See...Believe...Tell

See…Believe…Tell

     I’ve been getting reacquainted with a couple of old friends -  Matthew and Mark. 

     My relationship with these two started way back in Primary Sunday school and we’ve stayed in touch, here and there, throughout adulthood.  As familiar as these two “old friends” are, I marvel at how God reveals something fresh to me every time I dive into His ancient words.

     This time around, my focus has been on the disciples. I must admit, they make me so mad sometimes.  First, they follow him because of his miracles and his reputation. No background checks or anything.  When he begins to perform the miracles, though, they seem confused. He heals the sick, raises the dead, drives out demons and yet, the disciples still question him and seem rather clueless as to whom they are dealing with.

     They watched him drive out demons from a possessed man into a herd of pigs.  Now, the interesting thing here is that Legion, (the band of demons who were in the pigs) knew who Jesus was.  The demon calls him The Son of God.  Legion feared Jesus and begged him not to withdraw them from the man but to transfer their demonic deposit into a herd of pigs.  Jesus did. The joke was on them – pigs don’t take kindly to being demon possessed and ran down a steep bank and into the lake where they drowned. (Matthew 8). The demons recognized the Son of God for who he was, but the disciples were still slow to catch on.

     The disciples watched, not once, but twice as Jesus single handedly took a Happy Meal and king sized it to feed thousands of people.  I can’t imagine how the disciples felt as they continued to dip their hand in the baskets and pull from the abundance.  They must have shaken their heads as they gathered up over twelve baskets full of leftovers. I’m sure their thoughts were racing with wonder.

     Jesus asked them at one point in Matthew who they thought he was.  Peter admitted that he believed him to be the Christ.  This happened just after Peter decided to test the waters himself.  Jesus was walking toward them on the water. Peter said, “Lord if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.”  Jesus said, “Come”.  Peter did, and it was exhilarating, until he took his eyes off the Savior. Fear crept in and he began to sink. 

     But did Peter really believe Jesus was the son of God as he said he did.  Apparently, he was a little wishy washy in his faith because after Jesus was arrested Peter openly denied him three times, just as Jesus said that he would. 

     What about those Zebedee boys?  You know, those little momma’s boys, James and John, whose well intentioned mother asked Jesus if he could guarantee her boys a spot of honor on the throne? In the worlds first recorded example of helicopter parenting – she boldly asked if one could sit at his right and one at his left? Mrs. Zebedee recognized Jesus’ royal status, but she had no idea what a divine ruler he would be. 

     I get mad at those disciples.  Why didn’t they fully get it? 

I’m going to stray from the course here a bit and relay a funny story…stick with me, I have a point.  Recently, my husband, who was a college baseball coach at one time, ran into a dad of one of his former players.  This man knows my husband well. He knows what he stands for on and off the field, so he found great humor in relaying this story about our son that happened about 19 years ago.   

     As you can imagine, having a dad as a baseball coach is a dream come true for most little boys and our Zachary was no exception.  He was at his happiest when on the diamond. (It is now his career). After the game was over, though, was when the fun really began for Zac.  That empty diamond was his paradise.  He ran the bases, sliding into each one, took some swings with his whiffle bat and basically got as dirty as possible. 

     One day after a game, our friend and some of the other dads were standing around visiting, when Zac decided to climb the fence behind home plate.  Now, these dads knew that coach would not be happy with Zac if he saw him climbing the fence for a couple of reasons.  A). he might get hurt B). the fence might get hurt.  Not wanting to see Zac get in trouble they took it upon themselves to tell him to get down.  To which Zac replied… “Do you KNOW who my dad is?”  Oh boy!  The dads all got a good chuckle out of this, because, yes, indeed, they did know who his dad was! Thus, the reason they wanted him to get down!  Our family has had many good laughs about this, now!  Good thing for Zac, we didn’t know this took place when it did.

     Now, back to the disciples.  As I’m reading the gospels and caught up in the disbelief that the disciples can’t see the obvious, I’m secretly rallying for Jesus and wishing he’d ask the same questions as Zac.  “Do you KNOW who my dad is?” 

