Tag Archives: sanctification

a man under authority (being Elite part 3)

Posted on by
Reply

What is an elite Christian? If you are reading this post check out part 1 which lays out the main idea. In part 2 we looked at the Canaanite woman who was recognized for her great faith. Today we examine the centurion who was also noted for his great faith.

When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” (Matt 8:5-7 ESV)

As we engage in this story we must remember that the man who approaches Jesus was a warrior in the army of Rome.

He is a leader responsible for around 80 men, called a century. His century would be one of six that comprised a larger combat unit called a cohort. This is similar to the way the military divides men into platoons, companies, and battalions today. As a centurion this man has lead troops into battle. And he has charged the enemy lines and faced his enemy face to face in combat. He has likely killed many people during these battles. The centurion is a tough and strong individual who has earned the right to lead.

Not every man was fit for service in the Roman army. According to Book 1 of “De Re Militaria” (On Military Matters), dating to the 4th century, the new recruit was evaluated before being accepted as a Roman soldier:

The recruit, however, should not receive the military mark as soon as enlisted. He must first be tried if fit for service; whether he has sufficient activity and strength; if he has capacity to learn his duty; and whether he has the proper degree of military courage. For many, though promising enough in appearance, are found very unfit upon trial. These are to be rejected and replaced by better men; for it is not numbers, but bravery which carries the day.

And from Book II of the same work, fewer still would be fit to serve as a centurion. This person was one who excelled in the art of combat, discipline, and self-control:

The centurion in the infantry is chosen for his size, strength and dexterity in throwing his missile weapons and for his skill in the use of his sword and shield; in short for his expertness in all the exercises. He is to be vigilant, temperate, active and readier to execute the orders he receives than to talk; Strict in exercising and keeping up proper discipline among his soldiers, in obliging them to appear clean and well-dressed and to have their arms constantly rubbed and bright.

This man has likely formed a strong relationship with his servant, having relied on each other through many trying times. Showing both compassion and humility he realizes his friend needs more help then he can provide, so the centurion approaches Jesus. Recognizing the man’s faith and humility, Jesus is ready to heal the centurion’s servant by offering to go to his house.

Who is serving who?

Most people like when people drop everything to take care of their request. They would respond “great, Lord, let’s go”. That’s what I would have done. I would have been so focused on getting what I wanted that I would grab Jesus by the arm and start heading toward home. But the centurion is not like most people.

… the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

This warrior must have known that Jesus was sent from God and able to heal otherwise he would not have sought Him out. But he also understands that anyone who can heal a broken body and restore a person back to health is someone with authority. He reasons that if an officer in the Roman army can issue commands to the soldiers under him with the full expectation that they will be carried out then Jesus can issue the command for the healing and it will be accomplished.

And anyone with authority over the physical world and diseases has authority over him and deserves to be served and obeyed. Not serve him. Just as John the Baptist knew that he was unworthy to untie the sandals of the Messiah, the centurion puts it all together and humbly realizes that he is not worthy of having Jesus come to his home.

And that is what I would have missed. In my pride I would not have recognized how unworthy I really was in the presence of Jesus. I would have expected Jesus to come follow me to my house. I expect Jesus to fulfill my requests. Now, the account doesn’t tell us what Jesus and his disciples were doing, but whatever it was, the centurion had just interrupted them. Had I been there I would have put Jesus “in a box” and expected Him to do what He has always done and heal through physical contact. Jesus would have come and altered His plans and come to heal my friend. But I would have missed out on truly understanding the power and authority of Jesus.

When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

Take me to your leader

Most people like to be in authority rather than under authority. But the centurion is not like most people and Jesus is amazed at his response. To be under authority requires humility and the recognition that another has control and power over you.

Paul, writing his last (extant) letter to Timothy before his pending execution reminds us that serving Jesus takes hard work:

Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one in military service gets entangled in matters of everyday life; otherwise he will not please the one who recruited him.  (NET 2 Tim 2:3-4)

He compares serving Jesus to being a soldier who was to work hard and focus on his training so that he might be prepared to fight and engage in battle. His focus must be on obeying the one who is in command. Without a good leader to train and exercise his men they are unprepared and on the battle field they are more vulnerable. Without the trust and respect for the leader and his authority the soldiers will be disorganized and defeated when the enemy advances.

