Expect to Suffer: Romans 8:18-25

Today we tackle one of the pervasive lies that has been spread about Christianity.  It’s a lie that actually has great appeal, and there are many churches who have grown very, very large because of that lie.  It’s a lie that captures the imagination because it feeds our need and desire to be safe, secure, and have control over our lives.  It is the lie that says: if you become a Christian, then you will never suffer and you will only have blessing upon blessing in this life; things will always turn out great for you; you will find yourself healthy, wealthy, and with fantastic relationships.  In a word: no.  This message is not the message of Christianity.  It incorporates part of the Christian message, but it misses the entire message, and it can have very negative effects.

Why would I say that?  More than a few times I have counseled people who have held this particular understanding of Christianity.  Their lives were going along swimmingly; fantastic.  They were riding huge waves and enjoying life, but then a monkey wrench was thrown into their plans: maybe it was the loss of a job; maybe it was a diagnosis of cancer; maybe their spouse filed for divorce.  Suddenly, their entire view of the faith came crashing down.  Every time, the same questions are asked: Why is this happening?  I thought I was doing everything right?  I thought my faith was strong?  Why is God allowing this to happen to me?  Why do I have to suffer?

At this point, it is hard to undo what has been done to this person theologically.  It’s hard to go back to the very beginning and deal with the problem that nearly every person on this planet has to deal with: the problem of suffering.  It’s hard to look a person in the eye who expects God to protect them from suffering and tell them: when you become a Christian, you should not expect to avoid suffering.  In fact, when you become a Christian, you should expect to suffer.

This is exactly what St. Paul was getting at when he ended his teaching on what it meant to be a child of God with these words, “...if, in fact, we suffer with Jesus so that we may also be glorified with him.”  Paul is hearkening back to earlier in the book of Romans when he talks about Jesus as our representative.  He is going back to the thought that when we are joined to Jesus in baptism, whatever happens to Jesus happens to us.  Jesus died, therefore, we have died and we will die.  Jesus was raised from the dead, therefore we have already experienced the resurrection and one day we will be raised from the dead.  What Paul didn’t go into earlier in the book of Romans, he begins going into now: Jesus suffered, therefore, we also suffer.  If what happened to Jesus happens to us, then we can expect suffering just like Jesus suffered.

This oftentimes raises an important question: why did Jesus have to suffer?  There are actually two reasons, one that applies to us and one that doesn’t.  We’ll take the one that doesn’t first.  One reason Jesus suffered is for the redemption of the world.  Jesus became the sacrifice of atonement to make us right with God.  When he suffered on the cross, he had heaped upon him the sins of the world–your sin, my sin.  He faced God’s punishment for those sins on our behalf, and he suffered for us.  This is not the suffering we face.  We face the second type of suffering–the suffering that comes by living in a world where the power of sin is still operative.  Remember, sin is not just the things that we do.  Sin is also a power that is unleashed and is working in the world.  It is corrupting the world, and it is corrupting us.  Jesus entered into the world, and sin did its best to corrupt him.  Sin did its best to turn him away from the Father.  Sin tried many and various things to corrupt him: it appealed to pride and power; it made Jesus face death; it brought persecution upon him; it confronted him with disease and demonic power; it unleashed the fury of nature; and Jesus faced it all.  Jesus experienced the suffering that the power of sin has in the world.  And if Jesus experienced this, we can expect it as well.  Sin will unleash its power upon us to try and corrupt us and alienate us from our heavenly Father.  We can expect to suffer.

And the question is: is it worth it?  Is it worth going through this suffering?  Is it worth it to deal with the headaches and heartaches?  Is it worth facing disease and the death of our bodies?  Is it worth having people make fun of us?  Is it worth it to deal with the fallen nature of humanity and turn the other cheek?  Is it worth it to stand on principle and face alienation?

Paul answers that question next: 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.  When my children were younger and had to get their vaccination shots, Dawna and I promised them: if you hang in there and don’t fight, we will get you an ice cream cone at Dairy Queen.  My kids dreaded those shots.  They didn’t want the needles and the injections of the medicines that burned going in.  But they knew there was something at the end that was better.  They knew there was something they could look forward to.  They knew that there was something great to be had if they made it through the pain.  This was a very effective plan on Dawna’s and my part until our youngest came along and decided that he didn’t like ice cream.  Thankfully, he liked french fries...

But I digress.  Paul is essentially making the same point.  He is saying: compare what you are going through now with the reality that will come later.  What happens down the road; what happens when the glory of God is revealed will make these sufferings pale in comparison.  When we enter into the fullness of the promises of God, everything that we have experienced will become clear.  Everything that we have experienced will fade into a distant memory.  We will look back and say, “Man, that wasn’t fun, but I get it now, and I wouldn’t trade it in the least because what I know now and experience now puts that into perspective.”

Paul then adds, that the entire creation is watching us and what God is doing in us as He redeems us: 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  You see, the creation is also infected by the power of sin.  Creation is not what it was meant to be.  I know that many people look at nature and see beauty and wonder and that “everything works in harmony.”  Well, if harmony means that there is a constant battle for survival–that the rule of thumb is kill or die, then I guess nature is indeed a thing of beauty.  Folks who think nature is just wonderful or beautiful are observing it from civilization and for only small glimpses.  They are not seeing prey trying to avoid predators. They are not seeing plants raising their defenses against infestations.  They are not seeing how everything in nature is simply trying to survive.  And despite nature’s best efforts, things still die.  Things still decay.  This is not the way God intended nature to be.  And in this snippet, Paul personifies nature.  He indicates that nature has some sort of awareness and consciousness.  He indicates like others who wrote Scripture before that nature is longing for redemption.  And Paul says that nature is looking for the children of God to emerge.  Nature is looking for us because it can then see that the process of redemption is underway.  It can see that the battle it is currently engaged in will have an ending.  Its suffering will one day end as well.  There is something to look forward to.

This is probably why Paul turns to the next analogy: 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.  I’ve never been through labor.  I don’t want to go through labor.  I watched Dawna go through it and then end up having an emergency C-section.  No thanks.  You ladies are wonders of God’s creation when it comes to birth.  I didn’t have to go through it to see that labor pains suck.  And if there weren’t some sort of pay-off in the end, I’m not sure anyone would ever endure them.  If there weren’t a baby wrapped in warm cloths handed to you after all was said and done, no one would purposely endure them.  But when your child is placed in your hands and you look at that child’s beauty and marvel at this new life, all that pain becomes worth it.  All that agony fades into a distant memory.  This is what was waited for.  This is what was anticipated.  Moaning and groaning is proper when going through the process, but when all is said and done...there is joy–pure, unadulterated joy.  Paul says we are still in the labor process.  The full redemption of our bodies and this world has not happened yet, but the process has begun.  Our suffering is a part of that process, and Paul gives us the antidote to help us through it.

24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.  You see, hope is the antidote.  We know there is something at the end.  We do not have it yet, but we know it is coming.  We know that it is just around the corner.  Dawna and I adopted a rather interesting method of giving our children birthday presents.  Rather than go out and choose something for them, we take them to the store and allow them to choose their gift.  As their birthdays approach, they become more and more excited.  They generally know what they are going to pick out ahead of time.  They generally know what gift they will choose, but they don’t have it yet.  It’s not in their possession yet, and so they live in hope.  They live in expectation.  They live with growing excitement as each and every day brings them closer to their birthday.  If they already had their present in hand; if they had already received it long before their birthday, they wouldn’t have the excitement.  They wouldn’t have the hope.  They wouldn’t have anything to look forward to.  But because it is not in their possession yet, they have hope.  They know it’s coming; they know our promise is secure; so they patiently and excitedly wait.

This is exactly what we do as Christians as well.  We have a sure and lasting hope.  We have a sure and lasting promise.  We don’t have it yet.  But it is coming.  Each day draws us closer.  Each day is one more step toward the full redemption of this world and our bodies.  Each day brings us closer to the promised resurrection and fullness of joy of being in the presence of our Father, our Daddy as Paul reminded us last week.  We long for it, but we are patient as we wait.  We endure the sufferings of this world because we know there is more to come.  And we look to the author and perfecter of our faith as we do so.

Jesus is extremely crucial to this whole process.  In fact, it is Jesus death on the cross and subsequent resurrection that is in Paul’s mind as he writes these words.  You cannot have the resurrection without the cross, and you cannot have the cross without the resurrection.  They both go hand in hand.  They both must be held in tension.  Both provide the Christian with the answer as to whether or not suffering is worth it, and the answer is a resounding yes.  The cross shows that God is not above our suffering; God is not removed from our suffering.  God suffers with us and like us.  God knows pain.  God knows agony.  God knows injustice and hatred.  God knows what it is like to die.  God has experienced it with us.  Yes, God understands our suffering because He’s been through it himself.  And if God didn’t prevent Himself from suffering, we should not be surprised when He doesn’t prevent us from suffering.  There is more to the equation: there is resurrection.  There is re-birth.  There is renewal.  The resurrection is the promised hope.  It is what we can look forward to–a new body free of pain, injury, hunger, want; a new body that will never die; a new body that will experience the love and fulfillment of God.

