An Evasive Jesus? John 10:22-30

These days it seems as though nothing is solid and clear answers are illusive. The recent leak regarding the Supreme Court’s possible overturning of Roe v. Wade has thrown the country’s understanding of reproductive health and control into turmoil. What will this mean in practice? How will this affect other areas of life once considered ‘rights?’ The stock market has been riding a wild roller coaster of down…up…and wildly down again. Where is the economy heading? Are we in a recession? Nope. Nothing seems very solid right now. After the past couple years of Covid-19 which doesn’t go away, stability would be greatly appreciated for life to be manageable.

The Gospel of John has the Jews coming to Jesus with what seems a very reasonable question. Is Jesus the long awaited Messiah or isn’t he? The things Jesus was doing are the kind of miraculous actions that only God can do. If Jesus is of God then lets get about the business of creating the kingdom of God on earth (at least what we think it should be). Yet, Jesus seems to defy Scripture by healing a person on the Sabbath (at least our interpretation of Scripture). If Jesus is only a sinner then we had best move on. Come on Jesus, give a clear and solid answer. Unfortunately, Jesus didn’t give one…or did he?

Jesus had already given them the answer they sought but they wouldn’t believe. He started talking about sheep which are acutely in tune with their shepherd’s voice. Jesus has been speaking but we simply haven’t been listening. He wasn’t being evasive. Jesus didn’t fit into the categories being forced upon him then or which we continue to force upon him now. His messiah-ship wasn’t about enhancing corporate profits, investment strategies or about exerting political will over others. The problem is that our hearing is more acutely tuned to the voices that are not of God.

Jesus said that he gives eternal life. We think this means an endless number of days to live but eternal life is so much more than we can imagine. Eternal life is a quality of life, a way of life, that is found in God. Since this life is found in God, it too is endless as God is endless. Jesus gave the assurance that this kind of life won’t be taken away from us.

In these tumultuous days, clear and solid answers would be a welcome relief. The Jews tried to force an answer from Jesus but he didn’t fit either option. We may consider ourselves more sophisticated but forcing an answer from Jesus gives the same result. We have a hearing problem. We are attuned to the world’s voices but Jesus is also speaking. His invitation is to listen to what he said and to listen to the witness of the things he did. In the end, we’ll have an answer that couldn’t be more clear.

Peace.

Jesus and Leadership John 21:1-19

Go to any bookstore or search eBook collections and you’ll discover that there is no shortage of books on the topic of leadership. So you would think that humanity has this leadership stuff figured out. The qualities of great leadership are obvious to each of us when we see it on display, for sure. True leadership is decisive and unwavering. True leadership is strength showing no weakness. Charisma? Absolutely! Yet, when looking at the leadership of this world the headlines show what is deceptive, abuse of power, intimidation, grift, scandal, spin and rallies among adoring followers. Jesus shows a different understanding of leadership for those called to be leaders for his church. The world could learn a thing or two and much more.

The Gospel of John gives us a glimpse of life with the disciples shortly after the resurrection. Peter decided that he was going fishing and several other disciples joined him. They toiled all night but their nets were empty. Jesus on the shoreline told them to fish on the other side of the boat and the nets were so full they couldn’t pull them into the boat. Now, the disciples knew all about fishing. Jesus’ advise for them to try the other side wasn’t about their ignorance regarding fishing. The disciples were only successful when they listened and obeyed Jesus. Yes, we have lots of books about leadership. However leadership in the church is defined by listening and obeying Jesus. The world should again take notice.

The disciples dragged the nets full of fish to the shoreline where Jesus fed them breakfast. Then Jesus confronted Peter. During Jesus’ trial, three times Peter denied knowing and having any association with Jesus. Here Jesus asked Peter if he loved him for each of these three. This had to be agonizing for Peter to be confronted by what he had done. Yet for each declaration of love for Jesus, Peter was given three instructions: feed my lambs, tend my sheep and feed my sheep. Jesus placed Peter into the position of leadership but it wasn’t about being a star with celebrity status or hanging out with the politically powerful to bask in their glory. The role of leadership Jesus gave to Peter was to care for the well being of those entrusted to him.

