spend time with who love Jesus with all their hearts and seek to serve as He serves. Love as He loves. Reach the lost just like He seeks to reach the lost. God is moving, friends! All over the world! Thousands of churches are being planted in the Horn of Africa. Millions are hearing the gospel for the first time. Hundreds of thousands are coming to saving faith. All because Christians in that part of the world decided to take Jesus seriously. Like the Son of Man, they go to serve and seek those who are in desperate need. God is moving just as powerfully here at home. Millions hear the gospel for the first time each year as ordinary Christians make it their mission to share Christ with those around them. It happens in homes and neighborhoods, schools and workplaces, soccer fields and concert halls, homeless shelters and addiction recovery centers. All because Christians in our part of the world decided to take Jesus seriously. Like the Son of Man, they too have gone to seek and serve those who are in desperate need. What about you?

Readings for tomorrow: None

What Holds You?

Readings for today: Matthew 19, Mark 10:1-31, Luke 16-17, 18:1-30

I’ve often been struck by how Mark tells the story of the Rich Young Ruler. Here’s a man who is so earnest in his desire to serve God but he’s got a huge blind spot. Rather than look on him with judgment and condemnation, Mark makes it plain that Jesus looks on him with love. For years, I wondered if this was just a detail Mark kind of throws in there to soften Jesus’ words a bit. But then Jesus confronted me with something I was holding onto instead of Him. My children. I was so invested in making sure they were successful that I was losing them in the process. I was putting so much pressure on them to succeed at school, at sports, at music, at whatever they put their mind to that I was missing their hearts in the process. That’s when Jesus showed up through a counselor I was seeing to remind me of the power of His love.

Jesus looks on the rich young ruler with love. It’s so easy to overlook the power of that statement. Jesus is after our hearts and He knows that there are things that have a hold on us. It could be wealth or possessions. It could be achievement or performance or success. It could be our marriage or our children. It could be our career. It could be anything honestly because our hearts are like idol factories. And these idols hold great power over us which is why it is so difficult for us to relinquish them and walk away. That’s why the disciples respond in amazement to Jesus and ask if it’s impossible to enter the Kingdom of God. They knew the reality of their own sinful condition. Only God’s love is powerful enough to displace the idols of our hearts. Only God’s love is powerful enough to cast out all fear and bring an end to all anxiety. Only God’s love can break the hold the things of this world have on our hearts.

So back to my kids. Their success had become an idol for me. I had transferred my greatest fear onto them…the fear of failure. I was living in fear. And my fear caused me to respond to them primarily with anger. And my anger was destructive and breaking down the trust between us. So my counselor took me to James 1:20 which says, “The anger of man does not bring about the righteousness of God.” I was convicted to the core but it left me with a question. If my anger can’t bring about the righteousness I desire for my children, what can? Thankfully, my counselor had the answer. He took me to 1 John 4:18 which says, “Perfect love casts out all fear.” He then took me to 1 Corinthians 13:7-8 which says, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” That last part was the key. God’s love never fails. The very thing I was most afraid of - failure - was no longer in the picture if I would only learn to love my children the way God loves them. So I made the intentional choice - even when they struggled or made mistakes or walked dark roads - to always, always, always “look on them with love.” I pushed all my chips to the center on God’s love and the results have been amazing. I have watched my children - strengthened by the love of their Father as it flows through me - overcome anxiety and fear and depression. Overcome drug and alcohol abuse. Overcome sexual temptation and sin. Overcome defiance and anger and brokenness and pain. We have the most amazing relationships now and though the journey isn’t over and there are still struggles along the way, God’s love has proved more than sufficient.

So what holds you? What has a grasp on your heart? What idols are you holding onto? Trust in God’s love. Embrace God’s love. Let His love flow through you and release you from the bondage of sin and the things of this world.