We must not be fooled by anything that minimizes the cross or the resurrection.  We must not be led astray into accepting any form of Christianity that promises that we will never suffer or that our hope is in something less than resurrection.  We must not lead people astray and offer them false hope.  When we become Christians, we will suffer.  That is a given, but we can endure because we also know what is in store.  We know that there is resurrection in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

When You Suffer, Do You Boast?: Romans 5:1-5

When I was about eleven, my family and I had gone over to a great aunt’s house on a Sunday after church.  We bar-b-qued hamburgers and sat around watching football.  Of course, my Dallas Cowboys were playing.  I remember this stuff vividly.  They were playing the late game, and they played the Los Angeles Rams.  I was rooting whole-heartedly for my ‘boys, and I was convinced they were going to win.  How convinced?  My dad told me, “The Cowboys are going to lose.”  I said, “No way.  They are going to win!”

Dad said, “I’ll bet you.”

I rose to the challenge, “Deal.”

Dad said, “How much?”

I thought for a moment before responding, “A quarter.”

Now, before you laugh too much, you have to realize just how much a quarter meant to me.  You see, I loved playing video games.  That quarter wasn’t just a quarter.  It was a game of Pac-Man or whatever arcade game I could come across the next time my family and I went out.  I took great joy and pleasure in playing those games–even though I wasn’t particularly good at them.  To bet a quarter was a big deal.

And my ‘boys lost!!!  I still remember going into my room and digging around for a quarter to hand to my dad.  –No, he didn’t let me off.  I had to pay up!!

Do you know, to this day, I have never bet on another football game or sporting event?  Lesson learned.  There is a risk on betting on an unknown future.  You can easily lose.

But, let’s turn the tables for just a moment.  What if you knew the future?  What if you knew what was going to happen at a particular game–who was going to win?  What if you knew it beyond the shadow of a doubt?  I tell you what I would do.  I’d be booking it to Las Vegas, and I would be a whole lot wealthier, that’s for sure!  Knowing the future gives you confidence in the present.

But there is a problem.  We don’t know the future.  We have the capability to think about the future.  We have the capability of figuring out what will probably happen in the next few moments; hours; or even days.  But all it takes is one little surprise; one little change in some variable, and all our preparations are null and void.  Therefore, we always seem to be a bit concerned about what will happen next.  We always seem to be a bit antsy about what might be just around the corner.  What will the future hold?  Sometimes we are excited about it.  Oftentimes we are fearful of it.  And in our culture today, fear dominates.  We tend to be afraid to bet; to risk; to take that chance lest we lose.

Christians take a bit of a different view toward the future.  In fact, we face the future with confidence–with hope.  St. Paul begins laying this out in the book of Romans chapter 5.  Just a quick recap from before we took our break from this book because of Christmas: Romans chapters one through most of three were spent laying out humanity’s failure to live up to God’s expectations and the reasons we were under the wrath of God.  At the end of chapter 3, Paul shared the good news that God’s justice and God’s mercy had combined in the work of Jesus who became the atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Christ’s actions have justified us, and we are now right with God.  We are saved when we trust in Jesus’ actions instead of our own.  Paul then used chapter four to show how this justification by grace through faith was consistent with God’s action toward the founder of the Jewish faith: Abraham.  Paul now moves forward to share the consequences of God’s action in Jesus Christ.

We begin with verse one: Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.   We must read this carefully because Paul says here that we have peace WITH God–not the peace OF God.  The peace of God is a sense of calm that comes over us in the midst of various situations in life.  Sometimes we sense that peace.  Other times, we don’t.  Such peace is an important part of the Christian life and deserves its just due, but this is not what Paul is talking about here.  Paul is speaking of the peace that comes after two sides are reconciled.  No longer is there animosity.  No longer is there anger that divides.  No longer is there separation.  There is peace because our sins are no longer a cause of hostility.  God no longer bears his righteous anger against us.  We are at peace.

Secondly, verse two begins with these words: 2through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand.  Through Jesus we now have access–the way is opened with no obstacles to the grace of God.  Think of it this way: in ancient times, in order to have access to a king, you first needed grace–worthiness imparted to you by the king so that he would meet with you.  Through Jesus, we have such access with God.  No longer are there any barriers between you and God.  Folks sometimes ask me to pray for them with the words, “Because you have a direct line to the big Guy up stairs.”  I humorously try to say, “Well, you do too.  We share the same access.”  Through Christ this has been given to ALL of us.  No one has any advantage.

Finally, Paul says, “we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.”  Earlier in chapter 3, Paul spoke about how boasting was excluded by the grace of God; however, it is important to note that Paul wants us to realize that we cannot boast in ourselves and what we do.  Boasting in what God has done, is doing, and will do is certainly allowed.  In fact, it’s sort of what we do as a church when we worship!  We loudly and boldly proclaim our God!  We loudly and boldly speak of what God does!  We loudly and boldly tell others that God has saved us; that God provides for us; and that God will secure our future.  We boldly boast of how God has prepared a place for those who trust Him and how He will raise us to eternal life–just like He raised Jesus to eternal life.  We boast in God’s goodness!!!

However, Paul suddenly broaches a different subject.  Right after saying that we boast in the glory of God–we boast in God’s goodness, Paul says, “3And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings.”  Some scholars believe that Paul is heading off a criticism that is often brought forth.  A criticism that says: you boast about the goodness of God, but look at the trials and tribulations you go through.  Look at all the evil that is still in the world.  Look at the sickness that some of you have.  Look at the persecution that others are bringing upon you.  Why would you boast in God with all of these things happening?  Paul does not shy away from this question, and rather than offer excuses for such matters, Paul says something that many of us frankly have a difficult time doing.  Paul says that we boast in our sufferings.  I mean, really, think about this.  How many of us say, "Hey, I got diagnosed with cancer, woo hoo!"?  How many of us brag about having frozen pipes this morning?  How many of us jump up and down when we lose a job?  No.  We don't do this at all.  We become despondent.  We want sympathy.  We want compassion.  We never boast.  Yet, Paul says, "We boast in our sufferings."

Now, let me be quick to point out that this does not mean that we celebrate the fact that we suffer.  As Timothy Keller said, “That would be masochism.”  We aren’t sadistic.  We don’t rejoice that we suffer.  But we can boast in the midst of it.  How?  How in the world can we boast in our sufferings?

Paul continues:  knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.  Let’s go through these step by step.  Paul first says that suffering produces endurance.  The word endurance here carries a sense of steadfastness–meaning you don’t waver.  You are focused.  Suffering strips away all of the unnecessary distractions so that we know where and what to stand on.  Suffering helps us to see what we can really count on–what is lasting.  And when we find what we can stand upon–what is strong; what endures, then character is formed.  The Greek here gives us a sense of “testedness” or “genuineness”.  When all is stripped away, and you are left with what is lasting, you are tested–genuine.  Your true nature is revealed.  And what is a Christian’s true nature?  If we know we are justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ–what does our heart show?  It shows that we are full of hope.

How does this happen?  I have dealt with such matters repeatedly with folks who go through suffering. By the time all is said and done, you can tell the difference between folks who put their trust in God and those who have trusted other things.  Let me use the scenario of someone who was diagnosed with cancer.  The folks who have trusted other things go through having their endurance tested, and their character is revealed.  When money did not bring about a cure; when doctors failed to stem the cancer; when family and friends could not make them better; when all of these things were stripped away and there was nothing left, folks who had no trust in God generally became bitter and angry and depressed.  They were defeated.  However, when the same things happened to those whose trust was in God, they too found that money couldn’t cure; doctors couldn’t stem the tide; that family and friends couldn’t make them better, but instead of becoming bitter and angry and depressed–they trusted that God would care for them.  They trusted that even though they might die, that God would bring them unto Himself.  They had hope.  It radiated from them.

Paul finishes with these words, “5and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”  A better translation would be “and hope does not shame us.”  Hope does not shame us.  This is important on two counts.  First, as I hinted at in my example above, if you put your hope in anything except God, it will disappoint you.  It will bring you shame.  Only God will not disappoint you.  Only God will not shame you.  If your hope is in God you will never be let down.  You can be confident.  And that is the second point of what Paul leads us to.  We can have absolute confidence in what God will accomplish.  This is the meaning of hope in Christian terms.  Most of us when we talk about hope, we think about wish fulfillment.  “I hope I win the lottery.”  “I hope it rains.”  “I hope gas prices don’t go up.”  We can’t be confident of any of these things.  Hope is a guessing game, and if what we hope for doesn’t come to pass–we are disappointed.  In fact, my mother-in-law is fond of saying, "Spit in one hand, wish in the other, and see which one fills up faster."

