Monday meditations Mark 4.38: storm sleeping

“Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion.” Mark. 4.38

In the story this verse comes from, the disciples were freaking out over a big storm that was threatening the boat they were all in. Some of these guys were fishermen by trade, being out on the lake was as natural to them as being on land. They knew this storm posed a real threat to their lives. Kind of like the storms that may be swirling around in your life today. If you’re freaking out, you are in good company, since Jesus’ hand picked followers did too.

But Jesus was not freaking out. Just the opposite. He was in the back of the boat fast asleep with no more worries on his mind or heart than this guy:

 

His heart was completely at ease. His mind was completely at rest. A peace emanated from him that calmed the storm itself and his timid followers. But note that he was asleep during the storm, not after he had sent it away, but in the midst of its rage. Moments of crisis reveal the truest, deepest nature of a person. When the tension is highest, the pressure greatest, the danger most present, then you find out who you really are. The same is true for God. Jesus was so calm and cool through the drama because that is God’s nature. He doesn’t get surprised, doesn’t get stressed out, doesn’t worry that things won’t go his way. God works all things together for his will and our good, so things always go his way in the end. He does get upset, but he is slow to anger precisely because he does not get so worked up about things. His anger is true anger, not merely impatience or selfishness masking as anger.
Meditate this week on the mental image Mark gives us of Jesus curled up with a pillow, sleeping soundly while the lightning flashes, thunder booms, wind howls and rain pours. In the midst of your storm, picture Jesus calmly napping beside you, not out of indifference, but out of a complete self-assurance that he has this – your life – under control. Instead of yelling and shaking him awake, maybe we should curl up next to him and share his pillow.

Monday meditations John 10.11: good and bad shepherds

“A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10.11

In this passage, the main point Jesus is making is about his own impending death. At the same time Jesus was also explaining the example he was setting and laying out his expectations for those who would respond to the call to pastor in the church he was about to build. There seems to be a clear (underlying) reference here to the prophecy against the shepherds of Israel in Ezekiel 34 which leads into the messianic promise that the Lord himself will come and shepherd his people (the echo of Ezekiel 34 is unmistakable in Jesus’ teaching in John 10). In the Ezekiel passage you can see the juxtaposition between how good shepherds act and how bad shepherds act. To sum it up:

A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A bad shepherd does the opposite. 

Which  reminds me of the story of how Saul’s reign ended. Saul knew he had been rejected as king of Israel. When the Philistines attacked, the Lord refused to give Saul any direction, so he consulted a medium who told him he and his sons were going to die in the battle. Since he was king, he knew this meant many others would die and yet, despite this knowledge, he went into battle anyway, needlessly risking the lives of his entire army and even his own sons. Why? Because pain, death, and destruction seemed better to him than relinquishing his power. The result? “The Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on Mount Gilboa.” (1 Sam. 31.1) Saul could have walked away, but he chose to let his own people (even his own sons) die instead. He laid down the sheep to save himself. Except it doesn’t work that way. Saul died anyway, he just took everyone else down with him. Because that’s what bad shepherds do.

There are many good pastors in the church Jesus built, but there are also many bad shepherds. Most are like Saul, they began well (having been chosen by God) and even in their latter state are still loved by their people (Saul’s men went willingly into battle that day because they loved their king; they went again later to retrieve his body). But when it comes to it, they sacrifice others to save themselves. The move from good to bad may be gradual, it may not always be easy to tell, but this is how you know: Does the shepherd lay down his life or the life of others? This is the test.

