Every once in a while I see a zinger that makes me literally roll on the floor. While reading a particular news story, I hit the floor when I read the following:
"You're so open minded, your brain leaked out."
Here's why I laughed:
When I arrived at college, I began hearing the exhortation, "Be open minded. Think about everything you've ever been taught. Question everything.*"
Suddenly, the worst thing a person could be was closed minded. If you were a Biblical Fundamentalist, you were considered anti-intellectual and non-thinking. If you held certain views about the appropriate place for sex, you were considered Puritanical, impractical, and goody-two-shoes. If you believed it was O.K. to appropriate wealth, you were considered greedy and uncaring toward the poor, etc., etc.
The quite covert and sometimes overt message was, "Do not hold any firm beliefs. Do not believe you have anything resembling the absolute Truth. Keep your mind open, and you will be free."
Not so fast.
You see, I follow Jesus, and He is the one who famously said, "The truth will make you free." However, it wasn't just that little snippet. Let me give you the entirety of Jesus' words as He is teaching the Pharisees in the Gospel of John:
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ John 8:31-32
You see, freedom isn't tied to keeping a purely open mind. In fact, there is no such thing as an open mind. It is an impossibility to question anything and everything. There are some truths which are self-evident i.e. if you take one penny and put it next to another penny, you have two pennies. And there are some truths which are facts which are beyond question, i.e. a water molecule is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. You simply cannot keep an open mind about such things. If you indeed say that your mind is open to such things, then your brain has indeed leaked out. Either that, or you never really had one in the first place.
The next question is, "What about truth that isn't self-evident or cannot be measured scientifically?"
That is a much different question, a question which is worthy of examination. Yet, again, I believe that there is no such thing as a completely open mind in regards to such types of truth because all of us approach such questions with basic assumptions.
For if you say, "Such truth is relative," then your basic assumption is that the statement "truth is relative" is the truth. That's a bit of a pickle, is it not.
If you say, "Absolute Truth exists, and I know it," well, then you assume the Absolute Truth can be known and that you have the intellect and capacity to know it and understand it.
If you say, "Absolute Truth exists, but I'm not sure anyone can know it fully," then you assume the Truth is seen but dimly.
And if any of these three types of people get together to argue, nothing will ever be accomplished because none will generally question the very assumptions they bring to the table.
If you would approach yours truly and try to get him to have an open mind, you would be wasting your time. There are more than a few things that I refuse to compromise on, give up, or question. These things stem from my assumptions which are based in faith--not reason. In order to get me to have such an open mind, you would have to get me to convert to different assumptions. How good of an evangelist are you?
*That little caveat was oftentimes used by professors and others who wanted you to change your particular beliefs; however, said professors and others usually meant, "Question everything you've ever been taught, but don't question what I'm teaching you now."
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
The Bible as God's Gift
"It is tempting in such a project to enter the conflict--long standing and now at the boiling point--about the accessibility of the "real" Jesus and his words to us now. Because I do not do so, I will simply state my assumptions about the Bible: On its human side, I assume that it was produced and preserved by competent human beings who were at least as intelligent and devout as we are today. I assume that they were quite capable of accurately interpreting their own experience and of objectively presenting what they heard and experienced in the language of their historical community, which we today can understand with due diligence.
On the divine side, I assume that God has been willing and competent to arrange the Bible, including its record of Jesus, to emerge and be preserved in ways that will secure his purposes for it among human beings worldwide. Those who actually believe in God will be untroubled by this. I assume that he did not and would not leave his message to humankind in a form that can only be understood by a handful of late- twentieth-century professional scholars, who cannot even agree among themselves on the theories they assume to determine what the message is.
The Bible is, after all, God's gift to the world through his Church, not to the scholars. It comes through the life of his people and nourishes that life. It's purpose is practical not academic. An intelligent, careful, intensive--but straightforward reading--that is, one not governed by obscure or faddish theories or by a mindless orthodoxy--is what it requires to direct us into life in God's kingdom."
--Dallas Willlard. The Divine Conspiracy. Kindle location 155-168
On the divine side, I assume that God has been willing and competent to arrange the Bible, including its record of Jesus, to emerge and be preserved in ways that will secure his purposes for it among human beings worldwide. Those who actually believe in God will be untroubled by this. I assume that he did not and would not leave his message to humankind in a form that can only be understood by a handful of late- twentieth-century professional scholars, who cannot even agree among themselves on the theories they assume to determine what the message is.
