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Taking His Shine

Jesus invited three of His Apostles – Peter, James, and John – to take a climb with Him. Up the mountain, they went to a place where the Savior gave Himself to prayer.

Seems to me this would have been a time when I would want to keep my eyes wide open. I mean these guys had just gotten confirmation of the reality of Jesus. Peter was the one who got the revelation that this Leader of theirs was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (see Matthew 16:16). With this fresh knowledge, we would expect a greater sense of awareness and attention to detail in the following of Him.

Again, we are allowed to see that these followers of Jesus were all too human. Sleep overcame these disciples. They napped almost to the point of missing a most remarkable episode that involved not just the Son, but two of the great faith heroes of Israel.

Jesus’ face began to glow and “His clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them” (Luke 9:29). Next to Him, stood Moses and Elijah, who were also arrayed gloriously.

They had come to talk of the Savior’s road to the Cross through Jerusalem. These two men had been through tortuous times with the people of God.

God and Discipline

For Moses, this moment on the mountain had to be most welcome and significant. Remember, he failed to heed the command of God at the rock that gave water in Numbers 20. The Lord told Moses to speak to the rock in order to produce the water needed for the huge congregation that was trekking through the wilderness.

Instead, Moses raised his staff and hammered the rock – twice. God sent the water, but He also chastised His leaders:  “And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe in Me, to uphold Me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them’” (Numbers 20:12).

Later, in Deuteronomy 3, we read of how Moses pleaded with the Lord to relent and allow him to finish his course and enter the Promised Land. He wrote of how he had weathered 40 years with this stiff-necked, stubborn multitude. “Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan. …,” Moses said.

The Lord was having none of it. “… And the Lord said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to Me of this matter again.’ Go up to the top of Pisgah … and look at it with your eyes …” (see Deuteronomy 3:23-28 for the whole story).

Moses was basically told to shut up about it. This says something to us about God and the leaders He chooses. These people are anointed for their roles in the purposes of the Lord. He deals with them in His way. Yes, these leaders are worthy of honor. They share things that God has given them to share.  But let us never lose sight of this fact – all leaders are also responsible and accountable.

It is important to keep this Moses story in mind when a leader may cause us pain. Our temptation in such a situation is to start spreading the news and airing our grievances for everyone to hear. I don’t want to dismiss any hurt that someone may feel. It’s real and it’s tragic and it’s wrong. Still, God is in control and His vengeance goes deeper and farther than anything we could manufacture.

If you find yourself in such a wounded state, I pray that the God of all mercy will hear and comfort and shed His love abroad in you so that you live in the freedom of forgiveness. And this will likely take some time, especially if the offense is especially grievous. I expect you may express some truly angry feelings even toward the Lord Himself. Fear not. He will love you still and will allow you to vent and complain for as long as is necessary. See Psalm 13 for a brief example.

Made for Glory

Back to the mountain with Jesus – in Luke 9 and also in the accounts related in the gospels of Mark and Matthew, Moses has been allowed to set foot in Israel. He is aglow in the Land of Promise that he once pointed the multitude toward after their deliverance from Egypt.

This manner of glory was not new for Moses, as we can read in Exodus 34. Moses’ face shined after he came down from meeting with the Lord on Mount Sinai. The sight of him brought terror to the people. He veiled his face so that they could come near him.

Our human bodies were designed for glory it seems. Jesus, along with Moses and Elijah, were making this clear. Made in the image of God, we were to acquire this clothing as we walked and talked with Him. Sadly, this privilege was forfeited when Adam ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

This moment of transfiguration represented an outward display of the holy heart of the Son. It burst forth on that moment because the revelation of His Person had been spoken forth by a man chosen to follow Him.

And so I think God always intended His glory in us to be something that works from the inside out. In fact, the word “hallelujah” means to “flash forth light for God.” As our hearts are filled with His Spirit, we reveal more and more of His Light.

This was true of Stephen, as he spoke of Christ just before His stoning. Those there described Stephen’s face as having the appearance as that of an angel (see Acts 6:15).

Glory, we are destined for it. We shall see Christ one day and we shall be like Him, as it says in 1 John 3:2:  “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.”

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Peter blurted out an idea, a most religious idea that involved erecting something of a shrine, a site for pilgrimages. Shrines were common to the region where they were at the time. “’Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said” (Luke 9:33).

Peter had spoken of the identity of Jesus under the influence of the Lord. He also tried to rebuke Jesus for mentioning His destiny of death upon the Cross. To that outburst, Jesus turned from Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan!” Now, this rambunctious Apostle seemed to suggest another path for the Son to gain the fame and renown due Him.

Just then, the cloud of The Presence of the Lord settled upon the mountain and engulfed the group.

“And a Voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’And when the Voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. …” (Luke 9:35-36).