The reading ends with Jesus telling Peter that one day his hands would be bound with him being led to a place he didn’t want to go. This was a way of telling Peter that he would not have a peaceful death but a violent one. This would be a consequence of the leadership given to him.

Yes, we have lots of books available to read on the topic of leadership but I think it would be safe to say that few envision a leadership dedicated to the caring for the well being of others and being willing to go where we don’t want to be. So lets take a moment to dream. Lets imagine a world where leaders tended solely to the needs of the people and had the courage to go where they didn’t want to be. The world would be a different place. Actually, it would begin to be a reflection of the Kingdom of God.

Peace

The Song of Faith Luke 1:39-55

This season of the year is filled with great music. Yes, we bemoan Christmas music blaring over shopping store speakers in October. Yet the music is in us. We can’t seem to help singing our favorite carols in the privacy of the car. Perhaps we hum a stanza or two at the office desk. This is a great time for the music of Christmas. In tune or not, we sing out unabashedly. We simply can’t help ourselves. The music is in us. All the way to our souls.

This is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The reading turns to Mary. She is singing what is the song of faith. The words aren’t about Santa, Rudolf or even Little Drummer Boys. The words are about what God has done for her and the implications for the world. These implications aren’t that God will make us great again, or that we will be powerful, or that the world will look to us in awe, or that our cultural preferences will be established as dominate over others. The song of faith Mary sung from the depths of her soul was not about what we deem of value.

Mary’s song of faith was how God had embarrassed the boastful claim of our lie filled wisdom, brought down those walking the marbled halls of power and filled the soul with what corporate tax breaks won’t satisfy. God shunned these to choose her – a young Jewish woman under Roman oppression and from a town not even worthy of a modern day stop sign. The child she would soon give birth would bring salvation which wasn’t some far off event: the day of the Lord when the reign of God is fully established. Salvation is in the here and now whenever the lies and power and wealth are also shunned for what Jesus embodied.

Mary’s song of faith was about what God has done, is currently doing and will yet accomplish in the child she was carrying. The joy empowering her lungs was that the Lord had chosen her, one of the world’s lowly to bring such a blessing.

So much great music this time of year! What song carries the faith that fills the depth of your soul? Sing it loud!

Peace

“Lets go Brandon” and Jesus the King John 18:33-37

“Lets go Brandon,” was chanted by those in attendance at a conference hosted by Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. If you aren’t familiar with “Lets go Brandon,” it is a vulgar euphemism against President Biden. It should also be noted that Pastor Matt Hagee has since apologized for the church hosting the event.

So what do we make of all of this? The Twitter posts ranged from supporting people expressing their political beliefs to condemnation toward the church for allowing such an event to happen on their property. Division is nothing new to anyone. Unfortunately, division has also become a part of the church. Covid has made the division all the worse as politics has been carried into the pew. We are now vaccinated and anti-vaccination Christians. We are pro-mask and anti-mask Christians. We seem to be driven by politics more than anything else these days. The question still remains of what do we do when the faith becomes driven by politics?

This Sunday is called Christ the King Sunday. The end of the church year has come and Jesus Christ is declared King. Jesus is not shown sitting on a royal throne but is standing before Pilate in judgement. Pilate is interrogating Jesus to find out the truth of him being a rival king and threat to Rome. Jesus’ response was very interesting. He said,

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” 35Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here. 37Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

John 18:33-37

If Jesus’ kingdom was from this world his followers would fight. They would also slander, insult, shout out “Lets go Brandon”, argue, bicker, lie, divide, kill and anything else granting them the goal of power. These are the ways of the world’s kingdoms. Jesus’ kingdom is not how the world behaves and his followers are to be different as well.

Jesus also said he came to testify to the truth which isn’t hard to understand. The false accusations, mockery and his unjust crucifixion reveal all we need to know about the world. Listening to his voice, the truth becomes obvious.

Christ the King Sunday has come and Jesus the King is portrayed by John as being judged by the world. However, the powers of the world end up being judged instead and the verdict isn’t kind. Jesus’ kingdom offers a far different reality from the kingdoms of this world. So when we are being divided we need to remember what Jesus came to testify: the truth.