       Christian hope doesn’t say that.  Christian hope says, “I believe that God will provide exactly what I need when I need it.”  And that is not a hope that will disappoint.  That is not a hope that will bring us shame.  That is a hope rooted and grounded in who God has shown Himself to be.  It is a hope rooted and grounded in the love that He Himself has poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.  It is a hope rooted and grounded in the fact that God did not withhold His own Son, but sent Him into the world to die for us.  It is a hope rooted in the God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.

This is the promise that we hold in our hearts.  This is the work of God that we stay focused upon.  We know that He loved us enough to die for us.  We know that He raised Jesus from the dead giving us a vision of what we will experience when we trust in Him.  We know that the future rests in His hands.  Our future is taken care of.  We know what to expect.  And if you know what the future entails, then you can live with confidence.  You can face suffering with confidence.  For suffering produces endurance–it helps you see what you can count on.  When you see what you can truly count on, your character is revealed–everyone can see what is truly in your heart.  And if you understand what God has done–hope reigns supreme.  And that is something to boast in!! Amen.

It's not Luck. It's Redemption.

 I want to begin this morning by assuring you that you are indeed one of the luckiest beings to ever exist.  Now, you might be going through an awful lot in your life right now and you may beg to disagree with me, but I would like to lay out a few facts for you this morning to help you see why you are extremely lucky.

 First off, do you know that you live in a universe that is perfectly tuned for your existence?  What do I mean by that?  Let me quote to you what John Lennox wrote in his book God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God:

 Theoretical physicist Paul Davies tells us that if the ratio of the nuclear strong force to the electromagnetic force had been different by 1 part in 1016, no stars could have formed.  Again, the ratio of the electromagnetic force-constant to the gravitational force-constant must be equally delicately balanced.  Increase it by only 1 part in 1040 and only small stars can exist; decrease it by the same amount and there will only be large stars.  You must have both large and small stars in the universe: the large ones produce elements in their thermonuclear furnaces; and it is only the small ones that burn long enough to sustain a planet with life.

 To use Davis’ illustration, that is the kind of accuracy a marksman would need to hit a coin at the far side of the observable universe, twenty billion light years away.  If we find that difficult to imagine, a further illustration suggested by astrophysicist Hugh Ross may help.   Cover America with coins in a column reaching to the moon (380,000 km or 236,000 miles away), then do the same for a billion other continents of the same size.  Paint one coin red and put it somewhere in one of the billion piles.  Blindfold a friend and ask her to pick it out.  The odds are about 1 in 1040 she will.

 Those odds are almost incomprehensible, and let me now say that this is just one–yes THIS IS JUST ONE mechanism that requires fine tuning.  There are several others which are also inconceivably small.  If you struggle with math and the odds, let me be blunt.  We should not be here.  There is literally a zero chance that all the things that should happen for a universe to sustain life could actually come together and happen–and yet it did.  If you believe that this universe is here by chance, then you have more faith than I do because the odds are not in your favor.

 But, this is not the end of our luck because we are highly privileged in this universe on this particular planet.  You may scoff at such a statement because you might say: with all of the billions of stars and billions of planets in the billions of galaxies, surely there are other planets with life on them.  Quoting Eric Metaxis in his opinion piece to the Wall Street Journal: “astronomer Carl Sagan announced that there were two important criteria for a planet to support life: The right kind of star, and a planet the right distance from that star. Given the roughly octillion—1 followed by 27 zeros—planets in the universe, there should have been about septillion—1 followed by 24 zeros—planets capable of supporting life.”

 Well, it just so happens that Carl Sagan was quite wrong.  There are not simply two important criteria for a planet to support life.  As astronomers and physicists continued to study the conditions that made for life as we know it, more criteria started to come to light.  The numbers grew from two to ten; then to twenty; then to fifty; to the present day where we know that there are more than 200 known parameters needed for a planet to sustain carbon based, intelligent life.  What does this mean?  It means that the SETI project–the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, is a waste of money.  The odds are almost nil that there is another planet in the universe that life as we know it exists.

 So, to reiterate the point that I began with, do you know how lucky you are?  Do you realize how special you are?  And, given the non-existent chance that this universe just happened and was a product of chance; and given that this universe very much looks like it was finely tuned for life by some sort of intelligence; and given that if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and eats like a duck, then it is a duck, then this universe and this planet were put here by some sort of intelligence.  Why is all of this important?

 Let’s now turn to our biblical text this morning from the 13th Chapter of the book of Mark.  Last week, we saw how Jesus spoke about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and how God had turned His judgement toward that Temple because it was rotten on the inside even though it was a structure of absolute beauty and magnificence on the outside.  The disciples asked when these things would occur, and Jesus began to teach them.

 First, Jesus said that there would be false Messiahs, then wars and rumors of war; there would be earthquakes and famines.  The disciples would be handed over to councils and synagogues and beaten.  Families would turn against one another, and these would be the beginnings of the birth pangs.

 Some scholars have tried to link these things with the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 A.D., but as I have continued to study this text and read the commentaries, I am not sure that these statements of Jesus and the temple destruction walk hand in hand.  Why?  First off, we know that there are still stones standing upon stones in Jerusalem.  You have heard of the Wailing Wall, no doubt?  Secondly, if Mark knew about the destruction of Jerusalem, he probably would have written this section differently because the city was destroyed by a great siege and then with a horrendous fire.  There is no mention of this.  Thirdly has to do with what Jesus teaches today.

 He begins with these words, “‘But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains...”  How to interpret Jesus’ words here depend greatly on what exactly the “desolating sacrilege” is.  Walter Liefield in the Expositors Bible Commentary says this: The first word of the phrase, bdelygma (abomination) suggests something repugnant to God, while the second, eremosis (desolation) suggests that because of the abomination the temple is left deserted, desolate.  The holy and pious worshipers vacate it.

 The question is, has such a “desolating sacrilege” appeared in the Temple?  That is a matter of historical debate–if what Jesus is saying here has already come to pass.  If it hasn’t yet come to pass, then this is a future event–an event that we must be watchful for because it’s going to be bad.  It’s going to be bad, but it is not going to be the end of the days.

 Some of you who might have gotten caught up in all the rig-a-ma-roe about the end times might be scratching your head at that comment, but hear me out.  Look at what Jesus says and then ask yourself, “If what Jesus is talking about is the very end of the world, then why run?”  Why flee to the hills if this is the end of the world?  Why come straight down from the house tops and flee without going in to get anything?  Why take off straight from the field without going back into the house to get your coat if this is the end of all time?  Why try to save yourself–if this is the end of the ages?  At the end of the ages, there will be no escape.  At the end of the world, it doesn’t matter if you run or if you stand still, you are screwed!!!

 But Jesus encourages His followers to run when they see this desolating sacrilege.  It is one of those moments when you have to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, and know when to run.  This is a moment to run!  –Because there will be great suffering; for everyone.  There will be such a suffering as has not been seen since the creation of the world.  This means, things are going to get really, really bad.

 Last week, I talked about those preachers who paint a rosy picture of following Jesus–how He will make your life absolutely perfect; how He will make you healthy, wealthy, wise, and loved.  Somehow, I think those preachers missed this part too.  There will be suffering, and then I think we get to the crux of the matter.  Jesus says, “21And if anyone says to you at that time, “Look! Here is the Messiah!” or “Look! There he is!”—do not believe it. 22False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23But be alert; I have already told you everything.”

 This is the second time in a few short verses that Jesus warns against false Messiahs and false teachers, and this time He places that warning in conjunction with suffering and the threat of death.  I don’t think there is a coincidence in the placement of this teaching.

 You see, more than any other time in people’s lives, people question the goodness and graciousness of God in the midst of suffering.  More than any time in people’s lives, people question the love and mercy of God when they experience suffering.  “Why has God done this to me?” is a pleading question.  “Has God abandoned me?” is another gut wrenching plea.  As I have talked with people whose bodies are wracked with pain; whose bodies are being devoured by cancer; who are sitting at the bedside of a dying spouse; who are shedding tears next to the casket of a child taken far too early, they want answers.  They want understanding.  They want to know the meaning and purpose behind all these trials and tribulations.  Oftentimes, I don’t know.

 And when things are falling apart in society, people want solutions.  When terrorism hits close to home; when stock markets crash; when people lose their jobs; when the Supreme Court overturns what many consider common sense values; when churches see more empty pews than full ones; people want answers.  People want solutions.  People want someone to swoop in and make everything right.  When anxiety rises because of suffering and perceived threat; people want a savior, and anyone who comes along with a glib tongue who seems to give them the answers they want can easily lead them astray.

 Just believe enough, and your problems will vanish.

 Just give enough, and your cancer will cease.

 Just change the core of your teaching, and your church pews will be filled.

 Just vote for me, and I will make all the problems disappear.

 Trust what I tell you and do what I say, and all will be well.

 The words are seductive, especially when you feel like you are abandoned; especially when you are hurting; especially when you are in the despair of suffering.

 But do you know how special you are?  Do you remember how the Creator of this universe has designed this universe for life?  Do you remember how the Creator designed this planet for you to live on?  Do you remember that given the odds, you shouldn’t even be here?  You are a special creation.

