The Resurrection

Growing up, I was quite lucky. I was privileged enough to be among the graduating class of 2000, the first class to graduate high school in the new millennium. While people made a big deal about this as graduation approached, the hoopla all began back in kindergarten.

Being well-educated, the teachers and school administrators could do the math and figure out a class starting kindergarten in the fall of 1987 would graduate in the year 2000. When we started kindergarten, they all made a huge deal about this. They had us draw pictures and filled out information about each child so that we could put it all in a time capsule under a tree that was planted that first day. The plan was to then dig it up upon graduation. We even took a video of each child in my class reciting our names, hobbies, favorite things, and even what we wanted to be when we grew up.

I’ve always known that I was unique, in a good way of course. As we made that video, some of the children told about their hobbies in farming and how they wanted to be a farmer when they grew up. Others said they wanted to be a firefighter or a police officer. At that point in my life I was very much into dinosaurs. I had dinosaur toys, dinosaur sheets, my mom had even bought me a dinosaur encyclopedia, and I tried to learn all the different dinosaurs and how to pronounce their names. So when it came time for me to do my video, I knew exactly what I was going to say. I knew for certain what I was going to be when I grew up. I was going to be a paleontologist, and yes, as an almost six-year-old boy, I stood in front of the camera clearly stated, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a paleontologist.”

Fast forward nearly thirty years, and obviously I’m not a paleontologist. Today, I am a pastor, and I was a web developer. Things don’t always turn out the way we plan. This was how it was for a lady named Martha. She and her family were good friends with Jesus, so when her brother, Lazarus, became ill, she sent word to him. She knew who Jesus was and what he was capable of. She knew that if Jesus came to Lazarus that he would be healed. However, that’s not what happened.

As we read this account in John 11, we see that Jesus delays. It was about a day’s travel from Bethany to the Jordan country where Jesus was. After hearing the news, Jesus delayed two days before making the trip. Given that timeline, it’s very likely that Lazarus had died shortly after the messengers had left to find Jesus, because we’re told that when Jesus arrived that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days.

When Jesus arrives he meets with Martha and she tells him that her plan was that he would have come and healed her brother. She says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” We can see by the context that she’s not accusing him of anything. Even if Jesus hadn’t waited the two days, Lazarus still would have been dead for two days by the time he had arrived. It’s evidenced by her words that she still believes in Jesus and his power. She tells him, “I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

But this conversation leads to a more interesting point, one that I want us to focus our attention on. Jesus tells Martha that Lazarus will rise again. After she seems to misunderstand what Jesus is saying, he clarifies with the words found in John 11:25-26.

Throughout the gospel of John we see Jesus making a number of these claims. In John 6:35 he says, “I am the bread of life.” In John 8:12 he says, “I am the light of the world.” In John 14:6 he says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Here he declares, “I am the resurrection, and the life.” He’s talking about more here than merely raising Lazarus. Spoiler alert, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.

Jesus states that he is the resurrection and the life. He starts at the point of death. “He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” We spoke a few weeks ago about this word believes. I know not everyone hangs on every word I say, so bear with me as I reiterate. This “believe” that Jesus is speaking of is more than a simple head knowledge. I believe many things. I believe this has been quite a mild winter. I believe that George Washington was our first president, but these are a mere head knowledge. Jesus’ belief is more like trust. I could take a stool and tell you that I believe that it will support my weight. However, it’s not until I take action, sit on this stool and put my full weight on it that I’m placing my trust in it. My belief is demonstrated by my action. This is the belief that Jesus is speaking of when he says, “He who believes in me.”

With that out of the way, let’s look at what happens to the person who believes. Jesus says, “He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” Immediately our minds go to Lazarus, the man currently in the grave, but Jesus isn’t speaking merely of a physical death. He’s speaking of a spiritual life that goes beyond our physical bodies. This is why he can say he will live even though he dies. Unless the Lord comes, each of us will experience physical death. When he says, “[he] will live, even though he dies,” he’s contrasting this spiritual life versus this physical death. Even though our physical bodies will deteriorate and fade away, even though one day our loved ones will place our physical bodies in the ground, for those that believe and trust in him, it won’t be the end of the road. We will continue in fellowship with God for all eternity.

This life, however, is more than just for those who are dead. Jesus goes on to say, “Whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Again, we’re not speaking of physical death and physical life. The one that lives and places their trust and belief in Jesus will never face spiritual death. If we believe in Jesus, we will never be separated from God.

An interesting point to note from the original Greek, the word translated here as “never” is actually two words, uo and mē. Both mean not or never. This would seem to be a double negative, “you will never never die.” In English grammar, a double negative is a big no-no. When we say, “I don’t got no money,” or “I don’t want none,” we end up saying the exact opposite of what we’re intending to say. One of the negatives ends up negating the other. However, we’re dealing with the Greek language here, not English. In Greek, two negatives together, instead of negating each other, end up amplifying each other. The negative becomes that much stronger. With this double negative, when Jesus says, “you will never die,” the negative is amplified to the point where Jesus is actually saying, “You will never, ever die. There’s not a chance. You will most certainly never taste eternal death. You will never, ever be separated from God and his love.” That’s great truth, and it’s all through the power of Jesus for those who believe and place their trust in him.

Today is Easter. It is a day that we in the church set aside in order to celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection. Through his death he paid the price for us. The scriptures tell us that all have sinned and fall short of the righteous standard that God has for us (Romans 3:23). None of us is perfect. Each of us have sinned, but the scriptures also tell us that the wages of sin, the price that must be paid for sin, is death (Romans 6:23). Jesus paid the price for sin so that we don’t have to, and he demonstrated his power over sin and death by raising himself from the dead. His own resurrection is a testament to the power that he holds over death. He is the resurrection and the life, and he’s extending that offer to you. All you have to do is believe and trust in him. Believe he is who he says he is, believe that he is the resurrection and the life and place your trust in him.

In today’s society, we are bombarded left and right with what we should and shouldn’t do. In our schools we’re taught that we’re nothing more than molecules in motion. We have no reason for being here, and therefore you might as well eat, drink, and be happy for tomorrow you will die. But the truth is that there is so much more.

Jesus took on flesh that he might pay the price for our sin. After being beaten and humiliated, he was nailed to a cross that he might die a criminal’s death. In so doing, he paid the price for our sin, but that’s not the end of the story. Today we celebrate the fact that he rose again. He is the resurrection and the life. The question before you now is the same question Jesus asked Martha. Do you believe this?

We could go back and forth on the details of what this means for you life, and I’ll gladly speak with anyone that wants to discuss this, but it will always come back to this question. Do you believe this? Do you believe that Jesus is who he said he is. Do you believe that he is the resurrection and the life? Do you believe that he has power over death and the grave? But more importantly, will you place your trust in him?

Jesus’ Prayer

Every Tuesday morning, the area pastors get together for a time of prayer. We have pastors from Baptist churches, Lutheran churches, Evangelical churches, Congregational churches, etc. If a particular denomination is represented in this town, it’s likely represented on Tuesday mornings. When I first came to Beulah, this fact astonished me. 

Having just come out of Bible college, one of the things that still fascinates me is the differing doctrines between denominations. I’ve grown up in the Church of the Nazarene and have attended a Nazarene school in preparation for ministry. I have a pretty good grasp on the doctrine of the Church of the Nazarene. However, I can’t say the same about the Baptist church or the Lutheran church. As I was finishing up school and as I’ve begun to meet with these other pastors, I’ve wondered, “What’s different between our beliefs? What separates us from them?”

Typically the differences between denominations are very small. Such as with the Lutherans, we owe much of our doctrine to their founder Martin Luther. In fact, we agree on most every doctrine except a few, entire sanctification and Communion being the two major differences. In regards to the Baptist church, while we subscribe to the teachings of Jacob Arminius regarding salvation and predestination, the Baptist church holds to the teachings of John Calvin. While we start at two very different points, we both come to the same mission and the same goal. We must seek out the lost that they might be saved through the blood of Jesus.

In many communities, collaboration between denominations simply doesn’t happen. We get caught up in our doctrinal differences and instead of working together for the common mission, we argue and fight over trivial matters of how God saves the lost rather than focusing on the fact that it is only through the blood of Christ that the lost can be saved.

