Now you know

Why should we tell people about Jesus?  Sometimes you just gotta shut up and let God get the Word in. 

“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 This one was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and apart from him not one thing came into being that has come into being. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of humanity. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1)

“Abraham will surely become a great and strong nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed on account of him.” (Gen 18) 

“5 And now if you will carefully listen to my voice and keep my covenant, you will be a treasured possession for me out of all the peoples, for all the earth is mine, 6 but you, you will belong to me as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’” (Ex 19) 

 “16 Yahweh has made himself known;


he has executed judgment.


The wicked is snared by the work of his hands.  Higgaion Selah

17 The wicked shall turn back to Sheol,


all the nations forgetting God,” (Ps 9)

“27 All the ends of the earth


will remember and turn to Yahweh.


All the families of the nations


will worship before you.

28 Because the kingship belongs to Yahweh,


and he rules over the nations.

29 All the healthy ones of the earth will eat and worship.


Before him all of those descending into the dust will kneel,


even he who cannot keep his soul alive.” (Ps 22) 

“67 May God be gracious to us and bless us.


May he cause his face to shine toward us, Selah

2 that your way may be known on the earth,


your salvation among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;


let all of the peoples praise you.

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,


because you judge the peoples with equity


and guide the nations on the earth. Selah

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;


let all the peoples praise you.

6 The earth has yielded its produce.


God, our God, will bless us.

7 God will bless us,


and all the ends of the earth will fear him.” (Ps 67)

 “Observe the lilies of the field, how they grow: they do not toil or spin, 29 but I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. 30 But if God dresses the grass of the field in this way, although it is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not do so much more for you, you of little faith?” (Matt 6)

“10 But Yahweh said, “You are troubled about the plant, for which you did not labor nor cause it to grow. It grew up in a night and it perished in a night! 11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand people who do not know right from left, plus many animals?” (Jonah 4)

“14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep which are not from this fold. I must bring these also, and they will hear my voice, and they will become one flock—one shepherd.” (John 10)

 “22 You worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming—and now is here—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for indeed the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and the ones who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4)

“Does this cause you to be offended? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (John 6)

“14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places; but if not, I would have told you, because I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, so that where I am, you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.”

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How are we able to know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14)

“18 And Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age.” (Matt 28)

“9 “Then they will hand you over to persecution and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations because of my name. 10 And then many will be led into sin and will betray one another and will hate one another, 11 and many false prophets will appear and will deceive many, 12 and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end—this person will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt 24)

“9 And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had, 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, holy and true Lord, will you not judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?” 11 And to each one of them a white robe was given, and it was said to them that they should rest yet a short time, until the number of their fellow slaves and their brothers who were about to be killed as they had been were completed also.” (Rev 6)

“15 No longer do I call you slaves, because the slave does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything that I have heard from my Father I have revealed to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and your fruit should remain, in order that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 17 These things I command you: that you love one another.” (John 16)

Posture is everything.

“25 And behold, a certain legal expert stood up to test him,” (Luke 10)

This line bolted off the page at me today.  Then a thousand thoughts ran through my mind and onto this page until it became a literary elephant seal which could barely lift its bulk out of the water to bark and make it’s “Port-o-john-at-a-chili-cook-off” noises.  So I clubbed it, skinned it and rendered the blubber down in my oven to what I hope, I hope will be the oil of essence to light a lamp of truth.

Coincidentally, that might be the grossest paragraph I’ve ever written.  Oh well, if you can’t be edifying, at least be provocative.

I hear the “hater” label a lot these days.  Christians are intolerant.  Their God is a baby-killer.  Jesus consigns people to hell because they just happened to live in the wrong country and never heard of him or they’re gay or democrat or what have you.  And all of this is missing the point and no different than what Adam did in blaming Eve or Cain did in saying his punishment was unfair.  Oh poor me, all I did was kill my brother in cold blood and now I have to go live somewhere else.  Boo hoo.  God is mean!