Jesus said, “no one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”  He also said “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”. If we are going to be elite we are going to have to be like the centurion who was humble enough to accept the authority of Jesus.

Life is not Fair (Being Elite Part 2)

Posted on by
Reply

Challies has written an excellent post exploring the ”Entitlement Generation”. One of the examples in the post describes a professor who asked his class - what do want the federal government to do to help you achieve your dream. Here was the result:

8 out of 10 students said they wanted free health care, they wanted the government to pay for their tuition. They want the government to pay for the down payment on their house. They expect the government “to give them a job.” Many of them said they wanted the government to tax wealthier individuals so that they would have an opportunity to have a better life.

Are these expectations fair? Should citizens be entitled to a government subsidized house, education, and job?

Responding to the idea that it is not fair that a child born to a poor woman has less chance for success than a child born into a wealthy family, Thomas Sowell points out fundamental problems with how we define “fairness”:

To ask whether life is fair — either here and now, or at any time or place around the world, over the past several thousand years — is to ask a question whose answer is obvious. Life has seldom been within shouting distance of fair, in the sense of even approximately equal prospects of success. …

More fundamentally, the question whether life is fair is very different from the question whether a given society’s rules are fair. Society’s rules can be fair in the sense of using the same standards of rewards and punishments for everyone. But that barely scratches the surface of making prospects or outcomes the same.

A look at Elite Faith and Fairness

Jesus was amazed at the faith of three people a Canaanite women, a centurion, and John the Baptist. The post from Challies helped me to look at the Canaanite women from a different perspective for the series on greatness. Let’s examine the ideas of fairness and entitlement through this woman of great faith in Matthew 15:21-28 (NASB).

Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”

The woman is a Canaanite living in the Gentile region of what is modern day Lebanon. She has come to find Jesus, whom she acknowledges as the Messiah of Israel who was to come from the line of David.

Having had the amazing chance to meet Jesus, who had come to this area to share some quiet and private time with His disciples (Mark 7:24-25) she makes a request. What does she ask for? She doesn’t want a seat at the right or left seat of Christ in glory, or power to lord over others, or to be served? Nor does she demand the “better life”. She wants her daughter to be well. At the very heart of that appeal is the absence of any sense of entitlement. The basis for her request is not that she deserves help. She is begging for mercy and compassion.

23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

However Jesus does not initially respond to her request. As the account unfolds Jesus calls this woman a dog and tells her she did not deserve to be helped? This should catch the careful reader off guard, not only because these seem like cold  responses from Jesus, but it is such a contrast to how Jesus has been responding to similar requests. This narrative is surrounded by two accounts of Jesus healing many people (Matt 14:34-36; 15:29-31). The difference is the people being healed in these accounts are in areas surrounding the Sea of Galilee in Israel and are primarily Jewish.

Jesus explains first to the disciples and then the woman that His mission is focused on Israel.

  • I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel
  • It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs

In the latter quote, Jesus is saying in effect: it is not right to give the children’s food to the pets. Theologically the children are Israel, the pets are the Gentiles, and the bread is the offer to be part of the kingdom. This plan for reaching the lost is explained again in Acts when the disciples are told to be witnesses first in Jerusalem (the capital of Israel) and then ultimately to the outer most parts of the world. And again in Romans by Paul who tells us that salvation was first for the Jew, then for the Gentile (Rom 1:16).

But is that being fair to the woman?

Is it fair that she was born a Gentile and not a Jew?

Is it fair that she lives outside of Israel’s borders?

Is it fair that her daughter is sick?

Take a moment to reflect on how you might respond to Jesus at this point? If I am honest with myself, I don’t think I would respond the way the woman does.

27 But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.

The woman shows incredible patience and humility as she continues to plead her case and beg for help. Her persistence is clearly aggravating the disciples, always the model of compassion, who just want her to go away. But despite their complaints and Jesus’ initial rejection she never claims she is entitled to the healing that Jesus can give or that its not fair that He heals Jews. She humbly admits that she is willing to take whatever He is willing to offer out of grace and mercy. She is asking for the table scraps that would be thrown out or given to the pets. She is willing to take the left-overs from the Messiah that Israel does not want.