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 20, Mark 10:32-52, Luke 18:31-43, 19:1-27

A Life Parable

Readings for today: Luke 14-15

I used to be that guy. The one who would elbow his way to the highest place of honor no matter what the occasion. At work, I would weigh in on every matter whether I knew what I was talking about or not. At school, I would try to answer every question. On the athletic field, I did my best to stand out. My god was achievement. My goal was success. My greatest fear was failure. All because I wanted to be known. I wanted to be praised. I wanted to be the center of attention. This was true in my work as a pastor as well. When I went to seminary, I felt like I had something to prove so I did my best to outwork and outshine my classmates. After I graduated and started serving the church, I would look for opportunities to demonstrate I was more effective than my colleagues. I was constantly in competition with those around me. Constantly on the lookout for potential threats. It was exhausting. Then the Lord called me to plant a church in Wisconsin. It was the most painful, heartbreaking experience of my life. He crucified my ego. He broke me of my pride. He stripped my life down to the studs. I had nothing left. I was at the end of myself. I was a complete and utter failure.

Perhaps that’s why I resonate so much with the parable Jesus tells in Luke 14. I spent most of my life trying to claim the seat of highest honor only to have the Lord send me back to some of the lowest places over and over again. I was put in my place frequently by those with much more experience at work. My teachers stopped calling on me at school. My athletic career eventually ended as those better than me took my place. Even among my pastoral colleagues, I often made a fool of myself. Then, when things were falling apart in Wisconsin, I remember reading this story and thinking to myself, “Wow, God has sent me to the lowest possible place. Where do I go from here?” The answer comes at the end of the parable. Seek the lowest place. Don’t try to raise yourself up. Stop competing with those around you. Stop jockeying for position. Stop trying to prove yourself. Instead, embrace obscurity and anonymity and insignificance and let the Master raise you up.

Honestly, I’ve not looked back. My life from the fall of 2009 onward has been one grace after another. As soon as I relinquished my need to be successful, my need for achievement, and my need for attention, I became far more open to God. Instead of exhausting myself trying to show everyone how smart and capable I am, I was able to let go. God spoke to me very clearly, commanding me to labor in obscurity, embrace anonymity, and pursue insignificance. These three words have guided my life ever since. Not only that, but He made it clear to me that I am not to seek another position nor ask for another raise. Instead, I am simply to trust Him to take care of me. Every opportunity I’ve had professionally over the last fifteen years has come from the Lord. I have not pursued a single one. Every financial blessing I’ve received from my church has come from the Lord. I’ve not asked for a single raise. In fact, I’ve turned several down. These are not points of pride for me but rather examples of what it means to live out the parable of Jesus. What about you? Where do you need to relinquish and let go? Where do you need to stop your striving and rest in God? Where do you need to give up control so the Lord can raise you up in His time and according to His will?

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 19, Mark 10:1-31, Luke 16-17, 18:1-30

Generosity

Readings for today: Luke 12, 13:1-30

I love this line from the Message version this morning…“That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.” (Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭21‬ ‭MSG‬‬) It comes at the end of a story Jesus tells in response to a question he’s asked about dividing up an inheritance. A person in the crowd he’s addressing asks Jesus to become an arbitrator between himself and his brother. Rather than step into that role, Jesus responds by challenging the crowd to protect themselves against the sin of greed. Life is simply not defined by what you have even if you are a person of great wealth. Then he goes on to tell the story of a rich man who experienced a banner harvest. The yield was so great, his barns were not big enough to hold all the excess. So he makes the choice to build bigger barns to store all his grain so he can retire and take it easy. But what the man doesn’t realize is that his time had come and he would die that very night so what good then is all the wealth he’s stored up? This is what happens, Jesus says, when we fill our barns with Self rather than God. When we focus on serving Self rather than God.