 And if you have difficulty remembering that, let me tell you how much the Creator cares for you.  You see, the Creator knows about your suffering.  The creator knows about your pain.  The creator knows about your despair, and He is not above it.  It pains Him to see what has happened to His creation.  It pains Him to see how people are in agony and the trials they face.  And He knows the cause.  He knows that the creation does not live in accordance with the Creator’s will.  He knows that creation has rebelled against Him and lives apart from it.

 And so, He enters into creation.  He becomes like you and me, clothed with human flesh.  He lives the life we should live, and then He faces death.  He faces the ultimate in suffering.  He faces the brokenness of human relationships as He is betrayed, denied, and abandoned.  He faces the injustice of the human “justice” system as He is falsely accused and sentenced to death.  He faces the pain of human brutality as He is tortured, mocked, beaten, and nailed to a cross.  He faces abandonment by God and cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?!”  He feels utter darkness; utter punishment; utter abandonment.  He dies in such a state and is buried in a tomb.  The God who created this universe with you in mind has entered this world and suffered as we suffer; died as we die.  He is not above our suffering, and He has taken that suffering upon Himself.  And He redeems that suffering.  He changes that suffering.  He changes that brokenness.

 For on the third day, He rose again from the dead to transform all that was evil into good.  He rose again from the dead to make darkness into light, despair into hope, evil into good, hate into love.  This is the God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him. 

 Anyone else who promises you salvation is a false Messiah.  Anyone else who claims to offer you true freedom or redemption is a liar.  Anyone who demands something from you without first laying down his or her life for you isn’t worthy of consideration.  They want your trust with no cost to them.  Jesus wants your trust, and He has already given His life for you.  He has told, shown, and done everything for you already.  In the midst of your trials and tribulations, never forget this.  Never forget the one who has already died for you and has shown you what the end will be.  Hold on to Jesus.  Amen.

When Troubles Beset Us...

    Perhaps you recognize the title of this post as part of the Gospel hymn “On the Wings of a Dove.”  The entire verse is as follows:

When troubles beset us; When evils come
The body grows weak, and the spirit grows numb
When these beset us; well He doesn’t forget us
He sends down His love, on the wings of a dove.

    I share this with you in the knowledge that many, many within our congregation have been beset with such troubles.  There are many who are struggling with dealing with loved ones who are sick and dying.  There are some who have lost spouses.  There are some who are fighting illness themselves.  There are some who are recovering from surgery.  There are some who have had weird life circumstances cause stumbling and falling.  One wonders why such things happen.

    There is no perfect answer.  Believe you me.  If there was, I would write the book and sit back and enjoy the royalties.  But I haven’t written that book because no answer is satisfactory.  I can tell you a couple that are flat out wrong.  Wrong answer number 1: “Jesus wants you to have victory over such matters.”  One need be reminded, Jesus’ victory came on the cross–through suffering and persecution.  The victory is won, no doubt, but not without a great cost.  Wrong answer #2: If you just had enough faith, things would turn out right.  Please, no one has enough faith.  No one.  This is why we are saved by sheer grace.  We are dependent upon the mercy of God for all that we get.  We don’t earn it by our faith.  Wrong answer #3: God is causing this to test me.  God knows you would fail.  God knows we would all fail.  Our human nature is weak.  Furthermore, if you look at the life of Jesus, you will not see God testing Jesus (that would be a bit redundant).  You will see the Enemy testing Jesus.  It is the Enemy who tries to bring about our downfall by tests.

    Which leads me to offer a few answers that I think help us grapple with trials and tribulations.  Answer #1: When you are seeking to follow Jesus and the Gospel begins to take root in your heart, the Enemy works to steal you away.  The Enemy sets up road blocks and trials to make you question your commitment to Jesus.  Over and over again, we see this plainly in scripture.  Answer #2: We cannot escape our choices.  This is not a popular answer, but it is reality.  It does not cover everything, but if you have lung cancer after smoking for 30 years, this is no surprise.  One must make a distinction between things that we have some part in and things we don’t.  Answer #3: I have no idea what-so-ever.  This is the hardest one to accept because we want a reason.  We want a clue as to why things are happening.  Sometimes, there is just no good answer, and we must hope that God is in the midst of our trials and tribulations working to bring about a positive solution.

    That last sentence is an important one because it demands trust in God.  It demands that we have hope.  It’s a hard thing to have at times, but it is central to our faith.  The cross was the darkest day for the Christian, but it was followed by the light of the resurrection.  Cross.  Resurrection.  Death.  Life.  God worked to bring hope from tragedy, and it is this that we hold onto desperately in the midst of our trials.  May that hope find its way into your heart and mind.  Amen.

Pat Robertson, Texas Floods, and the Why Question

Okay,  I know Pat Robertson really didn't say he was stuck in a quandary trying to figure out why God sent flooding to my home state.  Snopes is a wonderful tool to help wade through some of the garbage which surfaces on the www.   But Robertson and others have, in their history, made comments about natural disasters and God's wrath being administered through those disasters.  There are those who both cheer and jeer such pronouncements, and with good reason.

At the heart of such matters is the question of why such disasters happen.  From a atheistic perspective, the question is irrelevant.  Such flooding is simply part of the way the world works.  There is no rhyme or reason for the randomness.  It just happens.  Deal with it.  Cope with it.  Get over it.  If you lost loved ones or property, grieve--we will help you get back on your feet, but don't ask about any greater purpose or reason behind such matters.  There is none.  This answer is satisfactory for some.

For people of faith, the rejection of a "why" answer is not satisfactory.  We wrestle with the nature of such events.  We want to know if there is a purpose behind them. We want to know whether or not hope springs eternal.  For in the atheist answer, you have resolved the problem of suffering, but you have removed hope.  What hope is there for those who lost loved ones in this flooding?  What hope is there for those who have lost everything to flood damage--who believed they needed no insurance because they were high enough above the flood plain?  Those seeking hope want and need answers.

They are not always easy to find.

The Punishment Answer

Robertson and others have used the punishment answer in regards to natural disasters numerous times.  The idea is that society in general or some people in particular have committed grievous sin, and God is extending His wrath upon society with such disaster.

This answer is not without precedent.  In fact, it is found in Scripture on numerous occasion.  The great flood recorded in the Bible is one instance of divine punishment upon the evil of humanity.  An earthquake swallowing up a great deal many Israelites for betraying the covenant is another instance.  Venomous serpents in the desert is another.  In all occasions, God punishes sin by natural occurrences.

This does raise a bit of a quandary for those of us who believe God is a God of love.  Why would God punish people in such a manner--even "innocent" women and children?  Sometimes, the response leaves one scratching one's head.  "That's the God of the Old Testament, not the God of the New Testament."  (That argument was rejected by the early Church long ago and was deemed heresy.)  "God didn't really do those things.  Those things just happened, and the bibilcal writers just theologized the event."  (Well, you could do that to every single event in Scripture then.  That would make the Bible just a bunch of human events that people projected onto God.  Hello Freud.)

Punishment is a very effective tool for changing behavior.  Just ask any parent.  We use it all the time.  "If you don't stop hitting your brother, you will get a spanking!"  "If you don't clean your room, you will lose your ipod."  "If you do not eat your food, you will not be allowed to go outside and play."  And so on and so forth.  The threat of punishment, and the subsequent follow through is still used by the legal system today.  This is why we have speed limit signs, anti-discriminatory laws, and the like.  There are behaviors which must be curbed.

Throughout the Old Testament, God effectively uses punishment to change the behaviors of people who are failing to follow His commands and live according to His will and His way.  When people commit idolatry: God punishes.  When people fail to live justly, God punishes.  When people abuse the poor and downtrodden, God punishes.  God cannot stand the sight of sin, and to get people back on the right path, He sent punishment.

One can effectively argue that with each and every disaster, natural and otherwise, that God is punishing society and individuals for their sin.  For no one is innocent. 

There are those who might dispute that last comment, but I would like to remind you of the biblical nature of sin.  Sin is not simply the things that we do--it goes beyond that.  It is the condition of the human heart, and the human heart is naturally turned toward itself.  It naturally seeks self-preservation.  It naturally seeks self-gain.  It naturally seeks its own self-interests.  As Nietzsche once put it: we all seek our own will to power.  In this light, no one can escape guilt.  As the reformer Martin Luther put it: we are in bondage to sin.  It is the condition of our hearts.  Therefore, God is justified in punishing such sin.

The Problem with Punishment

But there is a problem with simply punishing.  For while punishment changes behavior, it does not change hearts.  What do I mean by that?

Whenever the threat of punishment disappears, people go right back to doing whatever it was they were doing to begin with.  Kids will wreck havoc when parents go away because the threat is gone.  Their fear is gone.  Therefore, they push through boundaries thinking they will not get caught.  Behavioral change was only temporary.  It was not lasting. 

