Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. – Luke 22:31-32

Background

When we last left our group of disciples they were coming off of an argument about who among them was the greatest. There are many reasons why they could have entered into that discussion/argument, but even with Jesus’ explanation of what they were to be like, this was an argument that was not going to go away easily.

Here, at the Passover, Jesus was giving last observations and instructions before his crucifixion. The disciples were caught up in both the revelry of the occasion and in the same argument they had before. Something in the disciples caused them to need to be better than good… better than the rest, even better than their peers. The Teacher however saw through the veneer, and looked directly into the real heart and soul of the disciples – into that part they tried (and we do as well) to hide away from the Master. Jesus boldly and lovingly confronted the imperfection of the disciples while at the same time continuing to give them opportunity for growth, fulfillment and purpose.

As we come to grips with not just what the Teacher sees in us, but what his plans are for us despite what he sees, we can have confidence that he will bring us into that life of promise he so desires to give.

The Hamster Wheel

Jesus had been here before with the disciples. He taught them clearly what was right or wrong with their position, how to change their mindset and what the right way to be a disciple was. At some point there should have been the “a-ha” moment where the disciples realized they were in the same argument as before, and backed off of the discussion. Yet, here they were again, having the same discussion with the same people, each hoping to come to a better conclusion.

As disciples, we can run into the same danger of being on the hamster wheel – going back to the same discussions, the same actions, the same tendencies that our Teacher has already addressed with us. When it comes to those things, it is important to first ensure that we are truly listening to our teacher, and not simply assenting to his words, and second, ensure that we understand why we go there in the first place. George Satayana wrote in Reason in Common Sense, The Life of Reason Vol. 1,

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Jesus’ disciples demonstrated a short enough memory of not only their own actions, but of Jesus’ teachings that they repeated, not just the same action, but the same ambition Jesus had already addressed in them. For this particular issue, it was not just shortsightedness that drove them to need to revisit this again. It was something deeper that Jesus would reveal through their time together and in particular in his interaction with Peter.

Overcoming Failure and Disappointment

The occasion was festive. The week, amazing. Jesus had entered Jerusalem in victory to the chants of the crowds, had overturned the tables of the money changers, and had shown that his kingdom really was at hand. Now it was time for Passover, the celebration of freedom from oppression, of God choosing Israel again and bringing them out of the bondage of Egypt with a strong hand. It was a joyous time and the disciples were ready for it. Making this better was the story of finding the place, just as Jesus had said. Even as they made preparation for the Passover, they were not prepared for what Jesus would reveal as they reclined at the table

But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him – Luke 22:21-22

In a matter of moments, the mood went from light and joyous to somber and anxious. Who, among those that had walked with Jesus those 3 years would even think of betraying him? They had grown with him, suffered with him, and stuck with him when others walked away. They knew he was the Christ, the coming king, one who would establish his throne. Jesus declared however that one of them would bring disappointment to himself, Jesus and his peers by betraying Jesus.

They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be the greatest. – Luke 22:23-24

When we read scripture, oftentimes it is necessary to remove the verse indicators. This is the case in the above scripture so we can see a clear consistent thought – it was out of the question of failure that came the discussion of greatness. “It couldn’t be me, because I am more advanced/more mature/better disciplined than you…” Facing disappointment is never easy, especially when you know that you are, or could be, the source of the disappointment

Disappointments drive us to act in self-serving ways.

• Sometimes we will choose to bury our head in the sand, hoping the disappointment and effect on us will go away. The disciples heard what Jesus said about him being killed, but they chose not to acknowledge it – to not consider the  purpose for the reality that Jesus was bringing to them
• Sometimes we deflect the disappointment – it cannot be me, cannot be us, etc. From this we will have all of the justifications why we cannot be the source of the disappointment, why the prognosis is wrong, why a second opinion is needed, etc.
• Sometimes, as we will see in Peter, we challenge the disappointment. We know better. We can kick the thing. We can overcome. You think I will end up this way, but I’ll show you… I’ll change my destiny.

While there is nothing wrong with trying to change or avert the disappointments we face, there is something wrong when, in our attempt to make things palatable for us we stop listening to the Teacher. As disciples, we need to pay attention to the Teacher in all things, both good and painful. Had the disciples turned to Jesus rather than to themselves they might have had a different outcome in their perspective and subsequent actions.

It’s Hard to be Humble…

Mac Davis sang a song with the following lyrics:

Lord, it’s hard to be humble

When you’re perfect in every way

I can’t wait to look in the mirror

Cuz I get better looking each day…

The rest of the song continues in this vein. You get the picture – we look in the mirror and see the accomplished, successful, “forward moving” person. After all, that’s what discipleship is about, right? Not “mere Christians”, not “just saved”, but set apart – inner circle. Today we would consider those who are disciples as those who went on the mountain with Jesus, while the “mere Christians” were down at the bottom waiting for the disciples to come back.

Peter was in the thick of the argument about greatness when Jesus reiterated his teaching about position and attitude. “Be like a young child or like one who serves. Use me as an example – I should be being served, yet I am with you as one who serves.” The Teacher had spoken, had stilled the room and quelled the argument – at least on the outside. There was still something brewing that the Teacher needed to address

Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers – Luke 22:31-32

Jesus shifted the conversation from a general teaching to a specific charge to one individual. First the possibility of betrayal, then a breakdown of faith. At least they didn’t know who would betray him, but it was clear that Peter was going to experience a crisis of faith that required the intervention of Jesus to get through. At this point Peter could have taken lessons from the man whose son was possessed (“I believe, but please help my unbelief”), but Peter took Jesus’ words head on.

But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” – Luke 22:33

Peter had no intention of disappointing his Teacher. He was fully committed to the One who had the words of eternal life. Even the thought of doing anything that would diminish his relationship with Jesus was the furthest thing from his mind. In Peter’s mind, the former argument was still raging – who was the greatest. “Others may believe, still others may follow, but I’m in this for the long haul. I’m willing to give my life for this, that’s how committed I am. Others may fall away, but not me.” Peter was not about being humble in this, because he needed to show the Teacher he was trustworthy, that he wouldn’t let the Teacher down. Peter however faced a problem - in doing what he did, he didn’t allow the Teacher to be the Teacher. Peter was basically saying that the Teacher could teach in some areas, but there were others where the teacher would be the student.

As disciples, we must always be aware that we remain students of the Teacher. Adult children are no less children of their parents when then they reach adulthood, even as the home situation changes and the children live on their own and start their own families. We must be diligent to hold to the “Teacher – disciple relationship” so we can hear from and respond to the Teacher when he speaks.

Peeling Back the Shell

Peter’s statement resonates with anyone who would call themselves a disciple. It is where we want to be – victorious in our faith, pressing hard after Jesus, willing to do anything for the cause of the gospel.  There is no telling what Peter was looking to get out of this statement other than maybe a reversal of the Teacher’s former statement. Jesus didn’t recant though. In fact, he dug deeper to let Peter see that the Teacher knew the student even better than the student did.

Jesus answered, “I tell you Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” – Luke 22:34

How could Jesus say this, especially after Peter’s confession? When we typically read this, we see it as “part of the story”. We know that Peter did, in fact, deny Jesus three times, and come up with all the reasons why he did it. What we need to see however is not the fact that Jesus presented to Peter, but rather the focus of what he presented. In his discussion with Peter, Jesus revealed a lot more about what he saw in Peter other than the fact that he would fail.

