Luke 18:1: "Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."
A lot of Christians talk about the importance of prayer, but few are diligent enough to experience it regularly. Oh, of course there are the trite, perfunctory repetitions that we say before a meal or during a church service, but the powerful prayers that usher us before the throne of God are noticeably absent in our lives.
One main reason for this dearth of an effective prayer life is our lack of faith that prayer really accomplishes anything. When we are faced with an issue of which we are not able to control ourselves, we rush to our knees to offer the petition to the Lord. As soon as the words have flowed from our mouths, we look up waiting for the portals of heaven to open and the very glory of God to appear with the heavenly hosts praising the Lord's immediate intervention for our supplications.
Then, when we see that nothing happens, we quickly lose hope in God answering our pleas. Many of us give up on praying, thinking that God has already made up His mind as to how our life events will unfold, and we then seem to float through life not tasting the fullness of God's provision, simply because we get to the point that we don't even ask Him.
In the passage above, Jesus used a parable to teach His disciples that they should never stop giving up on prayer. The story is of a widow who sought justice for a wrongdoing against her. As she approached the judge, who wasn't righteous and did not care about his subjects, she was relentless in her petitions to him for his intervention. And the more she returned to the judge, the more he became overwhelmed with her persistence. This unrighteous judge got to the point that her presence was wearing him out; therefore, he relented and granted her request although he did not care about the deplorable circumstances that she was facing.
Jesus used this imagery to communicate to His disciples that if an indifferent, pagan judge was willing to change his response, given the persistence of the widow, how much more would the Righteous Judge (the Lord) answer those who "cry out to him day and night" (18:7).
At the end of the chapter, Jesus had an encounter with a blind beggar who heard that Jesus was passing by and knew that He had the power to heal him. As the blind man cried out to Jesus for His mercy, the followers of Jesus rebuked the man for his vociferous comments. They told the man to keep quiet, but their warnings caused the man to be even more determined to get the Lord's attention. Jesus noticed the man's resolve, and He asked the disciples to bring the man to Him. Jesus then asked the man directly what he wanted. Jesus knew the answer already, but he wanted to see if the man was willing to petition Him for such a miracle . . . He wanted to see if the man had the faith to ask the Lord for His divine intervention.
When the man asked for his sight, Jesus honored his request and healed the man, saying "Your faith has healed you." The people were amazed as such a supernatural work and praised God for the miracle.
Now, wedged between these two accounts in Luke 18 of the need for persistent prayer are four essential ingredients to an effective prayer life:
1. Humility: In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, one finds that the tax collector was justified and exalted before the Lord for His spirit of humility. This man felt himself unworthy to even look toward heaven, and cried that the Lord would simply have mercy on him for his sinfulness. This man HAD his prayer answered.
2. Faith: In the next story, Jesus is approached by several little children. The disciples rebuked these children for bothering the Savior, but Jesus reprimanded His disciples, saying that true believers must "receive the kingdom of God like a little child." We know that children will readily put their trust in someone or something quickly. They don't sit back and process through the information wandering if something is in fact worthy of their faith. When children pray, they believe that God hears them and that God will answer them. They don't have a fatalistic perspective, thinking that their prayers are worthless.
3. Surrender: The next ingredient introduced for an effective prayer life is surrender. In this story, Jesus is approached by a rich ruler who wants eternal life. Jesus, knowing that the man loved his wealth so much that he idolized it, instructed the man to sell everything that he had and follow Him. The man needed to remove everything in his life that had a higher priority than the One True God . . . tragically he refused to surrender.
4. Power of God in Salvation: Lastly and most importantly, the essential ingredient for an effective prayer life is the power of God working redemptively for our salvation. This work is accomplished solely through the love and power of God through His death and resurrection. As Jesus was raised on the third day from the grave, He demonstrated that He has power over sin and death, and is able to now open the channels of communication between His once estranged people and Himself. This is why the writer of Hebrews can write in 4:14-16: "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Jesus' victory over sin gives us the privilege of approaching His throne with our requests, knowing that we will not be repelled by His Holiness. As we seek His mercy with a humble, trusting spirit, He promises to "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). What a tremendous blessing it is to even have the opportunity to talk with the Lord.
What a tremendous word we have on prayer. To recap, let's be reminded of what we must do:
1. We need to be persistent in our prayers. God will hear us and answer us. To give up on prayer is to close the blessings that God desires to pour out upon us (see James 4:2).
2. We need to demonstrate humility, trust, and surrender to the Lord as we pray. God will not answer us if our prayers are intended to bolster the idol of "self" within us. This is clearly addressed in James 4:3: "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
3. We need to remember that prayer is an awesome privilege, afforded to us through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection. To stop praying is to say that Jesus is not able or willing to intervene . . . we in effect say of God, "God you are not powerful enough to do that which we ask or you are too aloof to care about what we're going through." Neither conclusion is true, and in reality is a brazen criticism of His sovereignty and love for us.
Let's be a people of prayer . . . knowing that effective prayer is possible through obedience to His Word.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
What Is Faith After All?
