Month: April 2014

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“What will your R.S.V.P. Say?”

ImageAs Jesus ended his earthly time with his disciples he had them prepare the Passover, his last meal with them before the cross. He emphasized that as they partook of the bread and wine that it represented his body and his blood shed for them. Although they did not totally understand the significance of this night until after the Resurrection, they quickly instituted what we know as Communion. In this way they obeyed his command to remember his death until he returns and when we may all celebrate it with him in heaven.

In Proverbs 9, Solomon used an analogy of two banquets prepared by Lady Wisdom and Dame Folly. Lady Wisdom is busy preparing a dinner for the guests, the naïve who lack understanding, sending out the dinner invitations to come and feast at her table. The invitation reads: “Blessed is everyone who will feast in the kingdom of God!” She sends her slaves to gather those invited to come. In contrast Dame Folly, who is naïve and does not know anything, sits at the door of her house calling to the passersby, come and taste of the “stolen waters which are sweet.” This reminds us of the parable Jesus taught in the NT of a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son and invited many guests. However, those who were invited offered excuses and would not come. Thus he said ‘the ones who had been invited were not worthy.” Why were they not worthy? They did not come when called.

Our King is busy preparing a sumptuous banquet for us and invites us to come. Will we offer excuses or be ready? God’s banquet leads to life eternal but Dame Folly’s only offers separation and death.

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Unbelief OR Unfaith?

ImageHow great is your faith or do you have “unfaith?” As Jesus returns home for the second time he follows his routine of entering the synagogue to worship. As he did on the first return visit he “began to teach.” The first visit he encountered rage but this time he encounters questions and the sin of unbelief. The Nazarenes were not held in high esteem by the rest of the nation not because of size or greatness but seen negatively because of its lack of goodness. Remember Nathanael’s statement “ Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” [Joh 1:46]

Yet Nazareth had the blessing of a synagogue and this is where we find Jesus. As the worshipers came that day the questions began to swirl —-

“Where did he get these ideas?” Yet, at age 12 he confounded the scholars with his understanding and answers because he was “THE” author and finisher of all wisdom.

“What are these miracles that are done through his hands?” Isn’t he “just a carpenter’s son?

“Isn’t this …the son of Mary?” The whisperers say—we know his background…tsk tsk tsk.

…And so they took offense at him. Are others taking offense at you as they did Christ? When you first gave your life to Christ did others ask similar questions?

Jesus reminded them that they were more willing to accept “experts” from outside than someone they knew as a trustworthy tradesman yet now whose mission was to bring the good news of life to them. And so we read: that he was amazed/marveled at their unbelief. Jesus only marveled twice in the NT, this scene and the Centurion’s faith. But here in Nazareth he marveled at their ‘unbelief,’ their unwillingness to believe the evidence that is before them. Handley Dunelm wrote “We may remark that it is a loss in our language that “unbelief” is the only word we can use as the antithesis to “faith”; for “faith” and “belief” (which see) are not exactly synonyms. “Unfaith” would be a welcome word for such use, if it were generally so understood.” It is as if we, like the ones Paul described in Romans 1, see the very clues of who God is and yet we miss them because they are so familiar to our senses. The Creator, the Giver of Life has come amongst us and as he passes by we miss him because of the repetition of the day in and day out of life.

Today as we approach Resurrection Sunday have you seen the miracle of the Godhead amongst you or have your senses become dulled to His presence? Are you guilty of unbelief or “unfaith” because Jesus has become so familiar that you miss His beauty and His love?

 

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Piercing the Darkness

ImageFrank Peretti may have written a novel titled “Piercing the Darkness” but in Mark chapter 5 we experience this first hand.

 

 

If there is one thing that Jesus is an expert at it is this: do NOT waste a teachable moment! We would do well to glean from this chapter just how he uses each one to open the eyes of the disciples and us the reader to his power to redeem mankind—whether from demons, a hemorrhaging, or an impending death. And in each instance he provides the backdrop for responses for those who see his power in action or those who experience it firsthand.

 

When Mark wrote he just added one story upon another like a person who seeks to share without taking a breath. So as we read about the fearful storm on the Sea of Galilee in chapter 4 and hear the disciples ask, ““Who then is this? Even the wind and sea obey him!” the modern day reader stops at vs 41, but in reality the answer to that question lies in the beginning of chapter 5 where we meet a man encased by the demons. Where the disciples are left wondering the demons cause the man to bow in reverence and cry out: “Jesus, Son of the Most High God!” Did the disciples thus discern the answer to their question? It is not until later when Jesus asks “who do men say I am” that Peter responds: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

 

The question before us is the same. Who is Jesus to you? The demoniac freed from his prison knows and in humility he desired to follow Jesus much like the blind Bartimaeus would do, but this is not the time. Jesus needs the “man freed from demons” to be left behind for Jesus is not wanted in the region of Gadarenes but the message of who He is needed. He will always be known as the “man freed from demons” and will be the first missionary to carry the “LIGHT” to his pagan land. The swine herders may have not wanted to hear the good news of the kingdom for they “loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.” However, God had a love message that needed to be shared and who better to do it than one through whom the LIGHT pierced the darkness.

 

Today spiritual darkness hangs like a pall over our culture but we have the LIGHT to pierce it. Will we like this man “Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, that he had mercy on you”…that you have been redeemed from darkness to be His witness to your family and friends. How are you doing on this task?

 

 

 

 

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Are you just hearing or are you listening?