But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers – Luke 22:32

Jesus revealed three things to Peter before he told him how he would fail:

The Teacher didn’t just see the student. The Teacher valued the student so much that even though the student’s actions were personally hurtful to the Teacher, the Teacher continued to give himself to the student because he saw what the student would be on the other side.

As disciples, we can be sure that our Teacher knows us more than we realize. The encouraging part of this is that He not only knows our current state, but knows where we will end up. Our Teacher doesn’t just believe in our ability to get through the hard times, but gets personally involved to ensure that we make it through, that we grow and that we are victorious in the process.

Our teacher may not always deliver lessons we want to hear. We want him to see the “perfect us” that we present to him, but we need to be prepared for the “imperfect us” that he sees. The good and encouraging thing is that the imperfect us is not where he stops. He sees enough to walk with us past the disappointments to the true life we are supposed to live in Him.

Meditation

• What is your “Hamster Wheel”?
• What has God revealed to you that was disappointing? What was your reaction?
• How have you viewed yourself before God? Why?
• Have you believed that you could handle a situation without God’s intervention?
• Have you felt stuck in a failure or disappointment? Do you think God still sees you there?
• What do you believe is the life of a disciple?

Background

In our last lesson, Jesus had just driven out a spirit that had tormented this young man for most of his life. It was a teaching moment for the disciples, both from the standpoint of understanding what the people around them wanted and expected, and the life they needed to live in private and public to fulfill those wants and needs. As they continued on their journey, it was clear that the command “Listen to Him” was still not fully resonating with the disciples and that they had more to learn from the teacher.

They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. – Mark 9:30-32

Jesus and the disciples could have stayed in the place they were. He could have spent time with the newly delivered boy and his father and used that as a teaching moment with the disciples. Surely that would have reinforced the command to “Listen to Him”. Jesus however took a completely different path in the evolution of the disciples: he left it all. The recognition, the accolades, the new found followers, all of it gets put aside so he can focus on his goal of molding the disciples into his image – and his image is not his. It is the image of the Father.

Stuart Discipleship

On the show MadTV, there was a sketch about a boy named Stuart who, when he felt he was not getting attention would cry out “Hey! Look at me!” immediately followed by some crazy kid move that would, if effective, cause those around to focus only on him. The disciples were having Stuart moments among themselves as they jockeyed for position with the master.

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. – Mark 9:34

3 disciples with a command to listen to the teacher… 9 disciples bested by the teacher in dealing with a foul spirit, and yet they still were looking for their own recognition. They still wanted to feel important, to have a Stuart moment where people would stop what they were doing to “look at them”. This is one reason Jesus pulled them away and went somewhere private. It was not enough for Jesus to say what he wanted to teach them, he had to demonstrate it. They needed to see that, for the teacher, it was not about being known, not about the accolades, but about allowing people to see through him to the Father.

As disciples, the desire for importance can become intoxicating, especially in a world that thrives on self-promotion and stature. We have to have the courage to “leave it all” in order for people to see the greater purpose – the Father’s love and desire for them.

See Me… Be Me

The disciples figured that they were being trained for leadership. They saw Jesus as eventually taking the throne and they, having followed him for these many years, would obviously take positions of authority and recognition. If they were going to be leaders, they would obviously need followers. There is an Afghan proverb that says

 “if you think you’re leading and no one is following you, then you’re only taking a walk”.

Jesus had to teach the disciples about true greatness – about true leadership

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be the first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” – Mark 9:35

For Jesus, leadership was not about gaining followers. It was not about recognition. It was not even about being in front. Jesus didn’t heal the boy so he could prove he could do it. He did it because he had dedicated himself as a servant to his Father and to those who he encountered. Jesus didn’t stop there though. He took it one step further, using an object lesson to both drive the point home, and demonstrate what the life of the disciple was truly supposed to be

He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” – Mark 9:36-37

Family dynamics are interesting, especially families with small children. There is a phrase in Black households you would hear from time to time: “Shhh… grown folks is talking”. When adults were in the room, children were to be seen and not heard, and often times not seen. This was very similar in Jesus’ time.

What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate – Galatians 4:1

Children, as children, had no importance, influence or ability to lead anyone. They certainly were not to be an example of the type of person to emulate if you wanted to be recognized.  Jesus however brought a child in the middle of this adult conversation to illustrate a point – “it is not your personal importance that is the focus: it is who you point to”. It is interesting to note that even in this context, Jesus doesn’t ultimately point them back to himself as teacher.

“Whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me”.

Jesus pulled the disciples away from the crowd, the success and recognition and showed them that to really be disciples, they had to be willing to be nothing in the eyes of those around for the sake of pointing them to the Father. As disciples, we also have to learn how to be like children and servants whose sole purpose is to point people toward the teacher

Are You My Mother?

This is a title of a children’s book from 1960 where a young bird hatches while his mom goes to look for food. The bird goes around to anything that moves and asks, “are you my mother?” to which everyone responds, “No”. The book illustrates a biological phenomenon known as “imprinting” where birds in particular attach themselves to the first thing they see. Discipleship can follow similar patterns where we latch onto the one who led us to Christ or gave us our first source of growth or opportunity as a Christian.

My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ”. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? – I Corinthians 1:11-13

Paul had to deal with the tendency for disciples to imprint upon their teachers. The tendency however brought fights, jealousy and division into the body, because they were not focused on the true end result. The Corinthian church was using the identification with their “leader of choice” to do the same thing Jesus’ disciples were doing on the way Capernaum: figure out who among them was the best. They were looking for their own image to be exalted, and one way to do that was to “wear the colors” of their choice teacher.

My Way or the Highway

Jesus’ disciples heard what he was saying to them, saw the object lesson of the child, but still didn’t get it

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of [following] us. – Mark 9:38

The disciples wanted this person to imprint upon them – to take his lead from them, do what they did, and become followers of them. They wanted it to stop with them, to effectively make the man in their image. “Even though he is using Jesus’ name, he is not following us, so we can’t allow that”. Jesus showed them that their concept of the way to follow Jesus needed some adjusting. Being a disciple is not about being controlled by another or molded into their image, but rather being freed to learn, to grow and to experience what the teacher has to offer. It is interesting that they would bring up stopping someone from succeeding in something they had just failed to do because he wasn’t locked into who they were.

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.” – Mark 9:39-41

The disciples had been looking for greatness, position, recognition, but Jesus taught them that all of that comes only by letting all of that go. To be something, they had to be nothing. To be a leader, they had to point people to a reality greater than themselves. To be in control, they had to allow for people to do it all differently.

The life of a disciple is not an exalted position. It is a place of learning in secret, of deferring greatness, of being like a child. It is pointing people to the Father, and rejoicing when they get there, even if they don’t do it our way. It is giving it all away so the image others see is not us, but the one who sent us.

Meditation

• What position or place of importance do you expect from following Jesus?
• Are you willing to “leave it all” – to give up all rights to recognition for people to see the Father through you?
• Have you found yourself having “Stuart moments”, where you are looking for attention? Do you have Stuart moments with God?
• Are you looking for followers to establish yourself as a leader?
• How do you feel about being compared to someone who has no importance?
• Have you ever tried to control another person’s expression of faith?