Luke 17:5, 10: "The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' (Jesus later replied) So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"
Having attended church my entire life, I have heard some interesting explanations of "faith" by teachers and preachers. Many have cited Hebrews 11 as the "faith chapter," and they specifically focus upon Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Whereas I believe that Hebrews 11 is a wonderful passage that can be used to better understand the concept of faith, I believe that people have erroneously misinterpreted what faith is from this chapter. For example, I've heard people say, "You just got to believe in God and that is faith" or "You just have to trust God as much as you trust the chair in which you are seated." It seems that people have relegated "faith" to a cognitive assent to the existence of God without any responsive action on their part. Many believe that we just need to know the tenets of the faith without truly practicing them; James 2:17 speaks to this kind of faith as being a "dead faith" (which in reality is no faith at all).
For me, the "faith chapter" of the Bible is Luke 17, for it is here that our Savior defines for the apostles what faith actually is. As the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith, the Lord replied with a story of a servant who had been working for his master, plowing the fields and tending the sheep. When the servant arrived at the master's home after a long day of working in the master's fields, Jesus said that the master would not ask the servant to sit at the table to eat; rather, the master would tell the servant to prepare the master's meal and serve it. Only after that could the servant attend to his own personal needs. Jesus concluded the story by saying that the attitude of the servant should be one of unworthiness at being given the privilege of serving such a great master. Thus, the servant would not begrudge the numerous responsibilities that the master expected of him; rather, he would be honored to do what was considered to be his duty for his lord. This servant was humble, grateful, and surrendered to his master.
Soon after this word of instruction, Jesus encountered 10 lepers who wanted to be healed from their infirmity. Jesus healed them and instructed them to see the priests . . . an instruction that they quickly obeyed. However, only one returned to the Savior shouting praise to Him and falling at His feet in worship and thanksgiving. Jesus noted that this response of surrender and humble praise was the "faith" that saved the one leper who returned.
Afterward, Jesus began a discussion of the coming of the kingdom of God. As He warned His disciples not to worry about when the Son of Man would return in His glory, He mentioned that the world would be quite "faithless" when He returned. Jesus specifically referenced the days of Noah and Lot as the parallel disposition of the people at his second advent. The people of Noah and Lot's era were self-consumed with "eating and drinking, marrying, buying and selling, (etc.)". They were more consumed with their own personal wants than surrendering their wills to the will of God. Jesus warned His disciples to "Remember Lot's wife!" He did so to remind them that this woman was so longing of her selfish appetites that she was willing to defy the commands of the Lord in order that she might reclaim her right to her sensual desires. Jesus continued this warning by telling the disciples, "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." Jesus was reminding His disciples that being a disciple of the Lord necessitated sacrificing "self" on the throne of surrender to the One True God!
So what can we learn from this faith chapter? If we are desirous of an increased faith in our lives, we must be willing to see that we are unworthy servants before the Lord, and that it is a privilege to serve Him in obedience. We must be willing to fall at the feet of the Lord like the cured leper and worship Him above all other persons and things (including ourselves). We must not fall prey to the philosophy of this world that pursues the vanity of self-indulgence; rather, we must "lose our lives" in submission to the Lord as our Master and Savior.
This is faith at its core. It is so much more than mere intellectual awareness to the existence of God; it is capitulation, humility, obedience, and surrender all wrapped up into one. The way that we are able to increase our faith is by examining our heart's disposition to these truths and see if we are following them as an expression of worship to the Lord. If we need to increase our faith, we will start by seeking forgiveness for our not living lives of submission to the Lord. What we are assured is that the Lord is "Faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). This is when our faith begins to grow . . . and this faith pleases the Lord (Hebrews 11:6).
Having attended church my entire life, I have heard some interesting explanations of "faith" by teachers and preachers. Many have cited Hebrews 11 as the "faith chapter," and they specifically focus upon Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Whereas I believe that Hebrews 11 is a wonderful passage that can be used to better understand the concept of faith, I believe that people have erroneously misinterpreted what faith is from this chapter. For example, I've heard people say, "You just got to believe in God and that is faith" or "You just have to trust God as much as you trust the chair in which you are seated." It seems that people have relegated "faith" to a cognitive assent to the existence of God without any responsive action on their part. Many believe that we just need to know the tenets of the faith without truly practicing them; James 2:17 speaks to this kind of faith as being a "dead faith" (which in reality is no faith at all).
For me, the "faith chapter" of the Bible is Luke 17, for it is here that our Savior defines for the apostles what faith actually is. As the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith, the Lord replied with a story of a servant who had been working for his master, plowing the fields and tending the sheep. When the servant arrived at the master's home after a long day of working in the master's fields, Jesus said that the master would not ask the servant to sit at the table to eat; rather, the master would tell the servant to prepare the master's meal and serve it. Only after that could the servant attend to his own personal needs. Jesus concluded the story by saying that the attitude of the servant should be one of unworthiness at being given the privilege of serving such a great master. Thus, the servant would not begrudge the numerous responsibilities that the master expected of him; rather, he would be honored to do what was considered to be his duty for his lord. This servant was humble, grateful, and surrendered to his master.
Soon after this word of instruction, Jesus encountered 10 lepers who wanted to be healed from their infirmity. Jesus healed them and instructed them to see the priests . . . an instruction that they quickly obeyed. However, only one returned to the Savior shouting praise to Him and falling at His feet in worship and thanksgiving. Jesus noted that this response of surrender and humble praise was the "faith" that saved the one leper who returned.