What’s the problem in the story? Go back and read it again. It’s not that the man built bigger barns. No, what would have immediately been obvious to everyone listening that day was that the man said to himself, “I know what I shall do…” He didn’t consult the village elders. He didn’t think of the community around him. He didn’t consider giving anything to the poor. Instead, he focused entirely on himself. And though he was rich and had plenty, he didn’t try to share his blessings. In the first century, when a person experienced an unexpected windfall like this man, they would have headed down to the village gate to talk to the elders of the community. They would have asked for advice on what to do with all the extra grain. The elders might suggest giving to the priests, giving to the poor, or throwing a party for the whole community. If the man had done these things and still had some left over, then the whole village would probably come help him build his bigger barns. Sadly, the man let his greed override his responsibility to his community.

We face a similar dilemma today. Only our community is now global. For the first time in human history, we are able to hop on a plane and get anywhere in the world in less than a day. We are able to marshal resources and deliver them to those in need. We have the technological expertise to make sure every human being on the planet has access to clean water and basic food security. We have the ability to provide life-saving medication and treatment to eliminate some of the world’s nastiest diseases like malaria and polio. What stops us? Our greed. We all want more than we actually need. When we receive a windfall like an unexpected bonus or a big salary increase, do we think of how we can give back to God and to those around us? Or do we, as I suspect, start planning our next vacation or home improvement project?

I know I’m as guilty as the next person though my wife and I are committed to giving more and more away and are now giving well above 10% each year. Still, I know down deep it’s not enough. We have plenty if I’m honest. So we keep praying and we keep asking God how we can protect ourselves from greed. The same is true for the church I lead. We keep asking God to show us how we can give more and more away into our community and around the world and God keeps showing us. Last year, we gave over 26% of our church budget to local and global missions and I hope and pray for the day when we hit 50%. ;-) Wouldn’t that be glorious?

Readings for tomorrow: Luke 14-15

The Joy of Serving God

Readings for today: Luke 10, John 10, 11:1-54

There is nothing better than serving God. Nothing better than being out there on the frontiers of God’s Kingdom preaching the good news of the gospel and showing people the tangible signs of His amazing grace and love. There’s nothing better than bringing clean water to the thirsty. Food to the hungry. Education to those who don’t have access. Micro-loans to those who are desperately poor. Healing to the sick and diseased. Visiting those in prison. All in the name of Jesus. Most of all, there is nothing like watching someone hear the gospel for the first time in their own language. Nothing like watching someone respond to the gospel by giving their life to Jesus Christ. Whether it is in my local context of Parker, CO or on the other side of the world in places like Ethiopia, Uganda, or South Sudan; it literally never gets old.

I’ve been in full-time ministry for over twenty years now. I’ve shared the gospel with hundreds if not thousands of people during that time. I’ve worked to raise money and resources for some of the world’s poorest and most desperate people. I’ve seen miracles of healing and even resurrection. I’ve been blessed beyond all measure and know the truth of the words of Jesus when He says, “Fortunate the eyes that see what you’re seeing! There are plenty of prophets and kings who would have given their right arm to see what you are seeing but never got so much as a glimpse, to hear what you are hearing but never got so much as a whisper.”(Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

One thing I know to be true…in order to see the miracles of God, you have to leave your comfort zone. You have to intentionally place yourself in situations where you are not in control. You have to be willing to let the Spirit take you to the end of your resources, wisdom, and strength so that you are forced to rely on God. This is what the disciples did in our passage today. Jesus sends them out into the harvest field. They are to travel light. They are to rely on the kindness of strangers. They are to bless those who provide them hospitality. They are to look for the ways God is at work in those places and among those people. And what happens as a result? They see the Kingdom come in power and authority! Demons are cast out! Diseases are healed! Lost and hurting people are restored! It’s amazing and they rejoice.

Friends, God wants us to experience the same kind of joy in our lives. He wants us to live with the same kind of power and authority as those early Christians. He wants to do greater things through us than what He did through His Son Jesus. But we have to be willing to step out in faith. We have to be willing to go. We have to be willing to risk. The harvest fields are as ripe as ever. Will we not only pray for God to send out more workers but will we respond ourselves to His call?