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” – Mark 9:17-18

Background

We pick up where we left off in our last lesson, with Peter, James and John reveling in this extraordinary experience of having seen Jesus transfigured and glorified before their eyes. Jesus told them to keep it to themselves, and this was a good thing, because they were about to go into a situation that needed a different type of focus.

The rest of the disciples had been left at the bottom of the mountain while Jesus and the three spent time apart. While they were there, a man approached them looking for healing for his son. Try as they may, they were not able to fulfill the man’s wishes. You would think that they would have been praised for even trying – showing enough compassion on the man and his son to engage in what was a pretty difficult task, but this didn’t happen. The simple request unfulfilled turned into an all-out argument, the crowd against the disciples.

As disciples, we face the same challenges. Like the rest of Jesus’ followers, these challenges can come out of the blue, and be disguised as a loving request of a father for his son. In these situations, it is important that we understand not only what people are looking for, but what they see, for it dictates not only how we operate in the situation, but what we do before the situation ever comes up.

Single Lens

Peter, James and John were left with two things: their teacher, and a command: “Listen to him”. As they came down the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone about their experience until he had risen from the dead. While on the one hand they “listened to what he said and didn’t tell anyone”, they got caught up in side views of what he was talking about

They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant. And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?” – Mark 9:10-12

Peter, James and John got stuck on something they couldn’t understand, but rather than listen to what their teacher had to say about it they tossed it around between themselves. They probably came up with every conceivable explanation of what this could mean – maybe he was talking about being accepted by people, or waking up from a long sleep. Maybe he was going to go through something as bad as death and come out of it. Whatever explanations they may have agreed or disagreed on, what was clear was that they didn’t have Jesus’ view of what he had said.

Rather than ask a clarifying question, his followers diverted the question to something they thought they knew something about, or at least they had enough information to ask intelligently. Jesus, however, showed that he had one focus – the path that his Father had for him. Even though Jesus answered the question, he opened the door for the disciples to re-engage in the uncomfortable statement he made prior. As disciples, we have to realize that Jesus’ plan and desire for us will not be thwarted by what we put in front of him, and he will often return us to the one lesson he wants us to learn. In addition, as disciples, we have to learn to be as Jesus was – solely focused on the path that God has for us, and not deterred by what others bring to us.

There is a “U” in “They”

Jesus and his followers went to rejoin the rest of the disciples, only to find a crowd around them, and the teachers of the law in argument with them. As Jesus tried to understand what was going on, the man at the center of the story stepped up to tell his side.

Teacher, I brought you my son who is possessed by a spirit… I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not – Mark 9:17a & 18b

While it is pretty subtle, what the man said is actually very telling for the life of the disciple:

I brought him to You, but they could not…

For the man, and probably for the crowd, there was not much difference between the teacher and the disciple. When the man saw the disciples, he saw Jesus. He expected from the disciples what he would have received from Jesus.

Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” and Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two. Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. – II Kings 2:12-15

Everyone knew that Elijah’s time was short. They could have taken the time to spend with Elijah, get his last bits of wisdom and prepare for the departure of their friend and mentor. What the prophets of Jericho did, however was watch Elijah’s disciple, Elisha. They had an expectation of what would happen, and as soon as Elijah was gone, made that expectation known – they saw Elijah in Elisha. The disciples of Jesus probably thought the man was coming to them, but truthfully, he was coming to the Jesus in them. The man had an expectation of success because he had seen Jesus, knew what he was capable of, and if these were his disciples, they would carry the same weight and power that Jesus did. One of the most telling quotes about discipleship comes from Mahatma Gandhi:

 “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ”.

Gandhi expected to see the “U”, or the you, in them – to see Christ fully represented in those who were his followers. Similarly, the man who wanted to see his son healed expected to see the life, faith, and power of God represented in the disciples in the same way it was represented in Jesus. This is why there was no praise in the failure, no “good job, thanks for trying”, no appreciation for trying to show some compassion. The man could have gotten that from anyone – he was looking for God to be revealed. As disciples, we have to understand and keep focused on the fact that the world wants to see, not nice Christians who are no different than them. They want to see God represented

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. – Romans 8:18-19

Creation, the world, our neighbors, our family, the person sitting next to you on the bus wants to see the “U in they” – the Christ in us. They want to see the nature of the children of God revealed in us. Anything less is a travesty, because it will never represent the God that we are supposed to be following. As disciples, we are Jesus to those around us, and are the closest thing they may ever get to Jesus – or, depending on how we represent him, the closest thing they will ever want to get to Jesus.

All Things are Possible… but we could not…

Jesus took care of the situation, but not before straightening out some of the thinking of the crowd and the man. When their expectation wasn’t met by the disciples, the man and the crowd blamed the disciples for the outcome. Jesus helped the man to see that he had a part to play in the result

“If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” – Mark 9:23

The good thing is that the man was not only willing to believe, but willing to admit that he had a hard time believing and needed help. No doubt this is why he came to the disciples in the first place, having exhausted all other measures. Because we tend to make God our last resort, we are particularly sensitive to the result, knowing that we have no other recourse after that. Prayer is usually our final step, but what happens when even that is not enough?

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” – Mark 9:25

The father believed… the disciples believed… and yet here was a boy still suffering from this spirit. Something was wrong – a formula was out of whack, a step missed… something needed to be fixed in this picture. Jesus’ statement not only caught hold of the man, it also caught hold of the disciples – mainly because they were already feeling the sting of failure and condemnation from the crowd.

“Everything is possible for one who believes”…

They did what they had been taught, they remembered how Jesus had done things before, they knew they had authority, but none of it was working. The disciples went from being “the go-to people” to being students of the teacher again. They had to be taught, not just how to cast out difficult demons, but how to live as disciples.

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” – Mark 9:28-29

This begs the question: when did Jesus pray about this situation? We don’t read anywhere that he stopped to talk to his Father before taking action.  We could assume that he was praying silently while the crowd was all up in arms and he was talking with the boy’s father, but that doesn’t seem to fit into the context of his statement. The word for prayer, προσευχῇ not only refers to the act of prayer, but also speaks of a place of prayer. Places where one could go and commune with God in prayer, not just throwing up a quick prayer in the time of need. Jesus’ time of prayer with the Father in private prepared him for dealing with the spirit in this situation. Similarly, as disciples, what people will see in us of the life of God will not be determined by how we jump to action in public, but rather how we prepare ourselves in private – how we come away to those places of prayer and dedication, communing with the Father where no one can see, receiving from Him what our focus and path are to be. Jesus had already modeled to the disciples what that life of prayer was to be. He was now bringing them back to it – “if you want to act like me, you have to do so in everything – in the private things as well as the public things.” As disciples, the only way that we can truly demonstrate the life of Jesus is to do it at all times, private and public, doing what He did, living how he lived.

Meditation

-          What challenges to your faith have you faced, especially ones that presented themselves as nice and inviting? How have you responded to those challenges, and what was the result?

-          What uncomfortable lessons has God brought to you over and over? How have you tried to divert yourself and God away from the uncomfortable?

-          What is God’s path for you? Why is it difficult to stay focused on that path?

-          What of Jesus do people see in you? Do they always see it? Is it something that they can rely on where God is manifest, and not you?

-          Do you realize you are being watched? Does that make you uncomfortable? Would you change something about yourself if you knew you were being watched? If so, why haven’t you?

-          When do you pray about situations?