Afterward, Jesus began a discussion of the coming of the kingdom of God. As He warned His disciples not to worry about when the Son of Man would return in His glory, He mentioned that the world would be quite "faithless" when He returned. Jesus specifically referenced the days of Noah and Lot as the parallel disposition of the people at his second advent. The people of Noah and Lot's era were self-consumed with "eating and drinking, marrying, buying and selling, (etc.)". They were more consumed with their own personal wants than surrendering their wills to the will of God. Jesus warned His disciples to "Remember Lot's wife!" He did so to remind them that this woman was so longing of her selfish appetites that she was willing to defy the commands of the Lord in order that she might reclaim her right to her sensual desires. Jesus continued this warning by telling the disciples, "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." Jesus was reminding His disciples that being a disciple of the Lord necessitated sacrificing "self" on the throne of surrender to the One True God!
So what can we learn from this faith chapter? If we are desirous of an increased faith in our lives, we must be willing to see that we are unworthy servants before the Lord, and that it is a privilege to serve Him in obedience. We must be willing to fall at the feet of the Lord like the cured leper and worship Him above all other persons and things (including ourselves). We must not fall prey to the philosophy of this world that pursues the vanity of self-indulgence; rather, we must "lose our lives" in submission to the Lord as our Master and Savior.
This is faith at its core. It is so much more than mere intellectual awareness to the existence of God; it is capitulation, humility, obedience, and surrender all wrapped up into one. The way that we are able to increase our faith is by examining our heart's disposition to these truths and see if we are following them as an expression of worship to the Lord. If we need to increase our faith, we will start by seeking forgiveness for our not living lives of submission to the Lord. What we are assured is that the Lord is "Faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). This is when our faith begins to grow . . . and this faith pleases the Lord (Hebrews 11:6).
Monday, June 30, 2008
What Is Detestable in God's Sight?
Luke 16:15b: "What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight."
Luke 16 is another combative exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees . . . . The Pharisees had been using their positions of religious influence to attain prominent places in the social hierarchy in the Palestine community, and Jesus continued to rebuke their self-aggrandizement under the guise of religion. Because Jesus was challenging the Pharisees' power and prestige in the region, the Pharisees "opposed (Jesus) fiercely . . . waiting to catch Him in something He might say" in order to incriminate Him (Luke 11:53-54).
In the early part of Luke 16, Jesus shared the parable of the shrewd manager to teach a valuable lesson to His hearers, namely that material wealth should be used to bless others and further the kingdom of God. He then chided the Pharisees for their love of money by telling them that only one master could be served . . . and the choice was either God or their love of money. Money per se was not necessarily the inherent problem with the Pharisees; rather it was the insatiable quest for power and prominence that fueled their craving for material wealth. The Pharisees had demonstrated in Luke 14, that they craved the seats of honor at social events; thus, they revealed that their true worship was themselves. Jesus admonished them by telling these religious leaders that they could never be entrusted with the "true riches" of heaven, because they consumed early riches to satisfy their own lust for prominence.
The condition of the Pharisees was exacerbated by their attempt to justify their behavior in the eyes of men. To be sure, the Jerusalem community elevated these religious leaders and were impressed with the accumulated wealth that these leaders were reaping from their pompous religious behavior. The Pharisees did not want to lose what in their minds was a "good thing." They feasted on the attention and power that came with their positions, and they used their positions to control their communities so that they could continue to wield the power that they had acquired.
Jesus knew the hearts of the Pharisees and told them that they sinned by using their positions to "justify (themselves) in the eyes of men" (16:14). Of course the Pharisees hated such a rebuke as this, and they responded with "sneers" at Jesus. Jesus was not willing to retract His statement, but told them that despite the venerated positions that they had acquired in the community, God knew their true hearts. Jesus then told them that these religious positions of pomp and power were utterly detestable to God. Why? Because these Pharisees ultimately wanted people to worship them rather that the One True God. And because these Pharisees were consumed with themselves, they were unwilling to minister to others who truly needed help. These leaders could care less about others because their foundational purpose in life was their own self-adulation.
There is a good word for us here as we reflect upon the behaviors of the Pharisees. Even today, we find people who are striving for positions of power and influence. We also find that our culture's opinion of greatness is predominantly tied to wealth accumulation; the more one has financially, the more impressive a person is to his peers. Jesus is counter-cultural in that He tells us that our allegiance should be to God first, and we should see our material resources as a resource to be used to bless others who are in need. If we are willing to see ourselves as a conduit of blessing from the Lord, charged with ministering to others, then God says that we can be trusted with the eternal treasures that awaiting the faithful in heaven.
We must remember that it is not about us, but it is about our surrendering to Him as Lord and using what He has entrusted to us to further His kingdom for His glory.
Luke 16 is another combative exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees . . . . The Pharisees had been using their positions of religious influence to attain prominent places in the social hierarchy in the Palestine community, and Jesus continued to rebuke their self-aggrandizement under the guise of religion. Because Jesus was challenging the Pharisees' power and prestige in the region, the Pharisees "opposed (Jesus) fiercely . . . waiting to catch Him in something He might say" in order to incriminate Him (Luke 11:53-54).