Compare that to the Pharisees who believe that they are entitled to the kingdom by virtue of their special heritage as descendents of Abraham (Matt 3:7-10). They test Jesus demanding signs (Matt 16:1) then call Him demon possessed (Matt 12:24) and ultimately reject Him as the Son of David (Matt 12:23), and plot to kill Him (Matt 12:14). Their sense of entitlement has destroyed their humility and given them an inflated sense of worth. They are not joyful at the arrival of their King and Savior because they feel they deserve great places in the kingdom already.

The Pharisees were likely incensed to learn that many Gentiles would be granted entrance into the kingdom, but they were not entitled to enter, let alone have seats of glory (Matt 8:11-12).

The series of posts is exploring greatness by exploring what the criteria are for being an elite Christian? More important than what we might say if asked if we were elite is how Jesus would answer it. The response of this woman amazes Jesus and elicits the remark: You have great faith!
Jesus has just let this woman know that she is elite because of her faith.

Understanding Jesus’ initial response is difficult. Was Jesus testing her faith, trying to teach the disciples a lesson on faith and the heart (15:17-18), or trying to show them the hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Matt 15:7-8) as well as their own lack of compassion. Probably all of the above are involved in how Jesus handled the situation.

Whatever conclusion one draws it is clear that Jesus gives us a lesson on being elite. If we want to be great in the kingdom it requires a humble recognition that life is not fair and we don’t deserve all that we think we do. Most importantly we need to recognize the need for a Messiah because we are not entitled to a place in the kingdom because of who we are or what we have (or have not) done. Until we start to let that sink in we are not going to be great in the eyes of our Savior.

[Continue reading through the series: part 3]

Are you Elite?

Posted on by
Reply

The Greeks were know for their irony. And I am not sure one could have scripted a more ironic start and finish to the 2011 NFL season.

The season started with Eli Manning, quarterback for the NY Giants being put on the spot when he was asked: is Eli Manning an elite quarterback, a top 5, top 10 quarterback? Are you in the Tom Brady class? To which he answered, “I consider myself in that class”.

Most people laughed at the time. Despite a SuperBowl 42 win and some good numbers, most did not think Eli was in Brady’s class. But when you make your living as an NFL quarterback, are the number one overall pick (in what may be the best QB draft ever), the son of a former NFL quarterback, and your older brother is often considered to be the greatest QB in the game, you are used to be scrutinized. Add to that the pressure of playing in New York and calling yourself elite becomes major news.

Eli backed up his claim with 15 TDs in the 4th quarter and 6 come from behind wins to get the Giants to the playoffs. With a 7-7 record, the team rolled and notched 5 straight wins to earn a showdown with elite QB and potential classmate Tom Brady of the Patriots in SuperBowl 46.

Adding another 4th quarter game winning drive with the championship on the line, the question that started the season was reconsidered:

“This business about being an elite quarterback,” Coughlin said, “that’s come and gone. I don’t think we’ll hear much about that anymore.”

Anytime we ask who are the elite quarterbacks it generates excitement and debate from fans. Part of the fun is trying to figure out how does one rank elite quarterbacks?

Should it be wins and losses, championships, or eye popping numbers – like yards, completions, or touchdowns? Or maybe clutch performances and team leadership?

It is tough to know what factors to use and which deserve more or less weight. That is why when we look at the lists of top 10 QBS we see familiar names but often in different orders. Some will put Peyton Manning and Dan Marino at the top because of the stats despite the lack of championships. Others will go with Joe Montana because of the 4 rings and clutch performances.

What would you say if someone stuck a microphone in front of you and asked if you were an elite Christian?

And how would you know? What would you use as criteria?

What makes someone great? And should Christians even be asking that question?

Before we move forward, we need to be clear about something. I am not proposing that we should be comparing ourselves to other Christians so that we can evaluate whether we are better than they are. We may from time to time need to evaluate a person’s walk and gifting to determine if they meet qualifications for a position like deacon or pastor/elder. We may also have to evaluate the teaching ability of two pastoral candidates and determine who is greater as part of a hiring process. But those situations are different than arguing about being a better Christian than someone else for boasting purposes.