-          Where is your place of communion with the Father?

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! – Matthew 17:5

Background

Peter, James and John were about as close to Jesus as anyone could get. Not only were there times that Jesus would pull his entire band of disciples away from the crowd, but on certain occasions he would pull these three only. Their relationship was special, and if anyone should have had this “disciple-thing” down, it was these three.

Jesus allowed Peter, James and John to see something that no one else was privy to – on the mountain Jesus was changed – glorified. Before this they had a sense of who He was. Peter even declared that he was the son of the living God (Matthew 16:16), but this was different. Now they saw Jesus in a way they had never seen before. If that wasn’t enough, out of nowhere Moses and Elijah, two of the most powerful and celebrated people in their history, appeared and began talking with Jesus. This was definitely something for the record books.

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here…” – Matthew 17:4a

Peter was right. It was good for them to be there, but not for the reasons he was thinking. Peter, you see, had locked in on the experience before him, and was satisfied, having seen what he saw. Truthfully, it was too much for any person, so the fact that he was able to express himself in the context of this experience says a lot. The problem though was that he was prepared to just stay in the experience.

…if you wish, I will put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah – Matthew 17:4b

Peter in the midst of this wonderful experience and revelation of Jesus, got stuck. He was in a time warp of his own making, and it took an act of God to bring him out of it. Peter is not alone – if we are not careful, we can let not only trials, but the blessings and positive experiences of God lock us into a cycle of living in that moment over and over again.

RHPC

Those in the know will recognize those initials right away, especially if they ever went to the midnight screenings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. A cult comedy musical that brought otherwise normal people out to theatres brave enough to show the movie. People would dress in character, say and sing every line, and experience the wonder and mystique of every part of the show. The song “Time Warp” was one of the most notable parts of the show, but for those who were fans, it was only part of the whole. They experienced it every weekend, some year after year.

These type of experiences are great fun, but what happens when they are the only thing we live for? When our lives are defined by reliving the same experiences over and over?

Sticky Situations

Let’s look a little more about how we can get stuck in our life of discipleship.

Harsh or unexpected situations

John (the Baptist) had a unique calling. From the time he was in the womb he was aware of the calling and role of Jesus. John had one goal: to point people to the Messiah. He dedicated his life to this, and when the time came, Jesus emerged and John was ready

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” – John 1:29

Pretty solid. There was no doubt in John’s mind that Jesus was the one. John even saw the Spirit of God descend on Jesus. If that wasn’t enough to go on, nothing was. However, fast forward to John being in jail. Even that was not so much an issue for him. What was, though, was the fact that the Messiah wasn’t acting “Messiah-like”

When John, who was in prison heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him “are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” – Matthew 11:2-3

The very one that was proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah was stuck in his own expectations of what Jesus should be doing as messiah. Jesus responded to John with some realistic expectations of the messiah (the blind receive sight, the lame walk…), but then followed up with an interesting statement

Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me – Matthew 11:6

Being a disciple can be hard because it requires that we follow, and that we do so when we don’t understand what the teacher is doing. It is setting aside our expectations in the teacher’s presence so we can be free to learn from him. When I was in college I had a philosophy professor who told us on day one “Philosophy is about questions for which there are no answers”. Most of the class struggled, not because the content was hard, but because they were not willing to set aside their expectations and be disciples of the teacher. When their personal expectation was challenged, they were stuck and for many, the only way out was to quit the class. Unfortunately, the same thing happens with many who call themselves disciples.

Good situations

Do you remember when…? Memories are good and powerful. Over and over in scripture God instructs his people to erect memorials so when they saw them they would remember the good that God had done on their behalf. Sometimes, though our memories and experiences speak louder than the voice of God for the day. We want God to move in the way He did last week; to speak like He did last year; to touch us like He did the day before. We even can find ourselves trying to set up the situation hoping that by replicating the experience God will show up in the same way.

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of Jesus over those who were demon possessed. They would say “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out” – Acts 19:14

These were people who either were accomplished exorcists or those who had experienced a move of God through the hand of Paul. Either way, the experience was so powerful for them that they got stuck in the experience, and not in the active presence of the spirit of God. Trying to replicate what God was doing through Paul, they found themselves in trouble, not having the authority or ability to command the spirits they were trying to cast out.

Our situations may or may not be that extreme, but the end result is the same – we try to stay in that good situation, and lose sight of where God may be actually moving on our behalf. Jim Collins, author of “Good to Great: Why some companies make the leap, and others don’t” is quoted saying the very simple but powerful phrase, “Good is the enemy of great”. As disciples, we know that every good and perfect gift comes from God, but like manna (Exodus 16), it is good for the time that He is giving it. If we are willing, we will see good being given over and over again, and we will not have to try to hoard it, getting stuck in what was.

The Ones we follow

What I find interesting is one very subtle statement in Matthew 11

…he sent his disciples

Jesus had come, John had declared him, even stating that “He must increase and I must decrease”. Yet even while Jesus was gaining popularity, there were people who heard John’s message of who the messiah was, yet remained John’s disciples. It gets better…

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? They answered “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism”, they replied. – Acts 19:1-3

Were they disciples? Yes. Did they believe? Yes. Were they totally off? Yes, because they were stuck in John’s teaching, even though any quick examination of any of John’s teaching would have pointed to Jesus. And, this was long after John was dead. As disciples, we can get stuck in a teaching, a leader, a way of doing things, all of which are supposed to point us to the messiah, but if we are not careful, we will be advocating a “coming savior”, not realizing he is standing right in front of us.

Growing, Learning, Becoming

Disciples are students of a teacher. Disciples are learners. True disciples are not those who just hear the teacher – they learn and appropriate what the teacher is saying. A disciple should not just be a repository for the words of the teacher, but a person who is hungry for the next thing the teacher will say, knowing that it will transform them to being that much more like their teacher.

One of the challenges of being a Christian disciple is that we want to grow and learn based on a static image of Jesus. This is not what scripture teaches how we are to view him

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again. So, from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer – II Corinthians 5:15-16

Imagine being one who had seen the Lord face to face. One who had a tangible experience of Jesus. While Paul was speaking to the Corinthian church, there were those still living who had, as John put it, “touched and handled the Word of Life”. Yet, Paul was saying that as great and powerful as that was, the current experience of Jesus was more important.

When God appeared to Moses on the mountain, he revealed Himself as “I AM that I AM” (Exodus 3:14). One of the translations of this is “I will become who I will become”. God was revealing to Moses that He is not static or stagnant, but a living, moving, becoming being. The disciple, therefore should not only emulate this characteristic by being a living, moving and becoming person, but should expect that the experience of God will also live, move and become – that it will change, simply because He is more than we can fathom.

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him” – John 3:1-2

Nicodemus, according to Jesus, was “Israel’s teacher”.  Yet even though he called Jesus “Rabbi”, he didn’t come to learn. He came to declare. He might have been expecting validation of his statement, or praise that he recognized that Jesus came from God. Jesus’ answer threw him for a loop

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again

Nicodemus hadn’t asked a question, but Jesus knew he needed an answer. Nicodemus was stuck in his idea of what a leader and teacher was, and considered himself to be a teacher from God as well – maybe not to the degree of Jesus, because he was not doing those works, but a teacher in his own right. Jesus, on the other hand, gave Nicodemus a new reality. At this point, Nicodemus had to “hear him”, and not just acknowledge him. As disciples, we can run the risk of acknowledging the presence and person of Jesus without hearing what He really has to say. We have to allow him to get us unstuck from our expectations, our titles and our experiences, and even taking something that would seem so basic, allowing him to bring it to us as the teacher, and us being hungry for everything he would say.