In the early part of Luke 16, Jesus shared the parable of the shrewd manager to teach a valuable lesson to His hearers, namely that material wealth should be used to bless others and further the kingdom of God. He then chided the Pharisees for their love of money by telling them that only one master could be served . . . and the choice was either God or their love of money. Money per se was not necessarily the inherent problem with the Pharisees; rather it was the insatiable quest for power and prominence that fueled their craving for material wealth. The Pharisees had demonstrated in Luke 14, that they craved the seats of honor at social events; thus, they revealed that their true worship was themselves. Jesus admonished them by telling these religious leaders that they could never be entrusted with the "true riches" of heaven, because they consumed early riches to satisfy their own lust for prominence.
The condition of the Pharisees was exacerbated by their attempt to justify their behavior in the eyes of men. To be sure, the Jerusalem community elevated these religious leaders and were impressed with the accumulated wealth that these leaders were reaping from their pompous religious behavior. The Pharisees did not want to lose what in their minds was a "good thing." They feasted on the attention and power that came with their positions, and they used their positions to control their communities so that they could continue to wield the power that they had acquired.
Jesus knew the hearts of the Pharisees and told them that they sinned by using their positions to "justify (themselves) in the eyes of men" (16:14). Of course the Pharisees hated such a rebuke as this, and they responded with "sneers" at Jesus. Jesus was not willing to retract His statement, but told them that despite the venerated positions that they had acquired in the community, God knew their true hearts. Jesus then told them that these religious positions of pomp and power were utterly detestable to God. Why? Because these Pharisees ultimately wanted people to worship them rather that the One True God. And because these Pharisees were consumed with themselves, they were unwilling to minister to others who truly needed help. These leaders could care less about others because their foundational purpose in life was their own self-adulation.
There is a good word for us here as we reflect upon the behaviors of the Pharisees. Even today, we find people who are striving for positions of power and influence. We also find that our culture's opinion of greatness is predominantly tied to wealth accumulation; the more one has financially, the more impressive a person is to his peers. Jesus is counter-cultural in that He tells us that our allegiance should be to God first, and we should see our material resources as a resource to be used to bless others who are in need. If we are willing to see ourselves as a conduit of blessing from the Lord, charged with ministering to others, then God says that we can be trusted with the eternal treasures that awaiting the faithful in heaven.
We must remember that it is not about us, but it is about our surrendering to Him as Lord and using what He has entrusted to us to further His kingdom for His glory.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Count the Cost, Then Surrender Everything
Luke 14:28-33: "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple."
These words of Jesus were quite provocative for the large crowds that were following the Messiah. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus had been invited by the Pharisees to a banquet at the home of one of their prominent members. The banquet was not to bless Jesus but to trap him, for the Pharisees "carefully watched" Jesus to see if He would do or say anything that could be used to incriminate Him. Jesus in turn used the opportunity to address the spiritual condition of these religious leaders. As Jesus observed the Pharisees scurrying about to sit in the esteemed seats for dinner, He took the time to share a parable to teach them of the importance of replacing their hearts of pride and self-fulfillment with the attitudes of humility and surrender. He did this knowing that pride was the foundational problem with these people, and He instructed them that a person with a humble spirit toward God would in turn be exalted by the Lord. When one of the Pharisees countered Jesus with the rather arrogant proclamation, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God," Jesus knew that this man believed himself to be one of these privileged men who would dine with God. Thus, Jesus responded with the parable of the great banquet, in which the Master called his servants to invite many guests, but many of the expected guests made excuses to refuse the Master's invitation. Jesus used this illustrative story to identify the hardened hearts of the hearers. Jesus knew that these men arrogantly thought themselves worthy of eternal blessedness, but He also knew that these men were calloused toward the Lord of Hosts and were thus refusing His offering to the Great Banquet. They in effect had elevated themselves to the place of a god in their own lives, and thus they were resistant to the notion of surrender to the One True God.
After leaving the banquet, Jesus then began to teach the crowds about God's grace. He began with two different illustrations of a home builder and a king, who both counted the cost of building a home or fighting a battle respectively before charting their course of action. He used these stories to teach the people that each person must contemplate deeply their spiritual conditions and respond accordingly to finish in a way that would gain God's eternal blessing. Jesus told the crowds that a person must make God preeminent in one's life . . . nothing, can supercede the place of God as Lord. This is the key ingredient to salvation; it necessitates that a person repent of the sin of rebellion against God and surrender to Him as Lord (Master). As we receive the solely sufficient gift of grace through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, we respond by removing ourselves from the throne of our lives and bow to the Lord as our Sovereign King. Our wills are conformed to His will, and we choose to follow in obedience to His commands.
Jesus reinforced everything that He had shared with the people by reiterating, "any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple" (14:33). We must relinquish our rights to everything and surrender them to our Savior. We must have an attitude of humility and contrition before the Almighty, and we must seek Him above all persons and things.
Tragically, many of the Pharisees who invited Jesus to the banquet would never count the cost of their arrogant quest for self-adulation. They never contemplated the eternal loss that they would encounter, because deep within their hearts was a desire to usurp the throne of God for themselves, and this lack of sobering reflection would lead to their eventual doom.
There is a good word for each of us here. We all must count the cost of surrender versus rebellion against the Lord. For those who would fall before the Lord with a humble spirit of repentance and submission, God has offered His gift of eternal life. For those who defy the One True Lord for their own wanton desires, only judgment remains.