Peace

Jesus and Divorce Mark 10:2-16

This reading is one of those that cause the pastor to enter the pulpit with some fear. The topic involves divorce and adultery. The problem is that quite a few people gathered will be divorced; the pastor might be too. While those having remarried could be fully blessed, the sin of adultery still hangs in the air. So how can we hear good news from this lesson? Especially, since the reading has so often been used as a mallet to hammer down the law.

As usual, we start from the perspective of power. Those days men had the power and women didn’t have it. Children? They had even less. One line of thinking held that a man could simply dismiss his wife with a slip of paper. No valid reason really was needed. The man had the power to do as he willed. The woman was often left destitute. This is how power works. It determines those who win and those who lose.

Jesus was challenged on this thinking about divorce. Really, the goal wasn’t to learn his belief as it was about trying to trick him in his words. Jesus said that Moses gave permission for divorce because of our ‘hardness of heart.’ Hardness of heart is essentially our determination to force life and relationships to fit under our power or control. So we physically abuse, emotionally abuse, withdraw, deny, intimidate, threaten, restrict, etc., in order to have dominion over the other. This struggle over who has the power and the consequences, is not what God had intended from the beginning.

From the beginning, the two are one flesh. They aren’t divided. They aren’t lopsided. They are one. We marry for love. However, we can also marry for power. We marry for lust. We marry for prestige. We marry for wealth. We marry for the ‘trophy’ at our shoulder. These latter reasons leave marriage as a transaction to serve our ‘hardness of heart.’ If we are going to treat marriage as hardly more than a transaction, then what we are doing is little more than adultery.

Jesus said that to enter the kingdom of heaven is to enter it as a child. The kingdom of heaven is the realm and rule of God. Do you want to enter into such a kingdom? Then be like a child. Remember, children were the ones with little or no power. Leave the quest for power and dominion at the door. Want the blessing God had intended for marriage from the beginning? Leave behind the ‘hardness of heart’ to control. Enjoy the oneness God wanted us to have in life.

Peace.

Giving Life Over

Mark 8:27-38

Jesus was tough in this reading. He told Peter to basically, “Shut Up!” He talked about being rejected…suffering…a cross…and death. He will be ashamed of those ashamed of him and his teaching in what Jesus called this “adulterous and sinful generation.” Jesus warned of losing our life – our essence of who we are – in this generation. The warning about losing our life is that once it is lost, how will we get it back? Imagine the cost? Is it even possible? Jesus’ words were hard to hear.

The reading began with Jesus asking the disciples a very simple question about his identity. They gave the various answers that people were wondering about him. Then, Peter blurted out that Jesus was the Messiah. Peter was correct but Jesus wanted his identity to be kept secret – at least for now. When Jesus started to talk about suffering and death, Peter tried to shut him down. There was a strong belief in a coming Messiah. The Messiah would judge the world “adulterous and sinful.” Then, the Messiah would raise up Israel to a place of glory and power. Nobody imagined a Messiah suffering and dying a horrible death on a cross. This was the belief that Peter grew up learning and to which he gave over his life. So when Peter challenged Jesus’ teaching, Jesus shut him down and called Peter’s actions satanic.

A big challenge to being Christian is how the world tries to put us into a category. Are we liberal, conservative, Democrat or Republican Christians? Each category has its own set of priorities and demands placed upon us. Each category seeks to exert its power and reach over others. Each category calls us to hand over our life to further its goals. Peter held to the beliefs of his Jewish upbringing and when he tried to force them upon Jesus, the response was being called satanic. If we traded places with Peter and tried to exert our views upon Jesus, I think he’d respond the same to us. Why? Regardless of political opinions the goal is the same: power. Power as defined by this “adulterous and sinful generation.”

Jesus came with a different understanding. He gave his life over not to the vying powers of that day. He gave his life over for a dying world to live. He gave his life over not to prop up one of the world’s powers but to establish the reign of God.