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming back here to draw water” – John 4:15

As Jesus was conversing with the woman at the well, she was stuck. Stuck in her past, in her idea of what worship was to look like, of who the messiah was to be. She was even stuck in her knowledge of the well. Jesus carefully dismantled all of that so she could learn what real life was, and what was available for her. As disciples, we must have the courage to allow Jesus to dismantle our ways, our thoughts and our expectations so he can pour into us the newness he desires.

Listen to Him!

God interrupted Peter’s speech with an emphatic “This is the Son I love. Listen to Him!” Peter could have been offended that God didn’t allow him to continue, or didn’t encourage him for trying, but for God it was more important that Peter get unstuck. Similarly, it is important that we get unstuck so we can hear him clearly. On another occasion, Jesus challenged the disciples, to which Peter replied, “where can we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). As disciples, we must have the same mindset, expecting the teacher to speak at any moment, and that his words are for us eternal life. It is only in this that we will be able to free ourselves from the things that cause us to get stuck, and get our eyes off of the living God.

When God spoke the disciples hid in fear. Jesus then came and touched them telling them not to be afraid. The disciples looked up, and saw, not a cloud, not Elijah or Moses. They only saw their teacher. There was no lingering presence of the experience, except in their memory. The only thing in front of them was what they needed to focus on and give themselves to: their teacher. The command was given, and now the reality was before them. There was nothing else. Only Jesus. Only their teacher. Similarly for us as disciples, when it is all stripped away, we are left with two things: the teacher, and the command to hear him. As disciples, nothing else matters, because it is the only thing that can fuel our growth as disciples and make us like him.

Meditation

-          What has been your response to God when you expected Him to show up or reveal Himself in a particular way and He did not?

-          What have you heard from God that has been new and fresh?

-          Where are you stuck? Is it in something unexpected, or something good, but not the great thing that God wants to do in you?

-          What have you struggled with that God has tried to teach you?

-          Are you afraid of God appearing different than the image you have in your mind?

But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does – James 1:25

Jesus in the Real World

James’ letter is short, sweet, and to the point. It has to be because he is addressing real life issues – those things that make a person question whether they are with God, or if God is with them. Tests, trials, doubts, temptations, my place in society – all of these are where we want to see our Christianity shine… or at least we should want it. These are areas where not only the rubber meets the road, but areas where we rub elbows with Christians and non-Christians alike. Can I be a witness of Christ? Absolutely when conditions are perfect, when there is no opportunity to slip up, when my requirement is low. How about, though, when conditions are less than perfect? When temptations are all around me? When I have to look at the person who passed me up for the promotion? Furthermore, how do I fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples in those situations? James wastes no time with pleasantries and thoughts of what is not. Rather, he jumps right in and hits us where we need it. Discipleship 101. Time for talk is over. It’s time to do.

The Land of Certification

Somehow society has moved from being people who live something out to those who can prove that they have studied, and are therefore fit to talk about the subject they have studied. Schools and teachers thrive on being able to spend as little as 2 days , up to 6 months with students to give them the tools to “test out”, giving them a title they can use for the next 2 years. If the student is smart, they can do minimal tasks to avoid having to take another certification test: attend a seminar, participate in a training class, write a paper… building up points to keep the title. Does this, however really say anything about the person getting certified, or the certifier?

James spends much of this first chapter talking about deception, but not deception from outside. He is talking about self-deception. The rich person being deceived into a sense of security because of his riches. The poor person being deceived into thinking they are less than, because they don’t have material goods. The religious person thinking they are good because they have performed some good work. All of it smacks of self-certification. What is it that I can do to “test out” so people will accept me as a Christian, where I can feel good about myself for the next couple years (and if I am smart, never have to come up to testing time again)? Self-deception occurs when the focus turns inward, on who the person is or appears to be rather than on the source of their life.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him – James 1:12

Even in our testing, in this land of certification, we look for the result – “I’m gonna get through this test” – but miss the key: the crown of life isn’t just given to those who stand the test – it is given to those who love God.

James writes to reiterate just how different our lives are to be, not just in cleanliness and morality, but moreso in our dedication to who we are disciples of.

“Of” is an Important Word

There is a lot of talk in Christian circles about stepping up to “being disciples” as opposed to being “mere Christians”. Usually it involves more stuff: more works, more renouncing, more study, more witnessing, and somehow demonstrating more of what people can perceive as God in your life. Now, while there is merit to bringing people to maturity, there is also a danger in looking at discipleship merely by the tasks we do.

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody – II Corinthians 3:1-2

Discipleship defined by itself is like self-commendation – we can pat ourselves on the back for “having made it”, but we fail to answer the most important question

Why be a disciple in the first place?

At first glance, the question may seem heretical in Christian circles. However, in looking at Paul’s statement to the Corinthians, he defines the “X-factor” of discipleship: the “of” of being a disciple:

You yourselves are our letter…

Paul didn’t need certification because of the ongoing relationship he had with the Corinthians. Similarly, being a disciple is nothing without the “of” – we are to be disciples of Jesus.

What is a Disciple?

Is a disciple a student? A learner? A follower? Is a disciple someone who has taken the “extra step” to do more? Can you define a disciple by their lack of apparent sin? Their constant testimony? Their fearlessness in the face of non-believers?

And if this is the case, where does it leave most of us? Never able to measure up.

There really is one key measurement to determine who is, and is not a disciple of Jesus. Jesus words:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” – Matthew 16:24

“Follow Me” literally means to walk along the same road, or to go where he goes. Contextually, the person would have the choice between a path of their own choosing, and the path that Jesus is on. This was not just taking the same road, but walking together, continually. Being on the same journey together. This is what James meant when he said

Looking into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this

It is one thing to acknowledge the direction that Jesus is going. Quite another to try to walk the path yourself (“I can be a good person like he was”). But true discipleship means looking into Him continually as you walk with Him.

Being What We are Seeing

Disciples took the step of following, or walking with their teacher or mentor because they saw something in them that they wanted to emulate – to become. They could spend all of their free time studying the teachings of that master, but the surest way to become like him was to do what he was doing when he was doing it or when he said to do it. Discipleship was an unofficial apprenticeship program – unofficial because it was not about taking on the profession of the teacher. It was truly becoming as the teacher was

The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord… – Matthew 10:24-25a

So also we, as disciples, are not trying to simply pursue another ministry opportunity, but our goal is to be as Jesus.  Pretty lofty goal…

In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood (overcome) it… the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world – John 1:4-5,9

The master is a man full of life. Light (inspiration, illumination, knowledge, removing blinders, setting direction, removing confusion) was available to all through Him. Darkness could not overcome his light. He gives what he has to every person

Do we want to be the disciple of that?

• Do we want to possess life instead of just exist in it?
• Do we want to inspire, illuminate, remove blinders and confusion, and set direction for others?
• Do we want to do this for everyone?

And still, the question is why?  Do we want to do it because it makes us feel good, or because of the heart/love relationship we have with the master? Remember, the crown of life is not just given to the one who stands the test, but it is given to the one who loves Him.