Looking Ahead

When all was said and done, the Apostles were instructed to keep silent about it. This top of the mountain experience would have to be kept to themselves until after the Resurrection. Jesus wasn’t interested in creating a public relations or promotional storm. He worked deliberately in ways He often kept hidden.

Only true hearts are welcome in His Kingdom. Only true hearts really heard what He had to say and what was said about Him.

And true hearts given to Him can imagine what’s ahead. Jesus gave these three guys a taste and a sight of what our eternal existence will be like.

The here and the now are important. But we can better serve the present with a healthy view of the future.

Christ is alive, and He’s alive with a body that is perfect and redeemed, a body that shall bear the Light of God, a body that can stand in the full and forever cloud of His Presence.

The Apostles saw what they could be like in the transfiguration of Jesus. This is hope. Believe it and look to that day.

C.S. Lewis wrote, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the NEXT.” In other words, those who most think of things to come are the most useful and important in the present.

Jesus came, and Jesus is coming. Think on this. And hear Him. Know that we shall be like Him, all glorious and majestic, as His prized people.

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Reach, Stand, Wash and See

Jesus spoke sentences of Truth to all who would hear. He came as the Word made flesh to walk among us. Jesus prayed and showed His followers how to pray. These were big parts of the ministry He performed during His days on earth.

Jesus also came to heal, restore, and revive. His ministry of miracles came out of His compassion. His purpose in these things was not to enhance His popularity, but to glorify the Father who sent Him to earth.

A Hand Made Whole

In Luke 6, Jesus stepped into a synagogue on the Sabbath, as was His habit – yes, even the Son of God made it a practice to be in the local assembly. He was there to teach. His words were full of grace and the listeners were astonished.

There, on that day, was a man with a withered right hand. He could hold nothing with those fingers. We read nothing of how this condition came upon him. Perhaps some speculated that  this crippled one was under a curse. It was a common belief that bad things happened to people who did bad things. Read the story of Job and pay attention to how his “friends” kept pushing him to get right and confess his faults. Job refused to forsake his integrity by admitting to something he did not do.

Jesus called this man to stand. He was about to do a Sabbath work. “Stretch out your hand,” said the Savior. The man heard the Word and did as Jesus said. At once, the hand was as good as new.

You would think that such a demonstration of God’s power would have had everyone in the place lifting their hands in praise. But that’s not what happened.

Instead, the leaders of the synagogue shook their fists in rage and disgust. Healing on the Sabbath was against their rules. Their hard hearts could not celebrate with this man made whole. Sadly, some are so bound by ceremony and ritual that the real work of the Lord has no impact on them.

How did this man leave the synagogue that day? He believed Jesus and was made free by God’s power. What great rest entered his life that day. No longer would he have to struggle and labor to figure out how to do his work and conduct his affairs with one operational hand.

Think of the full embraces he gave his wife and children after this moment. I am sure that his heart was full of joy at what Jesus had done.

A Body Made Straight

Another story of healing comes in Luke 13. This one involves the crooked body of a faithful woman. Jesus would refer to her as “daughter of Abraham bound by Satan.” The infirmity had left her hunched and bowed for 18 years. This was a woman who could not look up.

She came to the synagogue on that day. I am thinking she was a regular at these meetings. Imagine how much effort it took for her just get to her seat, on the Sabbath day.

Jesus saw it all and called her to Himself. He spoke, “Woman, you are free from this infirmity.” He touched her, and she was made straight. She glorified God before all who were gathered there.

Few rejoiced with her, however. Again, the synagogue rulers were outraged that healing happened on the day of rest. How dare Jesus work a work of God in the house of God on the day of no work?

Jesus responded to the indignant protests with this: “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox and his donkey from the manger and lead it to water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for 18 years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

With these words, Jesus pointed to the real power behind the restrictive religious attitude in the room. The devil suffered a defeat there, and Christ made sure everyone knew this.

At last, the people cut loose with songs and praise, for the adversaries of God’s goodness had been put to shame.

Like the man with the withered hand, the woman with a crooked back really just showed up for church. Both of these people had learned to live their lives. But everything changed when Jesus was on the scene.

Eyes Opened

The last story of healing I want to address involves the blind man in John 9. Jesus came to this man’s dark world and was made an example by the disciples. Their question was this one: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Even the closest of Jesus’ followers still had twisted notions about infirmities and the reasons behind them. The Savior’s response must have astounded them: “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

These words may stir questions. Is Jesus saying that the things that are wrong with us are there to make way for the works of God? I think that’s exactly what He said.

All that’s wrong with us is because of us. The Fall of Adam and Eve opened the human race to death and made the soil susceptible to the weeds, the thorns, the thistles, etc. We’re naked, and we know it. Our bodies become weak and frail, and our minds and hearts are battered with thoughts that distort our views of ourselves and of others.