This quarreling isn’t unique between denominations either. I grew up in the Nazarene church, but as a child I was never concerned with the inner workings of the church or the relationships between local churches. However, as I grew up and became involved in ministry, one thing I noticed happening more often than it should have been was Nazarene churches in close proximity arguing over people. This church had the desire to do something and didn’t have the means, but other churches didn’t want to work with this church because they feared they would steal their people. This church wanted to hold an event or outreach, but other churches refused to promote it or even tell their people about it because they didn’t want the other church to steal their people.

This bickering and fighting between denominations and churches was not Jesus’ desire. In fact, his desire was completely the opposite. This is recorded in John 17. Leading up to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion we have the opportunity to listen in on a prayer that he is praying. He begins in verses 1-5 praying for himself as he’s preparing to face the cross he knows is to come. From there he turns his focus to his disciples. As much as he knows the trials he is to face, he also knows their trials will be great as well, so he prays that God would give them strength to face the trials as they come. Finally, in verse 20, Jesus broadens his scope beyond himself and beyond his disciples to the church as a whole. He states, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” (John 17:20)

Roughly two-thousand years ago, Jesus was praying for the church to come. This wasn’t exclusively the church that would be born in the book of Acts. This isn’t even the Nazarene, Lutheran, or Baptist denominations. The subject of Jesus’ prayer is you. In this passage Jesus is praying for you and every other person that has or ever will come to believe in him through the message of the apostles. That’s humbling if you ask me, that Jesus would take time to pray for me millennia before I was even born. But let’s take a look at the whole scripture. What was Jesus’ prayer for us in John 17:20-26?

As we look at this first verse once again, it’s clear that Jesus is praying for the church to come, those who will believe, but what is his prayer for them… or us? He prays, “that all of them may be one,” but what does that mean?

When we think of oneness and unity, many people like to point out the number of denominations within the church. It seems like you can’t go a year without talk of one denomination or another discussing a potential split. People will often lament and cry for the need of one denomination to which all Christians should adhere. Verses such as this seem to indicate a similar sentiment. Jesus prayed that we would all be one. What better way to unify us than to bring us all together under one global organization.

However, Jesus’ plea for unity was far from a command to be unified under one organization or denomination. It’s not an organization that he’s after. Instead, he desired a unity of heart. This is evidenced in John 17:21. He doesn’t say, “May they be one just like the Roman empire, one head that drives the rest of the body to do its bidding.” He doesn’t say, “May they be one like the zealots that have banded together with a common purpose to overthrow Rome.” His prayer is that those who come to believe in him would be one just as he and the Father are one, a unity founded in the love of the Father. This isn’t an organizational unity, but a unity of love that crosses all denominational and ethnic lines. This is a unity that connects each believer to Christ and the Father and subsequently to each other.

But it doesn’t stop there. Jesus’ prayer wasn’t just that we might be united. His prayer was not that we might have a warm, fuzzy feeling so that we could all stand around holding hands and singing kumbaya. The unity that Christ prayed for was a unity with a purpose, and that purpose is found in John 17:23. The purpose for those who believe in Christ to be united is so that together we might reach this world for Jesus. Unfortunately, when we get caught up in who’s right and who’s wrong in regards to doctrinal and theological issues and we begin to argue about it in the public arena, we begin to lose all credibility. A friendly debate covering theology and doctrine is fine. I love a good conversation with somebody I disagree with. It’s when our passion for the doctrine and theology overcomes our desire to love like Christ that it becomes a problem. Instead, we must be united in Christ’s love.

Jesus has set forth the goal and the means through which to accomplish it, to let the world know that through his abundant love for us, the Father sent Jesus Christ to us that we might share in his love, and we do this by being united in him. Yet Jesus doesn’t tell us, “Here’s your mission. Get to it.” He enables us to keep going. This love and unity that we’ve been called to is not a love that we can muster on our own. This is a love that is beyond us, but it’s crucial for us to maintain this unity. Fortunately for us, we’re not in this alone. It’s not up to us to love our neighbors of our own accord. As Christ says in John 17:26, it’s through the love of God that we can know him and be unified in him that we might share this love with the world.

Jesus’ prayer for you was not that you would have a good life. His prayer for you was one of unity in him, and not just unity for the sake of being together. The unity that Christ prayed for you was a unity for a purpose, to let the world know that God sent Jesus and has loved them. Jesus’ desire was that we might be with him where he is going, and he will help us achieve all of that by making the Father and His love known to us.

Do Not Judge?

Not long ago, my wife and I began the process to become licensed foster parents in North Dakota. It has been interesting going through the process here. We’ve been through the foster parent training in three states, and it’s amazing how different it is in each state. Having been foster parents in Iowa, I’ve felt through this process that I’ve had a pretty good idea of what I can expect.

A few weeks back we went down to Bismarck to complete our training. I honestly didn’t have high hopes for the training, not because it wasn’t good information, but because we’ve been through similar training twice already. I honestly didn’t expect to learn much that I didn’t already know. Throughout our training and experience, we’ve had the opportunity to see many different situations. One thing that I’ve learned through all of that is the importance of getting to know the parents. When you receive a child into your home that has been abused or neglected, when they show up with nothing but the clothes on their back and the first thing you want to do is throw them in the bath, it’s easy to start thinking terrible thoughts about the parent. What kind of monster could let this happen to a child? However, when you take the time to understand the parent, while it does not excuse their behavior, it helps you to put it all into perspective and maybe even begin to feel sorry for them.

As we sat through our classes, I was surprised at the number of people whose only thoughts were to save these poor little children from the monsters that had ruined their lives. It broke my heart, because I realized that I had been the same way during our first foster parenting classes. I was just as quick to label these parents, the ones these children lovingly called mommy and daddy, as monsters. What I came to realize, while it doesn’t excuse their behavior, these men and women were simply broken people who were a product of their upbringing and poor choices.

We as a society, and even as a church, are often quick to pass judgement. We’ve all heard the saying, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” The typical response of the Christian is to respond with the next part of scripture, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged.” We look to Jesus’ analogy of the man trying to take a speck of dust out of his neighbor’s eye and say that we’re supposed to judge just not in a hypocritical manner. This passage and this topic are often areas that we as Christians aren’t sure how we’re supposed to act and what we’re supposed to do. Since we’re taking time in this series to look at how Jesus’ life and teachings apply to us today, I want us to look at Luke 6:37-42.

As we look at these verses, it almost seems counter-intuitive to say, “Don’t judge, but when you do judge, make sure you’re not doing it hypocritically.” In order to fully understand what Jesus is saying, we need to go beyond just the surface of this passage. What is meant when Jesus says, “Do not judge?”

We make judgements every day, every hour even. In our house we buy milk in bulk and freeze it. As such, when we thaw it and start using it, it’s not uncommon for the expiration date to be virtually meaningless. After a gallon of milk has been in the fridge for a while, upon pulling it out I’ll open it up and give it a good smell just to make sure it’s still okay. In doing that I’m making a judgement. When you’re sitting at a stop sign and you see another car driving down the street, or you’re driving and the stop light turns yellow, you make a judgement. Do you have enough time to get through the intersection before the other car or before the light turns red? We make judgements like this all the time. If we completely refrained from judging, we’d be unable to live our lives.

Likewise, we make judgements about people. We make judgements based upon their body language or how they’re dressed. Have you ever walked into Target wearing a red shirt and had somebody ask you for assistance? Do you react the same when you see a kid standing alone in the store with a scared look on their face versus a kid standing outside the restroom casually watching everybody walk by? In situations like those we make judgements about people, and these are judgements that we need to be making. Obviously these are not the kind of judgements to which Jesus is referring.

The Greek word translated here is krinó. The rough translation means to judge or to pass judgement. It’s used in John 3:17 when it says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” However, condemn is not the best translation in this instance, otherwise Jesus wouldn’t have followed this statement by stating, “Do not condemn.” Instead, these two phrases go hand in hand. Given the context, Jesus is saying, “Do not pass judgement upon people and don’t condemn them.”

This seems to go counter to what we just talked about. We make judgements every day, but making a judgement is different from passing judgement. Making a judgement about someone or something is different from condemning them. Looking at someone and assessing who you think they are is different from looking and passing judgement upon them or condemning them because of who you think they are.