Freedom… To Do

It is interesting that James ties “doing the stuff” to freedom and blessing. Discipleship is not hardship. Quite the opposite. It is freedom within the hardship. Freedom to follow, freedom to trust, freedom to do what Jesus does, knowing that the darkness cannot overcome His light. Discipleship is freedom to look at him and emulate him, and let his life and presence change us

Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. – II Corinthians 3:15-18

We can only reflect that which we face. Therefore we are transformed as we look into the face, the life, the presence of Jesus – as we take his command to walk along the same path with him, to be disciples of Him.

Meditation

-          What characteristic or aspect of Jesus’ life is God showing you that he wants you to emulate

-          Who needs to see Jesus in you today? This week?

-          How have you experienced freedom in following Jesus?

Reblogged from Cathy's Voice Now:

• 

The voice on the other end of the phone told me something was wrong. It wasn't the words but the sound of desperation. It took only moments before the tears came. "I feel like such a failure," she said.  I recently heard those same words from someone else.  They were spoken with the same sadness and fear I heard in her that day.

Read more… 381 more words

As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed – the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.  – Romans 4:17

Background

Paul is addressing a series of questions posed by the Roman Christians as they try to make sense of this new way of life they have started to follow. It was clear from the number of issues Paul addresses – salvation, sin, the promise of God, faith, circumcision vs. uncircumcision, law, predestination and more, that they were feeling the tension of living this new life in a world that was contrary to it. Furthermore, trying to explain this God and life to others, let alone walk in it was a constant challenge. Paul uses the story of Abraham as an example of someone who lived in the tension of the kingdom – someone who both received the promise of God, and had to wait for its total fulfillment. By using Abraham as an example, we can see how to apply those same principles in our lives.

What’s Your Name?

Abram had a problem. He had received a promise from God about his descendants… The ones he didn’t have, and didn’t see any opportunity of having. He was 75 when he answered the call to start this journey with God, his wife was barren, and yet this new and mysterious God was talking promise – promise Abram was crazy enough to believe. This belief, however, was not without its challenges:

After this the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children so a servant in my house will be my heir.” -Genesis 15:1-3

While Abram did not lose faith, he was having problems seeing how God was going to make good on the promise. God answered Abram, but did so with more assurances of the promise. For Abram, he would still have to wait at least another 15 years before He saw the promise fulfilled.

When the time was close for the promise to be fulfilled, God turned up the heat yet again:

As for Me, this is my covenant with you: you will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. -Genesis 17:4-5

Not only did Abram have to hold this promise close to his heart, waiting for God to fulfill it, but now he had to be identified with it… Called by it. There was no escaping, no excusing and no relief from the tension of knowing there was a promise, but having nothing more than a promise as proof.

The Pressure Cooker

Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual. – Daniel 3:19

Pressure cookers are interesting devices, because they use pressure to raise the cooking temperature of the water in the cooker past its normal boiling point, resulting in faster cooking than traditional methods.

Looking at Abram, it could be easily said that his life resembled a pressure cooker. Our own lives feel that way sometimes, when we are standing strong on God’s promise or on our prayer, yet the struggle, the challenge, and the pressure increase. We know our “boiling point” – our point where we think we cannot believe anymore, cannot follow, cannot see God coming through, but God gets in and allows us to be placed in a situation that goes even beyond that point. How are we supposed to maintain faith in that situation, when we have used every ounce of faith we have? How do we continue to live a life of faith, when all we can say about our belief is, “I don’t know… I just know”?

Stress vs. Tension

Stress and tension are strange bedfellows. Often they are seen as one and the same, or synonyms of another. While there are differences between the two, our reaction to both is often the same – get rid of it as fast as possible. Face it: stress and / or tension are uncomfortable, unnerving, and unable to be controlled by us. Too much of it and our body begins to break down. We get sick or even die.

Getting away from stress is a natural “fight or flight” reaction. We make quick decisions, toss the cargo overboard, sacrifice the weak, or in the case of Abram and Sarah, look for a natural solution to a spiritual promise

So [Sarai] said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her” – Genesis 16:2

You would think that either Abram and Sarai would find relief in their decision, or that God would tell them that “the deal is off” because they didn’t wait long enough. Neither happened. Yes, they had a son, but God didn’t speak to them about this son. He only spoke to Ishmael’s mother. For God, the promise was still on. While God would bless Ishmael, this would not deter God from fulfilling His promise in His time, in His way. Furthermore, God didn’t release Abram and Sarai from the tension of waiting for the promise.  The pressure continued to build, the water pressed past its own boiling temperature, and God kept the lid on. Why would God put Abram and Sarah, you and I through the tension of a life of promise that we continue not to see? Why would He give us the “keys to the kingdom”, if you will, when we are unsure if the key is going to work in the door, or worse – if we wouldn’t see the door for a long, long time?

The Kingdom… An Eternal Perspective

For us, the kingdom of God and His promises exist on a time plane. We think in terms of natural response, normal timeframes and explainable scenarios. God, however lives outside of time, and as such does not measure His action and response in terms of time, space, or even reason:

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him.  It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” – I Corinthians 1:27-31

God doesn’t always fit our logic. He does things the way God does. He is not dependent upon our earthly marketing efforts to make Him acceptable. Even when Abram asked him point blank, “what will you give me, seeing that I am childless”, God responded by giving him nothing – nothing more than His word.

He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. – Genesis 15:5-6

The key for Abram was settling into the tension. Abram believed that God was able to be God, fulfilling what He said without Abram’s, or anyone else’s help. Abram believed God was so active in the world and in his life, that when he left home he “was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10)”.

Abram didn’t know, but he knew. He realized that he was dealing with something that was outside of his strength, his ability, even his realm. This was a kingdom reality that was coming from God alone. Abram didn’t know the mechanics or time of it, but he did believe that it would happen. That God would make good on his promise.

Kingdom Tensions, Heavenly Harmonies

Personal trainers who are worth their salt will incur the wrath of those that they are training every now and then. This is because they promise results, but then put the trainees through rigorous, tiring and yes, painful workout sessions. The tendency of the trainee is to immediately hit the scale or mirror to see results, but the trainer will dissuade them from doing so. The trainer knows when the right time is to check for results, but until then, the trainee must trust the trainer, knowing that the trainer knows what they are doing and that they will keep their promise as long as they keep their relationship with the trainer.

Tension in the right situation is good, for it produces a result that nothing else can. Guitar strings by themselves are useless, but when stretched along the body of the guitar, produce a beautiful sound. Abram allowed his life to be “God’s guitar string” that God didn’t just play during Abram’s life. God continued to play Abram’s song, calling him the father of the faith for all who would believe. Abram’s song is a song that we can not only sing, but we can make our own song that others will sing

Being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised. This is why it was credited to him as righteousness. The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.  – Romans 4:21-24

God’s Work… Our Work

What we do with this – how do we live in both “the now and the not yet”?  How can we be accepting of “the fullness of time”, and God’s determination of when that is?

• Let God be God alone.
• Settle into the fact that the promise is His to keep
• Trust the Trainer – don’t rush to the mirror to look for results
• Realize stress and tension are not the same – don’t start tossing things overboard in the tension
• Let God play your song to those around you

Luke 2:22-32 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

Background

While the nation of Israel had been waiting for the Messiah to come for ages, there was one man who had a special promise given to him that gave him specific cause to look for the Messiah’s coming. The birth of Jesus and Simeon’s reaction to it serves as an example for us to be able to look at how we receive God’s promises, especially when they come in unexpected means.