These words of Jesus were quite provocative for the large crowds that were following the Messiah. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus had been invited by the Pharisees to a banquet at the home of one of their prominent members. The banquet was not to bless Jesus but to trap him, for the Pharisees "carefully watched" Jesus to see if He would do or say anything that could be used to incriminate Him. Jesus in turn used the opportunity to address the spiritual condition of these religious leaders. As Jesus observed the Pharisees scurrying about to sit in the esteemed seats for dinner, He took the time to share a parable to teach them of the importance of replacing their hearts of pride and self-fulfillment with the attitudes of humility and surrender. He did this knowing that pride was the foundational problem with these people, and He instructed them that a person with a humble spirit toward God would in turn be exalted by the Lord. When one of the Pharisees countered Jesus with the rather arrogant proclamation, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God," Jesus knew that this man believed himself to be one of these privileged men who would dine with God. Thus, Jesus responded with the parable of the great banquet, in which the Master called his servants to invite many guests, but many of the expected guests made excuses to refuse the Master's invitation. Jesus used this illustrative story to identify the hardened hearts of the hearers. Jesus knew that these men arrogantly thought themselves worthy of eternal blessedness, but He also knew that these men were calloused toward the Lord of Hosts and were thus refusing His offering to the Great Banquet. They in effect had elevated themselves to the place of a god in their own lives, and thus they were resistant to the notion of surrender to the One True God.
After leaving the banquet, Jesus then began to teach the crowds about God's grace. He began with two different illustrations of a home builder and a king, who both counted the cost of building a home or fighting a battle respectively before charting their course of action. He used these stories to teach the people that each person must contemplate deeply their spiritual conditions and respond accordingly to finish in a way that would gain God's eternal blessing. Jesus told the crowds that a person must make God preeminent in one's life . . . nothing, can supercede the place of God as Lord. This is the key ingredient to salvation; it necessitates that a person repent of the sin of rebellion against God and surrender to Him as Lord (Master). As we receive the solely sufficient gift of grace through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, we respond by removing ourselves from the throne of our lives and bow to the Lord as our Sovereign King. Our wills are conformed to His will, and we choose to follow in obedience to His commands.
Jesus reinforced everything that He had shared with the people by reiterating, "any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple" (14:33). We must relinquish our rights to everything and surrender them to our Savior. We must have an attitude of humility and contrition before the Almighty, and we must seek Him above all persons and things.
Tragically, many of the Pharisees who invited Jesus to the banquet would never count the cost of their arrogant quest for self-adulation. They never contemplated the eternal loss that they would encounter, because deep within their hearts was a desire to usurp the throne of God for themselves, and this lack of sobering reflection would lead to their eventual doom.
There is a good word for each of us here. We all must count the cost of surrender versus rebellion against the Lord. For those who would fall before the Lord with a humble spirit of repentance and submission, God has offered His gift of eternal life. For those who defy the One True Lord for their own wanton desires, only judgment remains.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Causes of Pain & Tragedy
Luke 13:1-5: "Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them-do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.'"
Tragedy and pain are realities for all of us who live on this earth . . . to be sure, these difficult experiences are packaged differently for each of us, but they are nonetheless very real and very painful.
One of the difficulties in ascribing causation to our pain is the uncertainty as to what brings it to pass, and one can worsen the situation by inappropriately attributing certain explanations that in fact are not the causes. Many of us have heard of horror stories in which a person struggling with a sickness is told by "concerned" friends that their sickness is the result of the person's sinful behavior or a lack of faith. We also have heard stories of those who advocate a "prosperity gospel" tell those who struggle financially that their penury is the result of their lack of faith. Tragically, many of those who struggle with pain in their lives are weighed down even more with the burden of the flawed causation conclusions by their friends. We saw this with Job, when his friend Zophar told him that his sins were bringing the bombardment of destruction in his life. Zophar told Job, "Will no one rebuke you when you mock? . . . Oh, how I wish that God would speak, that he would open his lips against you . . . . Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin" (Job 11:2-6). In the end, Job was vindicated for his faithfulness to the Lord, and God commanded that Job must pray for his friend, otherwise God would judge Zophar for his erred counsel (Job 42:7-9).
Tragedy and pain are realities for all of us who live on this earth . . . to be sure, these difficult experiences are packaged differently for each of us, but they are nonetheless very real and very painful.
One of the difficulties in ascribing causation to our pain is the uncertainty as to what brings it to pass, and one can worsen the situation by inappropriately attributing certain explanations that in fact are not the causes. Many of us have heard of horror stories in which a person struggling with a sickness is told by "concerned" friends that their sickness is the result of the person's sinful behavior or a lack of faith. We also have heard stories of those who advocate a "prosperity gospel" tell those who struggle financially that their penury is the result of their lack of faith. Tragically, many of those who struggle with pain in their lives are weighed down even more with the burden of the flawed causation conclusions by their friends. We saw this with Job, when his friend Zophar told him that his sins were bringing the bombardment of destruction in his life. Zophar told Job, "Will no one rebuke you when you mock? . . . Oh, how I wish that God would speak, that he would open his lips against you . . . . Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin" (Job 11:2-6). In the end, Job was vindicated for his faithfulness to the Lord, and God commanded that Job must pray for his friend, otherwise God would judge Zophar for his erred counsel (Job 42:7-9).