To the blindness that clouded the eyes of this man, Jesus had an answer. It was this:  Here’s mud in your eyes. Jesus spat on the ground and mixed up a batch of clay to smear on the man’s face. The Savior then told the man to go and wash.

The man did as Jesus said, and he saw the light of the sun for the first time ever. And because he saw, the whole neighborhood was thrown into an uproar. Again, the healing work of the Savior was unwelcome because it happened at the wrong time – on the Sabbath.

The once-blind man was interrogated and called a liar by the religious authorities. In the midst of this investigation, his parents were brought in and they identified him as their son, but wanted nothing to do with him and his story. This man was made an outcast from the Temple and from his family.

The man eyes  had been opened,  but now it seemed he was all alone.

Jesus found him. He fully introduced Himself as more than his Healer. The Lord invited the man to believe in the Son of Man, and believe he did. Once, he was blind, now he could see the world with his eyes and see the truth with his heart.

What miracle could God do in us today? Jesus has come to save. His Spirit lives in us.

Let’s stretch our hands to Him in praise. Let’s stand up for the Gospel. Let’s wash away what clouds our vision.

Let’s see Him for who He is – our Healer, our Redeemer, our Friend, our Lord.

 

 

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The Woman and Her Bucket

High noon, it was, and such a strange hour to come to the village well. This woman tried to sneak around right there in the bright, hot sun. She plotted to drop her pail, get her water, and be gone before anyone could notice her.

Her ways were well known in Sychar; the tawdry details of her life filled the gossipy chatter that often went on here. The “water cooler” talk of those days revolved around her many failed relationships.

She’d become fairly adept at fast-filling her pot and getting home. This way she avoided her neighbors who brought their buckets during the day’s cooler hours.

This day would be different, however. She would find a Man – tired from travelling and all alone – resting at the well. She moved quickly, wanting to get her water and escape. Maybe this Man would be too weary to take note of her presence.

Men! They always presented problems for her. She knew them pretty well – she had encountered quite a few during her years. Mostly, they had left her disappointed and disillusioned. She sized up this one with a quick glance and discerned that this Man was Jewish. That bit of information caused her to relax – Jews don’t speak to Samaritans like her, she reasoned, and she let down her guard.

A Request

“Excuse me,” spoke this Stranger. “Could you give me a drink?”

The interruption both startled and annoyed her. “Typical man,” she thought to herself. “He wants something – just like all the rest.”

“Seriously?” she answered. “You’re a Jew, I’m Samaritan – aren’t you afraid my water will make you ‘unclean’?”

Jesus responded, “Really, you should be asking Me for a drink. If you knew God and who I am, you would ask for the ever fresh, living water that I can give.”

This woman marveled at the offer. The Man had no bucket and the well was old and deep. How was He going to get this water for her? She thought it was a trick and decided to play along with Jesus. “This well is an ancient one — it was dug by Jacob himself. Are you telling me that you’re a better man than him?”

She played herself right into Jesus’ trap. He spoke to her of a different kind of water, water that refreshes the spirit and leaves one never to be thirsty again. “The water I give,” Jesus said, “is a gushing fountain of endless life.”

Those words struck a chord within her. “Sir, give me this water,” she said. Her words carried a tone of hope. This touched her like no other promise she had ever heard before. Could it be true?

When Jesus asked her to first fetch her husband, her answer was, for once, honest and forthright:  “I have no husband.” Something big began to happen, a saving thing, a redemptive encounter unfolded.

There was no deception in her now. She withered as Jesus recounted her relationship history – five broken marriages and the unlawful living arrangement she had with her present partner.

Worship Redefined

She knew a bit about religion – perhaps she had tried to worship the Lord. The mount near Sychar had been something of a holy place. At that time, among the peoples of the region, Samaritans were ostracized and none dared try to make his way to the Jerusalem Temple to make an offering.

Yet in that moment, we see Jesus begin to define what worship really is. It is a matter of the heart, not a matter of place and time. “The hour is now that true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth,” He declared to her.

The climactic moment in this whole encounter is described in John, chapter 4. The woman speaks of the Promised Person, the Messiah, the Anointed One. It had always been her understanding that the Savior would come and “tell us all things.”

“I AM the One,” Jesus said to her. It was a direct, declarative statement defining the reality of who He is. This weary, worn out, thirsty woman got the message straight from the Messiah’s lips. He came to this woman, told her her own story as only He could tell it, and then revealed Himself to her.

Result:  she became a witness.  Suddenly full of living water, she dropped her bucket and ran back to the village. She gathered her neighbors and led them out to meet Jesus. His words touched many from her town. His message was so profound to them that they begged Him to keep talking.