The Bible is, after all, God's gift to the world through his Church, not to the scholars. It comes through the life of his people and nourishes that life. It's purpose is practical not academic. An intelligent, careful, intensive--but straightforward reading--that is, one not governed by obscure or faddish theories or by a mindless orthodoxy--is what it requires to direct us into life in God's kingdom."
--Dallas Willlard. The Divine Conspiracy. Kindle location 155-168
Monday, November 25, 2013
This is the King
There are essentially two types of kings throughout history. There are those kings who believe they are above everyone else. They believe their servants and their subjects are there solely to give them honor and praise and fund their opulent lifestyles. These kings demand total obedience and if such obedience is not given, then brute force is often the rule used to enforce a king’s command. History is replete with such rulers. On the other end of the spectrum are those kings who also demand obedience; however, their approach is vastly different. Instead of thinking themselves better than their subjects, these kings work for the well being of their subjects and their realm. They work to improve the lot of the kingdom so that everyone finds a measure of happiness and contentment in what they do. These kings know that their subjects will loyally follow them if their king protects and cares for them. Many of these rulers throughout history are lifted up as the ideal models of leadership. Mind you, these two poles represent extremes in kingly leadership, and there are those who fall all along this spectrum.
I find it rather fascinating that throughout history, no matter what kind of king you have, there is always someone ready to seize the throne. There is always someone who is ready to topple the king. Be it a good king or a bad king, someone always wants the power. Someone else always wants control. Someone always is ready to put themselves on the throne to call the shots. And there have been numerous ways invented to topple a regime. Assassination. Military coup. Peasant revolt. Most of the actions taken to remove a king are bloody, violent, and cause great upheaval.
These are important points to remember as we think about the history of kings in the world. They help us understand the dynamics at play when it comes to leadership and power and the reality of this world that our Lord Jesus Christ entered into as the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Today is Christ the King Sunday. It is the last Sunday of the church year. It is the Sunday where the Church celebrates Jesus as the King of the Universe who came and who will come again in power and glory. We longingly await that day, for then God’s Kingdom will be fully established, and God’s beneficial reign will once and for all demolish evil and suffering and death. It is something we truly look forward to and set our hopes on.
And it is with fascination that on this Chris the King Sunday, we turn to our Gospel lesson which does not show Jesus throned in glory. It does not show Him triumphant. It does not show Him crowned with power and honor and might. It does not show Him surrounded by scores of angels and apostles and martyrs bowing before Him. No. Not at all. Our Gospel lesson takes us to the point of utter humiliation. Our Gospel lesson takes us to the point of utter defeat. It takes us to the point of utter suffering and death. Our Gospel lesson takes us right to the cross where a sign hung above Jesus which said, “This is the King of the Jews.”
That sign was meant to be an insult. That sign was meant to convey a warning to everyone who proposed to think of themselves as a king. The roman procurator Pontius Pilate hung that sign there in effect saying, “If you want to be the king of the Jews, we, the Romans will decide who gets to be king. Any other attempts at kinghood will land you in the same place as this man.”
For, you see, my brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus made enemies with His proclamation that the Kingdom of God was at hand. Jesus made enemies with his teaching that He and the Father were one. Jesus managed to make the principalities and powers very, very twitchy with the things He said, taught, and did.
Jesus managed to get under the Jewish religious leaders’ skin with His proclamation that He was the Son of God and that He and the Father were one. The Jewish faith did not allow for any such proclamation. Not at all. The first commandment was very clear, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, you shall have no other gods before me.” God was one and one alone. Sure, one day God would send the anointed one–the Messiah–to return and establish Israel to its former glory. Just about everyone hoped for the Messiah’s coming, but no one expected a carpenter from Nazareth to fulfill that hope. No one expected an itinerant rabbi who gathered a bunch of marginal fishermen, tax collectors, zealots, and farmers to restore the Kingdom of Israel. No one expected a person like Jesus to handle such things.
Until Jesus started healing the sick, raising the dead, and feeding multitudes. Until Jesus started forgiving people of their sins and proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was at hand. Until Jesus started performing deeds and wonders not seen since Elijah and Elisha. “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The common folks realized something wonderful was at hand. The religious authorities knew their positions of power were threatened. This self-appointed anointed one must be disposed of, and they knew they could accuse Him of blasphemy–a charge worthy of death.