ImageJesus taught the listening audience with parables which are like illustrations that reveal the heart and spiritual truths. Wiersbe wrote: A parable begins innocently as a picture that arrests our attention and arouses our interest. But as we study the picture, it becomes a mirror in which we suddenly see ourselves. If we continue to look by faith, the mirror becomes a window through which we see God and His truth. How we respond to that truth will determine what further truth God will teach us.” As Jesus presented the parable of the soils many heads were nodding yet later the disciples asked for clarification. Jesus asked them: “Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable?” And perhaps he is asking you and I the same questions.

“Listen!” This parable is about the three enemies: the “god” of hardness, the “god” of shallowness, the “god” of the crowded life. As the sower cast his seed some fell along the hardened path. This is a reflection of a hardened heart much like the religious leaders who watched with purpose to accuse and assassinate him. Their “god” is intellectualism and man-made rules even though Jesus provided the heavenly evidence of a withered hand restored. Some seed fell among the rocky ground. This is the “god” of the shallow heart that lacks hunger or thirst for the deep meanings of God. The Word does not penetrate their will or their way of life. These are unable to discern truth from error and thus are led away into false theology. The seed that fell among the thorns reflects the heart that is crowded by calendars and the clock—no time to read, study or meditate. These are satisfied with a “ticket punch” and not the deep truths that God offers those who seek Him. In sharp contrast is the seed that fell on the good soil/heart which reflects the hungering and thirsting heart that searches the Word to see if what is said is true. These are the Bereans that Paul commended. These are the ones whose seed sprouts, then a stalk appears, then the head and finally the fruit ready for harvest.

Jesus said: “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!” In other words: Listen with your ears but hear with your heart.

Photo credit: moazmodernvinyl.com

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What Do the Eyes of Jesus See?

ImageThe ways of Satan should never surprise us for he walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour and one of the tools he uses is temptation to draw us away from God and into sin. James reminds us of this principle and its stages of development. First we are lured, then enticed, sin is born, and finally this sin leads to death. Satan may have desired to devour but God had two points that He wanted to reveal in this chapter: the true heart of the religious leaders and God’s heart of compassion for the poor and needy.

Like many atheists today, the religious leaders in Jesus’ day really did understand that he was the Son of God. But with superimposed religious hypocrisy they came to “worship” but were really judges with evil motives. James asked: “Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom…” which is the reason why God intended for this divine appointment. It was so that this man might leave giving glory to God and present Him as his defense to the world: Jesus is who he said he was.

Now as to the religious leaders we have this addition to the story “Would not any one of you, if he had one sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, take hold of it and lift it out?” And so then not hearing a response Jesus asked: “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or evil, to save a life or destroy it?” Hampton Keathley IV points out: “He is trying to save life and they are trying to destroy life (His to be precise.)” Oh the depth to which men’s hearts have fallen: “The human mind is more deceitful than anything else….I, the Lord, [alone] probe into people’s minds. I examine people’s hearts.” [Jer 17] And this gives us the backdrop of why Jesus looked about upon them with anger (righteous indignation).

The silence is deafening, the hearts begin to palpitate, and the faces turn crimson red as He posed questions. Jesus said stand up and the man stands alone as if a slave on the auction block. But as grieved as Jesus was for the religious leaders his heart of compassion poured out with a simple command: stretch out your hand. It is then that one can run, hide or obey. He chose the latter and found he has been restored whole!

And where are the supposedly righteous worshipers, those who had been given the right and privilege to teach the very Word of God? They left immediately the holy place where God’s Word and the Word Himself was proclaimed to counsel how to break the commandment “thou shalt not murder.” Pascal said, ‘Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.”

Beloved, what do the eyes of Jesus see when he looks at you? Does he see righteous indignation because you have been lured by the entrapment of the evil one and care more for the spotted owl than the needy next door to you? Or are you the needy next door in need of hearing the Word stretch out your hand …I will heal you? What do His eyes see?

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“Forgiven and Healed”

ImageWe are all so familiar with the story of the paralytic that we often fail to see all of the dynamics and the underlying truth which is: we are all in need of both forgiveness of our sins and healing from our natural human “paralysis.”

Thus Mark included this story at the beginning of this chapter to show us how we often jump to conclusions which are irrelevant or misguided because we have not been taught the basic doctrines of scripture. The rabbi’s had a saying “there is no sick man healed of his sickness until ALL of his sins had been forgiven”— yet they also said and affirmed that only God can forgive sins. How then does one know if “ALL” their sins were forgiven?

Enter Jesus who will shatter their perceptions. He asked: “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up, take your stretcher, and walk’? “ Thus by doing the harder first—that is forgiving of the man’s sin, which is invisible to the naked eye He proved that He was Forgiver of sins and the long awaited Messiah, the very Son of God. From that Jesus then vindicated his power by doing the easier which was healing of his paralysis which was visible and tangible. Now the scholars had a dilemma before them. They had asked: ‘Who can forgive sins but God alone?” and Jesus answered their thoughts with a threefold action: “rise” which tested the man’s faith, “take up your bed” which tested the man’s ability, “go home” which tested the man’s obedience. Thus Jesus answered the scholars question with the evidence: “the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

Barclay wrote: “The experts in the law were hoist with their own petard. On their own stated beliefs the man could not be cured, unless he was forgiven. He was cured, therefore he was forgiven. Therefore Jesus’ claim to forgive sin must be true.” This is the “aha moment” and when we are brought to the same point and see the evidence we have to ask: will I now take the step of belief that Jesus is who he said he was, the Son of God. From that moment we can then come to Him and not only be forgiven but healed of our human paralysis.

 

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