Jesus and His disciples stayed in a Samaritan village for two more days. “We have heard him ourselves and know that this indeed is the Christ, the Savior of the world” was the testimony of Sychar’s people.

This is how God works His wonders in the fields that are ready to harvest. There are people everywhere who are thirsty for life. They struggle under the weight of their bad choices and poor surroundings.

And, then, Jesus shows up, making Himself known.

He has made us for this work. He has spoken to us about who He really is.

May we respond as this woman did. May we be mighty witnesses for the reality of the Christ, the Savior of the World.

 

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Father and Contest

The Father and the Contest — these words are part of being a believer in Christ. When I become a Christian, I enter into a relationship and regiment. I am part of the family of God and also a soldier in the Army of the Cross.

These days we seem get a lot of information, a lot of communication, on what it means to be a son or a daughter, but precious little is taught about being a warrior. This is what I would call a false balance and the book of Proverbs says that such thing is an abomination. That big word carries a weightiness about it and it should. But at its core the word is defined as something that drags man down. Man was made to be sublime; that is, God designed him to reign. Anything that pulls man beneath his dignity, anything takes below his status as the king of the earth he made to be, is abomination. So it is with any false balance.

Balance in our lives involves being rightly related and also ready to fight. For this reason, we get both pictures of home and fortress in describing the roles of the Church in the world.

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray for John the Baptist had taught his disciples to pray. Jesus said when you prayer begin this way: “Our Father.” The sense of the fatherhood of God was a new one. Israel had been addressed this way at several points in the Old Testament, but the message did not get through. God revealed Himself to Moses as I AM THAT I AM or Yahweh. This personal name for the LORD marked a departure from the name Elohim that had been the common moniker used among the people of Abraham. God was speaking as the I AM to HIs people who are.

Christ entered the world to bring the reality of God’s Personhood to full fruition. Jesus is the Word made flesh, the Word that was, is, and always will be, confined Himself to a human body subject to all the ordinances and laws governing creation. God became one of us so that He could perish as one of us. It was the grand design of redemption.

The Father — this is who God is to us. Jesus emphasized this to HIs Apostles and we read this throughout the writings of John. It should not surprise us that John penned these pictures for us to read. He among all the Apostles kept himself close to his Master always. He, his brother James, and Peter were privy to things the other Apostles were not. John was there when Jairus’ daughter was called back from the dead. John was there on the Mount when Jesus was transfigured into Light and counseled by the resurrected forms of Moses and Elijah. John was there leaning upon Jesus at the supper before the day of the Cross, staying near the heart of the Teacher as He expounded the reality of the new relationship that grace, truth, and the Spirit would bring to those called out into Heaven’s flock. John lived longest of the Apostles. He lingered into his 90s while the others were cut down by tyrants and persecutors. This blessing of years that John perhaps saw as something of a curse at times gave him more time to ponder and consider the Way.

It was John who related to us how Jesus prayed to the Father for HIs disciples to experience the fullness of being One with Him and so also being One in the Father. It was John who also spoke of those whom he discipled in the faith of Christ as little children. He admonished them to keep themselves from idols.

Father God, Abba, Daddy, Dad, Papa. These terms of endearment and closeness say something to every heart. Relationship, not religion, is the key to living for God. Jesus put this point before the legalists dominating Jewish life in the Roman era. He healed on the Sabbath and created conflict with traditions that obscured the face of God with ceremony and ritual. The Pharisee treated their animals better than the congregants in their synagogues. Mercy and justice and care and compassion represented the weighty things of God’s Law. In centering the heart on these, one could follow the commandments with clarity and alacrity.

Jesus reduced true religion to three very simple rules: Hear God, love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. All of these things involve relationship. Listen, Jesus said. This is the starting point. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Listen and be equipped to love God and your neighbor. Hear what the Father speaks and let it sink deeply into your heart and become part of your frame of reference.