Let’s get something straight and ironed out right here and now.  No one goes to Hell where the worm never dies and the fire is not extinguished or the Lake of Fire that burns with sulphur or the Outer Darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth for any sin, ANY sin except this one…

Self righteousness.

That’s it.  It’s true there will be no gays in heaven, no adulterers, no murderers or pornographers or gossips or slanderers, no liars, fiends, addicts, bigots, racists, prostitutes, traitors, fornicators, perverts, brawlers, drunkards, witches, there will be no thieves, cheats, swindlers or greedy people there, no one who manipulates, no one who has been selfish, rude, arrogant, angry without cause, unfair, mean, or short-tempered, no one who has been disobedient to their parents or legitimate authorities, no one who sins at all will be there.

The new heaven and the new earth will however be full of former gays, adulterers, murderers, pornographers, gossips, slanderers, liars, fiends, addicts, bigots, racists, prostitutes, traitors, fornicators, perverts, brawlers, drunkards, witches, thieves, cheats, swindlers, formerly greedy people, manipulators, people who were formerly selfish, rude, arrogant, angry without cause, unfair, mean, short tempered and disobedient.  Heaven will be full of people who sinned, recognized their unworthiness and fell on God’s love, compassion and forgiveness. 

In former times and in far away lands, faith meant believing God could do this even though one didn’t know how.  How could a God who is fully fair, fully just, just …forgive our sins?  No matter how great?  No matter who I hurt?  He couldn’t!  He would have to punish sin!  He is holy!  Nothing sinful can enter His presence without being burnt down like a French fry shot at the Sun! 

But Jesus!  Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth and took the punishment, the full punishment for our sins!  God took he who had never sinned, never been disobedient and put all our sins on Him and then killed him!  Killing all our sins!  And because Jesus did this willingly, did this perfectly, did this lovingly God raised Him from the dead!  For how could a just God, a fair Judge, a loving Father not reward such sacrifice!?

“21 For just as the Father raises the dead and makes them alive, thus also the Son makes alive whomever he wishes. 22 For the Father does not judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, 23 in order that all people will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly I say to you that the one who hears my word and who believes the one who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John 5)

In former times and far away lands, rebellion against God’s mercy, love and sovereignty looked like idolatry.  Which is really worship of self.  God’s of our own understanding.  God’s we control and manipulate.  God’s who give us what we want which is to be our own gods.  Now, since Jesus, it’s exactly the same, only people can be more specific about it if they want.  All of it results in the same thing however, rejection of God’s plan for mercy in the person of Jesus.  Rejection of God’s love.  The Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father.  All things were made by the Father, through the Son, for the Son and the Son has come and purified all things as a gift for the Father.  This has been testified to since the beginning by the Holy Spirit.  Rejection of this testimony is calling the Holy Spirit a liar.  Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  The one unforgivable sin. 

What does this look like?  Is it just saying you don’t believe once and your done like the kids and fools on a website created for atheists who can’t even be atheists without attempting to biblically insult the God they profess not to believe in?  Is it atheism itself?  Or do you have to be a pagan?  Is it anything in that list of sins at the beginning?

It looks like three crosses.  Jesus in the center with a thief on either hand.  One thief looks at the guiltless lamb of God and mocks in anger and impotent fury.  The other, guilty of the same crime as his brother, confesses his guilt, looks at the guiltless lamb of God and asks for mercy he knows he has no right to receive unless the one in the center is loving.

“Today if you will hear his voice:

8 “Do not harden your heart…” (Ps 95)

“You warned them so that they would return to your law. Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to your commandments but sinned against your judgments that a person must do so that they may live. They turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not listen.” (Neh 9)

Paganism?  Atheism?  Murder, adultery, greed?  No.  Those are just symptoms.  Symptoms of a hard heart and stiff neck.