Jesus’ command, “Do not judge,” means exactly that. Do not pass judgement upon other people. There is only one judge and neither you nor I are qualified to take that role. When someone looks at you and tells you, “You can’t judge me, the Bible says so,” they are completely right. That is what this passage says. Just like with the parents of foster children, our job is not to judge them nor condemn them. Our job is to love them, to show them the respect that is due any human being. Similarly, that does not mean that we are to condone their actions or their lifestyle. Instead, we must be discerning without being judgemental.

A judgemental attitude, while we may feel self-righteous and emboldened to point out the wrongs in the world, does nothing more than separate us from the world as we place ourselves above it. This hinders our true mission. It creates a barrier to fellowship and instead creates a reaction of judgement in return. We’ve seen it happen over and over. A person stands in righteous judgement upon their fellow-man, pointing out any and every misdeed without discernment or compassion. In turn, those that have been judged turn the judgement back upon them. Instead of bringing about repentance and forgiveness, the judgement only brings more judgement.

Truthfully, we are not qualified to be the judge. We are emotional beings, are far from impartial, and in most cases we don’t know the full story. It is for this reason that James wrote, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you – who are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:12) Instead we are to forgive and give generously, and the same will be returned to us.

However, as Jesus’ parables indicate, this command against passing judgement does not forbid us from the loving discernment that will help our brother. As we read these parables we see that we first must take the plank out of our own eye.

If you’ve ever flown on an airplane, you’ve heard the safety speech that the flight attendants have to give every time. A part of that speech states that if the plane loses cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop down from the overhead bins. They tell you to put on your own mask before helping the person next to you. If we don’t take care of ourselves, if we don’t have the oxygen we need, we will be unable to help anybody else. Likewise, if we don’t take the plank out of our own eye, we will be unable to help our brother, and that is what we are to do. “First take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Luke 6:42).

Each of us has a duty to help our brother and to guide them into a relationship with the one true judge and savior. The refusal to be judgmental does not mean a refusal to be helpful. Instead we are called to be helpful in our brother’s time of need. When we see the speck in their eye, we are not merely to point it out to them but to help them to remove it, but we are to do so with a spirit of love, grace and understanding. How can we do that if we can’t see because of the plank in our own eye?

Living Water

As we continue in our Modern Day Jesus series, we come to a passage that is often a topic of discussion in Sunday School or bible study classes. In John chapter 4 we see Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. Passages such as this have many theological truths that can be gained from them. Typically we focus on the woman or on Jesus’ proclamation that he is the messiah. Sometimes we focus on the deity of Jesus and his conversation about this woman’s husbands, but today I want to focus on the living water that Jesus is talking about.

So that we don’t take anything out of context, I want us to start back at the beginning of the chapter. John 4:1-3 give us the background, the events leading up to Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well. Jesus knew very well who he was and what he was sent to do. He also knew that it was not yet his time to die. Therefore, when the Pharisees started getting upset with him, he hit the road and headed back to Galilee.

As we continue with John 4:4-6, what I find interesting is the choice of words. It states that Jesus had to go through Samaria. We aren’t given the exact reason that he had to do this. Maybe he knew that he was going to meet this woman, but no specific reason is given. The reason I find it interesting that Jesus had to go through Samaria is because Jews didn’t normally do that. Jews didn’t really like the Samaritans. They were like those relatives in your family that keep reminding you that you’re related no matter how much you tried to forget. The Jews looked down on the Samaritans and considered them to be half-breeds.

After the conquest of the northern kingdom (722 B.C.), some of the Jews were taken away by their Assyrian conquerors while others were left behind. The rulers then sent some of their own people to live among the Israelites that stayed behind in order to intermingle with them, to marry them and have children. Empires would do this in an attempt to stop future uprisings. In so doing, many of these people, later to become known as Samaritans, began worshiping the gods of their conquerors. The Jews that had been taken away into exile stayed true to the one true God, and when they eventually came back, they wanted nothing to do with the Samaritan half-breeds. Eventually the Samaritans turned back to God, but it was too late, the Jews had already scorned them. When the Jews rebuilt the temple, the Samaritans even offered assistance, but the Jews refused their help (Ezra 4:2). This is why the Samaritans built their own temple. The Jews disliked the Samaritans so much that it’s said they wouldn’t even eat meat that had been handled by a Samaritan.

It was because of all of this history that many Jews avoided Samaria altogether. It was not uncommon for Jews travelling through Samaria to be detained for a while, so the typical route between Jerusalem and Galilee, rather than going through Samaria, was to cross the Jordan River, travel north around Samaria, and then cross the Jordan River again into Galilee. But Jesus, as it states, had to go through Samaria. He stops in the city of Sychar. It’s high noon, in the heat of the day, and he sits down by the well. He had been traveling for days and was worn out and thirsty. Continuing in verse 7.

As the story continues in John 4:7-9, we see Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman. Jews don’t like Samaritans, yet we see Jesus asking this woman for a drink. Her response to him is to basically tell him, “Don’t you know that you’re supposed to be prejudiced towards me?”

Another aspect that I want to make sure isn’t overlooked is the time of day. Jesus and the woman meet at the well, and it is high noon, the hottest point in the day. This was not the normal time for people to come to the well. Typically it was the woman’s job to go to the well and retrieve the water for the day. They would go to the well during a cooler part of the day, either morning or evening, before it really started to get too hot. Nobody wanted to be out when it was hot. Since everybody needed to come to get water and nobody wanted to come when it was hot, the cooler time of day was typically a time of social interaction at the well. The ladies would gather together, and as is common in social gatherings, they’d begin to talk. They’d talk about this and that, who was courting who and the latest juicy gossip.  Yet this woman came at noon, during the heat of the day. For some reason she’d rather come to the well in the heat of the day than to talk with all the ladies about the local gossip.

As the conversation continues in John 4:10-12, there’s a bit of miscommunication. Jesus had a way of taking something of the natural world and using it to explain something in the spiritual world. Unfortunately not everyone he spoke to in this way understood what he was trying to say. We can tell by the woman’s response that she fully understood this living water to be just like normal water. In John 4:13-14 Jesus explains to her the significance of this living water.

Now, this is an intriguing proposal. Something is causing this woman to come to this well at a time in the day when nobody else would come. She’s avoiding people for a reason that is likely explained later in the scriptures. If she had this living water, she would never have to come to the well again. The woman was obviously intrigued. This is the beauty about how Jesus interacted with people. He didn’t try to push himself on them. Instead he met them where they were, got them interested, and made them start asking him. In verse 15:

In John 4:15 the woman’s interest is piqued. Jesus has told her about living water, and now she wants it. However, as we’ve said, Jesus had a way of taking normal, worldly things and using them to relate a spiritual truth. The question begging to be asked is this. What is living water? Jesus doesn’t come right out and tell us in this passage. Unfortunately, as is common throughout the Bible, in order to understand bigger, more complex doctrines, we need to glean little bits of information from numerous passages in the scriptures. Fortunately for us, this was not the only time that Jesus spoke of living water. In John 7:38-39 Jesus speaks once again about living water.

This passage makes it clear. The living water that Jesus was giving away is the Holy Spirit which has been poured out. Jesus explained to us that while we serve and worship one God, that God manifests himself in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Throughout scripture we can see that while each is separate, each is fully God. So the short of it is, the living water that Jesus is speaking about is God the Holy Spirit. When he offers this woman living water, in essence he is offering her the Holy Spirit.

Now that we know what that living water is the Holy Spirit, the next question is, “What does living water do?” Jesus told the woman at the well that if she had known who he was she would have asked him for living water. Jesus makes it sound as if this living water is something we should want, so what exactly does it do that would make us want it so much?

We begin to get a picture in Matthew 5:6. We will be filled, but with what? Living water, of course. As Jesus explained, whoever drinks this living water will never thirst again, but he’s not talking about a physical thirst. He’s talking about a spiritual thirst, a thirst for the righteous things of God, a thirst for righteousness. This is the thirst that will be quenched by living water, a thirst, a desire, to be righteous, to be like God.

Additionally, as we’ve already read, living water becomes a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:14). Remember, we’re talking about the spiritual. Physical eternal life would mean that you get to walk this earth forever, but spiritual eternal life is much more than that, as Jesus explains in John 17:3. This living water not only quenches our thirst for righteousness, our desire to be more like God, it also gives us eternal life, a relationship with God, the creator of the universe.

So far we’ve discovered that living water is the Holy Spirit. We know that living water will quench our thirst for righteousness, our desire to be like God, and it will give us eternal life, a relationship with God. The final question we have is this. How do we get living water?