Readings for tomorrow: Luke 12, 13:1-30

Who is Jesus?

Readings for today: John 7-9

It’s a question that has perplexed humanity for centuries. Who was or is Jesus? Is he the Messiah as so many Christians believe? Is he a good ethical teacher in line with many other rabbi’s of his day? Is he crazy because of his claims to divinity? Is he evil because of how he deliberately calls his followers to die for him?

It was C.S. Lewis, himself a former atheist, who first crafted the “Lord, Liar, Lunatic” argument in his book, Mere Christianity. Lewis argues Jesus’ own words preclude him from being accepted as a good ethical teacher. No ethical teacher could ever be called “good” and make the claims Jesus does. So either that means we have to take what he says at face value and accept him as Lord or we accept that he believes himself to be Lord which makes him a lunatic or we have to accept he knows he’s lying about himself which makes him evil. Jesus simply doesn’t leave us any other options.

We see a similar debate raging in our reading today. The people of the 1st century in Galilee, Jerusalem, heck, even Jesus’ own family aren’t quite sure what to make of him. Is he the promised Messiah? Is he a miracle-worker? Is he a brilliant, if eccentric, rabbi? Is he a prophet? Is he a charlatan? Everyone wanted to know and everyone had their opinion. His family made it clear they didn’t believe in him. The Pharisees made it clear they opposed him. The crowds were all over the map when it came to him. Who is this man?

Jesus makes it very clear who he is. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.” (John‬ ‭7‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭MSG‬‬) “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.” (John‬ ‭8‬:‭12‬ ‭MSG‬‬) “Believe me,” said Jesus, “I am who I am long before Abraham was anything.” (John‬ ‭8‬:‭58‬ ‭MSG‬‬) Jesus is making clear claims to divinity in these passages which is why the people pick up stones to throw at him. He is making himself known as the Messiah and calling his people to place their faith and trust in him. He leaves no doubt about who he is and what he’s come to do and who has sent him. He answers every one of their questions fully and completely and clearly. But still many struggle to believe. They question his background and upbringing. They question his authority. They question his logic and rationale. They question the source of his power. They find so many reasons not to believe rather than simply accept what Jesus says about himself.

I find the same dynamic is true for many people today. No matter how many times you show them the evidence or point them to Jesus’ own words or offer up the testimonies of the literally billions of Christians around the world and throughout history; they still refuse to believe. They still try to find reasons not to believe. What about you? Who do you say Jesus is?

Readings for tomorrow: Luke 10, John 10, 11:1-54

The Example of Children

Readings for today: Matthew 17-18, Mark 9:2-50, Luke 9:28-56

I love children. Always have, always will. I love them at every age from baby to teenager. I’ve loved being a dad to all four of my children. In fact, I still send them texts about once or twice a week just to let them know what an awesome privilege it is to be their father. My son recently told me it’s like receiving a note in his lunchbox. Ha! Love it. I love teaching the children at church. It might be during Kid’s Time in the worship service or during Kid’s Ministry on those Sundays when I’m off the platform and get to serve. There’s simply nothing better than being around kids and talking about Jesus.

Jesus loved children. He often used them to illustrate faith. Their simple trust and wide-eyed wonder at the world served as examples for all who followed Him. When His disciples argued over who was the greatest, Jesus pointed to a child. He challenged His disciples to seek to a simple faith. A humble faith. A generous and trusting and accepting faith. When His disciples wanted to correct a man for using the name of Jesus to set people free because he wasn’t part of their group and perhaps didn’t have his theology quite dialed in, Jesus once again challenged them to take a childlike posture. “If you give one of these simple, childlike believers a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you’ll soon wish you hadn’t. You’d be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck.” (Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭42‬ ‭MSG‬‬) When His disciples lost focus and started talking about fame and fortune and power and authority, Jesus once again used a child to bring them back in line. “Whoever accepts this child as if the child were me, accepts me,” he said. “And whoever accepts me, accepts the One who sent me. You become great by accepting, not asserting. Your spirit, not your size, makes the difference.” (Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭47-‭48‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