Tis no joke

“25 And behold, a certain legal expert stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do so that I will inherit eternal life?”
29… “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10)

A priest, a Levite and a Samaritan walk into a bar.  Or if you prefer, a pastor, a deacon and a taxi driver.  The pastor orders a drink, the deacon orders a drink, they find a table by themselves, comment on the sad state of the man passed out drunk and the sad commentary he is on society as a whole, “hell in a handbasket,” they mutter and start watching the game on tv.  The taxi driver pays the tab of the man passed out drunk on the floor from his own pocket; finds the man’s address from his license and his keys; picks him up; carries him to his cab; takes him home, for which he collects no fare; carries the man up to his apartment; puts him to bed; goes and cleans out the vomit from the back seat of his cab and shirt and continues on with his night.

“36 Which of these three do you suppose became a neighbor of the man…?”

Became…the taxi driver, our Samaritan, was not a neighbor of the man by geography, brotherhood or affinity, if stereotypes are based on empirical data, there’s even a good chance they aren’t neighbors by religion.  He became a neighbor through compassion.  Compassion on a man who could do nothing for him!  Compassion on a total stranger.  “Love your neighbor” is a dual commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself and make all men in need your neighbor through love.”

Just one chapter ago Jesus had an agenda: rest and retreat time for him and his posse.  He made an effort to pull his boys back from the mission field to spend some quality bonding time and to hear of their time afield.  But when he came to the shoreline, the crowds had rushed ahead of him and were waiting.  He could have started singing Styx to Pete, “I’m sailing…awaaaaaay”.  He could have “passed through their midst” as he did on other occasions but he stops.  Heck, he could have hopped out of the boat and booked it across the lake on foot if he wanted but he doesn’t.  Why?

“34 And getting out of the boat he saw the large crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd,” (Mark 6)  Compassion.  Mercy.  They are the mark of Christ as they are the mark of His Father, ““Yahweh, Yahweh, God, who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding with loyal love and faithfulness,” (Ex 34).  This is how God describes Himself and He cannot lie.  This should be the mark of his followers.

“44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, because he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not the tax collectors also do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing that is remarkable? Do not the Gentiles also do the same?” (Matt 5)

“32 “And if you love those who love you, what kind of credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is that to you? Even the sinners do the same! 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive back, what kind of credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal amount! 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful!” (Luke 6)

“42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he will never lose his reward.” (Matt 10)

“34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world! 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me as a guest, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you as a guest, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ 40 And the king will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, in as much as you did it to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.’” (Matt 25)

“34 “A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” (John 13)

“Become kind toward one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as also God in Christ has forgiven you.” (Eph 4)

“12 Therefore, as the chosen of God, holy and dearly loved, put on affection, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, 13 putting up with one another and forgiving one another. If anyone should have a complaint against anyone, just as also the Lord forgave you, thus also you do the same. 14 And to all these things add love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And the peace of Christ must rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God, 17 and everything whatever you do in word or in deed, giving thanks for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus to God the Father through him.” (Col 3)

Nuff said.

Who's yer daddy?

“5 And into whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace be to this household!” 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him. But if not, it will return to you.” (Luke 10)

Peace.

The word itself is powerful.  Peace.  Sitting outside as the world wakes up and the birds take up the song from the crickets and the sun comes peeking over the trees in the East (peace) it has a force like a distant church bell, like a velvet hammer kissing a sea of silver, stilling, calming, ripples fading, laying down to a mirror.  Rest.  Harmony.  Everything sweetly secure in its place.

Peace.

Absence of war.  Freedom from violence.  From strife.  From calamity.  From harm.  From disturbance.  From shame.  From guilt.  From fear.  Tranquility.  Serenity.  These are not peace… these are the signs of peace.  The evidence of residence.  For Peace is not an emotion, a state of being, a feeling or goal.

Peace is a person.

“22 And Gideon realized that he was the angel of Yahweh; and Gideon said, “Oh, my lord Yahweh! For now I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face.” 23 And Yahweh said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not fear; you will not die.” 24 And Gideon built there an altar to Yahweh, and he called it “Yahweh is peace.” (Judges 6)

“7 Show us, O Yahweh, your loyal love,


and grant us your salvation.