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A Small Beginning

Jesus came small. Too small for some. He entered humanity as an infant born to a poor couple from Nazareth. His appearance was marked by a bit of spectacle, but that display was reserved for shepherds; crusty, hard-scrabble men who watched over their flocks even in the dark and cold of night. These working men, small people by society’s standards, were treated to a visitation of angels, a glorious host proclaimed the news of Christ’s coming directly. No riddles, no rhymes, no parables, no puzzles for these guys. Just the facts — “Unto you this day is born the Savior, Christ The Lord.” He’s in the city of David, in Bethlehem, said the angels. How will you know Him? Think small. Think poor. The Savior will be a baby, swaddled in rags, lying in a feeding trough. The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay. This is how the Christmas song goes.
God came small. It was this way because small things are seen only by those who focus. Jesus was and is missed by many. If Jesus came big, as someone with weight to throw around, some would attach themselves to His party but never open their hearts to know Him and welcome Him. Many people, maybe most people, seek to be part of the popular. They revel in being “with” it. The famous and fabulous captivate them. The selfie culture perpetuates being pictured with someone rather being someone.
Jesus came small. This points to His humility. The One who made all things subjected Himself to His own order in all Creation. He walked and talked, this was how His message got out. He slept and wept, this is how His humanity and heart were revealed. Those looking for Him saw Him and Knew Him. Simeon, a determined old saint, hung his faith on a promise from the Spirit. The word Simeon got was that his life would be complete when he saw the Lord’s salvation. He came daily to the Temple with this expectation in his heart.
God came small. There He was now in Simeon’s arms, the baby, the Son of Mary and Joseph. Simeon was looking for Him. When He came, Simeon knew Him. There are people such as this everywhere. The Bible story shows us. With Simeon was a widow, Anna. She, too, abiding in the place of worship looking for the One to worship. The wise men of the East studied the sky and were given a star to follow, a simple sign. These astronomers, men of science and seeming intelligence take note and take action. Their discerning hearts told them that this star belonged to a king and not just any king, the King of the Chosen People of Israel.
Jesus came small. Peace on earth, how does happen? The angels told the shepherds that peace was, in fact, on earth. Rulers and ambassadors and diplomats fashion complicated treaties and agreements. These work for a season, but men violate the vows they make so easily. Peace is not in words, it is in Person of the Word, the Person of Christ. Embrace Him and peace is found. Oh, not worldwide, political, cultural harmony — this is not what Jesus came to bring. That’s big. He came small. Peace came small, by human standards. He had no public relations campaign.
God came small. See Him in struggling, but determined families. This is where He is big, really big. They hold fast to Him in prayer. They shout and sing and believe. And God shows up for them. I know this. I saw this. And I’ve never been the same.

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Joseph and His Leap of Faith

Joseph is a man we know very, very little about. This carpenter of Nazareth stood with Mary in a difficult time, a time when she and he would have been greatly misunderstood.

The first chapters of Matthew and Luke provide the details surrounding this young couple. They were betrothed. The contract for their marriage had been agreed upon, but they had not come together yet as man and wife. Into this poor, but seemingly neat and tidy world comes Gabriel, from the Throne of Heaven. This angel’s message to Mary is this: “Fear not, Mary, for you have found with God. And behold  you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.”

And so Mary was found with child, and Joseph, a kind man, thought to terminate the marriage without fanfare. He refused to make a display of her. This revealed the heart of mercy in this man, and also his love for this woman. By the law of Moses, Mary would be counted to have committed adultery and  been subject to stoning. The evidence was there to see.

As Joseph made his considerations, the angel of the Lord spoke to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David, fear not to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Notice the way Joseph is addressed as “son of David.” The gospel of Matthew begins with the declaration of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David. This first gospel of our New Testament was given to speak to the Jewish population regarding the Person of Christ.

A Messianic Expectation

The Jewish people now under the government of the Roman Empire carried an Messianic expectation for their King. This King would, of course, be from the line of David, the dynasty settled in the books of Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, and Psalms.

Jesus, Son of David, and Joseph, son of David — it had to be this way for the fulfillment of the prophecies and promises proclaimed centuries before. The Son to come from Mary would save His people from their sins, the carpenter was told.

Did Joseph buy into the divine plan? He did, for he awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded, taking Mary as his wife and did not consummate the relationship till the Son was born. This brings us to what grew into a point of contention throughout church history. Did Joseph ever have sex with Mary? The Bible record here says that he did not know her until after Jesus is born. Later, in Matthew, we read the names of the brothers of Jesus and also that there were sisters who grew up in the Nazareth household.

the legend of mary

Things have been fabricated about Joseph in order to create an unscriptural portrait of Mary. Her status was elevated and she came to be viewed as one who was always a virgin and without sin as Christ was without sin. Yet, in Luke 1, Mary herself proclaims her need for the Savior. The legend of Mary grew to include the idea that she was assumed into Heaven; that is, her body was carried away and did not suffer decay as other human bodies. Nothing into the New Testament record remotely indicates this event.

As for the matter of Joseph, he came to be celebrated for his celebacy regarding Mary. On St. Josephy’s feast day, he is called a hero for never having had sex with Mary.  Legend grew that Joseph was an older man and had children from a previous marriage, which covers the Scriptures relating to Jesus’ brothers and sisters.

“And he called His name Jesus.”

Joseph was a man of faith and integrity. His heart followed after the mission of God. He stuck with Mary and raised Jesus, despite the gossip that surely circulated through Nazareth and the regions populated by the Jews. Our New Testament’s begin with his family tree.