Easing Expectation Angst

Waiting can be hard, tiring, frustrating. If we are not careful, waiting can lead us to try to do anything to ease the tension that comes from waiting. For Israel, some had been waiting and anticipating the Messiah’s coming so long that they ended up following someone who looked like he could be the one. Others became somewhat skeptical, even when Jesus did show up on the scene.

Philip found Nathanael and told him “we have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked… – John 1:45-46a

Philip was able to be skeptical about the city of Nazareth because the wait had become normal for him. Philip was not anticipating the actual emergence of the Messiah, and had to be prodded to even go to see the one that Philip couldn’t imagine him being.

For us, as we wait for God to fulfill His word to us, whether it is for His presence, for answers to prayer, or whatever, we face the challenge of easing our frustration before God is able to deliver His perfect work.

So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” – Acts 1:6

When the frustration of waiting builds, we can get tunnel vision about the fulfillment of the promise. Philip demonstrated tunnel vision when he judged Nazareth as not being fit to produce a Messiah, and the disciples saw Jesus’ mission as nothing more than restoring the kingdom to Israel vs. Roman rule. Similarly, having waited as long as we have for whatever God’s promise is we run the risk of tunnel vision – of seeing what we want to see rather than seeing what God is continuing to do in the midst. When Simeon went into the temple courts, the last person he expected to see as Messiah was a baby. However, Simeon had a different perspective when it came to waiting that gave him the ability and privilege of seeing the promise made to him fulfilled.

Wine and Savings Bonds

When I was young, my mom would often give us savings bonds as gifts. To a child, the savings bond may look nice, but it does nothing for my immediate need of buying candy or the latest toy. Today I can appreciate what she was doing, but then, even though I loved her for getting me anything, I was bummed that this thing that was worth value eventually wasn’t something that I could use when I wanted to.

One of the challenges to buying a nice bottle of wine is the temptation to open and drink it right away, rather than letting it either breathe or stay in the cellar for years to let it fully mature. Ernest and Julio Gallo revolutionized the California wine industry with their signature slogan, “we will sell no wine before its time”.

Denzel Washington was asked in an interview what his favorite or most meaningful role was, to which he replied “my next one”. We are similar when it comes to the promises of God in our lives, where the most important promise God can fulfill is the one we are waiting for. What happens, though, when the promise is delivered, but, like wine or savings bonds, the delivered promise is not useful in its current state? What are we supposed to do with a promise delivered, but still required that we wait for it to fully be realized?

Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. – Luke 2:11-12

The Messiah was here, but in a sense, was not. He could be identified, but not because of an act he had done – not because anyone had been saved. He could only be identified as the “bottle of wine that will be great when it matures”, or the savings bond that can be fully utilized when it reaches its maturity date.

What made it ok for Simeon to see the Lord’s Christ as only a baby?

Holding On to a Promise

Luke introduces us to Simeon. For Mary and Joseph, Simeon was both a nobody and an important part of their lives. He said very little, spent no extended time with them, but in that brief encounter, made a profound impact on them. His life, what we know of it, also serves to make an impact on us, as we wait for God’s promises to be fulfilled in us.

There are three things we know of Simeon:

1)      He lived waiting

2)      He held on to the promise given

3)      The Holy Spirit was on him

Faith and Waiting

Simeon lived a life of faith – otherwise known as “waiting”. Faith and waiting are not always synonymous, but in Simeon’s case they were. Simeon’s waiting was not passive, not benign, not fatalistic.  His life was not on hold as he waited. Simeon did not try to hold God hostage because a promise had not been fulfilled.  Simeon was just the opposite. It was in this state of waiting that he experienced both the presence of God and the word of God.

προσδέχομαι

The word translated “waiting” actually means to receive to one’s self,  expect, or to receive one coming from another place. It would be like knowing that your relatives are coming for the holidays, so you begin to plan for their arrival long before they get there. In one sense, you have already received them, even though they haven’t arrived yet.

Simeon believed that the consolation of Israel would happen, he just didn’t know when. However, the fact that it had not happened yet, or that there were external circumstances that would seem to prevent it from happening, did not deter him from “receiving that which was to come”. For Simeon, the consolation of Israel was ever present potential – something he could hold onto, receive, believe in, knowing that God was faithful to make it happen, even if he didn’t see the manifestation of it yet.

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the work God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.” – John 6:28-29

Our work, what God calls us to do, is to believe – to live in expectation of the One that was given, receiving Him who is to come. It is accepting a newborn baby as a savior. It is receiving as real the provision and promise of God, even though what we have in front of us looks like nothing.

Waiting begets… waiting

There is an adage that says, “Never pray for patience because God will answer by giving you opportunities to develop it”. Simeon was content to wait for the “consolation of Israel”, and somewhere in the process of his waiting, he was given the opportunity to wait some more…

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ – Luke 2:26

Simeon had been holding on to the hope of the consolation of Israel because of what God had said in the past, through prophets, priests, scribes, etc., but now he had an extra promise to wait for – one that was given directly to him. God engaged Simeon in his waiting by giving him something specific he could look for. God will do the same with us, as we are looking for what seems impossible, or seems as if it could not happen in the foreseeable future, God steps in with a “manageable wait” – a step we can take, something we can see, a word confirmed that we can hold on to, while we wait for Him to fulfill His ultimate word.

Hanging with the Holy Spirit

Simeon didn’t get frustrated or question the new promise in light of the fact the other hadn’t been fulfilled. Neither did he start taking matters into his own hands and try to make the promise happen sooner, but he continued to lean on the Holy Spirit, trusting the Promise giver, rather than the given promise. Simeon didn’t just focus on what God had said, but continued to look for what God was saying. Because of this, he was able to hear the Spirit of God when he was prompted to go into the temple courts, right at the time when Mary and Joseph were presenting Jesus.

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” – Isaiah 30:15

Simeon, having heard the promise of the Father, remained in a place of quietness and trust, knowing that however long it took, God would fulfill His word. It was in that place of quietness that he was moved by the Holy Spirit.

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience – Hebrews 4:9-11

Simeon worked at believing God, and by this entered a place of rest where the Spirit of God could continue to move in his life.

When we receive the promise of God, trusting the Promise giver, we are brought to a place of resting in His ability and desire to fulfill His promise, and in that place of rest we find strength, salvation, and the Spirit of God active in our midst.

Big Dreams and Baby Promises

The Magi from the East had no other expectation – they came seeking a baby who would be king. Simeon knew he would see the Lord’s Christ, or anointed one. We may receive a sense that God is working on our behalf. In all cases, the promise is both here and not here, manifest and needing fulfillment. So, how do we respond to God’s gift of a promise that we still have to wait for?

Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation…” – Luke 2:27-30

Simeon recognized that his big dream, the one thing keeping him alive, if you will, was represented in the child in front of him. Because of this he embraced him and praised God. The Magi purposed to follow the star so they could find the newborn king and worship Him. We too, when we recognize the gift of God, in whatever form it comes – whether it is actionable now or sometime in the future, we are to follow Simeon’s lead: take it in our arms and praise God. We can do that not because we are trying to make something happen, but because we know that God is faithful to complete that which He started, and if what He gives us looks like a baby, it’s only a matter of time before that baby is able to fulfill that which he is called to.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Your love, O Lord, endures forever – do not abandon the works of your hands – Psalm 138:7-8

but after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit – Matthew 1:20

Imagine being on the brink of the most important time in your life. You have been careful… cautious, doing everything so that the time or event would turn out perfect. You even took it further: trusting this area of your life to God, asking for His will in your life decision.