On the other hand, if someone loves and respects the ruling authorities, then following the rules is a joy.  Following the law is a delight.  Why?  Because one knows that in following the rules, one is bringing delight to one's superiors. 

But how do you get another person to love you?  How do you get another person to see how much you care for them?

Jesus gave us the ultimate answer to that one, "No one has greater life than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."  Jesus wasn't the first one to say that.  Others had said it before, but this was the first time in history when God took on human flesh and not only said such a thing, but did it.  Every other time the gods came down to earth, it was to wreck destruction and mayhem or because they were interested in satisfying some sort of perverse desire.  Jesus took on flesh to die--not only for His friends but for His enemies as well.  No greater love has ever been shown.

The Cross

And, of course, that death took place on a cross.  It was the worst sort of death.  The Romans had perfected the art of killing someone so that a person not only died but died without dignity and in massive amounts of pain.  This was the death that Jesus experienced--the same Jesus who did not deserve to die; who was completely and utterly innocent; whose heart was perfectly attuned to His Father's will. 

There is a bastardized understanding of Christianity that flows around the world these days.  It's the proclamation that if one just believes in Jesus and seeks to follow Him and has enough faith, then one will experience healing of every sort.  One will be completely whole in finances, health, and relationships.  God will grant victory in bank accounts, bedrooms, social relationships, and hospitals if one simply begins believing.

The cross destroys such ideology.  Jesus' lived the perfect life, and He was crucified.  The earliest disciples--who saw Jesus raised from the dead, met their demise in persecution, suffering, exile, and imprisonment.  Christianity does not promise a life without suffering, but it does offer eternal hope.  It offers consolation when suffering occurs.  It offers the knowledge that when the worst happens, God will have the last say.

The Resurrection

For the cross was not the end of the story.  Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and proclaimed that all who trust in His work will share with Him in this resurrection.  Two things are important: the work of Jesus and the future hope.

The Work of Jesus

The cross for Christians is not only the result of humanity's worst.  It is not simply a man being hanged because He dared challenge the power structures of the day.  Jesus certainly did that; however there was more to it; much more.

In the context of the Jewish sacrificial system, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice--the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the whole world.  Theological jargon, I know, but let's try and break it down a little.  Mind you, there have been books written about this.  I'm trying to get it done in a blog post. 

Whenever sin occurred, one had to justify oneself toward God.  Atonement had to be made.  This isn't as foreign as it might seem to us living so far removed from the situation.  How so?  Well, whenever someone wrongs you, you demand justice.  You demand recompense.  You demand that things be made right.  Whenever you pay for goods, and those goods do not meet specifications, you demand your money back or that the goods be fixed.  Things must be made right.  In relationships, if you are hurt by another person, you demand an apology.  You demand that the person fix the pain caused. 

Yet, if you forgive another person, you bear the cost of that forgiveness.  You bear the cost of the broken goods.  You bear the pain of broken relationships.  On the cross, Jesus bore the cost of our brokenness with God.  He bore the cost of our hearts being focused on ourselves.  He bore the cost of our actions that break God's laws and commands.  He took the punishment so that we do not have to fear it, and instead of fearing God's wrath, we can look toward God's love and promise.

The Future Hope

Being assured of God's love and freed from worry about His wrath, we can now live lives honoring God.  We can be free of fear of death and destruction.  We know Who holds our future, and our lives are built upon Him.

The reformer Martin Luther summarized this in one of the stanzas to the hymn "A Mighty Fortress:"

Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be swept away,
They cannot win the day,
The Kingdom's ours forever.

Wrapped up in this verse is the knowledge that suffering will occur.  There is the knowledge that it is not God who brings such suffering upon us.  We still don't have the answer for that; however, just because we don't have the answer to "why", we are free to ask the question, and we are free to know what the ultimate solution will be.  We are free to know the ultimate and final say will be a new heaven and a new earth where all bad things will be undone.  This is the promise of the cross and the resurrection. 

As flood victims are striving to put their lives together, the outpouring of support and love will do wonders to bring healing.  It is my hope that well intentioned people will not try to solve the why question, but instead will point to the God who suffers with and then turns mourning into dancing--the God who took suffering upon Himself and then transformed death into life. 

No, Dammit, That's Not How God Works!

It's four hours I will not soon forget.

The County Sheriff is a member of my congregation, and he asked me to visit a local family who suffered a tragic loss.  In a small community like the one I am a part of, when tragedy strikes, everyone is affected.  When that tragedy involves horrific death and suspected murder, folks get sent reeling--especially in a place where "that kind of stuff doesn't happen."

As the pastor of the only congregation within a radius of 11 miles, essentially, I am the community pastor--not just the pastor of St. John Lutheran Church.  Sure, not everyone in the community is a member of my congregation, but I serve this community, and we are charged with reaching out into this community to deal with its needs.

The Sheriff sensed a need, and he asked me to go.

I went.

Making cold calls to a stranger's home is not the most comfortable thing in the world.  You never really know how you will be welcomed--or not welcomed for that matter.  Fortunately, the folks in this case were very receptive.  They had many within our community reach out to them during their time of trial.  At first, I was just one more in a long line.

But I am a pastor.  In times like these, whether or not I like it, I represent God.  I'm a messenger.  That can make a big difference.

Working through grief is an exhaustive process.  Working through anger and frustration and pain is an exhausting process, but you have to stick with it.  You can't just spend 15 minutes, tell folks we're thinking of you, offer further assistance if they need it, say a quick prayer and walk out the door thinking you've really dealt with things.  To really make any kind of impact, you've got to stay.

And I did.  The process was overwhelming at times, but there was a lot to work through.

The family was not only dealing with the grief of losing their loved one, but there was more.  Much, much more.  This death was not the only tragedy experienced.  A son/grandson had died while drinking and driving.  Years before rape had happened.  All of these wounds were touched by the tragic events of a few nights before.  Accumulated guilt, anger, sadness, and frustration bubbled--no, erupted--while I was there.

It didn't bother me to be a part of such an event.  Sometimes, the doctor has to lance the boil to get the infection out.  Only then, can healing salve be administered.

"I've spent the last two years angry with God.  I've cussed Him.  I was told He made my son die so that I would get my life straight.  Is that right?"

I hate it when folks say such things.

Don't get me wrong.  I know where it comes from.  I know in the Older Testament, there are numerous occasions of God punishing people for their sins.  There are numerous instances of death and despair and illness falling upon folks who disobeyed God's commands.  David had his son die.  The Israelites had serpents sent among them to bite them.  The ground opened up and swallowed those who sought to lead a rebellion against Moses.  And so on and so forth.  In the Newer Book, there is even a scene of God's vengeance poured out against Ananias and Sapphira.  One can create this image of God who punishes us for our sins and indeed sends us messages of death so that we get our lives straight.  I understand folks who make sense out of tragedy by saying such things, but this is not the narrative revealed through Jesus Christ.

"No," I replied.  "God didn't kill your son to get your attention so that you would become a better person.  God doesn't operate that way anymore."

Oh, the conversation wound around more and more.

"We are no longer under the discipline of the Law.  Mind you, the Law is still in effect, but we are no longer under its discipline."

"God was not responsible for your son's death.  The reason your son is dead is he drank, drove into oncoming traffic and hit an 18 wheeler."

"So, he's responsible for his own death?"

"It may sound harsh to say it, but yes.  I have to tell the truth.  Just like God is not responsible for your sister's death.  The person who killed her is."

"God does not make us suffer so that we 'get our lives together.'  God does not say, 'Get your stuff together or else you will go to hell.'  God says, 'I love you.  I died for you.  Now, become obedient to me.'  God's love always comes first.  He loves you now.  He always has."

"Thank you.  For the last two years, I've hated God."

"I bet you have.  But He's never hated you."

Enough said.

Be a Witness

    Long ago, when I was in high school, I actually had the privilege of having my dad teach me Algebra, Physics, Chemistry, and Pre-Calculus.  I know I am biased, but my dad was a very good teacher.  I learned a lot from him.  But there was one thing which rather upset me at the time.  Dad wouldn’t help me with my homework at home.  If I had a question about anything, I was required to go to his class during study hall.  He just wouldn’t help me at home.  It was rather frustrating!  Why would my dad do this to me?  Why would he make me go to study hall to get help?  He was right there!  It didn’t seem fair. 

    But, let’s think about this for just a moment.  Let’s think about why my dad did what he did.  Let’s think about what is and isn’t fair.  And let’s think about it by asking this question: Did Jesus need to be baptized?  Ponder that for just a moment.  Did Jesus need to be baptized?
    The obvious answer is “No.”  I mean John the Baptist is blunt when Jesus shows up to be baptized.  John looks Jesus straight in the eye and says, ““I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 

    Jesus is God incarnate–the fully human, fully divine Son of God.  God doesn’t need to be baptized–at all.  God doesn’t need repentance or the forgiveness of sins.  Jesus is blameless before God and before humanity.  There is no need for him to go through this process.  At all.  Yet, Jesus shows up to be baptized by John, and Jesus makes John go through with it.  “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”   Why does Jesus demand to be baptized? 