In the Luke 13 passage, Jesus is told of the horrific episodes of the death of the Galileans at the hand of the Procurator Pilot as well as the death of eighteen people from the fallen tower at Siloam. Whereas Jesus' audience seemed to be looking for Jesus to attribute sin as the determining cause for this misfortune, Jesus taught the people that these events were not the result of any guilt of the people. This response by the Lord would have been a surprise to his hearers, for in this culture, tragedy was invariably linked with personal sin. We find this response in the story of the blind man in John 9. When Jesus and His disciples passed by where this man sat, the disciples asked Jesus who had sinned to bring this blindness into this man's life. The disciples thought that such a physical loss must have been the result of either his sin or the sin of his parents. Jesus corrected their flawed thinking by saying that no sin had occurred, but "this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" (John 9:3). God had permitted this event to occur so that He might display His power to heal . . . a miracle that was attributed to God alone (see Exodus 4:11; Psalm 146:8). This powerful healing of Jesus caused people to wonder about Jesus' claims to be the Messiah, for they said, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs? . . . . Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" (John 9:16b,21b). We know that the blind man believed in Jesus and worshiped Him after he was healed; so God used the man's physical handicap to bring the man both physical and spiritual sight. He also used the event to display His authority and position as Lord, and many began to ponder His claims as God (John 8:58; 10:30).
We also know that believers in Christ SHOULD expect painful trials at the hands of disgruntled pagans, who hate the exclusivity of the gospel. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:12-13 not to be surprised at the "painful trials (we) are experiencing, as though something strange were happening to (us). But rejoice that (we) participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that (we) may be overjoyed when His (Christ's) glory is revealed." This misfortune is not the result of personal sin in the Christian's life; rather, it is suffering for the Christian's stand for the truth of Christ as Lord!
Now, we would be incorrect to assume that ALL tragedies are not the result of sinful behavior in our lives, for the Scriptures tell us that certain fates will befall those who perpetuate sin. Proverbs 6:10-11 is a perfect example, when it says, "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-and poverty will come on you like a bandit." If a person is lax in his diligence to be resourceful with his life, he can expect that his life will be filled with financial struggles.
Still, we must be cautious in determining the cause of pain in a person's life. Whereas some pain may in fact be caused by our sin, some tragedies are not the result of our sin. We live in a fallen world that is filled with unfortunate experiences, and we all can be subjected to the personal losses that come through those experiences. This gives us even more reason to look forward to the blessedness of eternity, where we will not have to worry about pain or tragedy (see Revelation 21:3-4 for a great word of encouragement).
One certainty that we DO find in the Luke 13 passage above is the importance of our repentance and submission to Jesus as Lord. Whereas Jesus teaches us of the uncertainty of the cause of physical tragedy in our lives, He reinforces the ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY of spiritual destruction for those who do not repent and surrender to the Lord. If a person chooses to defy the Lord of Hosts through spiritual rebellion, then the eternal judgment that befalls that man can be attributed to none other than his own sinfulness. Jesus is emphatic in His repetition of this truth . . . and we must pay attention to it.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Interpreting the Times
Luke 12:54-56: "He (Jesus) said to the crowd: 'When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?'"
This very interesting admonishment by Jesus is wedged between our Lord's words of warning of coming judgment for those who do not surrender themselves to His Lordship. At the beginning of Luke 12, Jesus warns His hearers of the One who has the "power to throw (a person) into hell" . . . namely God Himself (12:5). Jesus interjects the consequence for those who would fail to surrender to Christ as Lord (which is the foundational message propagated by the Holy Spirit); specifically, He said that these reprobate would be "disowned before the angels of God" in eternity (12:9).
Jesus then shares with the people the parable of the rich fool . . . a man who was consumed with himself and his wealth accumulation and was indifferent to his relationship with God. This man in effect sought his own lordship over everyone and everything else. On the day of his death, his riches were not able to help his plot; he would be cast into the depths of hell for eternal punishment. And so Jesus concludes the parable by telling His hearers not to be consumed with the things that pagans pursue, but be consumed with the Kingdom of God.
Jesus reinforces his homily by telling the people of the story of the faithful versus the unfaithful servant. The context of this story has to do with the preparedness of individuals for the coming of the Son of Man (Jesus). For those who have hearts attune to Jesus' will and are surrendered to Him as Lord, Jesus will bring eternal blessing; for those who defy the Lordship of Christ by the pursuit of their own lordship, Jesus will "cut (them) to pieces and assign (them) a place with the unbelievers" (12:46). Jesus then lets his hearers know that He has come into the world to bring division between family and friends. Some will hear His words and respond with repentance and obedience, whereas others will rebel against such expectations, for it counters their quest for self-supremacy.
After the featured passage above (12:54-56), Jesus warns the people that unless they repent they will perish (13:5); he then used the illustration of the unproductive fig tree to teach that those who were not productive for the kingdom of God would be cut down. Jesus wanted the people to know that the same fate of the fig tree would befall them if they were unproductive for God's kingdom.
Now, having seen the context for our cited passage, we see that Jesus is warning the people that they must be discerning as to the times at hand. The Messiah had come into the world to provide salvation, but each person must respond to that offering of grace through submission to Christ as Lord and obedience to His commands. This offering is short lived, for no man knows the duration of time that he has been appointed to live on this earth. As with the rich man in the chapter 12 parable whose life was suddenly taken away, so too each man is not guaranteed another day. Jesus is telling His hearers to understand that today is the day of salvation . . . tomorrow may be too late. Each of us must understand that we are given the opportunity to surrender to Him as our Lord and Savior, which necessitates that we kick ourselves off the throne of our own lives and seek Jesus above all other things. We are no longer consumed with self-adulation and self-fulfillment as the end of all things; rather, we are committed to serving the Lord as our Eternal King.