Like us, people argued over greatness in the first century. In the Bible the scribes asked which commandment is the most important (Mk 12:28) and the Pharisees liked to compare their works to others (Luke 18:9-14), and based greatness on who gave the biggest gifts, prayed the best, or fasted the longest (Matt 6:2, 5, 16).

The disciples argued about who was greater on a couple of occasions. In Mark 9 we encounter the disciples traveling with Jesus.

33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”

34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.

I wonder what that might have sounded like:

Thaddeus: Remember when Jesus sent us out two by two. I hold the record for healing more people in a single day.

Thomas: Right but I think John healed more over the whole trip. Right John.

Bartholomew: Well who cast out the most demons?

Thomas: During one exorcism or overall?

James: Well, guys, not to brag but John, Peter, and I did get to see the transfiguration.

Peter: And don’t forget I got to walk on water!

John: But you did sink like a stone.

Peter: Well at least I got out of the boat.

Andrew: yes, but Peter I am the one that brought you to the Messiah in the first place.

This conversation is based on my “sanctified imagination”, a term used by one of the pastors I know to  preface his descriptions that fill in the gaps in a Biblical narrative.

Through their example, if we are honest, we can see some of our own pride in them. The desire to be greater than those around us, to be found favorable in the eyes of those around us. This is the attitude we need to recognize and guard against.

We should want to be great Christians. But not at the expense of others. We should also desire all Christians to be great. In order to do that we need to know what a great Christian is. So we turn to Jesus who gave a few lessons on what greatness looked like.

[Continue reading through the series: part 2]

 

Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Occupy the Bible League [Part 2]

Posted on by
Reply

This is the continuation of the story started in part 1.

I encourage you to read part 1 if you have not done so already before jumping into the story in this post.

“Catch!”, Holmes yelled as he tossed a Bible in my direction. “Turn to Luke 19 and start reading in verse 11 if you would be so kind.”

I almost remarked about the Bible not being a KJV but thought better of it. The Bible I now held was an ESV and it read as follows:

As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, “a nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’”

“Stop!” cried Holmes, which shocked me for I had barely started. “Why was Jesus telling this parable?”

I re-read the text to myself, then blurted that the crowds were expecting Jesus to bring about the long awaited Kingdom of God.

“Yes, and do you know when this event purports to take place?” asked Holmes. The headings surrounding the passage gave me all the clues I needed and even I was able to deduce that it was just prior to the “triumphal entry” when Jesus rode in Jerusalem on a donkey prior to being crucified.

“Right you are”, encouraged Holmes, “and what do we know of this event and those that follow”.

“Well, from what we know of the accounts of Jesus, his miracles and proclamation that the kingdom is at hand has raised Messianic expectations among the people. Now that Jesus is going into Jerusalem it is at a fever pitch. Yet 5 days later he will be crucified. 3 days after that He will rise from then dead and 40 days later He will ascend into heaven.” I shared. “We also know that Jesus has promised His disciples that He would return.”

“Well done”, Holmes remarked. “Now, you know my methods, dear Watson. Apply them here.”

Beaming, I continued “So examining these facts we can overlay them on the parable and note that Jesus and the nobleman both seem to follow the same pattern. They each charge their servants with tasks, leave them to carry them out, and promise to return. It would seem logical to further deduce that the nobleman likely represents Jesus, but that can not be. The article before us clearly lays out the charges of usury and mistreating the poor against the nobleman. Jesus would never be complicit in such crimes. ”

“We would seem to have found some holes in the story that calls the nobleman the villain” Holmes remarked “but let’s not draw conclusions to hastily. Let us examine how these charges against the nobleman withstand the facts before us  shall we my dear friend. Can you tell me what the nobleman has asked his servants to do?”

“Certainly”, I replied. “He charges his servants to do business.”

“And the goal of any business is what?”

“Why that is easy, to earn more than one has invested.”

“Now, Watson, is there anything wrong in this”?

“As a man who earns his living as a doctor I would venture not. For without a profit there is no ability to pay wages, put food on the table, or have anything to share with others”, I gushed.

“Right, but can a business earn that gain through any means”?

“Of course not”, I explained going into details about various laws and the need to pursue one’s living with integrity.