    Let’s turn to the opening statement of our second lesson from the book of Acts.  Peter is addressing the household of Cornelius–a Gentile.  Please remember in the context of this time, Jews and Gentiles did not mix.  They were like oil and water.  Jews considered Gentiles unclean.  Peter had just had a vision in which a sheet was lowered out of heaven with all sorts of unclean animals on it.  God commanded Peter, “Get up. Kill and eat.”  Peter replied, “Nothing unclean has ever touched my lips.”  God said, “What I have called clean, do not call unclean.”Immediately after this vision, messengers from Cornelius arrived at Peter’s door.  They said Cornelius had received a command to contact Peter while praying.  Peter went to the household.  When he arrived, he found a group of God-fearing Gentiles who were receptive to the message of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit brought them to faith.

    Upon seeing this, St. Peter addresses the people who had gathered in the house, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”  Now, we usually take this text and run with it and talk about how God doesn’t show any sort of favoritism based upon one’s cultural context, one’s gender, one’s sexuality, one’s skin color, or what have you.  There is nothing wrong with doing such a thing, but I think we need to push it farther.  We need to push God’s impartiality all the way through.  Even to His own Son who came to live among us.

            Why was Jesus baptized?  God shows no partiality.

    Why did my dad refuse to help me at home?  Dad shows no partiality.  Not all the students could access my dad as easy as I could.  It wasn’t fair to them if he helped me at home.  Dad wasn’t going to show favoritism.

    God wasn’t going to either, and this has some very important implications–some very important implications.  How so?

    Well, let’s think just a moment about what things might have looked like if God showed partiality.  Let’s think just a moment about what Jesus’ life might have looked like if God showered Him with favoritism as the Word became flesh and dwelled among us.

    Do you think Jesus would have been born in a stable?  Not hardly.

    Do you think Jesus would have been raised in a rather poor family and been taught the trade of carpentry–a trade considered very, very low on the social totem pole?  Probably not.

    Do you think Jesus would have lived for 30 years in relative obscurity with no one knowing much about Him?  Again, no.

    If God showed any sort of partiality, Jesus probably would have been born in a palace.  He would have had the best of wealth and privilege.  He would have eaten the finest foods, enjoyed the finest drink, gone to the finest schools and had the finest clothes.  He would have enjoyed all the best things the world had to offer and never had to deal with social outcasts and misfits.  Life would have always been grand and marvelous IF, IF God showed partiality to His Son.

    But God shows no partiality.  God shows no favoritism.  Even to His Son.

    And so Jesus was poor, like the vast majority of the world’s population.

    Jesus had to work, and His hands were calloused from the labor of carpentry–just like most people in the world have to work.

    Jesus was surrounded by ordinary people who did ordinary things and who eked out their living.  Jesus never had a place of wealth and privilege.  He was just like the vast majority of people who lived.

    And Jesus was not immune to suffering.  “God shows no partiality.”  If God showed favoritism, there wouldn’t have been a cross.  But there was.  There was a cross.  A horrible, bloody cross that Jesus hung upon.  Just as we suffer, Jesus suffered. 

    But there was more to Jesus’ suffering because He did not carry simply His own suffering.  It wasn’t just His pain He bore on the cross.  No.  “This is my Son,” God said at Jesus’ baptism, “with Him I am well pleased.”

    God’s Son sent to reconcile the world to God.  Jesus didn’t just hang on the cross experiencing His own suffering because He took upon Himself our suffering.  He took upon Himself our shame.  He took upon Himself our guilt.  He took upon Himself our sin.  He took upon Himself our pain. 

    For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that the world might be saved through Him.

    Just as God showed no partiality in how Jesus lived, suffered, and died, so God will show no partiality in salvation.  “Because He lives, we shall live also” and “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

    This is grace without partiality.  For you and for me and for all who call upon the name of Jesus.  And we are witnesses to this Grace.  We are witnesses to what God has done through Jesus Christ.  We are witnesses of how God did not even show favoritism to His own Son.  We are witnesses to the God who is not above suffering, but who suffered like us and who showed us what the final word will be.

    Is this news worth telling?  Is this grace worth sharing?  Do others need to hear about the God who suffers with them and promises them hope?  Is there any doubt about what we are called to do?  Live God’s Word Daily.  Be a witness.  Amen.

Do All Things Happen for a Reason?

I have been struck by a couple of conversations in the past week regarding this question.

Perhaps you have dealt with this in your life, particularly when facing the trials and tribulations of life.

More than a few times, I hear someone wrestling with troublesome events by saying, "There is a reason for this.  God has a reason for this.  I may not know what it is, but I know He has a reason for this."

I think I understand why people say such things.  I think it has something to do with a philosophical conundrum which has defied human reason, and, in fact, has become an argument that some use to say God does not exist.  The conundrum follows:

If God is all powerful and all good, then He has the ability to abolish evil.  If He does not abolish evil, then He is not all good.  If He cannot abolish evil, then He is not all powerful. 

In order to preserve the sovereignty and goodness of God, many, including myself, have said, "We must give allowance that we cannot see the big picture and that God has a reason for allowing certain things to happen as they do."  --Everything has a reason.

I think we must address a couple of points--first the idea of God's power.

I believe God is all powerful in the sense that there is no entity which has greater power than God; however, I believe God gave up some of His own power.  That may sound blasphemous, but hear me out.

God gave to creation free will.  God does not manipulate our hearts and minds to force us to act in a certain fashion.  If He did, we would simply be robots, mere puppets on a string.  (I love John Lennox's comment regarding this.  Paraphrasing: If I went home to a robot wife and hit a button on the computer which made her say, "I love you," it wouldn't be too particularly satisfying."  God forcing us to love and obey Him would have the same effect.) 

Some have argued: well, why doesn't God limit our ability to perform evil.  Hello!  Ever hear of a conscience?  But, I digress.

Because we have free will, God may know our chosen course of action, but He does not always intervene.  Intervention at all times would mean that we would never learn any lessons (pain is a great teacher), and we would simply become objects of God's control once again--kind of like those robotic toys running around in those enclosed areas in the mall.  They can go all over the place and run into things, but they are cordoned off in a particular area and are still toys.

So, then why does it seem like after some time, thought, and reflection, it looks like many things happen for a reason?

I submit to you, that most of God's intervention takes place AFTER tumultuous events occur.  God's intervention occurs as He begins working to make good come out of the things we suffer--either by our own free will or because of the freedom of nature.

As God works in our lives to bring transformation, we begin to see something unfold which has brought us to a new level of understanding, a new level of love, a new level of compassion, or what have you.  God did not cause evil to befall us; He didn't intervene because of the freedom bestowed to His creation; yet, He began working to transform that evil into something good.

Sometimes, we can see this almost instantaneously.  Sometimes it takes years, even decades, but when we finally see it, we have a "reason" for what happened.  However, that reason wasn't there before the event, it only came after God's intervention and healing work in the world.

Do all things happen for a reason?  No.

Can God work to make it seem that way?  Yes, and I am convinced He does.

I Know that My Redeemer Lives!

23 ‘O that my words were written down!  O that they were inscribed in a book!  24 O that with an iron pen and with lead they were engraved on a rock for ever!  25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; 26 and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. --Job 19:23-27

   These words were uttered by Job as recorded in the book which bears his same name.  As we read these words, we may detect a hint of triumph within them.  They sound ultimately hopeful!  They sound like words we too might utter if we have stumbled upon fortune.  Perhaps we got lucky enough to win the lottery.  Perhaps we were fortunate enough to be declared cancer free after fighting an arduous battle with cancer.  Perhaps we heard our child received a full ride scholarship to his or her preferred university.  “I know that my redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth!”  It is so easy to give God glory and thanks when things are going in our favor.

    But there is an interesting twist with these words which were uttered by Job–an interesting twist indeed.  Let’s set the background.

    Job was a pretty wealthy guy.  He was happily married; had several children; large flocks of sheep and goats.  He loved the Lord and worshiped Him and only Him.  Now, we are told that God and Satan are having an argument, and they decide upon a wager: Satan believes Job’s faith is only skin deep.  Satan believes that if calamity were to befall Job, then Job would curse God.  God has more trust in Job than Satan does.  God believes Job will remain steadfast in His faith.  In order to settle the bet, Satan is given reign to torment Job.   

    Satan is pretty thorough.  He afflicts Job mightily.  He sends disaster upon Job’s flocks; his crops, and his family.  He afflicts Job’s health and covers him with painful sores.  Job goes from the top of the world having everything, to the top of the ash heap having nothing.  While sitting on the ash heap, Job’s friends come to visit with him.  It’s a really interesting conversation which takes up many chapters in the book of Job–it’s particularly fascinating that they continually believe Job must have done something to deserve the calamities which have befallen him.  They say God punishes sinners in such a manner, and that Job should repent or curse God and walk away from Him.  Job steadfastly refuses to walk away from God, and he says that he has done nothing to deserves such punishment.