Meditate this week on Jesus’ statement. Think about how he backed up his words with his actions and how he called his followers to do the same. Then answer these questions (based on the test above, not how you may feel): Are you following a bad shepherd? Are you being a bad shepherd? Are you defending a bad shepherd or tolerating one having care over a flock you have responsibility for? Good shepherds lay down their lives for those they are called to pastor (because when you lay down your life, you gain it). Bad shepherds try to save themselves and their positions, but they do a lot of real harm to the souls they were supposed to protect and still do not save themselves (because when you seek to save your life, you lose it).

the foundation of strength is redeemed suffering

For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal. Job. 5.18

One of the most remarkable things about God is his amazing ability/penchant for redeeming suffering (the cross being the ultimate example). Whatever you have suffered, whatever pain you are going through right now, none of it is in vain, none of it will be lost. The Lord will redeem it. Your strength and ability to minister to and care for others will be founded on the redemption of your own suffering, anointed by the lamb who was slain, who identifies with those in pain.

only the Spirit can set us free

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galations 5:1

This is a more positive way to say what I was trying to get at in yesterday’s post and perhaps a verse you would rather meditate on. The reason I went with the other verse was the impression it made on me regarding the sin of rebuilding the law-based system. Christians often think ongoing sins they struggle with being things like lust, anger, pride, or the classic no-nos of smoking, drinking, and cussing, but I think we less often recognize the sinfulness inherent in our self-constructed pieties. Please understand, I am not claiming that we have been set free to sin, that would make no sense, all sin is bondage, set free to be a slave to sin is self-contradictory. But I am saying that sometimes in our efforts to rid ourselves of sin, we set up law-based systems to make this so, and thereby sin in the very act of trying to rid ourselves of sin.
Because the fact remains that we cannot rid ourselves of sin. We cannot save ourselves from our sins and we cannot improve ourselves either. Holiness only comes through the work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit’s work sets us free from sin, without using a law-based system to do so. Only the Spirit can do such work. Trying to live by laws (whether the OT law or ones we or others invent) impedes the work of the Spirit and according to Paul is sin. And I think one of the sins Christians are most prone to.
There, I’ve gone and made yesterday’s point all over again. Not sure why I’m on about this at the moment, seems someone needs to read it. Hope this helps.

Monday meditations Gal. 2.18: choose freedom

“Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down.” Gal. 2.18

It is difficult to speak or write much about this without leaning toward the twin dangers of legalism and lawlessness. Theological debates can go on without end and frankly I have no interest in them as they never seem to help anyone.

I present this little verse to you because in your ongoing relationship with Jesus, he has/is/will be setting you free from things in your life, remnants of old systems of religion or self-help, various ways of trying to please God and/or improve yourself. Jesus is teaching you that he is always and already pleased with you – totally passionately in love with you. The Holy Spirit is growing and maturing you, accomplishing what you could never do tugging on your own bootstraps.

And yet there is something within us that has a tendency to try and refurbish those old ways. Often it comes in the form of bad teaching from those who (perhaps unwittingly) would saddle us with the same bondage they themselves are under (as Peter was doing in the story Paul relates in Galatians). It might come from impatience with the Spirit’s pace or order in growing us, or with dissatisfaction with where we are in life. Self-help is an attractive way to put ourselves together and gain success as the world defines it. But success as the world defines it is often what God calls failure.

When you came to Jesus, he began to tear down the old system of law that had you in bondage. He is in the process of setting you free. Reflect and pray on this verse this week and make sure you are living into that freedom as fully as you can, that you are not rebuilding what was knocked down.

One warning: living in freedom sometimes means making hard choices, ones that go against the grain of what our sinful culture would deem wise or prudent. I have seen people lose their freedom entirely because they would not give up the security and comfort of where they were, even when God was very plainly telling them to leave it and follow him. There are many reasons our sin nature craves the system of law, like all lusts of the flesh, it must be resisted. Freedom is a harder choice, one you have to continually make, but it is also the choice the Spirit of Jesus is always calling you to make. Choose freedom.

who you work for

Who do you work for? A small business owner? A large (faceless) corporation? Yourself? How do you know when you’ve done well, made the boss happy?

If you’re anything like me, you have multiple income streams, which means multiple ‘bosses’ with various degrees of personal contact. One my jobs is helping out at a small business here in Raleigh, working directly for the owner. Easy to know who I work for there and when he’s pleased. In my teaching posts, I work for the universities, interacting with (ever changing) people in administration, none of whom I have ever met in person. You could say I work for the students, but the right thing to do with a student is not always what pleases them.

