This is Toxic to Your Faith and Relationships

Galatians 6:11-18, The Message - Now, in these last sentences, I want to emphasize in the bold scrawls of my personal handwriting the immense importance of what I have written to you. These people who are attempting to force the ways of circumcision on you have only one motive: They want an easy way to look good before others, lacking the courage to live by a faith that shares Christ’s suffering and death. All their talk about the law is gas. They themselves don’t keep the law! And they are highly selective in the laws they do observe. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast of their success in recruiting you to their side. That is contemptible!

For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can’t you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them!

Quite frankly, I don’t want to be bothered anymore by these disputes. I have far more important things to do—the serious living of this faith. I bear in my body scars from my service to Jesus.

May what our Master Jesus Christ gives freely be deeply and personally yours, my friends. Oh, yes!

 

Today, we finish Galatians with Paul’s final words to these churches.  He re-emphasizes that there is no need to require non-Jews to comply with Torah law concerning circumcision.  Where Jews used circumcision and other laws to separate themselves from others as God’s chosen people, there is now no more need for that.  Christ has made us all God’s chosen people.

 

In support of this central point of Paul’s letter, he leaves us another gem:

 

For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. (vs. 14-15)

 

Instead of finding ways to play the one upmanship game that seems to come naturally to us humans, Paul encourages us to focus on what Christ has done.  The more we do that, the less tendency we will have to puff ourselves up.  We are set free from all that crap.  It reminds me of one of the great hymns of the church by Isaac Watts:

 

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died

My richest gain I count but loss

And pour contempt on all my pride

 

Comparing ourselves, finding reasons to look down on others, or putting others on a pedestal above us are all toxic to our relationships.  Paul bids us to let all that be crucified with Christ and be free to be who God made you to be – no more and no less.  When we all do that together, we become something truly divine – the Body of Christ.  This is what Paul meant earlier in the letter when he says, “I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.”  He longs for this.  I have to say that I long for it too – for you, for me. . . for us!

 

Questions:  Are there people you look down on?  What forms the basis of that “looking down?”  When you hold that justification up to the Cross, what happens?  What about the other way around – are there people you consider to be “better than” you.  How does the basis for that judgement hold up to the Cross?

 

Prayer:  God, purge toxic comparisons from our heart and mind.  We want the life you designed for us to live together – no more and no less.  Make us the true Body of Christ! Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people who are struggling to find employment right now. 

 

Song:  The Wonderful Cross – Matt Redman & Chris Tomlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylihJUH0gP4  

“My God, My God, Why Have You Left Me?”

Mark 15:33-36, CEB - From noon until three in the afternoon the whole earth was dark.  At three, Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani,” which means, “My God, my God, why have you left me?”

After hearing him, some standing there said, “Look! He’s calling Elijah!”  Someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, and put it on a pole. He offered it to Jesus to drink, saying, “Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down.”    

 

            Earlier in Mark 15, we were reminded of the fact that the details of the crucifixion recall many Old Testament texts such as Psalm 22 and 69.  The most poignant of these allusions is Jesus’s last words from the cross in Mark:

            “My God, my God, why have you left me?”(Psalm 22:1)

Psalm 22 is a the lament of a righteous sufferer.  Originally, it referred to David, but after Christ’s quoting of it from the cross, it is forever the owned by Him. 

            Most commentators on this cross moment highlight the fully human aspect of Christ’s lament – the feeling of despair, loneliness, and absence of God’s presence.  This is entirely appropriate, for Jesus almost certainly felt all of those things.  In Mark’s account, no a single disciple is present for this terrible moment; all of them have abandoned Him.  He has no allies in this crowd.  His physical suffering is incomprehensible.  How could anyone NOT feel that God had abandoned them?  In this moment, Christ connects with our darkest moments of despair and then some.  He knows our situation all too well.

            Yet there is more to this Psalm 22 quote than just abandonment and despair.  Mark intends for us to hear not just Psalm 22:1, but the whole Psalm.  This is why all the allusions to Psalm 22 are included in Mark’s account.  Let’s recall them once more:

Dogs surround me,

             a pack of villains encircles me;

              they pierce my hands and my feet.

All my bones are on display;

            people stare and gloat over me.