Great is God’s faithfulness to those who answer His call no matter the consequences and circumstances.

 

 

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Bound to Life Through Fear of the Lord

The fear of the Lord is THE beginning. We first come upon this phrase in Proverbs 1. These words fall at the end of Solomon’s introduction to this collection of instructions. Eugene Peterson, the pastor-teacher who produced The Message translation of the Bible, indicates that the “fear of the Lord” is a “bound” phrase – it is not to be dissected. These words, in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, are always viewed as a whole. Fear of the Lord points to relationship, to responsive living. That is, we hear from God and answer Him.

This began in Eden with Adam. He heard from the Lord: “Be fruitful and multiply. … Dress and keep the garden. … Name all the animals. … Eat from all the trees, but do not eat from this one, lest you die.” These things Adam did. He listened and responded until the day that he was distracted by another voice. His faith had rested in the Voice, in the words of the One who made him. On the day described in Genesis 3, however, Adam misplaced his trust. He gathered “new” information from the serpent, who had tricked Eve with his word-play and enticed her to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The man and the woman heard and responded to the initiations of another and chose to turn from the words of the One who had made them.

The serpent enticed Adam to enter into suspicion about the motives and character of the Lord, our Maker. At once, Adam died a death – his innocence was gone and his sense of trust expired. The security of life in paradise was overthrown.

Adam felt the effects immediately. Shame overwhelmed him as he analyzed his “perfect” body. He and the woman ran into the trees and fashioned bits of clothing from the leaves.

What did they cover up? They tried to hide away the very parts of their being that were designed for their purpose to “be fruitful and multiply.” And so began man’s over-occupation and distortion of what human bodies are made for. Society – families, communities, cities, states, and nations – groan under the weight of mangled misperceptions related to our skin and bones, and to our sexuality, which God designed as very good.

Fear Fell

What fell first? Adam dropped his fear of the Lord. He let the enemy’s accusations about God cloud his relationship with the Lord and, as a result, the man became unresponsive. What entered into Adam now was a perception of unworthiness. He felt that he could not face God and so he hid. The man and the woman had begun to experience the fear that has torment. Their sense of disorder and lost-ness was immediately a great weight upon them.

In the midst of this disaster, however, we discover the thread of hope.

God did not leave Adam and Eve in the jungle of their wrong decision. He came after them. “Adam, where are you?” He sought after His lost children. The Good Shepherd went to fetch the ones who had strayed away. With this initiation, God began the process of redemption; He started His work to restore “fear of the Lord.”

The bit of good news in all of this begins with this sentence from Adam’s lips: “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

We can mark this as the first confession in our Bibles. This is the monumental moment in the Redemptive purpose: Adam answered when God called to him; he heard and he answered. Response is the key element in our “fear of the Lord.”

Adam responded; it was the beginning of the restoration of man’s true understanding of God.

Faith and Hearing

Fear of the Lord – it is the key to everything we are about.

Our ears do the heavy work in developing this right fear in us. Jesus was once asked about the greatest of the commandments. In the gospel of Mark, He answered this way:  “The first of all the commandments is:  ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-31).

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We listen; we learn. We discover the love of God. This throws our human fears out the door.

Fear of the Lord begins with our understanding of the Person of Jesus Christ. He is the Christ, the Savior of the World, the Son of the Living God. Once we set our minds upon this Rock of Truth, we become settled. Once we grasp this reality, what enters us is a respect for who the Lord is. We honor His character and nature. Our lives then become lives of integrity – honesty, transparency, and faithfulness define who we are because we know who He is.

 

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Be it Unto Me

Mary was a simple teen-ager. Devout and sweet, betrothed to the town carpenter, she was ready to lead an unspectacular life and a gritty existence in Nazareth. She and Joseph would raise a Jewish family. They would celebrate the feasts together with travels to Jerusalem.

Hope for the Messiah lingered in her heart and in the hearts of many of her relatives who lived among the hills of Judea. Zacharias and Elizabeth, Mary’s uncle and aunt, were particularly faithful to the ways taught by Moses. And, yet, they were childless. It was a mystery and a sorrow to them and to all who knew their righteous lives. They had been such good Jews. Like most barren women of her day, Elizabeth wrestled with the emptiness. Her insecurities often got the better of her as she fought back the feeling that she might somehow be under a curse.

And then the angel came. Gabriel shined before Zacharias as he took his turn to make offering at the incense altar. The prayers he prayed over the decades had been heard. Now, those prayers were answered, according to this bright being, the messenger sent from the throne room of the Lord.

A Prayer Answered

Elizabeth’s womb was about to come alive, Zacharias was told. All that he and his wife had hoped for was about to come true. She would bear a son, an Elijah, a man with a call to make the people ready for the King, the Messiah, the Savior.