8 I will hear what God, Yahweh, will speak,


because he will speak peace
 to his people,

 even his faithful ones,


but let them not return to folly.

9 Surely his salvation is near for those who fear him,


that glory may abide in our land.

10 Loyal love and faithfulness will meet one another;


righteousness and peace will kiss.” (Ps 85)

“6 For a child has been born for us;


    a son has been given to us.


And the dominion will be on his shoulder,


    and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,


        Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is 9)

Yahweh is Peace!  Jesus is the Son of God, the Prince of Peace.  The bumper sticker is right, the only way to know peace is to be in relationship with God.  The only way to be in relationship with God is through His son!  “5 Therefore, because we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” (Rom 5) 

Yes, we are no longer enemies of God!  Yes, we are no longer under condemnation and wrath for our rebellion!  Yes, we have what you might call a political peace with God.  A cessation of hostilities.  (Not that one could honestly say God has been hostile to us, since His blessings never ceased even while we were enemies!)  Yes, this alone is cause for rejoicing and celebration in the streets but it is so much more than this!  This is such an anemic understanding of Peace.

It fails to understand, there can be no peace without love!  Peace isn’t just the absence of ill will.  Apathy could be the absence of ill will.  Peace is the desire for your good!  It is the desire for good will!  “11 For I know the plans that I am planning concerning you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘plans for prosperity and not for harm, to give to you a future and a hope. 12 Then when you call me, and you come and pray to me, then I will listen to you. 13 When you search for me, then you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart. 14 And I will let myself be found by you,’ declares Yahweh…” (Jer 29)  “13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,


    and on earth peace


    among people with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2)

All of God’s promises to us; all of Jesus’ promises to us; forgiveness; eternal life; a place where he is, in his house; to guide us; to give us the Holy Spirit; come down to this, “27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you—not as the world gives, I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (John 14)  Why aren’t we to be troubled?  Why aren’t we to be afraid?  Because all is going positively swimmingly for us?  Because nothing bad can or will happen to us?  Because we are rich, beautiful, young, healthy and successful in all we put our hands to? 

Well, maybe you are.  But for the rest of us, the answer to most of that is, “Nooooo, no, not so much.”  Then why?  How can we be at peace?  How can we be untroubled and unafraid in an increasingly unstable world?  In an environment that seems ever more hostile to us with each passing day?  How if recession becomes depression?  How if those we love have cancer?  How if the hurricane is pressing in on us?  How if war, famine, pestilence, death and anti-christ ride to and fro upon the earth?  How can we have Peace?

“32 Behold, an hour is coming—and has come—that you will be scattered each one to his own home, and you will leave me alone. And I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but have courage! I have conquered the world.” (John 16)

“21 At that same time he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to young children. Yes, Father, for this was pleasing before you. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.” (Luke 10)

How?  Because we know who our Father is.

Jesus' classified ad

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest that he send out workers into his harvest.” (Luke 10)

If you don’t know where you’re going, it’s hard to know when you’ve arrived.  One of the drawbacks of being a finite being bound by time is not knowing the difference between the Mission and the Training.  We dwellers of the valley, on our first trip from birth to death, can only see the hill in front of us.  Jesus, walking with us, having had an angel’s eye view of the whole landscape or rather having designed and built the entire landscape, tries to tell us here what’s on the other side of the hill…

A mountain.

Listen, he is not saying this before choosing the twelve…he’s chosen the twelve.  He’s not saying this before sending out the twelve, he’s sent the twelve and they’ve returned already.  This precedes the sending of the seventy-two (were the twelve counted among them?).  If he wants these disciples to go out into the fields of the world and pray that God sends workers for the harvest, then this isn’t the harvest!  This is the training!