For those who fail to interpret the time of God's offering of grace ultimately will stand before a Holy and Righteous God in judgment. God will disown that person (12:9) and will assign that person to the place of eternal torment with other unbelievers (12:46).
This very interesting admonishment by Jesus is wedged between our Lord's words of warning of coming judgment for those who do not surrender themselves to His Lordship. At the beginning of Luke 12, Jesus warns His hearers of the One who has the "power to throw (a person) into hell" . . . namely God Himself (12:5). Jesus interjects the consequence for those who would fail to surrender to Christ as Lord (which is the foundational message propagated by the Holy Spirit); specifically, He said that these reprobate would be "disowned before the angels of God" in eternity (12:9).
Jesus then shares with the people the parable of the rich fool . . . a man who was consumed with himself and his wealth accumulation and was indifferent to his relationship with God. This man in effect sought his own lordship over everyone and everything else. On the day of his death, his riches were not able to help his plot; he would be cast into the depths of hell for eternal punishment. And so Jesus concludes the parable by telling His hearers not to be consumed with the things that pagans pursue, but be consumed with the Kingdom of God.
Jesus reinforces his homily by telling the people of the story of the faithful versus the unfaithful servant. The context of this story has to do with the preparedness of individuals for the coming of the Son of Man (Jesus). For those who have hearts attune to Jesus' will and are surrendered to Him as Lord, Jesus will bring eternal blessing; for those who defy the Lordship of Christ by the pursuit of their own lordship, Jesus will "cut (them) to pieces and assign (them) a place with the unbelievers" (12:46). Jesus then lets his hearers know that He has come into the world to bring division between family and friends. Some will hear His words and respond with repentance and obedience, whereas others will rebel against such expectations, for it counters their quest for self-supremacy.
After the featured passage above (12:54-56), Jesus warns the people that unless they repent they will perish (13:5); he then used the illustration of the unproductive fig tree to teach that those who were not productive for the kingdom of God would be cut down. Jesus wanted the people to know that the same fate of the fig tree would befall them if they were unproductive for God's kingdom.
Now, having seen the context for our cited passage, we see that Jesus is warning the people that they must be discerning as to the times at hand. The Messiah had come into the world to provide salvation, but each person must respond to that offering of grace through submission to Christ as Lord and obedience to His commands. This offering is short lived, for no man knows the duration of time that he has been appointed to live on this earth. As with the rich man in the chapter 12 parable whose life was suddenly taken away, so too each man is not guaranteed another day. Jesus is telling His hearers to understand that today is the day of salvation . . . tomorrow may be too late. Each of us must understand that we are given the opportunity to surrender to Him as our Lord and Savior, which necessitates that we kick ourselves off the throne of our own lives and seek Jesus above all other things. We are no longer consumed with self-adulation and self-fulfillment as the end of all things; rather, we are committed to serving the Lord as our Eternal King.
For those who fail to interpret the time of God's offering of grace ultimately will stand before a Holy and Righteous God in judgment. God will disown that person (12:9) and will assign that person to the place of eternal torment with other unbelievers (12:46).
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The Most Attractive Wife
Proverbs 31:10-11: "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value."
If there is one thing that perplexes me in our culture today, it is the selective process by which people decide to marry. One only needs to watch the evening news to see celebrities cycling out of relationships as quickly as they entered into them. The qualifications for which people are looking in choosing a prospective mate are superficial at best . . . physical appearance, social popularity, wealth, etc. There seems to be little concern for the more nobler characteristics that make a person truly beautiful, and this inattention to these qualities is leading couples into the abyss of relational destruction.
King Lemuel in Proverbs 31 tells us that the wife is more precious than fine treasure. Listen to the characteristics that are identified:
31:11: "Her husband has full confidence in her." This husband never has to wonder about his wife's loyalties. She is consistently dependable and faithful to her husband relationally, emotionally, and physically.
31:12: "She brings him good, not harm" Because this wife is driven by Godly principle and because she is consciously committed to ministering to her husband, she is a perpetual blessing to him. This wife is not restless in coveting that which her family does not have; rather, she is satisfied in the coventantal commitment of love that she and her husband have for one another. Never would one hear from her expressions like, "he doesn't meet my needs anymore" or "I want more than what my husband can give me."
31:13, 27: "She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands . . . . She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." This wife is industrious and diligent to accomplish things with her life. She doesn't sit around the house eating junk food and watching daytime soaps. She works hard to reach her fullest potential for her Lord, her family, and herself.
31:14: "She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar." She is dependable to her husband; like the merchant ships of ancient history that would carry to port precious commodities for the benefit of the ship owner, so too she brings an abundant supply of blessing to her husband. Her husband delights each night in returning to home from a hard day's work, knowing that the fellowship with his wife will be sweet and fulfilling.
31:15: "She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls." Notice that this wife is willing to sacrifice her needs for the benefit of others. She is not self-absorbed, but wants to bless those around her, even if this selfless commitment to others presents inconveniences for her. She is also equitable to those within her household; this wife does not play favorites within the home.