Hurrying me along, Holmes than pushed me to examine the facts before us asking how the first two servants  did in business. I explained that the first two did very well and earned the praise of the nobleman having turned their single mina into 10 and 5 minas apiece.

Holmes like a blood hound on the scent kept going, “and how did these servants earn such gains”?

“Loaning the money and charging unreasonably high interest rates, particularly taking advantage of the poor.”

“Where do we find that?” charged Holmes.

“According to Thistlethwaite … “, I started.

“No, where in our facts?” urged Holmes. “How did these servants earn their gains”?

I returned to the text and saw that my friend’s keen observation, which had picked up on so many things in our past cases had not failed him in this instance. I was stunned. After looking back over the parable it was evident that it did not tell us anything about how the servants made their gains. There was no mention of loans, interest rates, or even what business they engaged in.

Holmes pressed harder, “Now in what way has the nobleman or his servants defrauded the poor”?

The parable of course did not mention the way the nobleman or the servants treated the poor. No accounts of abuse. No fraud. No usury. Why the poor were not even a character in the parable.

“Given the facts such as they are”, laughed Holmes, “are we not equally able to assume that the nobleman and the servants invested their money well in a business that provided excellent products, and in turn shared much of their profits with the most needy while still having much to give to the nobleman when he returned. Certainly that charge has as much probability as those made by Thistlethwaite that they are greedy, covetous, and abusive to the poor”.

I had to agree that each were probable.

Holmes concluded, “Watson we have seen the charges against our nobleman crumble before the facts such that no jury could convict him, but let’s not finish before exploring this a bit further. Now let’s turn to Matthew 24 and …”

Interrupting Holmes, which I rarely do, I explained that he must be mistaken, which he rarely is. We had already established that the parable of the talents was in Matthew 25.

Barely containing himself, Holmes chuckled out loud “My dear Watson, don’t you know that the most important thing in solving a puzzle whether a crime or an interpretation of the Scriptures is the same”. He paused, waiting for me to answer.

“Attention to details”

“Yes. You’ve got it. The answer always lies in carefully observing the details and we have only looked at half the facts before us. Now we must turn to the context in which we find the parable of the talents for it is there that we will understand it best.”

“Now in Matthew 24, we find that Jesus is explaining to his disciples on the Mt. of Olives all the things that will take place at the end of the age. Why don’t you pick it up in verse 44…

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?

Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

“Now as you can see this precedes our parable in question”, explained Holmes. “And who is the one commended”?

“Why, the servant who does what his master told him to do”, I replied.

“And the one condemned”?

“The servant who disobeys and takes advantage of those around him”.

“Now in either parable are the servants who turn a profit obeying their master or disobeying”?

Catching on to where Holmes was going it was clear that the two servants in both sets of parables had obeyed the nobleman. It was the third servant, our hero as it where, who was disobedient.

“Can you tell me more about the third servant’s actions”?

“Sure, like the third servant in Luke’s account he has not invested or used what he was given. Instead he hid it. When he was called to account, he called the nobleman a hard man and returned his money.”

“Does the third servant ever do anything use full with his money? Does he use his money to help the poor?” Holmes asked. The answer was an obvious no. He hid it in the ground where it did nothing for anyone.

Holmes interjected, “Can we not assume that this man is a coward or selfish hoarding his money for his own use rather than cast him as a hero standing up against corporate greed”? I knew the question needed no answer and so Holmes continued to examine the facts.

“And how did the nobleman respond to the third servant’s actions”?

Continuing I replied, “the nobleman rebuked the third servant calling him wicked and lazy. He then took the money from him and gave it to the first servant. Then casts the man into ‘outer darkness’ where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Holmes jumped in. “Notice Watson that the nobleman also suggests that at a minimum the servant should have invested the money in the bank to draw interest. This suggests that the other servants did not make their gains in this manner. Furthermore we can’t avoid the similarities in the fate of the wicked servant who preceded the parable and the third servant. No astute observer could miss it. Conversely one would have to be quite blind to miss the fact that the first two servants were rewarded in the parable with additional possessions and that would match the promise made prior to the parable to those who were faithful and wise. And what hearer given the established scene of either parable would see the third servant as the hero of the story. A parable is to make one think. Certainly being compared to hypocrites (a term Jesus uses to describe those he is most frustrated with) and to have all you own taken away, and then to be thrown out into a place that does not sound like club-med. Well I dare say, only a fool could want to be like that.”