In his conversation with the woman at the well, Jesus gave two stipulations for receiving this living water. First he tells the woman, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink.” Basically he’s telling her, “If you knew who I was and believed in me.” This is the same thing he told Nicodemus in John 3:16.

Before we go any further, I think it’s important that we clarify what is being said here. When this word “believe” is translated from the Greek to English, it loses a lot of its meaning. In today’s usage of the word, we often use it to say things like, “I believe Pike’s Peak has snow on it right now,” “I believe Batman is the best superhero of all time,” or “I believe that Android is superior to iOS.” However, that’s not what this word means. While we translate it as believe, it goes deeper than that. This word for believe signifies a complete trust.

Think about it this way. When I first moved to Beulah, ND, I didn’t know my way around. In order to get anywhere I had to either ask for directions or use GPS. As the GPS gave me directions, I believed that it was giving me proper directions. However, not only did I have to believe the directions were correct, the fact that I followed the directions demonstrated my trust in the GPS. If you believe in that GPS, that it will give you proper directions, then you will follow those directions. You place your trust in the hands of that GPS to get you where you’re going. The same is true with living water. If we want this living water, we must believe in Jesus. Not a simple head knowledge, but a trust. Just like with the GPS we need to believe in him and demonstrate that trust by following his directions. When you stop to think about it, it makes sense. If you want to be like God and have a relationship with God, it makes sense that the requirement is that you believe in him and trust in him.

The second thing Jesus tells this woman she needs to do is to simply ask. He doesn’t make it complicated. If you know who he is, you believe in him and want to be like him, just ask. This is what we teach in the church of the Nazarene as entire sanctification. When you thirst after righteousness and desire to be like God, he will help you to do that. The Holy Spirit will cleanse you from the inside and fill you. He’ll enable you to live the righteous, holy life that you desire to live, but it all starts with believing in him and asking him for living water.

Getting Through a Needle’s Eye

One goal that I’ve had for this Modern Day Jesus series has been to help clarify some stories and scriptures that are often misquoted or misunderstood. A few years ago I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and found an unlikely friend quoting scripture. I commented on the post trying to help put the quoted scripture in the proper context, and what followed was a long, drawn out conversation that I hadn’t planned on getting involved with.

The scripture in question comes from Matthew 19. I don’t want us to run into the same problem as my friend, so I won’t single out the verse just yet. Instead, I want you to read the entire passage in context (Matthew 19:16-26). The verse that my friend had quoted was Matthew 19:24, but it’s important that we go back to the beginning to see who this man was and the events that led to Jesus’ declaration.

This story is found in all of the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Each one gives us just a bit more information. Compiling all three stories together, we see that this man was a rich, young ruler. It’s safe to assume, based upon the location stated earlier in this chapter, that this man was a Jew. It is highly probable, being both a Jew and being a ruler, that the man was a synagogue ruler. He was in charge of what we’d consider today as a local church, yet he comes to Jesus asking how he can get eternal life. Jesus responds to the man’s question by telling him to obey God’s commands.

This is where we begin to see the man’s heart. Having grown up as a Jew and having followed the Jewish commands since childhood, he is well aware of what is required for eternal life. There has to be a reason that he comes to Jesus, the controversial teacher that seems to be continuing the ministry of John the Baptist. When Jesus tells him to obey God’s commands, this shouldn’t be a new revelation to him. Yet instead of declaring, “All these I have kept,” he asks the question, “Which ones?”

Which ones?! He has been taught the law since childhood. Being a Jewish ruler in the area, he should understand what is necessary for eternal life. He has access to pretty much any religious leader he wanted to talk to, possibly even being one himself. Instead, he comes to Jesus and asks him what is required for eternal life. I’d say it’s a safe bet that this man was seeking a way out. Jesus is the new teacher in town. He’s teaching a message of repentance, and this man wants to see if his answer will be any different from the law he’s grown up with. It’s like when your kids ask mom something and don’t like the answer so they ask dad. But Jesus tells him the same thing, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, etc., and his response, “I’ve done all that. What else?”

I’m sure at this point the man isn’t really seeking any more rules to follow. I’m sure he’s asking this question hoping to get a pat on the back. He asks and is expecting Jesus to tell him, “If you’re done all that, you’ve earned eternal life!” However, Jesus takes the opportunity to point out where this man has gone wrong. In each of the synoptic gospels (Mt. 22:37,39; Mk. 12:30-31; Lk. 10:27) as well as times throughout the Old Testament (De. 6:5; Lev. 19:18), we’re told that the law can be summarized as “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus even alludes to this in his response to this rich, young ruler.  While according to this man’s own words he had obeyed the law, he had ignored the principle of the law, which is to love.

Jesus’ command to him was two-fold. It’s purpose was to address the two areas of love expressed in the law, to love God and to love your neighbor. The first command, to sell his possessions, immediately tackles the root of the problem. As Jesus states in the gospel of Luke, “You cannot serve God and money.” He says, “Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Luke 16:13) This man’s response clearly indicates this struggle in his life. His money made him secure and self-sufficient. It made him comfortable and gave him the freedom to do whatever he wanted. However, he also was a Jew, and he knew the standard that God had set before him. This was why he sought Jesus with the question, “what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” As he walks away mournfully hanging his head, we get a clear picture of this man’s heart.

The second command that Jesus gives addresses the second area of the law, to love your neighbor. You can say that you love somebody, but as the common saying goes, actions speak louder than words. If you love somebody and they are in need, you will take action to help them. This could be giving them money or lending them money. This could be giving them a place to stay, giving them a job, coaching them through a difficult time in their life, etc. There are numerous ways to make this happen that may not all require a simple handout. This was where Jesus was trying to direct this man. He lived in his fancy house with his nice clothes and all of his money. He prided himself on being a religious man and keeping the law, yet in so doing he neglected the principle of the law, to love your neighbor.

Jesus then comes to the most often quoted verse from this passage, the same verse that my friend quoted, Matthew 20:23-24. There has been much discussion about what Jesus meant when he referenced the camel and the eye of a needle. Some will argue that there was a small gate in Jerusalem’s wall that was called “the eye of a needle.” Others will argue that the word for camel in Aramaic (the language Jesus spoke) and the word for the thick ropes used on ships sounded similar and were only one letter different. As such, they’ll argue that Jesus was really talking about putting a big rope through the eye of a needle. Others still argue that rabbis and teachers in that time had a common saying, “It’s easier for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle,” that referred to something impossible. As such, they say that Jesus’ words were simply a take on this.

I believe that when Jesus referenced a camel and the eye of a needle, that’s literally what he meant, but whichever way you interpret it, the message is the same. It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. We just discussed the reasons for this based upon the law, love God and love your neighbor.

Many times when I see this phrase quoted, it’s purpose is as a character attack against somebody professing faith in Christ that also happens to be wealthy, whether it’s a celebrity, a politician, or a rich businessman. This verse will be thrown out in order to discredit such a person that is speaking out against a particular sin, be it homosexual activity, adultery, or whatever. The implication goes that this person is speaking against one sin, but they won’t go to heaven either because they’re rich. This is why it’s important that we keep scripture in context, but we’ll touch more on that in a minute.

After Jesus makes this statement, the disciples react in astonishment stating, “Who then can be saved?” In our modern society, if someone were to make the claim that it is difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God, we’d all nod our heads in agreement. We all understand the hurdles that come with wealth as Jesus pointed out, but this was a new idea in ancient Israel. In the eyes of the disciples, and everybody else during that time, a person was not rich because they lied and cheated their way to the top. A person was not rich because they labored hard and invested their money wisely. In their eyes, a person was rich because they had found favor with God. If you were good enough, if you were righteous enough, God would bless you with much wealth. Just look at Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and King David. Each one was faithful to God and blessed with wealth. Even though they’d heard stories like Job that countered this thinking, it was still widely accepted that if you obeyed God he’d bless you and if bad things were happening it was because you had done something wrong. When the disciples, in astonishment, ask the question, “Who then can be saved,” they’re really saying, “If the most righteous among us can’t enter the kingdom of God, what hope is there for the rest of us?”