Jesus words of taking up a cross and following him, call out to us today. The cross isn’t a piece of jewelry. The cross is a dramatic challenge placed upon where we are giving over our lives. The cross for us is telling the world to “Shut Up!” So that we may give our life over to the Lord who alone brings life even through a horrible cross.

Jesus warned about handing over our life to the power of the world. If we do, how will we get our life back? Imagine the cost. Jesus showed the cost by living it out for us.

Peace.

Jesus, A Reluctant King John 6:1-21

Tomorrow many of us will go to a worship service. Some of us will go with specific burdens such as a bad diagnosis, a marriage in trouble, a guilt that needs forgiveness. Jesus did invite us to bring our burdens to him. His compassionate invitation is a gift from God that goes far beyond our capacity to imagine. The rest of us might come with expectations for the service. The music staff will provide dynamic music. The pastor’s sermon will be engaging and winsome. Jesus will naturally work along side us to build the kingdom. Bringing our burdens is a gift; bringing our expectations is a different matter.

The reading is the very familiar feeding of the 5000. The crowd was coming because they saw the miraculous signs that Jesus had performed with the sick. Jesus asked the disciples how are they going to feed all those people and they didn’t have a clue. All they could find was a boy with five barley loaves and a couple fish (the meal of a poor peasant). However in God’s abundance, there was more than enough. Jesus fed all five thousand with a surplus of twelve baskets full. The imagery of God feeding manna to ancient Israel during the exodus couldn’t be ignored. Here was God with them in the flesh but expectations got in the way. They wanted to make him king by force, if necessary. Who wouldn’t want God to be king and give us our hearts desire? Jesus withdrew from them. He was not going to be king of a glorious kingdom built up by human demands. His kingship was going to be about God’s abundance as a gift. The difference between the two is huge.

Some of us will attend worship as a gift tomorrow. The burdens will find their proper place in God’s grace. Our emptiness of soul will be filled by Christ to last for what is eternal life. The feeding of the 5000 was a sign for us. As with all signs, it points to what lies beyond the present. Jesus is that bread of life. God is our sustenance. The problem with our expectations is that no matter how good the music or entertaining the sermon, it will never be enough. We’ll always want more.

Tomorrow, let worship be the gift it is intended to be and let God feed you for eternal life

More Than We Can Ask Mark 5:21-43

Throughout life, we end up asking much from God. We ask for healing, success in our efforts, relief from life’s anxious times, more followers on social media, victory against our foes, the list goes on and on. Our requests focus often on the here and now. They are defined so much by cultural expectations and immediate needs that we don’t comprehend what Jesus Christ brings with the kingdom of God.

The reading is a sandwich of two healing stories. A young girl was seriously ill and her father (Jairus – a leader in the synagogue) fell at Jesus’ feet and begged for him to come and heal her. A crowd pressed upon Jesus looking to be witnesses of Jesus’ healing powers. Along the way, healing flowed from him to a woman having touched his cloak among all the others.

The woman had been left destitute in her efforts to be healed from the hemorrhages for which she had suffered the past twelve years. She simply wanted to be healed so she could function normally in life. Jesus gave her more. The hemorrhages left her unclean to stand before God and even be touched by others. Yes, she was healed when she touched the edge of his clothing. She was unnamed but Jesus called her “daughter.” She had lived a tough life but Jesus gave to her the blessing of peace.

While this was going on, Jairus was still begging for Jesus to heal his daughter. Then word arrived that Jairus’ daughter had died and so there was no reason for Jesus to come. Jesus said to Jairus, the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” The mourning had begun when they arrived and Jesus commented that she was only sleeping. The mourners laughed at him. Then Jesus took her hand and said, “Little girl, get up!” She got up from her death bed to the obvious amazement of the mourners.

Both stories tell of Jesus giving more than what was being asked of him. An unnamed woman was given a new title and restored not just to normal life but to stand before God as a daughter. Jairus was privileged to witness with his own daughter more than a healing. He was allowed to see the power of God extending beyond the limitations of this life.