“Well Holmes it seems that two assertions made in the article have fallen before the facts.”, I mused. “But what of both writers  claims that the point of the parables was about economics and ‘free markets’.”

“Let me ask you, Watson, do we see the ‘first shall be last’ anywhere in this passage as the ‘Occupy the Bible’ article claims”? I had to admit that in neither parable was this point being made, however I interjected that this ideas was something that Jesus had taught.

“Yes!”, remarked Holmes, “but we must stick to the facts before us. What is the concluding statement made in the parable where we often fine the main point emphasized”?

I had to admit that the point made in Luke 19:26 and Matthew 25:29 was that the one who has an abundance will be given more and the one who has only a little will have that taken away and given to those with more.

“Hardly the battle cry of the Occupy Wall Street movement”, bellowed Holmes as he got up to stretch and retrieve his violin guitar that sat across the room. “Jesus is not teaching about economics. No, He is just using these well known concepts to make a more important point.”

“Which is”? I asked.

“Come now Watson, even you must be able to put it together now. First there are two parables that are similar. One is the Parable of the Talents which is in Matthew. The other is the Parable of the Minas that appears in Luke. The story lines are similar and the point is generally the same. Both are teaching about the kingdom of God and not economic systems. In Luke it was to dampen the expectation that the kingdom of God was going to be inaugurated when Jesus reached Jerusalem. In Matthew it was to explain what Jesus expected of people while He was away preparing the kingdom that was anticipated. Both describe a time in which the Master has gone and has promised to return. While He is gone the servants are entrusted with resources and responsibilities.”

“Go on!”

“Jesus taught that same point in Luke 8:18 too. Saying in effect that we are given light as opposed to talents or minas. And we are to shine that light, warning us that ‘the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away’. The point is be we are to be alert and ready for the return of Jesus. We are to be found as faithful and wise servants doing what we have been entrusted and told to do. Be the light of the world. Or his ambassadors if you like. If we are lazy and disobedient we are not a hero we are foolish and will lose all we think we do have. Tragic.”

Holmes continued. “Thistlethwaite has certainly tried to occupy the Bible and impose her own demands and ideas onto it. She has done as much violence to the original meaning of these parables as many OWS protesters have done in our streets. Instead of occupying the Bible, and reading your world view into it, it would be far better to let the facts in the Bible occupy you and transform the way you think. Now dear Watson, be a good chap and settle in for a bit. I need to unwind and play a bit before Lestrade from the Yard arrives and collects these facts so that our true hero the nobleman may be released from these trumped up charges.”

Did you walk out of the house naked today?

Posted on by
Reply

Anxiety builds as you pace between your closet and your dresser wondering what to wear. Clothes are heaped in various combinations on the floor and bed. Ever been there? Me either. But as the Dad of two young girls who are at the age where clothes really matter I get to witness it from time to time.

[To be fair, this scene is often replicated by me in the kitchen looking for something to eat.]

We -my wife and I – stress the importance of dressing modestly with our girls. But we are having a far more difficult time getting across the need to put on good character as evidenced by recent acts of disrespect and selfishness. Recently during morning devotionals we ran across this verse:

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy,  kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving  one another, if someone happens to have  a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.  And to all these  virtues add  love, which is the perfect bond. [Colossians 3:12-14, NET]

The NET translation’s “clothe yourselves” more clearly captures the essence of what Paul is trying to say than the common rendering of “put on”. The verb is used in other passages in the context of putting on clothes (Mark 1:6; Acts 12:21). And that is  the point that Paul is making regarding the need to live out the Christian life. Like getting dressed and covering up our physical bodies with proper clothing we need to put on good character qualities – like compassion/mercy, kindness, and love for others.

The “therefore” in Col 3:12 refers back to what Paul said just prior to that in Col 3:9-10, which can be paraphrased as:

[you] have taken off the old man and have been clothed with the new man.