Unlike Zac, Jesus didn’t use his “My dad is a big shot” status to bring the disciples around.  No, he chose to teach them the character of his Father so that they too, could have personal relationship with him.  The disciples had seen with their eyes, but they needed to understand in their hearts who Jesus truly was.  He was more than a teacher and miracle worker.   He was the Son of God!  The Messiah! The prophesied King of Kings!  The Great I am!  The ONE THEY HAD BEEN WAITING FOR! 

     It's easy to shake my head at the disciples.  But who am I to do so?  After all, I am a believer because of these great things Jesus did on their watch.  They had no one before them.  They sacrificially followed him with blind faith and hopeful ambition.  The miracles performed in front of this first group of Jesus’ friends and the stories they’ve recorded is all part of my faith journey.  Their accounts in the gospels of his death and resurrection are the foundation on which my faith is laid.

      Even as they gathered on the mountain to witness Jesus’ ascension, some still doubted.  But then He spoke to them about the magnitude of his authority and commissioned them to go make disciples of the nations.

     Their heads and their hearts eventually collided. The skepticism and doubt eventually faded as they began to fully understand the mission in which they had been called. Their eyes were opened wide to whom they were following, and they were forever changed. Because of their stories, so am I.

The disciples are the pioneers of our faith.  They tested the waters (literally in Peter’s case) and they paved the way for us to follow in their footsteps.  They witnessed the miracles of the Savior, first hand, and testified to His goodness so that I could be saved. They saw…they believed…they told.

     Do I follow suit?  I don’t have the honor of visibly watching Jesus touch a leper and make him clean, but I have experienced His healing.  I didn’t gather leftover fish and bread on a hillside, but he has met my physical needs every single day of my life.  I haven’t watched him calm a windswept sea with His words, but His words have calmed the storm in me.

    

Do I see, believe and tell?  Maybe, I need to take some cues from Zac.  Do you KNOW who My Father is?  Allow me to tell you – it will change your life.

Winter vs. Spring

Yesterday, it felt as if winter and spring were in a fight.  Old Man Winter stayed in the battle, spitting his fury in the way of snow and freezing precipitation while spring taunted him from the horizon thrusting the sun through his dreary black clouds.  They warred all day.  Winter spread an icy layer over cars and rooftops while in barns and pastures spring continued to bring forth new life. Despite winter’s chill that forced us to pull up our collars, spring commanded the fat Robins to sing and build their nests.

     Winter tries desperately to display his might in these last days of battle.  But Spring - she is fresh and full of energy and approaches will full speed.  She will reign victorious (maybe as soon as Thursday according to the weather man).  This fight takes place every year.  We tolerate Winter, sometimes we even enjoy it, but eventually we grow tired of it and no matter how hard we try to wish it away – it lingers.  We crave Spring and all its splendor – the warmth, new life, fresh growth, the segue to summer!  And guess what? Eventually spring will reign victorious and conquer winter and we are satisfied…for a time.

     Friends, this reminds me of the forces that war in my soul all too frequently.  I allow that cold and dark to creep in.  Admittedly, I even revel in it at times.  But it grows old. The dark engulfs me, and I can’t find the light.  I crave the light, but the dark wants to stay and puts up a fight.  All the time, the Light, beckons me out of the dark, but I can’t quite seem to make it there.  I feel as if I’m trudging, still holding loosely to the hand of sin but reaching with fingers open wide and arm fully extended for the grip of my Savior. 

     Do you ever feel this way? Am I the only one that finds myself calling out to God to bring back the springtime in my soul?  I don’t think I’m alone in this battle.  As Christians, we know the journey isn’t going to be easy.

John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in me. you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble, but TAKE HEART, I have overcome the world!”  

     This verse recognizes the ugliness of winter while beautifully proclaiming the promise of spring! He has already overcome the world.  What great hope that gives us. 

     Our pastor defined hope this past Sunday as the expectation that all will be well.  That is our ultimate goal, isn’t it, when enduring the battle of dark vs. light in our life? We desire for it to be “Well with our souls”. 

     The world is loaded with trouble and because of our human nature we get tangled up in its masses.  But God is in the business of untangling and rescuing us from the net of sin and darkness that has trapped us.