I love that last line from the Message version. “Your spirit, not your size, makes the difference.” Greatness in the Kingdom of God is not determined by influence, power, wealth, success, achievement, possessions, the number of books sold, the number of downloads on Spotify, or the number of followers on Instagram. Greatness in the Kingdom of God is not determined by the social circles you run in or the famous people you may know. It is your condition of your soul that matters most. It is your spiritual maturity that makes the difference. And the key mark of spiritual maturity is not age or station in life. It’s not how long you’ve been attending church or how many leadership positions you’ve held in your life. It’s not connected to a title or a degree or some ordination credential. It’s marked by humility. Grace. Peace. Love. Sacrifice. Submission. Trust. All things that mark most children. In fact, one of the best spiritual disciplines you can put into practice is to spend time with a child. Not to teach so much as to learn. Not to discipline so much as to play. Not to guide and correct so much as to simply enjoy the wonder and joy of their life.

Readings for tomorrow: None

Surrendering our Will

Readings for today: Matthew 16, Mark 8:11-38, 9:1, Luke 9:18-27

It’s one of the hardest things for us to do. Surrender. Submit. Bend the knee. Bow before the Lord. We pride ourselves on being self-sufficient. We focus a significant amount of time and energy and attention on boosting our self-esteem. If we feel down on ourselves, we turn to self-help. If we want to encourage ourselves, we look to self-promotion…especially on social media. If we feel afraid or threatened, we become self-protective. It’s the most natural thing in the world to be sure and yet it runs exactly counter to the way God set up life.

God is the most selfless Being in the universe. He gives Himself in love to His creation and especially the creature He made in His own image. He gives Himself in relationship to us. He gives Himself up as a sacrifice for us. He lays down His very life for us. This is who God is and it’s who we were created to be as well. God created human beings to be selfless. Sin turned us selfish. God created human beings to be generous. Sin turned us into hoarders and misers. God created us to be compassionate and caring. Sin turned us towards violence and hate. The list is endless. All that God created us to be, sin corrupted and we see the consequences all around us. The most obvious might be the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Nagorno-Karabakh with the Armenian people right now. It’s brutal.

Jesus offers us a different way. A better way. A return to the original way. Listen to how He describes it again, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?” (Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭MSG‬‬) We are too obsessed with life in this world. We are too tied to the things of this world. We want it all. We want a good life here and a good life in the world to come. We want a mansion on earth as well as a mansion in heaven. We want to pursue success in the kingdoms of this world and we want success in the Kingdom of God. But one cannot put a foot in both of these worlds. One cannot have it both ways. Jesus is clear. We must choose. We cannot be both selfish and selfless. We cannot be both givers and takers. In order to receive all Jesus has promised, we must surrender to Him. We must submit to Him. We must let Him take the lead and trust Him enough to follow in His footsteps no matter what the cost for the reward is worth it.

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 17-18, Mark 9:2-50, Luke 9:28-56

Follow Your Heart?

Readings for today: Matthew 15, Mark 7, 8:1-10

I hear it all the time. Do what feels good. Do what feels right. Be true to yourself. Follow your heart. These platitudes sound so promising until one actually decides to act on them. If one chooses to follow one’s heart, one quickly ends up in a ditch. Why? Our hearts are broken. Our hearts are corrupt. Our hearts are filled with all kinds of evil thoughts and intentions. Evil? Really? Perhaps you think “evil” is too strong of a word. Okay. Try selfish. I think most of us would agree that our natural way of operating is to take care of ourselves first. Make sure our own needs get met first. Fulfill our own desires before we give or serve others. Our culture reinforces this idea. Put yourself first. Take care of yourself. You deserve a break. Make yourself the first priority. Unfortunately, the American church too often uncritically blesses this mindset. I love what a Korean pastor, Jay Kim, recently wrote, “The uniquely American emphasis of the gospel is seeing faith as a means to personal benefit, rather than a sacrificing of personal benefits for eternal rewards.”