The Romans felt the same way. They were in charge of Israel. They had their puppet-king in Herod. They tried to keep the peace as best as possible; however that was no easy task in Judea. The Jews were always seemingly ready to revolt. They needed just a slight excuse to try to cast off those who were ruling over them. Their belief in a messiah–a deliverer who would send the Romans back to Rome kept tensions on an edge. And now, here was a man proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand–not the kingdom of Caesar. Here was a man proclaiming to be the Messiah–the anointed One–the Son of God. A king? This could indeed send the people into revolt. In order to squash such a rebellion, you cut off the head. Jesus, the leader, must die.
Little did these two opposing forces know, they were playing right into Jesus’ hands. For Jesus was not simply concerned with the kingdom of Israel. Jesus’ kingdom was much, much larger. Jesus’ kingdom consisted of the entire world. It was the world that Jesus had in mind; for He was there to reconcile the world unto God.
Remember what I said earlier about the difference between two types of kings? Remember how one believed he was to be lifted up by the people and the other was a servant of the people looking out for their best interest? Which category do you think fits Jesus? That’s what the call a rhetorical question. We know the answer. Jesus is a good king. Jesus is the king who looks out for the best interest of His subjects. Jesus wants them to have life and have it abundantly.
But how can they do that when they are separated from God? How can they do that when their sin keeps them apart from the one who can truly offer them life, peace, love, joy, happiness, and fruitfulness? How can they have such life when grief, sorrow, suffering, and hate prevent them from knowing the One who created them and looks after them?
Jesus knew He had a job to do. He must reconcile the world to God. He must take everything that separates us from God and conquer it. He must defeat suffering, evil, sin, and death. And so, Jesus gathered it all up into himself. Jesus took everything that separates us from God into His own being.
• Every evil thought.
• Every evil deed.
• Every word of anger or spite.
• Every act of bullying.
• Every tear shed in hopelessness.
• Every tear shed in grief.
• Every broken heart.
• Every disease and illness.
• Every cancerous tumor.
• Every sense of abandonment and failure.
• Everything that has, does, and will ever put a wall between us and God.
These things, Jesus carried with Him. Justice must be served. A good king knows this, but rather than punish His people, Jesus allowed Himself to take the punishment. And the punishment must fit the crime. All of that pain and suffering; all of that illness and hopelessness; all of those tears and hurts; and even death must be reckoned with. And the punishment was the cross–a horrible death sentence. Why? Because a good king is willing to die for His people to bring them life and life abundant. Jesus died that you may live.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world may be saved through Him.
Look to the cross, my brothers and sisters. Here is the King. Here is the one who dies for you and for me. Here is the one who offers Himself so that we may live. Let us live in obedience to Him for what He has done for us. For that is what it means to Live God’s Word Daily. Amen.
I find it rather fascinating that throughout history, no matter what kind of king you have, there is always someone ready to seize the throne. There is always someone who is ready to topple the king. Be it a good king or a bad king, someone always wants the power. Someone else always wants control. Someone always is ready to put themselves on the throne to call the shots. And there have been numerous ways invented to topple a regime. Assassination. Military coup. Peasant revolt. Most of the actions taken to remove a king are bloody, violent, and cause great upheaval.
These are important points to remember as we think about the history of kings in the world. They help us understand the dynamics at play when it comes to leadership and power and the reality of this world that our Lord Jesus Christ entered into as the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Today is Christ the King Sunday. It is the last Sunday of the church year. It is the Sunday where the Church celebrates Jesus as the King of the Universe who came and who will come again in power and glory. We longingly await that day, for then God’s Kingdom will be fully established, and God’s beneficial reign will once and for all demolish evil and suffering and death. It is something we truly look forward to and set our hopes on.
And it is with fascination that on this Chris the King Sunday, we turn to our Gospel lesson which does not show Jesus throned in glory. It does not show Him triumphant. It does not show Him crowned with power and honor and might. It does not show Him surrounded by scores of angels and apostles and martyrs bowing before Him. No. Not at all. Our Gospel lesson takes us to the point of utter humiliation. Our Gospel lesson takes us to the point of utter defeat. It takes us to the point of utter suffering and death. Our Gospel lesson takes us right to the cross where a sign hung above Jesus which said, “This is the King of the Jews.”
That sign was meant to be an insult. That sign was meant to convey a warning to everyone who proposed to think of themselves as a king. The roman procurator Pontius Pilate hung that sign there in effect saying, “If you want to be the king of the Jews, we, the Romans will decide who gets to be king. Any other attempts at kinghood will land you in the same place as this man.”