The truth is that when we have placed our trust in Jesus we are clothed with a new man. And that new man is Christ (Gal 2:20; 3:27). We have also been given the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-24) and therefore the ability to live our lives for God.

However, I think we can be lulled into the false idea that as a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17) that these qualities described in the Colossians passage will come automatically and without any effort on our part (contra 2 Pet 1:5).

God has given us a drawer full of clothes therefore we have the clothes we need to put on. But the imagery Paul uses in Colossians fits the reality in which we live because it demonstrates that we need clothes and we need to put them on. We can’t put clothes on that we don’t have. And the clothes we do have don’t jump out of the dresser and onto our bodies without some effort made on our part. Living the Christian life is a synergistic relationship.

Having the clothes and putting them on are two very different things.

While we may not all pace between our closet and dresser trying to figure out what to wear, I think we can all relate to the battle we often fight within – to put on the clothes God has provided or to leave them behind in our closets.

We recently went shopping for clothes and we ran across the Mudd line at Kohls. These sweatshirts are emblazoned across the front with the words love, peace, and smile. As we walked past them I thought – if only putting on these character traits was as easy as buying that sweatshirt and tossing it on. Putting on a sweatshirt emblazoned with the word is easy. Living the Christian life is not. Choosing to act contrary to our natural selfish tendencies and put on compassion and love for someone else while actually letting God transform us from the inside is hard.

But the fact is we have the clothes and we have the choice to put them.

So, from God’s point of view – did you walk out of the house naked today?

Lessons from the Warrior Dash

Posted on by
Reply

This past weekend I ran in a race called the Warrior Dash. This crazy race – billed as a “mud-crawling, fire leaping, extreme run” is a challenging 3.5 mile course filled with obstacles. Obstacles which include barricades to be leaped over and crawled under, tires and trashed cars to be traversed, and “swimming” through water while “leaping” over logs. And mud did I mention mud. That is part of the deal but the rain that morning made sure that there was plenty of it as the entire course was muddy and slippery.

My family and I got to the site early and met up with my brother in law, his family, and one of his coworkers. As it got closer to our start time and we got in line the nervous energy and anticipation was growing. After some good old fashion Brave Heart screams and chants of “bring it on” instigated by the DJ the big flames finally shot out of the top of the starting gate and we are off.

The first mile or so was obstacle free – except for the muddy course so we were able to settle into a runner’s rhythm. We were also excited about getting to the first obstacle. That excitement quickly waned after managing to gut it through that obstacle – which was a series of several alternating items to be traversed – first over a waist-high barrier then crawling under a knee-high cross beam.   I was totally winded. And we had barely started. Then doubt started to creep in and all I could hear was – “Mike, there is no way are you going to make it”. Starved of O2 I quickly caught my breath and started to press on. I had to go catch up with my brother in law. Once we changed our pace a bit we were able to settle in and tackle the next series of obstacles.

One of the later obstacles is a tall wooden barricade that must be climbed. It is probably 10-12 feet tall. And while it has a rope and some wooden studs to help the runner along the way to the top, it is also wet and muddy and therefore slippery. It doesn’t take to long to learn that this obstacle – like most in this event – is best tackled by hitting it hard and not slowing down or stopping once you get started. Even if your muscles are aching and you just want to catch your breath. Because slowing down and stopping reduces momentum and then fatigue and gravity start to really take over. And once that happens it takes a lot more work to get to the top.

Reflecting on the fun (does that make me crazy) of the event later, it became clear why running as an athlete is such a good illustration of living out the Christian life used in Scripture (particularly by Paul).

image from Warrior Dash Facebook page

Life is dirty and full of obstacles…

To live out a life that would imitate Jesus the following principles are mentioned when an illustration based on running a race is used (1 Cor 9:24-26; 2 Tim 2:1-7, 4:7-8; Heb 12:1-3):

  • train with goals in mind
  • learn to control the body
  • compete according to the rules
  • fight the good fight
  • run with endurance
  • remove entanglements so you are not slowed down

The Christian life lived well takes work just like running well in an event like the Warrior Dash.