The reading ends with Jesus ordering that what had just happened should not be told. This seems ridiculous. Why wouldn’t Jesus want the news of his abilities to be known? Raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead would be great advertising. This is the point. He was more than a traveling healer. He came to give us more – the kingdom of God.

Peace.

Is Jesus Crazy? Mark 3:20-35

Jesus had been busy. He had healed a man with a withered hand. A good deed. Unfortunately, Jesus did this on the Sabbath and in the synagogue. The synagogue was a place for worship and apparently not to heal broken bodies. The Sabbath was a time for rest and apparently not to heal broken bodies. The nice folk didn’t approve of Jesus upending their neatly constructed lives. The Pharisees met with supporters of Herod to destroy Jesus.

Actually, Jesus had been doing a lot of healing in that region. People with withered hands and diseases approved as they smothered around him hoping to at least touch him. Demons fell at his feet as he cast them out (Jesus sternly ordered them to not reveal his identity) . Yes, Jesus had been busy showing that the reign of God was definitely with him. He sent out the disciples to spread that good news with the power to cast out the demons as well.

Jesus returned to his home town and the crowds continued to gather. His family tried to restrain him because folks were saying that he was out of his mind. You know, crazy. Scribes came down from Jerusalem and diagnosed him as being possessed by Beelzebul because he was casting out demons. Now none of those people would be against a man with a withered hand being healed. They just didn’t want the healing to interfere with worship observances. None of the scribes would be against casting out demons. The problem with Jesus casting out demons was that his actions pointed out the evil that lived among them. Who wants to face that reality? Anyone challenging our convenient worship ways…anyone naming the evil that has found a home in our neatly manicured lives is going to get push back. Big time.

Jesus responded to the absurdity of the scribes’ accusations. Any kingdom that is divided will not last. Satan casting out Satan is a complete contradiction. No. Someone more powerful than Satan is now present and Satan’s kingdom is being routed. Jesus is that someone. Whoever says that Jesus’ actions were in league with the devil are uttering a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that simply can’t be forgiven.

The reading ends with Jesus’ family still calling out to him, trying to control his craziness. He pointed out to those around him saying that they who do the will of God are his family. If doing the things Jesus did causes us to be called “out of our minds,” then we should all be so crazy.

Peace.

The Overlooked Mission Luke 24:44-53

This past week had Ascension Day. The day when the church celebrates the ascension of the risen Jesus to the “right hand of the Father.” A few churches still formerly recognize the day with a dedicated worship service. However, it has largely been passed over due to busy middle of the week schedules. The unfortunate result is that the church is passing by the calling that Jesus gave it. Yes, we know that the church is to spread the Gospel but what exactly does this mean for us and others?

Jesus had finished explaining to the disciples that his death and resurrection were the fulfillment of the Scriptures. Also, our being empowered by the Holy Spirit was part of the fulfillment too. Just before he blessed them and ascended, Jesus gave these instructions,

repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Luke 24:47

The nation of Israel had been defeated a long time ago. No, Jesus wasn’t going to “make Israel great again” as so many had dreamed. (You can substitute any other nation, state, company, person, etc). His death and resurrection was for the salvation of the world and not to play winners/losers as part of our political power games. The early church was under a ruling power whose leaders were not reluctant to claim divinity or put down dissent with crucifixion. Again, Jesus’ death and resurrection were not to simply switch sides over who got to use abuse and personal glory to maintain power.

“Repentance and forgiveness” is all about freedom. Freedom in Jesus’ name is to go in a different direction. Jesus’ mission was about release and liberation (Luke 4:18-19). So when he told them to proclaim repentance and forgiveness, Jesus was telling us to give others the freedom to go in a different way. A way that was different from making Israel great again. A way that abandoned worship for rulers. A way that did not include using violence and killing to keep power.

As long as a few have the wealth and power while everybody else is put in their place to keep the status quo, then the church has a mission. As long as laws are written to the advantage of some and disadvantage to others, then the church has a mission. As long as some feel they have the right to abuse others of a different race or sex, then the church has a mission.

Jesus stated that his work was liberation and freedom. This is the mission he gave us to do. We have a lot of work ahead of us.

Peace