Realizing that we can go back to Luke 9 and see it for what it is: preparation, sorting, training.  Beginning with the sending of the twelve with nothing but the shirts on their backs and the sandals on their feet.  Coming back elated from what must have felt like the mission, the twelve empty-handed, hungry disciples are told to feed five thousand men, their wives, children, uncounted women and servants.  One of the only miracles recorded in all four gospels.  In John 6 we see how Jesus uses even this miracle to winnow down his disciples and to purify the motives of the remaining.  “66 For this reason many of his disciples drew back and were not walking with him any longer.” 

But he’s not finished.  He bolsters three with the Transfiguration.  He decries their lack of faith with the demon possessed boy.  He tries to warn them this is not the mountain, by telling them about his trial and execution to come.  He rebukes Peter for thinking about this in worldly terms.  He rebukes them for denominationalism.  He rebukes them for seeking their own glory.  He rebukes them for racism.  Far from letting them become hands of vengeance against Samaritans who reject Jesus, he tells them by another Samaritan well, “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already. 36 The one who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life, in order that the one who sows and the one who reaps can rejoice together. 37 For in this instance the saying is true, ‘It is one who sows and another who reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you did not work for; others have worked, and you have entered into their work.” (John 4) 

In all these stories he is laying out the guidelines, the job description, the classified ad he is running for the job of “worker.” 

         Wanted: lamb-like child to send among wolves.  Must be wily as serpent, innocent as dove.  Must seek to serve all and be willing to love boss more than family, security, home and life.  May include some martyring.  Will train and supply all tools and meals*. 

         *Meals may include but are not limited to: “food is that I do the will of the one who sent me and complete his work.”

And we the applicants come and ask, “What shall we do that we can accomplish the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God: that you believe in the one whom that one sent.” (John 6)  “13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you speak correctly, for I am. 14 If then I—your Lord and Teacher—wash your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that just as I have done for you, you also do. 16 Truly, truly I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand these things, you are blessed if you do them.”  34 “A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” (John 13) 

If you believe in the one God sent, rejoice, “rejoice that your names are inscribed in heaven.” (Luke 10)  You are called, you are chosen!  He will never lose you or reject you!  So, “go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9)  And if you fail, if no one listens, if no one cares, if it feels like you’re wasting your time or worse, if you succeed, if all listen, if many come, if all is going well remember this:

This could just be the training hill.

i believe in flip-flops

“28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “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. 34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” (Luke 9)

A man once said to me and I apologize for paraphrasing because my memory is fallible and this is my best recollection of what he said, “I believe (my spine has started hurting whenever someone starts a sentence with those two words) that God sends many men.  To the Jews, he sent Moses.  To the Christians, Jesus.  To the Muslims Mohammed and so on.  And he will continue to send the man he needs at the time he needs.  That’s his way.”

My Nana Frannie used to beat her television with a flip-flop when the Phillies were stinking it up.  Something in me thinks this would have been the only appropriate response to the aforementioned man’s comments too.  If I had heard this philosophy touted on teevee…

But I didn’t.  I heard it in a church.  During a “Bible Study.” 

The Jews might have agreed with the man I met however.  You see, the first century Jews had the Old Testament: the Law and the Prophets.  They could read and study how God chose a people, cleansed them, gave them the Law and then set them in a land.  They could then through Judges, the Kings and the Prophets watch a wheel form and a cycle begin.  It goes something like this…

·      Top of the wheel, people cleansed, righteous and following God’s law and maintaining the Temple worship.

·      Decline, sin and temptation creep in, usually in the form of mingling with other nations who had strange customs and gods.

·      Bottom, people are completely given over to other gods, sexual sin and usually human sacrifice.  Temple is completely forgotten or profaned.  God sends foreign power to conquer and/or slaughter Israel.

·      Slight upswing, people cry out… finally.  God sends messiah: a judge, king or prophet to lead and cleanse the people and lead them against their military enemies. 

·      Military and moral victory, idols smashed, sinners repent or are “cut-off” from the land (a euphemism for being nastily disposed of) and Israel is usually safe in its own land again.

·      Return to top of the wheel for a very brief time to do it all over again.