    Job’s friends are unrelenting.  He must have done something to have earned God’s wrath and punishment.

    Let’s stop here for just a moment because Job’s situation gives us a chance to talk about grace.  Some of you might scratch your heads at this.  How in the world does this story about a guy whose family has been taken from him; who has lost his wealth; who has lost his health; whose friends are telling him he is a sinner; and who is now sitting on an ash heap give us an opportunity to talk about grace?

    Well, remember what I started this sermon off with?  Remember those words, “I know that my redeemer lives!”?  Remember how they are often spoken when things are going good?  What do we usually say when things are going badly for us?  What do we utter when it seems like the world is against us?

    Many times, we don’t need friends to sit next to us and tell us.  Many times we say it ourselves, “What have I done to deserve this?”  You would be surprised how many times I have heard someone say this in the time that I have served as a pastor.  Cancer strikes: what have I done to deserve this?  A child is stricken with disease: what did we do to have this happen to us?  A loved one suffers a debilitating health issue: she doesn’t deserve this.  Over and over and over again.

    What is behind this?  Perhaps not in all circumstances, but I think there is a bit of commonality running through each and every one of these situations: it’s the idea that somehow we can still save ourselves.  It’s the idea of works/righteousness.  It’s the idea that if I just do the right things; believe the right things; say the right things, then everything will work out for me in the long run.  It’s the idea that if I do the right things, then I will be accepted and be blessed.  And so when things don’t turn out the way we think they should, we start asking ourselves what we might have done or not done to deserve what has befallen us.

    We must stop here and ask: is this the way God, as revealed in Jesus Christ acts?  Is this the modus operandi of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

    Actually, no.  Not in the least, because as we see God revealed in Jesus Christ, we do not see this kind of working at all.  Instead, we see a God who operates by pure grace.  We do not see a God who demands that we work out our own salvation, but we see a God who works out salvation for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus, the second person of the Trinity.  We see a God who literally dies for us so that we might live.  There is nothing we have to do to earn this.  There is nothing we have to do to make this happen.  There is nothing we have to say to earn God’s favor.  There is no mountain we have to climb or ocean we have to swim.

    “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.”  That’s the beauty of grace.  And God acted in this manner while we were still sinners.

    So, what does that mean in relation to when those bad things start happening?  Well, a person functioning under the works/righteousness model says, “Why is this happening to me?”  The person who operates under the grace model says something quite different.  The person working under the grace model says, “I know that I am a broken person.  God has every right to punish me in whatever mode He sees fit.  I know that I have sinned against Him in thought word and deed by things that I have done and things that I have left undone.  I have not loved Him with my whole heart.  I have not loved my neighbor as myself.  Never-the-less, God has removed the discipline of the law.  God no longer punishes me or anyone by sending death, disease, or misfortune.  This is not God’s will.  I may not know why these things are happening to me, but I do know that God is operating in the midst of this in some way, shape or form.  I know God is working to transform this situation.  I know that God has promised me hope, and I will have faith in Him no matter what happens.”

    How can we know that God has promised such a thing?  How do we know God is working in the midst of such turmoil and struggle and pain and suffering?  Well, we look to the cross.  Yes, the cross.  That instrument of death is the focal point of the Christian faith, and there is little wonder why.  For if there was anyone who didn’t deserve to die, it was the God incarnate who hung on it.  If there was anyone who had actually lived up to the works righteousness end of the bargain, it was Jesus.  If there was anyone who should not have suffered, it was him indeed.  But that’s not what happened.  Jesus was nailed to that cross.  Jesus bled.  Jesus suffered.  Jesus died. 

    But death was not the end.  Suffering did not provide the final answer.  Evil did not carry the day.  For on the third day, Christ rose from the dead showing the power and desire of God to conquer evil, suffering and death.  Christ rose from the dead to show us that the final answer rests with God and will forever be God.  Grace leads us right to this spot.

    “For I know that my redeemer lives!”  Job spoke these words from the top of the ash heap.  He spoke these words after his friends tried to convince him that he had done something wrong to anger God, to provoke God’s wrath, to make God send him suffering.  But Job would have none of it.  He would not blame himself.  He would not blame God.  Instead, he would put his trust in the one who gave him hope.  In the midst of his pain; in the midst of his suffering; in the midst of those who would call him to do otherwise; Job spoke words of faith.

    “For I know that my redeemer lives; what comfort this sweet sentence gives.  He lives!  He lives, who once was dead.  He lives my ever living head!”  We will sing those words in just a moment, and whatever your situation in life–whether you are struggling mightily with what life has given you or whether you are satisfied and happy with what is going on–sing them not because you believe you have earned your lot, but because you trust that God loves you whatever you may be facing.  For that is what we do when we Live God’s Word Daily.  Amen.

Can We Just Skip this Part?

    How many of you have ever wanted to have your dessert first?  Be honest.  If you are like me, you have.  On numerous occasions.  Forget having to eat the main course.  Forget having to eat your vegetables.  Forget cleaning your plate.  Bring on the apple pie.  Bring on the ice cream.  Bring on the cookies.  Bring on everything that is sweet and sends your taste buds into ecstacy.  Let’s just skip to the good part.

    It’s kind of like watching movies when I was a teen.  I loved those action/adventure movies of the ‘80s.  Yeah, I got hooked on Rocky, Rambo, Commando and anything with Bruce Willis, Jean Claude Van Damme, Arnold Schwartznegger, and Sylvester Stallone.  But invariably, there would be slow moments between all the action sequences.  More than a few times, I’d grab the remote control and fast forward through the slow stuff to get to the action sequences–the stuff I considered to be the good stuff.

    And who of us in life wouldn’t like to fast forward through all the boring, meaningless, and bad stuff in our lives so that we could just enjoy the good stuff?  Who of us wouldn’t like to skip the difficult stuff and enjoy the rewarding times?  Most of us probably would in a heart beat.  And most of us would probably like to do the same thing with our lives of faith.

    I mean, take one look at our Gospel lesson for today.  Incidentally, gospel, the literal translation of that word from the Greek is “good news.”  Let’s read this again and see just what kind of “good news” Jesus proclaims:

    25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them,
(Good news #1): 26‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. (Good news #2) 27Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” 31Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. (Good news #3) 33So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

    After I finish reading this little snippet, I can’t help but ask, “Can’t we just skip this part?”  I mean, can’t we just gloss over this teaching and live our lives as happily and as merrily as we can?  Can’t we skip that part about hating our family; hating life; carrying the cross; and giving up our possessions?  Can’t we just explain this stuff away and say that Jesus is simply joking or using exaggeration to make a point? 

    There are more than a few people who indeed skip past these teachings.  There are more than a few people who disregard them and explain them away.  There are even a few preachers who blatantly teach a theology which ignores these words completely.

    Yeah, in some ways, I’m taking a shot at the guy just down the road.  You know, I have a number of folks who post his sayings to their Facebook timelines.  Like the following one: “When you realize that God has put a blessing on your life, and you go out each day with the attitude that something good is going to happen to you, that’s when God can do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond.”  Or here’s another one, “God doesn’t take you through challenges just to leave you beaten down. No, it’s time for you to rise up and claim everything that belongs to you.” 

    And here’s what Jesus says belongs to you, “Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

    What an interesting contrast.  Let’s kind of put this in theological terms.  The guy down the road is representative of a thread of Christianity that likes to skip the cross–to fast forward through the crucifixion and go straight to Easter.  The resurrection is all the good of life.  The resurrection is all the greatness of God.  The resurrection is what it is all about: healing, wholeness, redemption, graciousness, eternal life, the presence of God in all its fullness.  Yeah, we love that stuff.  It’s fantastic.  It’s more than the icing on the cake–it’s the whole cake in all its deliciousness.

    But you can’t have the resurrection without the crucifixion.  You cannot have the empty tomb without the cross.  You cannot have eternal life without death.  And a lot of times, we don’t want to talk about that.  We don’t want to talk about going down those paths.  We want the sweet stuff, but we don’t want to endure the heaviness.

    Yet, we as Christians must ask the tough questions, and one of those questions is: which is closer to the Truth?  Which is closer to the reality of life?  Which is closer to the life that Jesus revealed to us and called us to live as His followers?

    Listen to this quote from Bret Blair: The mark of a great leader is the demands he makes upon his followers. The Italian freedom fighter Garibaldi offered his men only hunger and death to free Italy. Winston Churchill told the English people that he had nothing to offer them but "blood, sweat, toil, and tears" in their fight against the enemies of England. Jesus demanded that his followers carry a cross. A sign of death.