Jesus is clear. We are not the center of the universe. Our hearts are not pure. Our hands are not clean. Our desires are oriented inward rather than outward and result in a defilement that affects the whole person. This is why behavior management is no substitute for the gospel. We cannot work from the outside in. We must work from the inside out. Our hearts have to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Renewed and restored by the indwelling presence of God Himself. Only then will our lives begin to reflect His true glory. The reality is too many Christians are working far too hard at cleaning the outside of the cup. Making sure they live morally upright lives. They major in the minors. And it ends up crippling our witness. 

Christ wants our hearts. He will not settle for less. It doesn’t matter if you are a Pharisee, a disciple, or a Syrophoenician woman. It doesn’t matter whether you are sick or well. Free or oppressed. Rich or poor. Christ wants your heart. He wants to transform you from the inside out. He wants your love and devotion far more than your outward obedience to His commands. As good and as holy as His commandments are, they cannot serve as a pathway to righteousness. Only Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. And it is only by faith that we can live truly and wholly for Him. 

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 16, Mark 8:11-38, 9:1, Luke 9:18-27

Commissioning

Readings for today: Matthew 10, 14, Mark 6:7-56, Luke 9:1-17, John 6

I was recently asked to help lead a team to evaluate and potentially revise our ordination standards. For those who may not be familiar with how pastors and/or priests get ordained, there is a fairly rigorous academic process at the end of which you sit for written and oral exams. If you pass those exams, you are formally ordained and installed to your “office” of pastor. Over the years, it’s become fairly cumbersome as more and more requirements get added with little, if any, subtraction. It can take years. It can be very expensive. The curriculum can be narrow and theologically parochial. But one has to run this gauntlet if one is going to serve in our denomination.

Now look at the process Jesus employs. He teaches his disciples over a number of months and then sends them out to preach the same message He’s been preaching. He gives them authority to heal disease and cast out demons. He doesn’t put them through any theological exams. He doesn’t seem all that concerned that they might make mistakes. He knows there will be plenty of time to make those corrections along the way. Furthermore, He doesn’t give them much in the way of resources. He doesn’t set goal for support-raising before they can go. He simply sends them without money and without food and encourages them to trust the Lord to provide along the way.

Let’s be honest. We don’t trust the way of Jesus when it comes to commissioning His people to serve as ministers of the gospel. It’s why we’ve spent hundreds of years developing elaborate educational systems and fundraising methods so that we don’t have to do what Jesus did. We want to eliminate any and all risk. We want to guard against heresy. We want to make sure there are no needs that go unmet. And the result is we never do get around to actually going. The harvest fields Jesus talks about are still out there. Ripe for the harvest. And the workers are still far too few largely because we refuse to let them go until they meet our somewhat arbitrary standards. This is true not only for pastors and priests but for the ordinary Christian as well. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve talked to a brother or sister in Christ about evangelism only to have them tell me they don’t feel equipped. They don’t feel confident. They don’t feel they have what it takes. Many of them have grown up in the church. They’ve been in numerous Bible studies along the way. They’ve been faithful to serve. In some cases, they’ve even been through evangelism training but still they struggle to go.

It’s time for the church to take a good hard look at herself. Rather than spend so much time and effort gatekeeping and guarding against potential heresy, we need to take more risks and send more people out into the harvest field. Sure, they may not have all of their theological “i’s” dotted or “t’s” crossed but what’s most important is that they know they have been commissioned by the Holy Spirit to go and preach the good news. They have been given the authority of the Holy Spirit to confront demons and comfort the hurting and come alongside those who need healing. They will be given all they need by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the ministry He has planned for them. This must become our primary goal! To send God’s people into God’s mission field so He might reap a harvest of souls!

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 15, Mark 7, 8:1-10