In my own research, I really work for myself, but I find it really hard to please my boss in that setting. That boss is never satisfied, anticipates and rejects all my excuses, and is a real task master, on my back all the time.

But then there’s this thing Paul wrote:

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” Col. 3.23-25

You know who we work for? We work for the Lord. Read it closely, Paul is not encouraging us to start working for the Lord, but to recognize the reality that we are already working for the Lord in everything we do. The question is not who we are serving – only how well we are serving. If you haven’t done this before, try going through a whole day deliberately thinking to yourself that what you are doing – working, driving, cooking a meal, cleaning the kitchen, etc., is serving Jesus. It will make a difference in your productivity and the quality of your work. If you’ve been a slacker in some areas, it might be a good idea to ask forgiveness for poor service rendered. I did that just this morning, praying: “Forgive me for wasting time, energy, resources. Make me into a more faithful steward of all the many gifts you have given me.”

And don’t ignore that last sentence in what Paul wrote. If you have been doing immoral/unethical things in your work, you need to find ways to do your job ethically. That does not mean some arbitrary standard you or your company can live with, but real ethics – your work should engender (or at least not inhibit) justice, freedom, and well-being for all the people (all of them!) touched by your company. Working for the Lord means working in this way. You may find this requires small or large changes in how you go about your work. Or you may find it is impossible to do ethical work where you are. In which case you should quit at your convenience immediately as soon as possible. If you feel a tug in this direction, don’t ignore it. Pray into it, seek counsel and prayer support from those you trust in spiritual matters, and follow what the Lord tells you. Because he will tell you.

Working for the Lord is the best. He is gracious, easy to please, and gives the best swag. Plus the retirement benefits are out of this world (or to die for (pick your pun!)).

Monday mediations Ps. 105.17: your not so random path

The Lord sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. Ps. 105.17

If you’re not familiar with the story of Joseph, it is worth the read, one of the most captivating stories in the Bible (see Gen. 37-46). In short, he was the 11th out of 12 brothers and clearly his father’s favorite. His brothers grew quite jealous of their special brother, faked his death, and sold him as a slave to a caravan headed to Egypt. Nice. Once there, things initially looked like they were improving for Joseph, until he wound up unjustly (and indefinitely) imprisoned. Turns out, God sent Joseph to Egypt in order to save that entire nation and his own (large) family from starvation in a 7 year long famine. And the mode of transportation God arranged for Joseph was a slave caravan. And the lodging God prepared for Joseph was a jail cell. Things worked out quite well for Joseph in the end and for all who were touched by his work. Joseph later tells his (guilt ridden) brothers that the whole thing was God’s design to save many. This Psalm tells us, “until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.” Funny how our paths can seem so random at times and yet completely fit with who we are and who we are becoming. If you are in the pit/slave caravan/jail phases of your journey, don’t despair. They are as much a part of your path as the dreams God has given you. Tests forge character, preparing you for what God has for you. All the random, loose ends of your life are neither random nor loose, they have been set in your path on purpose. Accept the Lord’s transportation and lodging, however he chooses to send it. Be as faithful as you can (as Joseph was as a slave and inmate) where you are, doing all like you’re doing it for Jesus himself (because you are), and try to enjoy the ride. Reflect this week on what it might have felt like to be sent via slave caravan and how the random (especially negative) experiences in your life might be part of God’s sending you for a great purpose.

Monday meditations 1 Thes. 4.9: taught by God

“But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another.” (1 Thes. 4.9)

The word that jumps out at me in this verse is theodidaktoi – the taught-by-God ones. Paul uses this term a few times both to refer to others and to himself. At first blush it can seem arrogant to call yourself a theodidaktos, suggesting that your knowledge comes directly from God. But then when you think about Paul using this word to describe others – people who have sat under his own teaching – you can begin to see the deep humility being expressed. Paul was not their teacher, God was their teacher. God used Paul for a time (like a professor uses a T.A.) but their education remained in God’s hands. In this verse, Paul is commending them for recognizing that and living into it.