For, you see, my brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus made enemies with His proclamation that the Kingdom of God was at hand. Jesus made enemies with his teaching that He and the Father were one. Jesus managed to make the principalities and powers very, very twitchy with the things He said, taught, and did.
Jesus managed to get under the Jewish religious leaders’ skin with His proclamation that He was the Son of God and that He and the Father were one. The Jewish faith did not allow for any such proclamation. Not at all. The first commandment was very clear, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, you shall have no other gods before me.” God was one and one alone. Sure, one day God would send the anointed one–the Messiah–to return and establish Israel to its former glory. Just about everyone hoped for the Messiah’s coming, but no one expected a carpenter from Nazareth to fulfill that hope. No one expected an itinerant rabbi who gathered a bunch of marginal fishermen, tax collectors, zealots, and farmers to restore the Kingdom of Israel. No one expected a person like Jesus to handle such things.
Until Jesus started healing the sick, raising the dead, and feeding multitudes. Until Jesus started forgiving people of their sins and proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was at hand. Until Jesus started performing deeds and wonders not seen since Elijah and Elisha. “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The common folks realized something wonderful was at hand. The religious authorities knew their positions of power were threatened. This self-appointed anointed one must be disposed of, and they knew they could accuse Him of blasphemy–a charge worthy of death.
The Romans felt the same way. They were in charge of Israel. They had their puppet-king in Herod. They tried to keep the peace as best as possible; however that was no easy task in Judea. The Jews were always seemingly ready to revolt. They needed just a slight excuse to try to cast off those who were ruling over them. Their belief in a messiah–a deliverer who would send the Romans back to Rome kept tensions on an edge. And now, here was a man proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand–not the kingdom of Caesar. Here was a man proclaiming to be the Messiah–the anointed One–the Son of God. A king? This could indeed send the people into revolt. In order to squash such a rebellion, you cut off the head. Jesus, the leader, must die.
Little did these two opposing forces know, they were playing right into Jesus’ hands. For Jesus was not simply concerned with the kingdom of Israel. Jesus’ kingdom was much, much larger. Jesus’ kingdom consisted of the entire world. It was the world that Jesus had in mind; for He was there to reconcile the world unto God.
Remember what I said earlier about the difference between two types of kings? Remember how one believed he was to be lifted up by the people and the other was a servant of the people looking out for their best interest? Which category do you think fits Jesus? That’s what the call a rhetorical question. We know the answer. Jesus is a good king. Jesus is the king who looks out for the best interest of His subjects. Jesus wants them to have life and have it abundantly.
But how can they do that when they are separated from God? How can they do that when their sin keeps them apart from the one who can truly offer them life, peace, love, joy, happiness, and fruitfulness? How can they have such life when grief, sorrow, suffering, and hate prevent them from knowing the One who created them and looks after them?
Jesus knew He had a job to do. He must reconcile the world to God. He must take everything that separates us from God and conquer it. He must defeat suffering, evil, sin, and death. And so, Jesus gathered it all up into himself. Jesus took everything that separates us from God into His own being.
• Every evil thought.
• Every evil deed.
• Every word of anger or spite.
• Every act of bullying.
• Every tear shed in hopelessness.
• Every tear shed in grief.
• Every broken heart.
• Every disease and illness.
• Every cancerous tumor.
• Every sense of abandonment and failure.
• Everything that has, does, and will ever put a wall between us and God.
These things, Jesus carried with Him. Justice must be served. A good king knows this, but rather than punish His people, Jesus allowed Himself to take the punishment. And the punishment must fit the crime. All of that pain and suffering; all of that illness and hopelessness; all of those tears and hurts; and even death must be reckoned with. And the punishment was the cross–a horrible death sentence. Why? Because a good king is willing to die for His people to bring them life and life abundant. Jesus died that you may live.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world may be saved through Him.
Look to the cross, my brothers and sisters. Here is the King. Here is the one who dies for you and for me. Here is the one who offers Himself so that we may live. Let us live in obedience to Him for what He has done for us. For that is what it means to Live God’s Word Daily. Amen.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Yes, I Still Care
As I reflected about my post last week: Who Cares?, I began to wonder if I didn't overstep my bounds. Some may see this post as an attempt to cover my tail, and in some ways perhaps it is. But I think I need to add these words to further define my role/a pastor's role in caring for members in a congregation.
My entire goal in the previous post was to encourage all members within congregations to care for one another and not view such care as exclusive to the pastor/clergy. Jesus didn't say, "Clergy members are to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned." (paraphrasing the end result of Matthew 25) Not at all. Jesus called all of His followers to do such things.