They divide my clothes among them

            and cast lots for my garment. (Psalm 22:16-18)

The villains, the piercings, the people gloating, and the gambling for clothes are all tied together by Jesus’s utterance of verse 1 just before He dies.  Not only those parts of Psalm 22, but all of it.  Hear the end of the Psalm. 

            Every part of the earth

             will remember and come back to the Lord;

            every family among all the nations will worship you.

Because the right to rule belongs to the Lord,

            he rules all nations.

Indeed, all the earth’s powerful

            will worship him;

            all who are descending to the dust

            will kneel before him;

            my being also lives for him.

Future descendants will serve him;

            generations to come will be told about my Lord.

They will proclaim God’s righteousness

             to those not yet born,

            telling them what God has done.(Psalm 22:27-31)

 

            My encouragement today is for you to read the whole of Psalm 22 again and meditate/reflect on how all of it describes the meaning of this moment on the cross in Mark 15.

 

Question:  What is God doing in your spirit and mind as your explore the connections between the crucifixion and Psalm 22?

 

Prayer:  (adapted from the end of Psalm 22) Jesus, what You on the cross is known in every corner of the world.  Billions have come to You because of what You did.  People from every nation on earth worship You.  Every new generation will be told of Your sacrifice until Your kingdom is made complete.  Praise be to Jesus forever and ever. Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for leaders in government (local, state, and national).

 

Song:  At the Cross – Chris Tomlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUvpBphq5og

It’s Not Ours to Decide

Mark 14:53-65, NLT - They took Jesus to the high priest’s home where the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law had gathered.  Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and went right into the high priest’s courtyard. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.

Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find evidence against Jesus, so they could put him to death. But they couldn’t find any.  Many false witnesses spoke against him, but they contradicted each other.  Finally, some men stood up and gave this false testimony:  “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another, made without human hands.’”  But even then, they didn’t get their stories straight!

Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?”  But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Why do we need other witnesses?  You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?”

“Guilty!” they all cried. “He deserves to die!”

Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and beat him with their fists. “Prophesy to us,” they jeered. And the guards slapped him as they took him away.

 

This passage is meant to be read with the end of the chapter 14, which includes the denials uttered by Peter.  Mark signals this by noting what Peter is doing while Jesus is on trail before the Sanhedrin.  However, there is more than enough to talk about for this time in just the section concerning the trial.  So we will talk about Peter next time. 

This whole trial is high irony as Mark tells it.  God is on trial and humans are the judges.  The judgmental humans in question here, ironically, would steadfastly proclaim that God is the judge and we are those who are judged.  Yet here they are, finding God in the flesh guilty of blasphemy against God!

Even though the humans have it backwards, God is still in control.  Jesus gives no answer to their arrogant questions until they ask THE question. . .the question that Jesus has not plainly answered before now:

““Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

This question is the one Mark seeks to answer with the entirety of his gospel.  In Mark 1:1, Mark states his purpose plainly; “This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.”  Yet throughout the gospel, when ever someone else proclaims Jesus to be the Messiah, Jesus instructs them to be silent about that.  In our journey through Mark, we have mentioned this “Messianic Secret” many times, but not been able to full grasp why Jesus keeps instructing others to keep it quiet.  Yet, here in this moment, Jesus proclaims the truth Himself:

“I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Though very few translations of Mark render the translation this way, one possible translation of the beginning of Jesus’s reply is “the I AM is here.”  This translation seems to make the most sense for Mark’s purposes.  In this climatic moment that Mark has been building toward for the whole gospel, Jesus using the Hebrew name for God given to Moses (ie…”I AM) would answer the Sanhedrin’s question in the most unequivocal way.  In the midst of many false testimonies and lies being spoken about Him, Jesus speaks the divine truth of His identity. 

            In an even more surprising bit of irony, the Sanhedrin, in condemning Jesus to death, confirm Jesus’s own prophecy that he will be falsely accused and condemned.  The ironic icing on the cake is that their striking Him, mocking Him, and spitting on Him, they are confirming even more prophecy.  The Sanhedrin are unwittingly playing their divinely appointed role in revealing the true nature of the Messiah. 