You can also be one of the theodidaktoi. God will teach you, lead you, and guide you through a development process. God is already trying to do that with you now, but it goes so much better when you recognize it, learn to look for it, and lean into it. Like any other sort of schooling, there will be classes you enjoy and ones you don’t, but all are necessary and for your benefit. This week, reflect on ways you can more actively and intentionally pursue the education God is trying to give you. Ask the Holy Spirit for specific ways you can improve your ‘study habits.’ May what Paul said here of the Thessalonians also be said of us.

Monday meditations Mark 1.35: quiet time

“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” Mark 1.35

I just returned from a 10 day trip to Costa Rica where I served as a leader/chaperone for a youth group missions trip. God did so much through and in us during this time. I will share more later because God spoke to me a lot, far more than usual. On one of our last days there, I asked the Lord what was up with this. Does God like Costa Rica more than Raleigh (I can see why he would)?

The answer was pretty easy. We began most mornings with at least 30 minutes of quiet time. This wasn’t highly structured, we could pray, read our Bibles, journal, think. No talking, music, sleeping, TV, or internet, but no other rules. It was in these times that God spoke to me most, simply because in those times I was listening, paying attention, removing all distractions.

We tried this at home for the first time this morning and (lo and behold) God spoke again. He does like Raleigh too. Funny how it takes a trip to remind me of what I already knew to do. If you don’t already have some time for God at the beginning of your day, I encourage you to build some in. You might have to do like Jesus and get up extra early. You also may want to meditate through the week on why it seemed so important to Jesus (of all people) to go off alone and pray (the Gospels record him doing this a number of times). If Jesus needed it, you can bet we do too. And we know following his example is always the best practice.

Rock the piano recital grace

(This is a repost from 2009.)

Eph. 2.8 says:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

I read this the other day and for some unknown reason a picture came to mind of God like a loving parent at a piano recital. I have now been on both ends of this deal, as the kid sweating through “Shenandoah” or the theme from “Chariots of Fire,” and now as a parent watching Emily and Katelyn. If you’ve been either parent or recitalee, you know how this goes down. The kid gets up there and plays, maybe well, or okay, or not-so-okay, or train-wreck. But this has no bearing on the reaction of the loving parent, does it? They clap and cheer and hug and video and shed a few tears. And they keep shelling out for those lessons, even if it is a futile endeavor. They may justify it as a good experience or something like that, but it’s really an act of love.

God treats us like that, accepting us no matter how badly we’ve done (or how well we think we’ve done). God’s grace is free and generous, lavish and never-ending, well beyond the patience of even the best human parent. And God’s not like the tone-deaf parent who doesn’t really know how bad the recital went; God knows exactly how it should be played, aware of how all the notes, rhythms, and phrasings are supposed to go. Yet, God cheers us and hugs us and loves us anyway.

As true as that is, that’s not the end of the story. As comforting and encouraging as it is to have parents who support you as you mutilate the music, how much cooler is it to totally rock? It won’t make the parentals love you any more, but isn’t it always better to rock than not to rock? Should the kid take their love and acceptance as a free pass to stink it up, or as a secure foundation from which to pursue excellence boldly?

See the very next verse in Eph. (the one right after we usually stop quoting) says:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

God’s grace is not contingent on our works; our works don’t earn us anything. But God’s grace does not give us an excuse to slack off and not do any work either. We were created for good works. Our sin wrecks all that, but God pours grace into us to re-enable us to do the good that we were created to do.

When you’re playing music, the surest way to mess up is to be afraid that you’re going to mess up. As soon as you think to yourself, “here comes that hard lick, I hope I don’t blow it” – - BAM – - you blew it. Just like you knew you would. Knowing that the people you’re playing with believe in you and won’t blink if you do slip up frees you up to play really well, often times better than you thought you could play.

God believes in your ability to do good because God created you and knows what you are capable of doing and being. God’s grace enables you to do good and is there to cover you when you do slip up. There is absolutely nothing to fear, nothing to lose, by taking the risk to do what God is telling you to do. There is actually everything to gain because with God’s grace supporting you and cheering you on, you will totally rock.