Clergy are not singled out nor exempted.
Which means that I believe clergy are indeed called to model and equip others on how to care for one another in a congregational setting.
I think one can still head a large organization and still have plenty of personal contact with those in need.
I hope no one viewed my post as an attempt to say, "I don't need to care." Far be it from that. In reality, it was a desire to expand the view and show that the responsibility for care falls not on one but upon all.
My entire goal in the previous post was to encourage all members within congregations to care for one another and not view such care as exclusive to the pastor/clergy. Jesus didn't say, "Clergy members are to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned." (paraphrasing the end result of Matthew 25) Not at all. Jesus called all of His followers to do such things.
Clergy are not singled out nor exempted.
Which means that I believe clergy are indeed called to model and equip others on how to care for one another in a congregational setting.
- This means clergy/I should/will continue to visit the sick.
- This means clergy/I should/will continue to counsel people when in need.
- This means clergy/I should/will continue to check on people who are undergoing long-term treatments.
- This means clergy/I should/will continue to be with families who lose a loved one and endure the grief process.
- This means clergy/I should/will continue to receive and make phone calls when a need arises.
I think one can still head a large organization and still have plenty of personal contact with those in need.
I hope no one viewed my post as an attempt to say, "I don't need to care." Far be it from that. In reality, it was a desire to expand the view and show that the responsibility for care falls not on one but upon all.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
There are Moments
I hate running.
I have said so in this blog before.
And yet, I continue to run at least four times a week. Mind you, I am neither sprinting nor doing any sort of distance running. I do interval training, and if I could drop it and still see results in toning and shaping my body, I would. But unless I do something which burns fat, my goal of becoming healthier and avoiding knee surgery in the future will not become achievable.
So I run, and I hate it.
Most of the time.
But there are moments, brief moments when something intriguing happens.
My body does not feel like it is exerting anything. My feet seem to glide over the pavement. My breathing seems effortless. It's a really nice feeling. But then I come crashing back to reality. It doesn't last for any length of time. But it's there. It's happened more than once. It's real.
I've had such moments in my faith life as well.
When I reflect upon the words of Jesus--His ethical and moral commands, sometimes I cannot help but wonder if giving it all up would be easier:
If anyone begs from you...give.
If you are angry with someone, you've committed murder.
If you've looked at another with lust in your heart, you've committed adultery.
Take the log out of your own eye before you judge another.
It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.
Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Feed the hungry.
Give drink to the thirsty.
Clothe the naked.
Visit the sick and imprisoned.
Heck, that's just the basics. There's more. A lot more, and it simply isn't easy to follow. It's difficult. Far easier to fail than to succeed. So, why even try? Why even continue to strive for perfection when perfection is unachievable?
There are moments. Holy moments. Moments when I know God is real. Moments when I know His presence and hear His voice. Yes, they have happened in my life. Some may call me crazy; irrational, I know. But I am not alone in sensing God and hearing His voice. There are others, and their sense is very much the same as mine.
When those times of questioning occur...
When those times of doubt occur...
I remember the One who suffered and died, for He is the one who has spoken to me and given me His presence at critical moments in my life. He sets the bar high for me (and all who follow Him) knowing we cannot fully reach it; however, if He set it any lower, we might actually achieve it and become self-righteous.
And as we reach for that goal, responding to what He has done first to us, our spiritual muscles are honed and shaped. He is ever working and molding us from within--a lifetime process of making us more and more like Him.
It's tough. Sometimes, it hurts and brutally. It would be easier to quit.
But, there are moments...
I have said so in this blog before.
And yet, I continue to run at least four times a week. Mind you, I am neither sprinting nor doing any sort of distance running. I do interval training, and if I could drop it and still see results in toning and shaping my body, I would. But unless I do something which burns fat, my goal of becoming healthier and avoiding knee surgery in the future will not become achievable.
So I run, and I hate it.
Most of the time.
But there are moments, brief moments when something intriguing happens.
My body does not feel like it is exerting anything. My feet seem to glide over the pavement. My breathing seems effortless. It's a really nice feeling. But then I come crashing back to reality. It doesn't last for any length of time. But it's there. It's happened more than once. It's real.
I've had such moments in my faith life as well.
When I reflect upon the words of Jesus--His ethical and moral commands, sometimes I cannot help but wonder if giving it all up would be easier:
If anyone begs from you...give.