            In our own day, the irony continues.  The decision about who God is discussed way too often as if it is our question to answer. . . that humans are the judges in whether or not Jesus is the Messiah.  But Mark’s contention is that only God gets to reveal such truth.and here in this moment, Jesus does.  The “I AM is here.”  Jesus IS the Messiah regardless of what the Sanhedrin, popular atheists, or us decide.  The only judgement appropriate to us is whether we will believe the God-revealed Truth. 

 

Question:  What do you believe about the nature of Jesus identity?  It might even be helpful to write down a few of your thoughts to bring clarity to your belief.

 

Prayer:  Jesus, forgive us when we act as if we get to make the determination about the nature of Your identity and/or the teaching You have given us.  Give us vision  to see Your own revelation of truth to us clearly.Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for God’s blessing of atheists and agnostics you know today.

 

Song:  Jesus Messiah – Chris Tomlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdxSC1tHJn0

When You’re at Odds w/ God

Mark 8:29-33, The Message - He then asked, “And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?”

Peter gave the answer: “You are the Christ, the Messiah.”

Jesus warned them to keep it quiet, not to breathe a word of it to anyone. He then began explaining things to them: “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.” He said this simply and clearly so they couldn’t miss it.

But Peter grabbed him in protest. Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. “Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works.”

 

                The text from the last bit of the passage from the last reflection is included here to remind us of what we noticed yesterday.  The disciples’ confession that Jesus is the Messiah (which is the main message of the entire gospel of Mark) marks a critical shift in tone.  It’s been mostly miracles and healings up until this point, but things are about to get hard.  Jesus tries to prepare his apprentices for this by sharing with them what is about to happen.  Jesus will increasingly be opposed, eventually tried, and then be killed.  Three days later, He will be resurrected.  Peter, most likely speaking what the others are thinking, is having none of it.  He tries to get Jesus back “on message.”

                I’ve read this passage dozens of times, so I know Peter is about to be called Satan by Jesus.  Still, I can’t help but empathize with Peter.  I think of half a dozen times in my life where God’s direction and the direction that I think is right diverge.  Things seem to be going well.  Positive things are happening.  Forward motion is gaining momentum.  Then unexplainably, I’m pointed in a different direction.  Peter has a reputation for being a bit impetuous, but that’s not me.  If anything, I’m too passive.  But I have to say, in those moments where the direction suddenly changed, I was “take Jesus aside” angry.  I believe my prayers in those moments probably sounded a bit like what I imagine Peter saying to Jesus in private.  I was not happy about not being consulted about the change and I let God know about it (as if God didn’t already know exactly how I felt).  My conviction is that being completely honest with God about our negative feelings is better than trying to pretend that negativity in us doesn’t exist.  You might as well “get it off your chest” because God already knows what’s in your heart.

                Back to Satan thing.  When we in the 21^st century hear the name “Satan” we hear something completely different than Peter did when Jesus used that word.  What Peter heard would be likened to what we would hear someone say, “get out of my way Adversary.”  Jesus was not calling Peter the Devil.  Jesus was warning Peter that he was now moving in the opposite direction from God, a position with which I am all-too-familiar.  It isn’t fun.  But if we are going to be free to be honest with God, than we ought to be willing for God to be honest with us.  I’d rather be corrected by God than left out of what God is doing.  Peter evidently felt that way too, because Peter takes the correction and moves on.  He will eventually be the central leader of the Jesus movement and He is still revered by Catholics as the first pope.  But that only happens because Peter is willing to admit he is wrong and take correction.  In order to be a leader, one must first be a follower.

                But it’s not easy to let go of what we think is right, even if it is God who is telling us so.  It takes a sense of humility and submission.  To the extent that we are able to empathize with Peter’s resistance, we should also be willing to follow Peter’s example of obedience. 

 

Questions:  Are you able to be called out and corrected when it is necessary?  Can you admit that even on important things, you could be wrong?

 

Prayer:  Lord, give us a teachable spirit.  May we correctable when we are headed in the wrong direction.  May we always hear Your voice and obey, even when it’s hard.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for missionaries all over the world today.