It could be a relationship, a job, a ministry, or simply a connection. It might be something as meaningful to you as winning a race, or planning a wedding. This, in fact, was the case with a young couple named Mary and Joseph. We don’t know much about them but we do know that they had a dedication to God that God decided to capitalize on.

A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great – Proverbs 18:16

With our dreams often come thoughts of their impact: Who might be touched or influenced by our decision, our action, our lives. We see following God as an adventure, as an opportunity to leave a mark, to have something that others say they want to emulate. Now we cannot say for sure that Mary and Joseph had those dreams or aspirations, but whether they did or not, we stand in awe that God would take such “normal” people, and use them to do something great. 2000 years later, people hold Mary up as “mother of God”, an icon to be revered, and Joseph is often quoted as the righteous man who did not want to disgrace Mary. If there was or is anyone to pattern your life after, Mary and Joseph would be at the top of the list. This, of course, is because we know the story, how it ends, and what God has to say about them in all of this. On “this side” of Mary and Joseph’s life, there is something “right and perfect” about it all. God chose the right time and the right people to bring His beloved Son into the world.

Closed Book Test

We can read scripture and see that God moved in the fullness of time to bring salvation and adoption to the world through the advent of His Son. This was all according to God’s perfect plan. However, let’s, for a moment, close the book, and look at the unfolding of this plan in the lives of two unsuspecting people.

A Day (un)Like any Other…

A normal girl in a normal house, in a normal village, in a normal nation, received a very abnormal visit that would change her life. Mary received a visit from an angel, telling her that even though she was pledged to Joseph, she would have a child by someone who was not her husband. (just pause and think about that for a moment…) At this point, Mary was not the revered saint that we all know and love. She was just a young girl in a small town. The girl that everyone knew, the girl that did things right. Now this girl was going to begin to change in front of their eyes, and it would be obvious that something was amiss – the wedding hadn’t happened yet. This was still the betrothal period… do we really know the real Mary? Is she as godly as we thought?

Joseph, it appears, did not have the benefit of having an angelic visit to tell him the great news. Joseph probably had to hear it from Mary, and was left to stew on this for a bit

Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream… – Matthew 1:19-20a

Two people, in the perfect center of God’s will who, in that time, no one would have wanted to be.

Holy Chess Matches (Batman)

We generally hold two views of God working out his will in our lives. Both of those views usually involve us as the main character of God’s action.

The two views are:

1)      God needs me: He is doing something to me, so something good can happen for me. God works in my life because He loves me and wants to see me do well and live happy and healthy, by which I can be an example of how others should live.

2)      God is in a grudge match with Satan where we are collateral to be used to gain the upper hand when necessary.

When we take the second approach, we can form the opinion that God is bringing “bad” in my life for a reason – either overt sin, or to teach me a lesson, make me humble or something else so I can “look the part” more.

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” – John 9:1-2

We don’t get the promotion, we get sick, we lose relationships, get misjudged, and all we can think is “I don’t remember doing anything to deserve this”. Sometimes, however, it has nothing to do with God bringing correction. Sometimes situations are opportunities for God to reveal His glory – opportunities for God to do something out of the ordinary, to move us in areas we never thought we would go, or do things in and through us that we never would have had the guts to do.

What is “Bad”?

Just before Mary and Joseph had to work through this change in their lives, their relatives Zechariah and Elizabeth were also going through and unexpected life change at the hand of God:

Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren and they were both well along in years… but the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you are to give him the name John…Zechariah asked the angel “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years?” – Luke 1:6-7, 13, 18

It is easy for us to label things as good and bad, right and wrong, possible and impossible. Partially it is how we were made (Adam naming the animals). The hard part though is we label things as right or wrong according to how we see them, or according to what we think is going to be acceptable by those around us.

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath”… “If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’, you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” – Matthew 12:1-2, 7-8

God sees the situations of our lives differently, because he is not looking through our lens, but rather His own. What we call bad or hard or impossible are labels that God does not use. This is why Jesus could stand in front of a woman, convicted by her peers of wrongdoing, and declare that he would not condemn her. Jesus looked at her, at her life, and at the entire situation differently than we do, and in that situation offered mercy and a changed life.

Similarly with Mary and Joseph, even though to those externally it was not perfect, to God it was. He didn’t have to defend it to anyone, to make sure people were happy with it or Him for He knew it was the right thing. To the human mind, it was bad, but to God it was wonderful.

If I say “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. – Psalm 139:11-12

God will often enter our lives and do things that we wonder why… it’s hard…bad…ugly. However, rather than looking at our judgment in the situation, we need to look to His purpose in it all – at how He sees it.

Mary had the right response to God’s word, even understanding the difficulty that may come with it. However, she didn’t see it as good or bad. She saw it as the will of God. When we can see that God’s plan doesn’t have to look perfect on the outside, we can remain confident in His plan as He works it out for and through us.

Eagles: Cruel parents

Bald Eagles set their nests high in the mountains as a protective measure for their young. One of the things that is hard to see, as a nature lover, is an eagle parent literally kick their young out of the nest when it is time for them to fly. We see it as cruel because the young eagle could get hurt if they don’t fly. The parents, however, see a greater hurt – eagles were meant to fly, not to stay grounded, so they push the young eagles into what they were meant to be and do. These same parents will also swoop down and catch a falling eagle if they fail to fly. The pushing out of the nest is not to see if they will pass or fail the test. The parent makes sure the young passes the test. God did the same with Mary and Joseph. This was not a test of their faith to see if they could handle it. God knew what they were meant to be and do, and orchestrated everything so they would succeed.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps – Proverbs 16:9

Through the angel, God showed Mary that he already had things in motion with Elizabeth. In a series of dreams God spoke to Joseph not only about his initial decision, but about what he needed to do to keep his family safe and cared for. God was determining the steps of this young couple, just as he does with us.

Living Imperfectly Perfect

Mary was gutsy. She made the choice to do something that was not conventional – to live a life that didn’t correspond to the rules.

She had to: she was bringing the Life Changer into the world – how could her life not be dramatically altered in the process? God gives us the opportunity to be just as gutsy – to follow Him in his plan, even though it completely “messes up our lives”. We can choose to stay where it’s safe, to consider like Joseph did to “set it aside privately”, or step into it, where “things are scary and unfamiliar” and watch God weave an imperfect life or situation into His perfect plan.

What is God bringing into the world through you? How does He need to mess up your perfection in order to do it?

We don’t get a vote in this at all, yet we get screwed if you can’t get along…

It shouldn’t be this hard. Washington… play nice and fix this thing! Think outside of the box. Find some solution. Stop calling yourselves Republican and Democrat, and start calling yourselves servants of your constituents. Get out of your meeting halls and start looking in the face of the people who elected you, the ones you are going to hurt if you don’t fix this.

If you want us to believe in you, give us something to believe in. Show us that you can lead this country together. Help us to be a great nation once again.

Fix it.

Now.