This is why it’s important to read scripture in context. Everything leading up to this point is talking about those who are rich, but when the disciples ask this question, they’re no longer worrying about that rich, young man. The focus has now shifted from him to him and everybody else. “If he can’t do it, and God has blessed him, how do we have any chance to find favor with God.” This next part, I feel, is the crux of the whole passage, but it is so often overlooked. It’s the passage that I quoted to my friend, “Jesus look at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

This is the heart of the gospel message. We can’t do it ourselves. It’s not a problem specific to the rich; it’s a problem for all humanity. We aren’t good enough. We can never be good enough, but with God all things are possible. Christ died to pay the price so that we might enter the kingdom of God. Christ paid the price so that rich and poor, young and old might come to him and inherit eternal life. This is the part of this passage that is so frequently overlooked, yet it’s so important. If getting into the kingdom of God is as difficult as getting a camel through the eye of a needle, the truth is that it’s impossible for us. Not just the rich man, but everybody. The good news is that we don’t have to do it by ourselves. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Money and wealth will continue to be a struggle for Christians, especially in America. Is it difficult for a rich person to remain close to God? Yes. Is it impossible? No. The tendency is to begin relying upon yourself and your pocketbook. When you don’t have any money, it’s easy to rely on God for what you need. You don’t have many other choices. You could worry, but that’s a topic for a different time.

The key is remaining humble. America is one of the richest countries in the world. We can have most anything we want when we want it. There are very few things that we truly need. With all this security and independence, it is even more important that we trust in God and humble ourselves before him. You see, the trick to getting through the eye of a needle is that you can’t. Instead, rely upon God, for “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

What God Has Joined Together

When pastors and pastoral students get together, you can almost guarantee that some deep theological issues will be discussed, whether it’s did Adam and Eve have belly buttons or where did Jonah go to the bathroom while in the fish. However, sometimes we will hit on some much deeper issues.

Back when I was attending Vennard College, I worked a night shift at the Walmart in the next town over. It made for some long nights, but I was guaranteed to be one of the first people in line for breakfast. One morning I came in and sat down at the only table with students and found myself in the middle of a conversation that was already going on. The question being posed was, “Is it ever okay to get divorced?” Being in my first year, I was not well versed on the topic, but I’d grown up in church so I thought I’d put in my two cents. As one person, a senior, argued that divorce was never acceptable, I countered with a passage from Matthew which stated the exception for marital unfaithfulness. He quickly put me in my place by quoting numerous scriptures and theologians alike, and in so doing, reminded me that he was a senior and I was but a lowly freshman.

However, despite his insistence that the matter was settled, no matter his view, society and the church as a whole still struggle with this idea. When is it okay to divorce? Is it ever okay to divorce? When Josh Duggar was found to be less than faithful to his wife Anna, there were many crying out on social media that she needed to divorce him. When she announced that she was going to stick by him, people were in an uproar. Some pointed to the Bible to say that she needed to divorce him while others pointed to the Bible to say that she needed to forgive him.
As we continue in our series looking at the modern day Jesus, I want us to take a look at this topic. I want us to look, not just at the words that Jesus spoke, but also at the implications they bring. As we bring Jesus’ words and teachings into the 21st century, what did they mean to the people he was speaking to, and what do they mean to us today?

In both the gospels of Matthew and Mark we find Jesus is faced with this question of divorce. While we’ll reference parts of both passages, I want us to focus our attention on Mark 10:1-12. Here we see a discourse between Jesus and a group of Pharisees. The Pharisees were the religious leaders and teachers of that day and were not fond of Jesus. He often spoke harshly to them, accusing them of practicing legalism while neglecting the heart of God. This didn’t sit well with many of them, and they decided to do whatever was necessary to get rid of this trouble maker, Jesus. This is why the scripture says, in both Matthew and Mark, that they came and tested him. They were trying to get him to slip up so that they could discredit him or worse, have him killed.

This whole loaded question and the trap they were trying to set rested upon a passing reference in Deuteronomy 24:1. Notice that this verse isn’t even a complete sentence. It’s a part of whole different law, but it does indicate that if a man finds something indecent about his wife, he is to write a certificate of divorce, give it to her, and send her on her way. That sounds pretty straight forward.

However, in interpreting this law, the people in that time got hung up on one phrase, “a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her.” What did this mean? What constitutes a displeasing or indecent thing? In that time two different schools of thought. The Shammi interpreted these words in as strict of a way as they knew how. As they understood it, this indecency could be nothing less than marital unfaithfulness. Anything short of this, and, in their eyes, it was unlawful for a man to divorce his wife.

We then had the school of the Hillel. They chose a more loose interpretation of this law. They took it at literal face value and said that if the man found anything displeasing or indecent about his wife, that was grounds for divorce. If she burned his evening meal, that’s displeasing and grounds for divorce. If she begins to get a little older and loses that new car smell, that was grounds for divorce. If he simply finds someone else that he finds more pleasing that his wife, that was grounds for divorce. With this loose interpretation, virtually anything would be considered grounds for a man to divorce his wife.

Notice, I said that it was grounds for a man to divorce his wife. Nothing in that law said anything about a woman divorcing her husband. In fact, under Jewish law, it was virtually impossible for a woman to divorce her husband, even if he was the worst character around. This law applied to a man desiring to divorce his wife, not the other way around. In that time, women had no rights. Jesus begins to address this issue in Mark 10:11-12, but that’s a message for a different time.

So the Pharisees pose this question to Jesus asking him if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife. They knew they had him in a corner. If he opposed divorce on legal grounds, he risked going against one or both of these schools and therefore would lose credibility. However, if he argued against divorce as a moral issue, he may find the same fate as John the Baptist.

John the Baptist had been arrested and ultimately executed by Herod Antipas because he spoke openly against Herod’s marriage to his brother’s wife, Herodias. If Jesus spoke against divorce as a moral issue, he would find himself speaking against the king and would likely be confronted with the same fate.

So, the Pharisees pose this question to Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” Jesus’ response was to pose a question right back at them. “What did Moses command you?” They replied with the standard answer from Deuteronomy 24:1. The law seemed pretty clear. Go down to the courthouse, get a certificate of divorce, and everything is all clear and legal. Yet Jesus counters that by telling them that while Moses permitted it, that was only because of your sinful hearts. Divorce was never in God’s original plan.

Prior to the command by Moses, there were no regulations or guidelines regarding divorce. If a man was unhappy with his wife, for whatever reason, he’d simply send her packing. There wasn’t any process or red tape to go through. It was simply a matter of pack your things and get out. In instituting this command, Moses, through God, was merely trying to slow down and regulate this process that was already happening. It wasn’t that God condoned it; rather, it was choosing the lesser of two evils.

Today abortion is a hot topic as it has been for quite some time. I believe that most people reading this would be in agreement that abortion is bad. We do not condone the murdering children. However, time and time again, legislation outright banning abortion has failed. There are arguments about women’s reproductive rights and some say completely banning abortions will just cause it to go underground. As a result, most new legislation regarding abortions don’t seek a complete ban. They seek to regulate the behavior in order to minimize the damage. Nobody would argue that those seeking to pass such legislation were pro-abortion even though the legislation being pushed still allows it. Instead, it is seen as a necessary evil in hopes that we can regulate it and minimize the damage. Because of people’s sinful hearts, we will not eradicate abortion without first changing the heart. As Jesus is pointing out, the same was true for divorce. Even though God permitted it, it was not because he condoned it. Rather, the act was permitted in an attempt to regulate and alleviate the damage done.

As Jesus states, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” (Mark 10:7-9) This was God’s intention for marriage all along. Marriage is a lasting covenant, not where two people agree to live together and share their lives together as long as it’s convenient. Through marriage the two become one, joined together by God.

So, where does that leave us? Today, when somebody asks, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” what should our response be? What would Jesus’ response be? This is a question that I’ve struggled with over the years. Not because of any problems in my own marriage, but because of that conversation I had over breakfast so many years ago. Is it true, as that senior argued, that divorce was never acceptable? I carried that view for many years firmly believing that divorce was never acceptable because the Bible clearly said it.

The last church in which I attended was located in a bigger city. Attending Nazarene Bible College and being in a leadership role in the church, I was faced with this question again. There were a number people within the church that had previously been married and were now divorced for a number of different reasons. Seeing these people, godly people, living their lives, trying to make the best of the situation they’d been given caused me to reevaluate this question. Were these people, some of them divorced due to physical, emotional, verbal, or sexual abuse, living in a life of sin because they chose to escape that situation through divorce? Some of them held on for years in an abusive relationship trying to sort it all out. Were they now destined to live alone because remarriage would be labelled as adultery? Where is God in a situation like that?