1 Corinthians 15:57 says “Thanks be to God.  He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

 

      I forget sometimes that the victory is already mine.  I don’t have to dwell in the winters of my soul – spring has already sprung!  It sprang up on the cross…for me…for my sin…because of His great love. 

     Our identity is not in the circumstances that surround us.  Don’t let the darkness in life define you and rob you of your joy. Be faithful. Trust. Hope. Invite Jesus to shed His light on your darkness, grasp His hand tightly and let Him take the lead. He has already overcome!! He has already taken away the cold and dark of sin.  His hope springs eternal! Claim the Victory today! Battle over! 

But HE was pierced for our transgressions. HE was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon HIM and by HIS wounds WE ARE HEALED!  Is 53:5  

Crossed at the Cross

Several years ago, the Ministerial Association in our town developed a Drive-Through Good Friday Service.  Stations of the cross are set up in an empty parking lot and folks from the participating churches show up in costume to fill the spots at the stations. Twelve men are seated around a table to depict the Last Supper, an angry mob follows a bloodied Jesus as he carries his cross, women kneel at the foot of three crosses that depict the cross of Christ and the two thieves and finally the tomb where he lay.  Folks drive up in their cars and are handed a paper with the scriptures applicable to each station.  They can drive by each station and read the scripture pertaining to it, following the last days of Jesus and his death in a time of remembrance and reflection.  At the end of the path Lay-persons from the churches are waiting to serve observers communion in their vehicle and pray for them.

It’s truly a wonderful concept and for the most part has been well received by community and tourists.  The first two years the idea was new and exciting, and folks were eager to pitch in.  But, as it is with many things of this nature, the timing in which it happens (spring break week) and the other events taking place in town, the interest in participating is waning.

I can understand why, I wasn’t much interested in helping again this year. I didn’t sign up to help when our Pastor put out the plea for it. I’ve helped every year, isn’t it someone else’s turn?  I freeze every time and is it worth it to sit in the freezing cold, and have a few cars drive by to observe?

Not many signed up to help, not many churches in the Ministerial Association were fully engaged in it.  I felt obligated to my Pastor, my church and my community to fill a role.  So, out of obligation I begrudgingly draped myself in a sheet, (my costume) and headed uptown on a 32- degree morning already anticipating the ending time of 1:00.  I drug my feet, I even voiced my disgruntlement to my family stating, “I wish I didn’t have to do this!” 

WRONG ATTITUDE!!!

Folks were gathered and  taking their places when I arrived. Pastors were trying to spread the sparse turn-out amongst the stations.  There was no one to stand at the three crosses that depicted Christ and the two thieves that were crucified with him.  So, I grabbed a lawn chair from my trunk and with a pastor’s help draped my sheet over it and me to disguise it a bit and got ready to wait out the two hours, dreaming of the hot soup I would make when I got home.

I was cold, I was sore, and I DIDN’T WANT TO BE THERE!  But guess what?  As I looked up at the middle cross from my seat below it I was humbled, and I came to the harsh realization…neither did Jesus.

He didn’t really want to be mocked, spit on, beaten, have nails pounded into his hands and feet.  He didn’t really look forward to the excruciating pain of dying on a cross.  Scripture tells us he even asked his Father to take this cup from him.  And, in the midst, of his torture and agony he cried out to His Father asking him why he had forsaken him.

BUT HE DID IT ANYWAY!

He did it for me because He loved me that much!  Can’t I do this two hours in the cold for Him because I love him that much?  Because I’m thankful that much? Not out of obligation to anyone but, can’t I suffer just this little bit, out of appreciation and adoration of the one who took my sin and shame to that cross on that wretched day? 

                Ashamed. Humbled. Grateful. Suddenly I wasn’t so cold.  Suddenly my self-centered, self-righteous thoughts lay crumpled in a heap at the foot of that cross.  I stood up, I ditched the chair and my pompous attitude, and I WORSHIPED! 

These lyrics played through my mind and a hum rose up in my chest as I stared at the cross while passersby observed my worship.

                Thank you, oh my Father

                For sending us Your Son

And leaving your Spirit here ‘till Your work on earth is done.

A little cold and a couple hours of my time.  Part of the work on earth? Maybe?  But mostly a check in my attitude!