 

Song:  I Will Follow – Chris Tomlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ohvhmGSfxI

David & Bathsheba

  

David, Bathsheba, & Birth of Solomon – 2 Samuel 11-12

 

Yesterday, we held up David’s honorable nature displayed in his treatment of Saul.  Today we read about the dishonorable side of his nature in the events concerning Bathsheba and Uriah her husband. Adultery, murder, cover-up abound in this story.  David sleeps with Uriah’s wife, has him killed, then tries to cover it up.  He marries Bathsheba. The prophet Nathan cleverly confronts his hideous behavior and David sees his despicable behavior for what it is.  Then in chapter 12, we learn that Solomon, the future king of Israel is born to Bathsheba.  If you were to read the rest of the book of 2 Samuel, you would learn that David’s life is never the same after this whole affair.  His actions set in motion a cascade of actions that would continue to stir dissension and unrest in his house for the rest of his days.  It is really quite tragic. 

My aim in these devotions is to always try to offer a hopeful word.  And there is hope in the end of David’s story.  Despite his flawed character, God used him to establish the united Kingdom of Israel, a nation that persists to this day.  He is the author of many Psalms that continue to comfort and inspire millions. He is remembered as a “man after God’s own heart.”  Despite the dismal last chapter of his life, David shaped the hopes of a nation for a Messiah that persisted until Christ came.  Taken as a whole, David’s life is still heroic.

But today’s episode is undeniably a cautionary tale.  Following our unhealthy desires have consequences that cannot be undone.  The sin can be forgiven, but the natural consequences remain.  David came to accept that and found peace with God in the end.  His last recorded words give testimony to that in 2 Samuel 23.  But if he sees Bathsheba and walks away, his life doesn’t spiral out of control like it did.  Our choices matter, sometimes a lot.  I’m going to let that sit with us today. 

 

Prayer:  God help us keep our thoughts and actions steered toward the ways that you teach us.  Help us to sincerely repent (turn away) when we stray. Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for those who are dealing with the consequences of their ill-chosen actions.

 

Song:  Your Heart (David) – Chris Tomlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aWEhNqnjuY

Forgiveness Does Not Remove Consequences

Genesis 3:23, NIV - So the Lord God banished [Adam] from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

 

Proverbs 3:11-12, NIV - My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in

 

Though God did forgive Adam for disobedience, there were still consequences.  Forgiving someone does not remove natural or imposed consequences of the offending action.  As Rob Bell has said, “You can forgive someone and call the police.”  Obviously, many actions have consequences that are natural and cannot be removed.  For instance, imagine a situation where a friend had agreed to pick you up in his car to take you to a job interview. He doesn’t show up, and consequently you miss the interview and your chance to get the job is lost.  Forgiving that friend is certainly possible, but getting another interview for the same job is not.  The consequence cannot be avoided, but forgiveness is still a possibility.

                There are other instances where you may choose to forgive but also impose consequences.  In the job interview situation above, you may decide to never accept a ride from the friend when something important like a job interview is at stake.  You have imposed that consequence, but that does not preclude the choice you make to forgive your forgetful friend.  Even if you, at a later date, decide to remove that consequence and give your friend another chance, that decision is still separate from the decision to forgive. What is important to note here is that whether the consequences are natural or imposed, they are a separate issue from forgiveness.  When consequences are removed, it is often called a pardon, as is the case with a Presidential Pardon.  The President often pardons people who have previously been convicted of crimes and consequences have been imposed.  While the person receiving such a pardon has the consequences removed, the people hurt by their crime are not forced to forgive the person. The forgiveness and the pardon are independent from each other.

                As a good parent does with errant children, God often imposes consequences in hopes of correcting unhealthy behavior.  It’s important to note that consequences, when imposed wisely, are never given for the purpose of hurting or punishing the other.  God and good parents are interested not in hurting, but helping the straying child.  Being on the receiving end of helpful impositions is not pleasant, but trusting that God is trying to help us can make the “pill” easier to swallow. 

 

Question:  Can you think of a time when consequences for a mistake you made helped you in the long run?

 

Prayer:  God, thank you for loving us enough to care about when make mistakes.  Help me see the places in my life where I need correction and the grace to accept that correction when it is offered. Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for God to give wisdom to people facing an important decision.

 

Song:  Good, Good Father

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ak0OoFBw3c