31:16 "She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard." This wife is perceptive, which means that she is observant and is able to discern what will be a blessing for her family. She also contributes to the well-being of her family. She doesn't have the mindset that her husband should take care of her and leave her to live a life of stagnancy and laziness.
31:17: "She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks." This wife is assertive, goal-oriented, and disciplined. She sees work that needs to be done and resolves to get it done.
31:20: "She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." This wife is generous to others. She is not consumed with her own needs to the detriment of others, but she looks to be a blessing to those in need.
31:21: "When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet." This wife is a preparer for the future; she blesses her family by being prepared for the unexpected circumstances that could befall them down the road.
31:23: "Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land." This wife is not an embarrassment to her husband. Her behavior in public is constructive and gracious; thus, it brings honor to her husband.
31:26: "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." This woman's tongue is not used as a weapon against others, nor does she speak words that would convey shallowness and immaturity. She speaks words of wisdom and truth, and the people respect her for such "faithful instruction."
31:28: "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her." Notice that this wife is such a blessing to her family, that her children and her husband praise her in response. There is no dysfunction in this home, for this wife is mature, honorable, and dependable.
Again, for a culture that seems to elevate superficial qualities like charm and physical beauty as determinants for prospective mates, the word of God has a word of warning: "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." Single men, be wise in your discernment for a wife. Do not fall prey to the entrapments of the foolish philosophies of this world; rather, seek wise counsel from the Holy Scriptures, for then you will find the most attractive wife.
Of course, there is a further word of direction for you as you pursue this woman. If you expect a Godly woman to be attracted to you in return, you too must demonstrate all of these same Godly characteristics of honor, dependability, integrity, resourcefulness, discipline, etc. Otherwise you are wasting your time in pursuing a Proverbs 31 woman.
If there is one thing that perplexes me in our culture today, it is the selective process by which people decide to marry. One only needs to watch the evening news to see celebrities cycling out of relationships as quickly as they entered into them. The qualifications for which people are looking in choosing a prospective mate are superficial at best . . . physical appearance, social popularity, wealth, etc. There seems to be little concern for the more nobler characteristics that make a person truly beautiful, and this inattention to these qualities is leading couples into the abyss of relational destruction.
King Lemuel in Proverbs 31 tells us that the wife is more precious than fine treasure. Listen to the characteristics that are identified:
31:11: "Her husband has full confidence in her." This husband never has to wonder about his wife's loyalties. She is consistently dependable and faithful to her husband relationally, emotionally, and physically.
31:12: "She brings him good, not harm" Because this wife is driven by Godly principle and because she is consciously committed to ministering to her husband, she is a perpetual blessing to him. This wife is not restless in coveting that which her family does not have; rather, she is satisfied in the coventantal commitment of love that she and her husband have for one another. Never would one hear from her expressions like, "he doesn't meet my needs anymore" or "I want more than what my husband can give me."
31:13, 27: "She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands . . . . She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." This wife is industrious and diligent to accomplish things with her life. She doesn't sit around the house eating junk food and watching daytime soaps. She works hard to reach her fullest potential for her Lord, her family, and herself.
31:14: "She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar." She is dependable to her husband; like the merchant ships of ancient history that would carry to port precious commodities for the benefit of the ship owner, so too she brings an abundant supply of blessing to her husband. Her husband delights each night in returning to home from a hard day's work, knowing that the fellowship with his wife will be sweet and fulfilling.
31:15: "She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls." Notice that this wife is willing to sacrifice her needs for the benefit of others. She is not self-absorbed, but wants to bless those around her, even if this selfless commitment to others presents inconveniences for her. She is also equitable to those within her household; this wife does not play favorites within the home.
31:16 "She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard." This wife is perceptive, which means that she is observant and is able to discern what will be a blessing for her family. She also contributes to the well-being of her family. She doesn't have the mindset that her husband should take care of her and leave her to live a life of stagnancy and laziness.
31:17: "She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks." This wife is assertive, goal-oriented, and disciplined. She sees work that needs to be done and resolves to get it done.
31:20: "She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." This wife is generous to others. She is not consumed with her own needs to the detriment of others, but she looks to be a blessing to those in need.
31:21: "When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet." This wife is a preparer for the future; she blesses her family by being prepared for the unexpected circumstances that could befall them down the road.
31:23: "Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land." This wife is not an embarrassment to her husband. Her behavior in public is constructive and gracious; thus, it brings honor to her husband.
31:26: "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." This woman's tongue is not used as a weapon against others, nor does she speak words that would convey shallowness and immaturity. She speaks words of wisdom and truth, and the people respect her for such "faithful instruction."
31:28: "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her." Notice that this wife is such a blessing to her family, that her children and her husband praise her in response. There is no dysfunction in this home, for this wife is mature, honorable, and dependable.
Again, for a culture that seems to elevate superficial qualities like charm and physical beauty as determinants for prospective mates, the word of God has a word of warning: "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." Single men, be wise in your discernment for a wife. Do not fall prey to the entrapments of the foolish philosophies of this world; rather, seek wise counsel from the Holy Scriptures, for then you will find the most attractive wife.
Of course, there is a further word of direction for you as you pursue this woman. If you expect a Godly woman to be attracted to you in return, you too must demonstrate all of these same Godly characteristics of honor, dependability, integrity, resourcefulness, discipline, etc. Otherwise you are wasting your time in pursuing a Proverbs 31 woman.
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