Faced with this question again, in light of what scripture said and in light of what I saw in front of me, I had to reconcile it all together. I’m not going to pretend to have all the answers, but I will share with you the conclusion I’ve come to thus far. Jesus’ teaching effectively condemns all divorce. In Matthew he gives the exception for marital unfaithfulness, but at the heart of Jesus’ teaching, he clearly upholds God’s highest standard for marriage, which is marriage between one man and one woman until death do them part. That is God’s standard for marriage, and that is the standard to which we’ve been called to live. However, because of the sinful, fallen nature of the Israelites, divorce was permitted. It was never a part of God’s plan, but in order to protect his people from themselves, he permitted it. I’m sure that you’ll agree, nothing has changed over the millennia since Deuteronomy 24 was written. People are still just as sinful now as they were then. As such, I believe that, just as it was back then, there are cases where we must choose divorce as the lesser of two evils. This is not to condone divorce of any kind. This is not to condone divorce due to marital unfaithfulness, but only as a last resort when it is for the safety of God’s child. Divorce may sometimes be the lesser of two evils, but it is never pleasing to God or good in itself. It should never be looked upon by Christians as the preferred option, and again, those that have had to make that tough choice and found it to be the only option, fall under the grace of God. Through His power and Christ’s sacrifice, they can be restored.

Husbands, wives, listen to me. Within your lives, there are many things that will vie for your attention. None of them are more important than your marriage. God has joined you together, and he has no plan for you to separate. No matter how difficult it may be, your job, through love and understanding, is to work it out and to be reconciled to your spouse. You have been joined together as one flesh, and it is not up to you to separate what God has joined together. Anything short of ‘til death do us part is contrary to God’s will.

Young men and young women, listen to me. As you go about choosing who that special someone will be, and as you enter into marriage, one thing that you must always keep in mind is that divorce is not an option. Many people go into marriage with the idea that divorce is always an option on the table if things get too bad. However, it is that idea that has brought us to the state of marriage in America today. If divorce is always an option, every disagreement, every fight, every time that you wonder, “Can I keep doing this?” you will weigh your options and that one will be on the table, and if it’s on the table, even if you tell yourself it’s a last resort, the thought will be entertained. However, if you take that option of the table, if divorce isn’t even a consideration in the worst scenario, you will have no choice but to seek reconciliation.

Remember that as you choose the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, the person that you wish to be joined to, it is not a decision to be taken lightly. Divorce is not and has never been a part of God’s plan. God has joined the two together, male and female, as one flesh. “Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

God’s Standard of Love

Luke has always been one of my favorite books of the Bible and is my favorite gospel. Not only do I like the fact that Luke went to great lengths to study and include historical details into his gospel, I love the fact that this gospel was written to a primarily Gentile audience. In the first verses he specifies that he is writing to someone by the name of Theophilus, which literally translates to “lover of god.” Some even make the case that Theophilus was a pseudonym and maybe even indicates that this gospel was written for all lovers of God.

This idea of loving God and loving others is rampant throughout scripture, but here in Luke 6:27-36, as Jesus is teaching the people, we get a specific look at the standard of love that God has set forth for us. Jesus is laying out examples and directions about what it means to love. In instances like this where we’re given a list of rules, we as humans tend to react in a few different ways. Many of us choose to openly rebel. We see this primarily in teenagers and children, but we as adults are not immune. I’ve once heard of a store clerk that overheard a teenage girl buying a pair of jeans. As she was checking out she asked the cashier, “If my mom says she likes these jeans, can I return them even if there’s nothing wrong?” The fact that the standard is set makes us want to rebel against it.

Others see the rules and embrace embrace them. We follow the rule to the letter and make sure that we never deviate from it. If by chance we fail to live up to the law we beat ourselves up and chastise ourselves for our failure to live up to the standard that has been set. Others see the letter of the law and try to find loopholes. When the law is set before us we seek, through the law itself, to exempt ourselves from it. That is why this passage starts with the words, “But to you who are listening I say.” Back in Luke 6:20 Jesus was speaking to his disciples. If it weren’t for these words, many would argue that these words were merely for the disciples, but so that there was no confusion, Jesus specifies, “to you who are listening.” This word is for everybody. If these words fall on your ears, they are for you. “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies.”

Before we can truly embrace and follow this command, we must understand the command. In the Greek language there are many words which are translated in our Bibles as “love.” There is eros which is a romantic type of love that you feel for your spouse or significant other. There is phileo which is a brotherly type of love. This is the type of love that you hold for your siblings or close friends. It’s not the touchy feely, I want to kiss you type of love as eros, but it is love none the less. Finally there is agape love. Agape love is typically described as a “Godly love,” but that doesn’t really explain anything. What does it mean to have a Godly love?

Agape love describes a positive feeling towards somebody. A feeling in which you only want good for that person. It’s a feeling of benevolence that, no matter what that person does to you or somebody you love, you will never desire for anything but their benefit. No matter what may happen, you will intentionally go out of our way to be good and kind to them. This type of love is completely different from the other two types. We cannot love our enemies in the same way that we love our spouse or our best friend. It would be unnatural. When speaking of romantic love, we often say that we “fell in love” with someone. As my wife and I got to know each other better, it just kind of happened. It wasn’t that I tried to or forced myself to love her (and I trust she’d say the same about me). When we develop those close phileo, brotherly friendships, we don’t go out of our way to make them happen. Like with “falling in love,” these kinds of love, as we get to know people, just seem to happen, but agape love is different. It is deliberate.

This love for our enemies is more than just a matter of the heart. It’s a matter of the will. It says that no matter what the other person does to us, whether they mistreat us, speak against us, or injure us, we will seek nothing but their highest good. It’s not something that you may always feel like doing. Jesus isn’t telling us to have warm fuzzy feelings for every person that does wrong to us. We often can’t help how we feel, but we can choose how we act and react to our enemies. Instead it’s something that, through the grace of God, we can will ourselves to do.

Let’s take a look at the examples that Jesus gives that we might have a better understanding of what it means to love our enemies. In verse 29 he states, “If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.” Many have used this verse to condone pacifism. Others will argue against this verse saying that if we followed it we’d simply become punching bags for those that wish to mistreat us. As we read the words of Jesus in this passage, we must understand that Jesus’ words here are clothed in the language of Eastern picturesqueness. Suffice it to say that he exaggerated in order to get his point across. Jesus was trying to drive home, to the crowds that had gathered, these great yet novel truths that he was trying to impress upon them. In this era, much like today, a strike on the face was as much of an insult as an injury. The natural reaction when somebody strikes you or insults you is to reciprocate. We want to hurt them back, just as bad or maybe even worse than they hurt us, but Jesus’ command is to turn the other cheek, to look on this person with love and wish only the best for them.

Jesus demonstrates this for us in John 18:22-23. Notice that Jesus doesn’t turn to the man who slapped him and say, “Oh, you missed one. Try this cheek too.” Instead, he firmly, but with tact and courtesy, rebuked the one that slapped him. Likewise, in Acts 23:2-3 Paul didn’t dream of holding to the literal letter of these words. Rather, Jesus’ words are an assertion of a great principle, to love your enemies.

Next Jesus says, “If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” Again, to faithfully cling to the literal words would be to ignore the principle. Jesus’ words are an overstatement intended to heighten the importance. St. Augustine suggested that a look more closely at the words gives us insight into their practical application. When it says, “Give to everyone who asks,” it does not say to give them everything for which they ask. In many cases simply giving somebody what they ask for will not help their situation. In cases like these, words to heal the hurt of the soul would be better suited than physical possessions to fulfill the whims of the flesh. Instead, at its principle we must understand that what belongs to us doesn’t actually belong to us. We must be like Peter, Andrew, James, and John. When Jesus called them to himself, they left their boats and their nets and followed him. Likewise, out of love, give generously, even to those that don’t deserve it. As Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Jesus then goes on to summarize all of this with what has become known as The Golden Rule, “Do to others as you would have them to do you.” When we love others, it requires us to treat them in the way that we want to be treated rather than how they’ve treated us. This isn’t difficult for those that we love with an eros or phileo kind of love. It’s not difficult for me to treat my wife the way that I wish to be treated. Jesus expands upon this idea in Luke 6:32-34 when he compares our actions to those of ‘sinners.’