Andrew died on a cross
Simon was crucified
Bartholomew was flayed alive
James (son of Zebedee) was beheaded
The other James (son of Alphaeus) was beaten to death
Thomas was run through with a lance
Matthias was stoned and then beheaded
Matthew was slain by the sword
Peter was crucified upside down
Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows
Philip was hanged

The demands that Jesus makes upon those who would follow him are extreme. Christianity is not a Sunday morning religion.  No.  It’s much, much more.  It’s a religion that demands your entire life.  The good, the bad, the pretty, the ugly, everything.  It demands a willingness to suffer, to die, to walk away from all that is precious and dear in our lives, to give up our possessions.  There is part of our faith that doesn’t necessarily come across as “good news”–at least while we are going through it.  For carrying a cross isn’t “good news.”  The cross means death, pain, and suffering.  Christianity is not for the faint hearted.

    But it is for those who can keep the end in mind.  It is for those who believe that on the other side of the cross is the resurrection.  It is for those who willingly count the cost and say, “The Lord will never leave me or forsake me.  The Lord is my helper.  What have I to fear?”  The answer is: nothing.  When we live God’s Word daily, we know that we will bear the cross, but we do not fear such a burden because we know the end.  Amen. 

God's Will and Suffering

This is the second CNN article which grabbed my attention this past week--especially in light of the suffering endured by parents and children in Moore, OK.  Is suffering God's will?

This is a most difficult question...for believers.

For atheists, there is no difficulty in wrestling with the question, because there is no question.   How can a non-existent God cause suffering?  Suffering just happens.  Period.

But the atheist has to then answer a very important question--at least a very important question to a whole host of people: where then is hope?  In the atheistic world view, there is no hope to be offered anyone who loses a child to a tornado, a school shooter, cancer, a tsunami, or what have you.  Essentially, one is left with "You know what Happens.", with no ifs, ands or buts.  One is out of luck.  For those of us who believe hope is essential to the viability of the human species, atheism is not an acceptable route.

Which brings us to belief.  And suffering.  And the place of God in it.

Joshua Prager's article struggles with meaning in this regard.  He offers two options:

And it occurs to me that whenever any of us wish to assimilate why we suffer (or prosper), we must choose between these same two narratives. We can attribute our lots to God and his writings, his unknowable ways. Or we can root them in the natural world and chronicle them ourselves -- on paper or simply in our minds. We can take comfort in ultimate if inscrutable justice. Or we can take comfort in observable reason and responsibility.

Pragner confesses later in the article, he falls squarely in the second camp.  He professes to be agnostic toward God--which is fine for him.  He comes to a place where he has come to grips with why he suffered by getting rid of God.

Suffering as God's Will

Interestingly enough, he also found others who suffered who found comfort and solace in his first narrative: that God ordains suffering.  Again, a relevant, long quote:

Surrounded by seven shelves of holy books, Yaakov, the family patriarch, told me that God had caused the crash and spared our lives. He said we had to follow the example of Job and serve God though we did not understand him.

Next, I found the widow of the bus driver. She was a secular Jew of Yemeni descent and lived in the industrial town of Petach Tikvah. (She wished to keep her name private.) She told me that her husband had feared nothing but God. And, she said, it was God who had ordained the crash. "It is written," she told me. "If you don't believe that, you will go crazy."

Finally, in the Arab town of Kfar Qara, I found the driver whose truck had crashed into the left rear of the bus where I sat. Abed told me that he had become religious after the crash and that the crash was an act of God. He then paused from his coffee and his Hebrew to speak an Arabic word: Maktoob. "It is written."

I left Abed, mindful as I drove south toward Jerusalem that, in this land of competing narratives, Arab and Jew were for once in perfect agreement.

Three different sets of people found comfort and understanding by believing God had ordained the bus crash which caused their suffering. 

Theologically, this gives people like myself the heebie-jeebies.  There are a good number of theologians who do not believe God intentionally causes suffering in the manner understood above--and for good reasons which I will outline below.

However, before I do that, please allow me to relay why I believe this understanding of God's will is held onto by many.  Much of it has to do with the understanding of God's power.  If indeed God is all-powerful and God is all-knowing, then God has ultimate control over everything--every event--every occurrence both with natural disasters and human inclination. 

This is the logical conclusion of believing in a God that is all-powerful and all-knowing.  The hope that people have is that since God is all-powerful and all-knowing, there is a reason God caused the suffering even though that reason is not known.  Emphasize the word hope.  Not content to deal with the way things are, there must exist a deeper, more meaningful reason for suffering.

Problems with this Approach

The biggest problem with this approach to suffering has to do with the theological assertion: God is all-powerful.  Does God have such power that He controls each and every formulation of the human mind and will AND each and every act of nature?  If one concedes that God indeed is this powerful, then there is no free will (which is one of the reasons I believe Pragner uses the word responsibility only from the agnostic, second perspective). 

If there is no free will; however, then we are left with another significant problem.  If we as humans have no free will, we are simply puppets being used at the mercy of the divine persona.  One could easily get the perception of a kid playing with his toys.  He's got some favored toys which he cares for and keeps in pristine condition, but there are others which he cares less about.  Why not have some fun with them?  Make car crashes.  Have them play army against one another.  See what happens when they get caught in massive amounts of water, and fire, and rain, and wind, and falling earth--just as a child does with toys he doesn't mind getting broken.

Is it any wonder why some rebel against this notion of God?  Is it any wonder why they run screaming from this theological position?  I personally would too, but does this mean I am left with only one alternative?  Does this mean I have only one other option as Pragner suggests?  In a word: no.  (Let me stress here, that I have no animosity toward those who hold this particular theological position.  In it, they have found hope and comfort, and it is my last desire to remove that from them.)

A Christian Approach to Suffering

It is necessary to say that there are many approaches to the problem of suffering within the Christian tradition.

There are those who subscribe to the understanding that suffering is a part of God's will.

There are those who believe our suffering is a part of God's redemptive plan for the world--as Christ suffered, we also suffer for the sake of the world.

There are those who find meaning in the words of St. Paul in Romans 5:3-5: 3And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

I believe a Christian approach to suffering begins with the understanding that God intended a creation which was perfect where suffering did not appear.  I believe God created such a creation only to have it ultimately rebel against Him.  I want to be very clear here: it was not just man that rebelled against God, it was the entirety of creation that did.  This is an important point.

It is well argued that God gave free will to human beings so they were not puppets on a string.  In order to fully live in a relationship, one must be free to have some choice in the matter.  God initiates every relationship and brings people to belief; however, He gives us the ability to walk away.  At this point, I am also conceding this ability to creation as well.

How can I do such a thing?  In the Judeo-Christian story of the Fall, man and woman desire to be like God, so they disobey God's instructions and eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.  Yet, they were coaxed into eating by...a part of creation: the serpent.  Parts of the creation were already rebelling against God's command, and they knew the lynch pin was humankind since God had given humankind the job of tending the Garden.  If humans fell, the whole of creation would simply continue its rebellion unchecked, and that's exactly what happened.

God allowed humankind and creation to make it's choice, and God continues to allow it such freedom.  I do not believe that God ultimately has control over every action taken by humans or by nature.  I believe God gives freedom to each to act accordingly--humans to their thought processes or lack there of, and the world according to scientific laws (as best as we understand them). 

I believe sometimes God intervenes in the process in the form of the miraculous--I know scientifically this is possible--however, I have no idea God's reasons for intervening in some cases but not others.

Suffering, then, is a consequence of the brokenness of the world.  Humans bear responsibility for part of that suffering and it cannot be attributed to God.  Nature bears responsibility for part of that suffering that cannot be attributed to God.  Yet, I also believe that God bears responsibility for suffering in that He does not intervene at all times and in all places to prevent suffering.

Yes, you read that last statement correctly.  God is on the hook for suffering which takes place in our world since He theoretically has the power to abolish it.  However, we must note that God places Himself on that proverbial hook--not us.  He does so through HIS OWN SUFFERING AND DEATH.  This is something that is uniquely Christian--the belief that God took on human flesh, suffered, and died so that creation could be redeemed.

As Timothy Keller puts it in The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism:

Let's see where this has brought us.  If we again ask the question: "Why does God allow evil and suffering to continue?" and we look at the cross of Jesus, we still do not know what the answer is.  However, we now know what the answer isn't.  It can't be that He doesn't love us.  It can't be that He is indifferent or detached from our condition.  God takes our misery and suffering so seriously that He was willing to take it on Himself.  (pp. 30-31)

But it is not enough for the Christian to simply say, "God suffers with us." because there is more--resurrection.  Christianity proclaims a God who is not content to allow tragedy and death to be the final word, and so He offers resurrection.  This is the news of Jesus' rising from the dead.  Jesus is the "first fruit" of what is to come--the creation of a new heaven and a new earth.

A Third Way

And so, we have arrived at a third way from understanding God's will and suffering as opposed to Pragner's two.  Suffering is not caused by God's will.  He does not intentionally cause tornadoes or train wrecks or bus wrecks.  Nature causes suffering.  Humans cause suffering.  God does not stop such things from happening for reasons only known to Him.  In some cases, God intervenes for reasons known only to Him.

But God takes responsibility for all suffering by taking it upon Himself as He willingly suffers and dies to redeem the world so that at the end of time a new world will be brought into being where all the wrongs are made right.  This is the hope to which we subscribe.