If you are angry with someone, you've committed murder.
If you've looked at another with lust in your heart, you've committed adultery.
Take the log out of your own eye before you judge another.
It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.
Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Feed the hungry.
Give drink to the thirsty.
Clothe the naked.
Visit the sick and imprisoned.
Heck, that's just the basics. There's more. A lot more, and it simply isn't easy to follow. It's difficult. Far easier to fail than to succeed. So, why even try? Why even continue to strive for perfection when perfection is unachievable?
There are moments. Holy moments. Moments when I know God is real. Moments when I know His presence and hear His voice. Yes, they have happened in my life. Some may call me crazy; irrational, I know. But I am not alone in sensing God and hearing His voice. There are others, and their sense is very much the same as mine.
When those times of questioning occur...
When those times of doubt occur...
I remember the One who suffered and died, for He is the one who has spoken to me and given me His presence at critical moments in my life. He sets the bar high for me (and all who follow Him) knowing we cannot fully reach it; however, if He set it any lower, we might actually achieve it and become self-righteous.
And as we reach for that goal, responding to what He has done first to us, our spiritual muscles are honed and shaped. He is ever working and molding us from within--a lifetime process of making us more and more like Him.
It's tough. Sometimes, it hurts and brutally. It would be easier to quit.
But, there are moments...
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
A Good Question
If it is o.k. for us to seek to change one another's minds in the political sphere and convert a person to our point of view, why then is it seemingly not o.k. for us to seek to change another's mind and convert another to our religious point of view?
Discuss.
Discuss.
Monday, November 18, 2013
You are not Stones
We love to build our temples out of beautiful stones. Brick by brick we build them. We try to make them as large and as grand as possible. Oh, I am not necessarily talking about physical temples–no, not in the least. Not many of us physically construct such a thing in our lives, but metaphorically. Yes, we build our temples as best as we can trying to make them as beautiful as we possibly can.
• Here is a brick for getting a good education.
• Here is a brick for graduating in the top 10% of the class.
• Here is a brick for getting scholarships to the university.
• Here is a brick for getting a good paying job.
• Here is a brick for finding a good spouse.
• Here is a brick for having children.
• Here is a brick for having well behaved children.
• Here is a brick for getting involved in the community.
• Here is a brick for helping out at the local food pantry.
• Here is a brick for volunteering at the YMCA.
• Here is a brick for going to church.
• Here is a brick for putting something in the offering plate.
• Here is a brick for having a nice house.
And we keep adding bricks. We keep building and building, and sometimes, just sometimes we step back and say to ourselves, “What a beautiful building I have built.” Of course, sometimes the building doesn’t go as planned. Sometimes the stones aren’t as beautiful as we would like. Sometimes they don’t fit as well as we would like them too, but with just enough effort–just enough maneuvering around, we alter the construction to hide those flaws. After all, it would be a terrible thing if someone were to see that the facade of that temple wasn’t necessarily perfect.
So often, our lives revolve around building such temples. So often our lives are consumed with having such places of beauty and pristine, and before we realize it, our lives find their meaning only and solely in that temple we have constructed and are constructing. It is then that something dangerous begins to happen to us. When we find meaning in life from constructing such temples and maintaining their beauty, that meaning and purpose can be shaken to the core if the stones start falling apart or if they are discovered to be flawed. What do I mean by that?
When I was in college, one Christmas, I asked my parents for one gift and one gift alone: a gold cross necklace. I didn’t want anything else. That was it. I wanted to wear my faith around my neck–so to speak. I didn’t get the cross for Christmas, much to my chagrin. But, my parents had a trick up their sleeve. Since my birthday is just a couple of weeks after Christmas, they decided to surprise me by giving me that necklace then. When I opened the box, I was on cloud nine. I loved the gift. I loved that little gold cross necklace. I put it on and steadfastly resolved to never, ever take it off.
And I didn’t. I wore it every waking and sleeping moment. I was proud of that necklace and what it represented. I could argue that the necklace literally was a part of me.
One day, I played an intra-mural football game at school. It was a hard-fought game, and we were pretty physical even though we had no padding on. After the game, I noticed my necklace was gone! I was not happy. I searched and searched the field on which we played. I went out after dark with a flashlight hoping to catch a glimpse of the gold in the ground. Nothing. I despaired. I literally was crushed. I felt like a part of me was gone.
Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”
That’s not a comforting thought. It’s not a comforting thought at all. When we’ve spent so much time constructing these things; when we’ve spent so much time with building blocks and necklaces that mean so much; when we’ve made our purpose in life to construct more and better and beautiful temples, these are not the words we want to hear. Now, Jesus may have been speaking about the upcoming destruction of the Jewish Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. Some scholars believe this, but what if there indeed is a deeper thought here. What if Jesus is forcing us to go deeper.
For the thought of the destruction of the Temple was a horrible one. The Jews had endured this once in their history. The Temple represented God’s presence on earth. It represented where God lived. It represented the place where people could go and be guaranteed to be near the presence of God. If it were destroyed? What then? If the Temple were gone? How would God’s presence be felt?
“Do not be terrified,” Jesus says. “Lots of things are going to happen. But don’t fear. I’ve got a plan.”
After searching futilely for my necklace, I picked up the phone. It was not a phone call I wanted to make. I called my mom and dad. I broke down in tears as I told them that my beloved necklace that they had purchased for me was gone. I sobbed as I told them of my search and how nothing turned up. I apologized for losing what they had given me.
“Kevin, it’s just a necklace,” they said. A word of grace. Whether my parents meant it or not, the message to me became loud and clear–you are not that necklace. Your identity is not wrapped up in that necklace. You did not lose a piece of you when that necklace somehow was ripped from your neck. It is a just a stone–a beautiful stone, but a stone none-the-less. Stop worrying about the stone. There are more important things.
It’s hard to stop worrying about those bricks we use to build up our lives. It’s hard to stop worrying about even building those temples. Somehow, we have come to think that we should be judged by those temples. Somehow we have come to think our self worth depends upon those temples. Somehow we have come to think that how others should or should not view us depends upon those temples.
It’s not just necklaces which drive us to despair. Sometimes, if a person loses his or her job, that person feels like the purpose of life is gone. If a house is broken into and goods are stolen, sometimes people feel violated. If a project does not go as planned, sometimes a person agonizes and spends countless hours worrying about what went wrong. If children do not live up to expectations, parents seek out professional help to “fix” their kids. Hey, even we pastors are not immune from such things. When worship attendance is up, we are on cloud nine. When it is down, we get depressed. We all build temples, and most of the time, our emotional state is completely dependent upon how that temple looks.
And the scariest part is that the temple will indeed be torn down. Not one stone will be left upon another. It will all disappear in a heart beat; in the blink of an eye. Or, rather in the ceasing of the heart to beat when mine eyelids close in death. And what will become of that which we have slaved over for all of our years?
Hear now a word of grace: you are not that temple. Your worth is not wrapped up in that which you strive to build. Your worth comes from something completely different. Your worth; your purpose; your value comes from God.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever 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 may be saved through Him.
Each and every day, my brothers and sisters, opportunity knocks. Opportunity breaks into this world as Christ comes to us to remind us that He has a plan and a purpose for us. Our temples may be knocked down. Our lives may fall apart. We may lose our jobs, our families, our friends, but we can never lose God’s love. Never. Ever. We have an assurance that not one hair on our head will perish. Is it any wonder then that Jesus says such things are opportunities to testify? When our identity rests in Him, we have nothing to fear. And that is what it means to Live God’s Word Daily. Amen.
• Here is a brick for getting a good education.
• Here is a brick for graduating in the top 10% of the class.
• Here is a brick for getting scholarships to the university.
• Here is a brick for getting a good paying job.
• Here is a brick for finding a good spouse.
• Here is a brick for having children.
• Here is a brick for having well behaved children.
• Here is a brick for getting involved in the community.
• Here is a brick for helping out at the local food pantry.
• Here is a brick for volunteering at the YMCA.
• Here is a brick for going to church.
• Here is a brick for putting something in the offering plate.
• Here is a brick for having a nice house.
And we keep adding bricks. We keep building and building, and sometimes, just sometimes we step back and say to ourselves, “What a beautiful building I have built.” Of course, sometimes the building doesn’t go as planned. Sometimes the stones aren’t as beautiful as we would like. Sometimes they don’t fit as well as we would like them too, but with just enough effort–just enough maneuvering around, we alter the construction to hide those flaws. After all, it would be a terrible thing if someone were to see that the facade of that temple wasn’t necessarily perfect.
So often, our lives revolve around building such temples. So often our lives are consumed with having such places of beauty and pristine, and before we realize it, our lives find their meaning only and solely in that temple we have constructed and are constructing. It is then that something dangerous begins to happen to us. When we find meaning in life from constructing such temples and maintaining their beauty, that meaning and purpose can be shaken to the core if the stones start falling apart or if they are discovered to be flawed. What do I mean by that?