In the book, “Reflections of God’s Glory,” Corrie ten Boom wrote the story of an African man. The man came to a meeting, and his hands were covered in bandages. She asked him what had happened to his hands, and he replied, “My neighbor’s straw roof was on fire; I helped him to put it out and that’s how my hands were burned.”

She tells how later she was able to hear the rest of the story. The man’s neighbor had hated him. He hated him so much that he had set fire to the roof of his hut while his wife and children were asleep inside. The man managed to get his family out and extinguish the fire without anyone getting hurt, but not before sparks from his roof flew over to the roof of the neighbor that had originally started the fire. The man, being a Christian, didn’t hate his neighbor for what he had done. In fact, just as Jesus commanded, he loved his neighbor, his enemy, and did everything within his power to put out the fire on his neighbor’s roof. It was during these efforts that his hands were burned. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

On Valentine’s Day we like to focus on love. Love for our spouses, love for that special someone, love for your children, family, or friends, but if we love only those that love us, what credit is that to us? This Valentine’s Day, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

Sabbath

Each night before the kids go to bed, we all sit on the couch and read from the Bible together. The other night, as we were reading through the book of Matthew, we came to Jesus’ resurrection. In that portion of scripture it states that Jesus was raised from the dead the day after the Sabbath, on the first day of the week. The pastor in me decided to take this opportunity to quiz my son on his Bible knowledge, so I asked him, “Jesus was raised on the day after the Sabbath, on the first day of the week. Do you know what day of the week that was?” Of course, he responded with the expected answer of Monday, because we go to church on Sundays. I briefly explained to him that the Jewish people worshiped God on Saturday, but because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday the church changed our day of worship to Sunday in order to celebrate. This idea of the Sabbath, when it is and what it is, is often an area of confusion within the church, so I want to take some time to look at what Jesus, and scripture as a whole, has to say on the matter.

In Mark 2:23-28 we see a specific example of Jesus’ teachings regarding the Sabbath. As we look at this passage, there are a few things we need to understand. First, we see the disciples walking through a field and picking heads of grain. While our first thought might be to accuse them of stealing, according to the law that God had given to the Israelites, this was perfectly legal. As long as you didn’t use any tools to do so, it was perfectly legal to go into somebody else’s fields and harvest grain. This was one of those “help the needy” type of things that God had built into the law.

So, the act of picking the heads of grain wasn’t the problem, and certainly the act of eating wasn’t the problem. The problem, as the Pharisees pointed out, was that this was being done on the Sabbath. Back in Exodus 20:8-11 God instructed the Israelites to rest on the 7th day, which was Saturday. When we look throughout the Old Testament and into the New Testament, we find that the Israelites were very good at one thing, as is probably true with many societies, and that’s taking the few laws that God gave them and expanding upon and specifying them to the point that they become unbearable. They specified that it was illegal to buy or sell anything on the Sabbath. However, they also specified that it was perfectly okay to fight military campaigns on the Sabbath.

The gotcha that the Pharisees were trying to catch the disciples in was the fact that they picked the grain, which they considered reaping, rubbed the grains in their hands, which they considered threshing, and then ate, which they considered preparing a meal. Also note that each violation was punishable by death. Yet we see Jesus completely dismiss their accusations. He even goes as far as to say, “So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath,” (Mark 2:28) basically saying, “I’m God. Don’t you think I know the true nature of the laws I gave?”

That leads us to an interesting quandary that has been present since the beginning of the church. Which Old Testament laws are we to obey? We don’t make animal sacrifices, follow a strict dietary law, or require that the bathroom be “outside the camp” (Deuteronomy 23:12), yet we do follow things like honor your father and mother, don’t murder, don’t lie, etc. How do we determine which laws of God we’re to follow and which ones are no longer applicable?

Contrary to what many might believe, it is not an arbitrary picking and choosing. A group of people didn’t get together and decide, “We have indoor plumbing now. That makes this bathroom law very inconvenient. Maybe we should just get rid of it.” The truth is, the church follows a few basic guidelines when determining what Old Testament laws are still applicable to us today.

Jesus’ death changed everything. Jesus ushered in a new covenant, and in so doing fulfilled the old covenant. We’re not beholden to the old law. Instead, God has written the law on our hearts. Many of the old laws are still applicable, because the principles are of the nature of God and therefore unchanging. We determine these things in three different ways as we look at the New Testament. Notice I specified the whole New Testament and not just Jesus’ words. Obviously Jesus’ words hold authority because he is God, but do the words of Paul or Peter hold the same authority as the words of Jesus? On their own, no, but they didn’t write of their own accord. Each word that they wrote, while it was written by their own hand using their own words, was inspired by the Holy Spirit, who is also God. Therefore, the words of Paul and Peter are just as valid in this case as the words of Jesus.

The first thing we look at is whether these Old Testament laws are reaffirmed in the New Testament. In many cases they are. 1 John 5:21, Ephesians 6:1, and Romans 13:9 each reaffirm laws established in the Old Testament.

The next way we determine what laws still apply is by looking at which laws are specifically denounced in the New Testament. For instance, Mark 7:18-19 denounces dietary laws and Hebrews 10:17-18 denounces animal sacrifices.

Finally, the third way is that if a law is neither reaffirmed or denounced, we look at the categories that each reaffirmed or denounced laws fall under. Similar laws are likely reaffirmed or denounced accordingly. For example, in Acts 8 we see the Holy Spirit prompting Philip to speak to the Ethiopian eunuch, yet in Deuteronomy 23:1 the law clearly states that the eunuch is forbidden to be in God’s presence. While the New Testament doesn’t specifically state that indoor plumbing is allowed, the command to relieve yourself outside the camp, Deuteronomy 23:12, falls under the same category as this and other commands that are denounced. Therefore, we don’t believe it is a sin to use the restrooms in the church.

Where does that leave us in regard to the Sabbath? Is this idea of setting aside the seventh day for rest and worship reaffirmed or denounced in the New Testament? Paul says in Colossians 2:16–17 that the Sabbath is a shadow of the reality found in Christ. In Romans 14, while speaking mainly about dietary restrictions, he weaves in this idea of the Sabbath essentially saying, “Some people see all days as equal while others view certain days as set apart. Likewise, some people see all food as acceptable while others view certain food as defiled.”

If we look back the historical church, as I explained to my son, many had moved their day of worship from the seventh day, Saturday, to the first day, Sunday, in order to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. All good Jews kept from work on the Sabbath, but the first day of the week was just another workday. For the Gentile converts, the first day of the week had always been a workday. What likely happened was that they gathered together and worshiped on Sundays but also went about their normal work.

So where does that leave us? We have Jesus telling the Pharisees that it’s okay for his disciples to pick the grain from the fields on the Sabbath. We have Paul saying that the Sabbath is nothing but a shadow that was intended to point to Christ. I’ll be honest, I struggled with the doctrine of the Sabbath this week. The good Christian in me, having grown up in the church, wanted to scream from the pulpit, “Don’t do work on Sundays! It’s the Sabbath!” However, as I studied the scriptures, that’s not what I found. Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is clearly saying that it doesn’t matter if you set aside Saturday as holy, if you set aside Sunday as holy, or if you view all days as being the same. We aren’t bound by the law. Thomas Shreiner says it better than I ever could when he said:

“Paul has no quarrel with those who desire to set aside the Sabbath as a special day, as long as they do not require it for salvation or insist that other believers agree with them. Those who esteem the Sabbath as a special day are to be honored for their point of view and should not be despised or ridiculed. Others, however, consider every day to be the same. They do not think that any day is more special than another. Those who think this way are not to be judged as unspiritual.”

With all that being said, it is also important to note Jesus’ words on the topic. In the closing of Mark 2 Jesus states, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Even though we may not be under the letter of the Jewish law, even though the new covenant does not dictate that we set aside a particular day for rest and worship, the principle remains unchanged. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. God does not desire for us to obey a strict set of rules that prevent us from travelling or feeding ourselves on a particular day of the week. The Sabbath was not created so that we had one more rule to follow. Instead God gave it to us as a gift, a time to rest from our work and focus on Him. Whether you take time on Saturday or Sunday or if you work on Sunday and rest another day of the week (even if that day of the week keeps changing due to your work schedule), the important thing is that we accept this gift God has given us and take the time to relax and rest in the presence of our God.