So here the Jews were, Judas Maccabeus’ revolt fresh in their collective memories; occupied by Rome, a foreign power; Herod’s temple, the most palatial temple ever, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  They must have thought a new prophet was due any day.  A new messiah was going to come and save them. 

Well, yes and no.  John came.  He did start cleansing the people but he said some strange things. 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matt 3) “9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3)  “23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (John 1)  And the wheel hit a bump.  Not the prophet?  Not the messiah?

Hot on his heels comes Jesus.  Performing signs and wonders, displaying power and authority like no one else in their storied history.  Well, almost no one.  ““Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5)  Strangely, it is the Pharisees and scribes who come so close to figuring it out.  Who can forgive sins but GOD ALONE?  They just draw the wrong conclusion.  The power and authority Jesus displays has been seen before in Israel… every time God displayed His power and authority! 

Peter is the first to admit this out loud.  Days before the Transfiguration, he says to Jesus in front of witnesses; which remember, if he blasphemes, they should condemn and stone him for and calling any man, “God,” definitely classifies as blasphemy; “16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matt 16)  The Christ, the anointed one.  Not A messiah but THE Messiah!  The one all the prophets and prophecies point to.  Not another turn on the wheel but the point the wheel was trying to make and the destination to which all history arrived! 

Here at the Transfiguration we see this laid out.  Jesus is revealed!  His true glory blinds the disciples but not before they recognize (How?  By overhearing their talk?) Moses and Elijah with him.  The two greatest prophets in their history.  The two greatest messiahs.  And here, Peter, like the man in the Bible Study, places them on a plain.  “Peter said to Jesus, “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.”  Three messiahs, three tents, right?  Wrong!  Maybe Moses and Elijah are the two olive trees before the lampstand spoken of by Zechariah…

But Jesus! Is the lamp!  Jesus is the light!  God has made us sons but Jesus is the one the voice in the glory cloud calls, “my Son, my Chosen One”!  Many have died but Jesus’ blood is the only innocent blood!  There have been many messiahs but Jesus only can be “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”  Only Jesus’ death will defeat Death!  Many will ascend to heaven but Jesus only sits on the right hand of the Father Almighty where He is waiting for the last martyr to die in HIS name before He comes in power and judges the Earth.  There have been, are and will be many kings and rulers but Jesus only will rule afterward for all eternity.  There have been many who wished to be worshiped but Jesus only is worthy!  All who came before pointed to Him and all we who come afterward point back to Him.  We do not pray facing East, we pray facing Christ!  We do not decide for ourselves What we believe, we decide Who we are to believe.  I choose God!  I choose Christ!

I might have beaten the blasphemer in “Bible Study” with my flip-flop but Jesus restrained me.  The only one the voice in the cloud said to listen to said, “proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal(…) 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”  So I guess my flip-flops got in the last word after all.  I just hope the man heeds them.

Johnny Thunder

“12 There is a way that seems right to a man,


    but its end is the way to death.” (Prov 14)

John boy.  I am told John bar-Zebedee is possibly the youngest of the disciples.  He is nearly always referred to in a relationship:  “Sons of Zebedee,” “the brother of James,” as a child would.  He’s not old enough to have a reputation of his own yet.  But he’s eager to make one.  Is this initially what draws him to the excitement of following fringe rabbis?  It’s possible he first followed John the Baptist with Andy.  Then when John directs them to the Lamb of God, he upgrades.  Is it this desire for reputation, desire for greatness that leads this small town fisherman’s kid to Jesus?  Teenagers don’t walk through life, if they move at all, they run.  Odd isn’t it, they with the most time before them move like they have none?  Lace up your running shoes.  Let’s follow Johnny through Luke 9. 

Jesus sends him out with the twelve.

He helps Jesus feeds the five thousand.

He hears Pete confess Jesus is the Christ.

He hears Jesus foretell his death.

He is one of three chosen to see the Transfiguration.

He sees Jesus heal the epileptic.

He and the disciples have their Muhammed Ali moment.

He tells Jesus about them trying to stop a successful, non-disciple demon punter.