When I decided to run this event with my brother in law I knew I had to start training and build into my weekly routine time to run, lift weights, and go to kickboxing class. However training is not easy. It involves hard work, sweat, and aching muscles so after the initial excitement passes the excuses follow (there is plenty of time before the race) as does loss of motivation (I don’t feel like working out tonight) that leads to skipped workouts.  And then there are the other demands (good and bad) on our time. However when one stops training – even for a short amount of time – it is amazing how quick we lose all that hard earned endurance and strength. All readers over 40 know that seems to be at ratio of losing 1 week of gained strength/endurance for each day we take off.  And skipping training makes the goal of surviving the Warrior Dash and getting one of those cool medals that says “I survived” that much harder. So we can pay now or pay more later.

Whether it is slowing down in training or slowing down on that large wall obstacle the result is the same. When we stop we start losing ground – on getting up the wall or getting stronger and fitter. And in life this principle applies with similar results. When we stop moving forward in the Christian life we tend to fall into our natural tendencies. We start loving others less and giving less and then we really start to slip into selfish desires and worldliness starts to take over. There is no effort involved here and we don’t have to think about falling back into them. It just happens because we stopped moving forward.

The idea of continual training, learning, and growing is a repeated theme. The Thessalonian church was noted amongst the churches for their love to others and yet they were told to keep growing in love (1 Thes 4:10). The apostle Peter urged people to increase in qualities such as faith, self-control, endurance, and love so that they would be effective and fruitful Christians (2 Pet 1:8).  And the apostle Paul, echoing themes of running and training, urged all Christians to imitate him. They are to strain forward and press on to the goal of winning the prize just as he does  (Phil 3:12-16). These themes all contain the idea that moving forward is necessary, and it takes work. It also implies that when we stop growing we tend to fall back not remain where we are. Even Paul was worried about being disqualified from earning the prize if he did not train (1 Cor 9:27).

That is why Paul reminds his readers that they are are to “put off the old man” and to “put on the new man” (Col 3:9-10). This was similar to the guidance given to the church in Ephesus (Eph 4:22-24). The verbs used for laying aside and putting on in these passages are in the middle voice. This indicates that we must be an active part of the exchange between the old and the new man. It also indicates that this was not a completed action when we trusted in Christ (Eph 1:13). It requires hard work and dedication.

What are the old man and the new man that Paul refers to?

These men (old and new) that Paul describes are of course not actual people but rather metaphors for our attitudes and practices. The old man is described by Paul as one whose mind is set on the earth and whose attitudes and actions are defined as evil and deserving of God’s wrath (Col 3:2,5-9). The old man is deceived by futile thinking, ignorance, and a hard heart that results in sin and a life apart from God (Eph 4:17-19, 22). The new man is contrasted with the old man and is therefore its opposite.

When we slow down and stop pursuing growth in Christian qualities it is really easy to let ourselves go and find that the “old man clothes” are fit well and are really comfortable.

What practical actions can we do to put on the new man?

First, we must realize that the clothes of the new man are not something that we can create or buy. These clothes are created by God and given to us (Col 3:10; Eph 4:24) when we are in Christ. The old man can only be called a former way of life and be put aside after we have learned the truth in Christ and have received Him (Col 3:7-8, Eph 4:20-22) because it requires a total transformation of who we are from the inside out.

Second, we must establish the right goals to pursue. As this is already long post, I’ll keep this simple - Love God and Love Others.

Third, we must understand that it is a choice that we must make. To take off the old and put on the new. Just like it is a choice to train and prepare for a race and to run with endurance. It is a choice to fight against the sinful desires that will tempt us and hinder us from our goals. Even when don’t want to push on or we lose motivation or we don’t want to get dirty. We must press on. When we don’t want to fight the temptation and just give in. We must fight the good fight. The “putting on” is is not drumming up false feelings and the “taking off” is not getting rid of feelings that exist in us and we wished did not. It is willing to push past them, fight on, and do the right thing.

I do not mean that anyone can decide this moment that he will never feel it anymore. That is not how things happen. I mean that every time it bobs its head up, day after day, year after year, all our lives long, we must hit it on the head. It is hard work, but the attempt is not impossible. – C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

Life is dirty and full of obstacles…

So establish the right goals, stay focused on these goals, don’t quit, and hit each obstacle as it comes.

Oh, and don’t forget to have fun along the way!