Zacharias, however, was doubtful. These words were just too good to be true. “How shall this happen?” he said to Gabriel. “We are old people.” Those would be the last words Zacharias would speak for almost a year. His unbelief prompted the Lord to mute him. He would have to keep his doubts to himself.

Please let’s cut Zacharias some slack. He had lived through a troubled and torturous age with his family and nation. Israel’s glory days of David and Solomon were long, long past. How heavy life must have been for a people so favored and so informed. The oracles of God were theirs to read and to study and to share. The people lost sight of that last part. Rather than allowing their nation to grow into a powerful witness for God, they selfishly guarded their privilege and grew prejudiced against other peoples, whom they came to see as inferior.

Age creeps up on us just as it did on Zacharias. He was faithful to the Lord and His commandments, but his sense of wonder and expectation waned. It is all too common among believers. The flame of faith doesn’t always burn brightly. We live in a brutal world. Aches, pains, heartaches, disappointments, disasters, and death do a number on us as they have done on believers in all generations.

Gabriel’s visit jump-started Zacharias’ faith, I am sure – especially since all that the angel said came to pass. Still, he could only smile, chuckle, and nod when his wife miraculously became pregnant a short while after this Temple visitation.

A Virgin Conceives

Mary, remember, was young and engaged. Excitement likely surrounded her preparations for the day when Joseph would take her as his bride. Wedding plans can get wild and contentious at times, but for the most part, they are joyful anticipations of a great celebration.

In the midst of all this, Gabriel appeared before Mary and announced this:  “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” (See Luke 1:29). Stunned, this young bride-to-be struggled to comprehend the meaning of this sentence.

The next words were even more astounding:  “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).

Mary had been chosen to give birth to the Son of the Most High. God would enter humanity through her.

Like Zacharias, she had her questions: “How will this happen? I am a virgin.” Gabriel explained that her conception would be a work of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit who made Elizabeth’s womb alive, the same Spirit who hovered over the face of the waters at a time when the earth was without form and void. The Spirit would “overshadow” Mary – the substance of His presence would generate the incarnation, the activity of the Word taking on flesh and bone.

“For with God, nothing is impossible,” said Gabriel.

This was enough for Mary. She questioned no more and offered herself as a living sacrifice: “Be it unto me according to your word.” In so many words, this virgin girl said, “l am yours, Lord – do as You will.”

Soon Mary would sing with Elizabeth. Two women,  great with child, rejoiced at the miracle of God with us.

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

For He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.

And His mercy is for those who fear Him
from generation to generation” (Luke 1:46-50).

May these thoughts ring in our hearts as we see the Christmas season approach fast and furiously. Let us think upon the miracle of Mary and her choice to allow God’s purpose to be manifest in her. Hers was a simple and strong faith in the mighty God who does great things.

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The Wealth of Work

The Bible presents a view of the value of labor in the face of a heathen worldview that resents it. From Genesis 1, we understand that man was created in the image of God and that God worked (Genesis 2:2). It was on the seventh day that He rested from all His work that He had made.

Did God work before the Creation we see described in Genesis? Yes, because there God is three and the three are One. — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Proverbs 8, we read of the relationship God had; it was a relationship of wisdom, of rejoicing, and of purpose.

The Father, the Son, and the Spirit served and cared as One in relating to each other. Mutually, God established purposes and directions as part of His work. This is a dimension of reality we are just tasting and can only speak of from our human frame of reference. In John 9, Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day.”

What is work? Think of some of the Middle East nations and the cultures, the enormous amount of money there. Take the money away from that country and what’s left? Who are the people, how do they live, how do they serve? What God do they know? Who is God in their minds? In the 1500s and 1600s, Spain mined huge amounts of silver from its colonies in Peru and Bolivia and became the richest country in Europe. But then the silver was gone.  What was left of the culture, the community, the work ethic? Money cannot determine for us the true quality of our lives.

God in heaven as God is the One who works and who gave man the desire and the design to work. Work is not a curse. Work is part of our design related to God who also works. God is a worker. God is a servant. Some are unemployed and struggle with things related to work, but there is something deeper. There is ministry. We are designed to be workers.

The Lie of Leasure

To the Greek mind, during the days of the Roman Empire, a god was considered privileged with leisure. The gods were gods of rest, comfort, leisure, privilege. In an atheist view, like Communism, where the belief in God or gods is shunned, people labor and work because it’s their duty, but the benefits would go to a select group of people. As a result, people began to think of work as a curse.

When you understand God and His plan for us, you recognize that He is the God who serves. He has responsibility. He is the most responsible person because He has the greatest authority. He is able to be there for us. He is able to answer our prayers, to carry our burdens, to care about our future, to forgive us of our sins, to speak to us at night, to show up in our crises. He can do so because He is God and He is a working God, a serving God, a responsible God with an amazing amount of authority to do it.