When I was in college, one Christmas, I asked my parents for one gift and one gift alone: a gold cross necklace. I didn’t want anything else. That was it. I wanted to wear my faith around my neck–so to speak. I didn’t get the cross for Christmas, much to my chagrin. But, my parents had a trick up their sleeve. Since my birthday is just a couple of weeks after Christmas, they decided to surprise me by giving me that necklace then. When I opened the box, I was on cloud nine. I loved the gift. I loved that little gold cross necklace. I put it on and steadfastly resolved to never, ever take it off.
And I didn’t. I wore it every waking and sleeping moment. I was proud of that necklace and what it represented. I could argue that the necklace literally was a part of me.
One day, I played an intra-mural football game at school. It was a hard-fought game, and we were pretty physical even though we had no padding on. After the game, I noticed my necklace was gone! I was not happy. I searched and searched the field on which we played. I went out after dark with a flashlight hoping to catch a glimpse of the gold in the ground. Nothing. I despaired. I literally was crushed. I felt like a part of me was gone.
Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”
That’s not a comforting thought. It’s not a comforting thought at all. When we’ve spent so much time constructing these things; when we’ve spent so much time with building blocks and necklaces that mean so much; when we’ve made our purpose in life to construct more and better and beautiful temples, these are not the words we want to hear. Now, Jesus may have been speaking about the upcoming destruction of the Jewish Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. Some scholars believe this, but what if there indeed is a deeper thought here. What if Jesus is forcing us to go deeper.
For the thought of the destruction of the Temple was a horrible one. The Jews had endured this once in their history. The Temple represented God’s presence on earth. It represented where God lived. It represented the place where people could go and be guaranteed to be near the presence of God. If it were destroyed? What then? If the Temple were gone? How would God’s presence be felt?
“Do not be terrified,” Jesus says. “Lots of things are going to happen. But don’t fear. I’ve got a plan.”
After searching futilely for my necklace, I picked up the phone. It was not a phone call I wanted to make. I called my mom and dad. I broke down in tears as I told them that my beloved necklace that they had purchased for me was gone. I sobbed as I told them of my search and how nothing turned up. I apologized for losing what they had given me.
“Kevin, it’s just a necklace,” they said. A word of grace. Whether my parents meant it or not, the message to me became loud and clear–you are not that necklace. Your identity is not wrapped up in that necklace. You did not lose a piece of you when that necklace somehow was ripped from your neck. It is a just a stone–a beautiful stone, but a stone none-the-less. Stop worrying about the stone. There are more important things.
It’s hard to stop worrying about those bricks we use to build up our lives. It’s hard to stop worrying about even building those temples. Somehow, we have come to think that we should be judged by those temples. Somehow we have come to think our self worth depends upon those temples. Somehow we have come to think that how others should or should not view us depends upon those temples.
It’s not just necklaces which drive us to despair. Sometimes, if a person loses his or her job, that person feels like the purpose of life is gone. If a house is broken into and goods are stolen, sometimes people feel violated. If a project does not go as planned, sometimes a person agonizes and spends countless hours worrying about what went wrong. If children do not live up to expectations, parents seek out professional help to “fix” their kids. Hey, even we pastors are not immune from such things. When worship attendance is up, we are on cloud nine. When it is down, we get depressed. We all build temples, and most of the time, our emotional state is completely dependent upon how that temple looks.
And the scariest part is that the temple will indeed be torn down. Not one stone will be left upon another. It will all disappear in a heart beat; in the blink of an eye. Or, rather in the ceasing of the heart to beat when mine eyelids close in death. And what will become of that which we have slaved over for all of our years?
Hear now a word of grace: you are not that temple. Your worth is not wrapped up in that which you strive to build. Your worth comes from something completely different. Your worth; your purpose; your value comes from God.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever 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 may be saved through Him.
Each and every day, my brothers and sisters, opportunity knocks. Opportunity breaks into this world as Christ comes to us to remind us that He has a plan and a purpose for us. Our temples may be knocked down. Our lives may fall apart. We may lose our jobs, our families, our friends, but we can never lose God’s love. Never. Ever. We have an assurance that not one hair on our head will perish. Is it any wonder then that Jesus says such things are opportunities to testify? When our identity rests in Him, we have nothing to fear. And that is what it means to Live God’s Word Daily. Amen.
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