Jimbo and he ask Jesus if they can call down fire on a Samaritan village.

Along the way, he sees and hears Jesus give interviews to other disciple applicants.

This possibly sixteen years old young man, I cannot call him a boy for his own people would not unless they were trying to insult him, is one of Jesus’ “inner circle.”  He’s the elite of the elite twelve.  Only Simon, James and John are singled out for many of Jesus’ miracles and praying moments.  Quite the honor considering his age and the stature of the men around him.  Did it go to his head?  Jesus refers to the sons of Zebedee as Boanerges, the Sons of Thunder, Bene reghesh, sons of rage, sons of tumult.  Cool nickname.  If Jesus were a biker, he’d have something like seventy-two bikes in trail, a bevy of biker babes, his twelve immortals and his captains, Rock and the Sons of Thunder.  Let’s ride! 

But Jesus wasn’t a biker.  He wasn’t a son of anarchy.  He was the Son of Man, the Son of God, a shepherd, gently leading this teenager to true greatness.  A teacher who sometimes cried out, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you?”

So what was Johnny like?  This inner circle disciple captain.  This one of three men who Jesus allowed closer than any.  Brash?  Brazen?  He and his brother ask to sit on Jesus’ right and left when he comes into his kingdom.  Take that Rock!  Vengeful, power mad?  Calling down fire on a village that denies hospitality to them?  Yeah, I’d say so.  Jealous?  Denominational?  Trying to constantly one up Pete and the others.  Trying to stop a man with a successful ministry in Jesus’ name just “because he does not follow with us.”  Safe bet.  Deaf?  Obstinate?  Jesus tells him over and over what it takes to be greatest in the kingdom.  What kind of kingdom he’s setting up.  What it costs to follow him.  What “drinking his cup and being baptized with his baptism” will mean and he still doesn’t get it.  This is not some outsider atheist.  This is Jesus’ friend!  The “disciple whom Jesus loved”!  But for all his boldness, all his big talk, there’s a timidity, a shyness that might betray his tender age.  He does not try and walk on the water.  He falls uncharacteristically silent when Jesus is angry.  He is the first to the tomb but the second to enter.  He is the first to recognize Jesus from the boat after the resurrection but Pete jumps into the water alone.  Hypocritical, hyper-critical, power-hungry John. 

But Jesus…  “43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God.  But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it.” (Luke 9)  Then Jesus dies, just as he said he would.  John is possibly the only disciple to see it.  To stand at the foot of the cross.  To see his own dreams shattered, beaten, bloody and nailed, to watch them die, horribly, painfully, oozing out one drop at a time.  There would be no kingdom.  There would be no places of honor.  He wasn’t a captain leading a revolution now.  He was a fugitive in the mop up of an insurgency.  Days later, hiding behind locked doors, a wanted man.  No longer proud.  No longer boastful.  The thunder had faded, the tumult had passed and a new day had dawned. 

But Jesus… rose.  “25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14)  I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, people don’t get better, they get worse…. But Jesus!  Without grace our whims become desires and our desires, lusts.  Without grace there is no check on our selfishness.  Without grace there is no force in the universe countering entropy.  Grace is the seed.  Grace is the rain.  Grace is the sunlight.  Grace is the plow, sower, the reaper.  Without grace, dust you are and to dust you return.  But Jesus! 

Johnny does die at the cross!  John the Revelator is born!  Three gospels strive to tell us what happened in Jesus’ life.  John’s agonizes over Why!  Three gospels talk of the kingdom.  John’s hunger for the kingdom died at the cross, now he speaks of Life!  Light!  Love!  Three gospels speak of a man who was the Son of God.  John speaks of God who became a man!  The disciple who wanted a place on Jesus’ throne never again refers to himself at all.  Johnny who personified “live fast, die young,” outlives all the apostles and sees heaven personally before it’s over.  John who spoke like thunder and tumult, “47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.” (Luke 9) turns into John who says, “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”  Amen Johnny, amen.