Our authority isn’t for our privilege, but for the benefit of others. This is a new definition for work. Work is not a paycheck. Work is the understanding of who is God. We work with God giving me the ability. There is the talent, the purpose, the privilege. We may not like our jobs, but we do not serve only in terms of our jobs. “Whatever we do, we do it as unto the Lord,” (Colossians 3:23-24).

Real Value

Think of people who serve without money in mind. One is found in Proverbs 31. Here, we read of a woman, a mother; we have a description of a virtuous woman. Her price is far above a paycheck, way above a contract, way above the earthly way of measuring value. What Spain needed with all its silver was a mentality that would cultivate the culture so a large number of people would be workers, teachers, missionaries, church men. So that when the silver is gone, the values that are far above the silver will linger.

Where do we find real value? It’s in a mother’s heart. It’s in the missionary who goes by faith and is a worker not because of money. Money is a poor motivator. Knowing God is a great motivator. God is at work.

Discover the joy of being a human being that enjoys the labor. Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 tells us that there is something to be said about showing up, being responsible, doing our best, and trusting God even when we don’t like it. When the project is done, there is something good about it to say; it was a pure, true, genuine blessing from God.

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The Last Are First

The last shall be first. Jesus wanted His disciples to get this principle into their hearts. It wasn’t an easy task.

The top dogs, the big wigs, the bosses, and the rulers, and the chiefs – these were and are the people of status and prestige. And those following Jesus, at times, thought that being with Him would lift them to greatness. They were right about this, but the greatness that God would bring them to was something out of this world.

As we read through the middle of the gospel of Mark, we are given some glimpses of just how ambitious and opportunistic and exclusive these men could be. Toward the close of Mark 9, Jesus confronted His men about a discussion they had been having on the road to Capernaum. His question silenced them “for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest” (Mark 9:34).

First place, Jesus went on tell them, would belong to the one who served all and who served best. For emphasis, He brought a child before them and embraced him. Love children and be children at heart, He would go on to say. Care for the little ones and be small in your own eyes, He told them.

John, perhaps attempting to change the subject a bit, interjected with a report:  “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us” (Mark 4:38).

Jesus was not impressed. “Don’t stop him. He who is not against us is one of us,” the Lord said. “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward” (see Mark 9:38-41). Small things done from the heart in the purpose of God are big deals to Him.

Were the disciples getting Jesus’ point? Uh, not really.

In Mark 10, mothers brought their children to Jesus only to have the disciples push them back. “But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14).

Children, the least and the last in Roman society, Jesus put first. We must be like them, the Savior said. Our hearts have to be open to wonder and aware of our need for wisdom.

My 1-year-old granddaughter visited my wife’s office; a marvelous building that sits by Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and is windowed all the way round. When little Kate got down to walk, she went straight to one of the windows to look at the river with its boats, buildings, and birds. She just kept whispering, “Wow, wow, wow.”

The last shall be first. The little one rejoiced at a scene seemingly so ordinary to most of the adults in the room.

The words, “Our Father,” should ever be on our lips. Hungry children know who to call for food. Frightened children seek out the face of a parent for assurance and protection.

Our problem is that we get too big – too full of ourselves.   John and James wanted special seats in the Kingdom that Jesus is destined to establish. To make sure Jesus got the message, they sent their mom to make the request for chairs at His right and His left. This scene came not long after a rich young ruler approached the Master, perhaps thinking he’d be a good addition to the team.  Jesus loved the young man, but saw that his things and his money had a hold on his heart. “Go sell all that you have and give to the poor, then come follow Me,” Jesus told him (see Mark 10:17-22).

We must decrease in our eyes; He must increase. The last shall be first.  God does amazing things with small stuff, with pebbles even.

Goliath stood ready to fight, taunting the army of Israel. David showed up with his shepherd’s staff, a bag, and a sling. He snatched five smooth stones from a river and ran toward his enemy.

One of those pebbles became a deadly weapon and an instrument of triumph. David slung it hard and fast. Goliath took a shot between the eyes, fell on his face, and lost his head.

I know, this is such a gruesome story following all the talk about children and childlikeness. But it’s a true report, and it drives home my point.

Those pebbles rested in the water for who knows how long. They were probably jagged rocks at first, but the flow of the river made them ready for the war.

Be small. Be children in the arms of God. Be a pebble that rests in the water that flows from the fountain of life. Be refreshed by the Word of God as you hear it and read it in the power of the Holy Spirit.

One day, you may find yourself flying through the air on a mission from God. You will be a stone of victory in an impossible situation. You will be used for the glory of Christ. You will be celebrated as one great in His Kingdom.

For the last shall be first.