How you do this is of little importance. I find playing games helps me to do this. I’ve heard of others that they find rest in God by riding around on the lawn mower cutting the grass and listening to sermons or an audio bible. Maybe for you it’s working on your car or in the wood shop. Technically, by the letter of the law, these are considered work, but we aren’t under the letter of the law. If you find rest and peace in God in these ways, then by all means do it. You have my blessing. The important thing is taking that time to rest, refuel, and reconnect with God.

If you get nothing else out of what I’ve said, let it be this. A Sabbath rest is for your own benefit. Whether you do it on Sunday or Friday, whether you do it lying in bed or riding a lawn mower, it’s important that we take time to unwind. It’s important that we take time to bask in the presence of God and not merely check a box and say that we attended church or that we went out to eat instead of preparing a meal.

We’re to set aside time daily to be with God, but this Sabbath is a special time, more than just fifteen minutes in the morning. It’s an extended period of time to refuel and reconnect with God, whatever that looks like in your life. God was the first one to implement a weekend, and he did it to reconnect with you.

The Sheep and the Goats

Back when my wife and I were newly married, we had some friends in college that we absolutely loved playing board games with. We all attended college together and lived in the married student housing. We’d spend evenings at their house playing games, and numerous times each month we’d gather together at the local coffee shop to play board games in their back room. It was a great time, some of the best memories that I have from college.

As with all good things, that time came to an end. We all graduated and moved on with our lives. These friends moved home to Indianapolis. However, one unforeseen benefit was that every year a large gaming conference is held in Indianapolis called GenCon. Board game and video game manufacturers set up their booths, and the diehard fans spend days on end playing games. We’ve had the opportunity on a few occasions to make the trip out to Indianapolis to attend GenCon.

Having grown up in a small town, I was amazed at how busy Indianapolis was. Parking was near impossible to find, and when you walked down the street you were constantly surrounded by people. It was the first time that I’d actually seen people panhandling on the street corner. This was a new experience for me

When we moved to Colorado Springs, we once again found ourselves in another big city, and again, panhandling was rampant. The city had tried to put laws in place to reduce the amount of panhandling, but you could always find people standing on the street corner with signs saying things like, “Will Work For Food” or “Any Little Bit Helps.” One guy, I have to give him credit, had a sign that read, “I Bet You Can’t Hit Me With a Quarter.” But as we’d drive by or get stopped at a stop light with one of them standing next to us, I’ll admit that I would avert my eyes and not look at them. I’d pretend I didn’t see them. I’d turn down the Christian radio station that I was listening to, so that maybe I wouldn’t feel quite as guilty.

Of course I’d justify it to myself. I’d tell myself that these people would leave this corner and go climb into their nice cars and drive away. I’d tell myself that if I gave them money they’d simply go out and spend it on alcohol or drugs. But no matter how much I told myself that, there was always that feeling deep down that I was ignoring somebody in need.

A few months back there was a lot of discussion, there still is to some extent, about allowing Syrian refugees to come into the country. This whole topic seemed to be a divisive topic among conservatives. The liberals all seemed to be in agreement that we needed to allow these people into the country, but conservatives seemed to be polarized. Nowhere did this discussion become more polarizing than on social media. I’d see Christian friends nearly at each other’s throats because one of them posted a meme indicating their support or opposition to these refugees.

I try to stay out of social media debates like those. As 2 Timothy 2:23 says, they just lead to more fighting There is very little chance that I’m going to change their mind. What’s more likely to happen is that we’ll get into this big heated discussion, my stress level will go through the ceiling, and eventually we will just stop talking to each other. However, on occasion, while reading things like this, I’ll feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit that I need to say something. In situations like this, I find it amazing how God works in your life to prepare you for just those conversations. I had one such encounter with a person on Facebook, and God brought to mind Matthew 25:31-46 which I’d been reading only a couple of days earlier.

Reading through this passage, the overarching message is obvious. God has called us to do these things that separated the sheep from the goats, feeding the hungry, taking in the stranger, and visiting the sick, but I want to take some time to dig a little deeper into this passage.

In some of your Bibles, and even in some of the scholarly writings, this passage is referred to as “The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.” However, the definition of a parable is that of a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. Each person or object within a parable represents someone or something else. Yet here, Jesus is pretty straight forward. In fact, if we look back at the scripture before this passage, if you have a red-letter Bible that puts Jesus’ words in red, we see that this passage is at the end of a very long dialogue by Jesus. If we follow it to the beginning, we come to Matthew 24:3. Here we see the disciples asking Jesus, “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” This is the question that sparks this long dialogue by Jesus that stretches through the rest of Matthew 24 and all the way through Matthew 25. He explains to them the signs leading up to the destruction of the temple as well as what it will be like when he returns. Then we come to this passage, and unlike the parables before it, it doesn’t start, “the kingdom of heaven will be like…” Up to this point Jesus was answering their question, “this is what it’s going to be like leading up to my return,” but now he’s taking it a step farther and tells them, “When I come again… When the Son of Man comes in his glory… He will separate the people just like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”

Jesus says to the righteous ones, “Come take your inheritance… For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” This shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of us. Being in the church and looking at the life of Jesus, we know that this is how we are to act. We know that this is the type of person that each of us has been called to be, but I find the response of the people interesting. They seem completely dumbfounded by Jesus’ claims to their generosity. Jesus explains to them, “When you did this for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.”

When we read passages like this, I hope that you feel that little tug on your heart as the Holy Spirit convicts you about this. I hope that reading Jesus’ words about helping the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the sick, or the imprisoned spurs you on to make changes in your life and to intentionally minister to these people, but that’s not where these righteous people were. When Jesus said this, they didn’t respond, “Oh yes, we took care of all of these people, because we knew it would honor you.” Instead, they were completely baffled.

While they had been doing all these things, they hadn’t been doing it because they knew it would get them the label of “righteous” at the final judgement. Whenever I read passages such as this, my mind always goes back to God’s grace. We in the Church of the Nazarene have, on occasion, been labelled as legalistic. We’ve been grouped with those churches that preach a works based salvation. It’s the idea that you’ve been a good person and therefore earn salvation. However, that description of the Church of the Nazarene couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Just so there is no mistake, Jesus Christ paid the price for sin. It is only through his sacrifice that we receive salvation. However, we also can’t ignore passages such as this that clearly indicate that the righteous and unrighteous were sorted based upon their compassion and generosity. These righteous people were baffled by Jesus’ comments, not because they hadn’t been generous or charitable, but because they didn’t realize they’d been charitable to Jesus.

Many times we can do the right thing for the wrong reason. I have to believe that, in light of everything else the Bible says, on that day of judgement there will be generous and charitable people standing to Jesus’ left with the unrighteous because refused to accept Christ’s offer of salvation. There will be people standing there that have given money to the Red Cross and have given money to panhandlers. In addition, there will also be people on the left that claim Jesus Christ as Lord but that didn’t help the hungry, thirsty, homeless, and stranger.

The people on the right were baffled because they didn’t know they’d been doing these things for Jesus. They didn’t set out to take care of the poor because they knew it would earn them brownie points. They had chosen to enter into this relationship with Jesus, and generosity and charity were a natural byproduct of that. They helped their neighbor because they saw they were in need and were able to help. The question is, does your love for Jesus compel you to help, not because it’ll get you a shiny crown in heaven or it’s the admission fee to enter the pearly gates, but because your love for Christ compels you to show that love to others, his brother and sisters?

When you see that person on the street corner, do you see them as  a child of God? Do you see them as a neighbor in need of help? When you see these refugees fleeing certain death in their own country or men and women coming to your city in search of work, do you see them as homeless, as a stranger, and invite them in or do you shut them out? Do you say, we don’t want them in our country, we don’t want them in our city?

Granted, we need to protect ourselves. We need to make sure that our children and our families are safe, but are we using that as an excuse to do nothing? Are we really going to stand at the judgement seat and tell Jesus, “I didn’t invite the stranger in because there was a tiny chance that they might, maybe, try to hurt me.” Jesus would likely respond, “I welcomed everybody, and they beat and killed me.” Are we going to tell Jesus, “I didn’t feed the hungry or clothe the naked, because I thought they might trade what I gave them for drugs or alcohol.” Our job is not to determine who is deserving of our help. Our job is to take care of the least of these brothers of Christ.

One of the things that I love about the Church of the Nazarene is our generosity. We have Alabaster offering where the money goes solely to the building of new churches in areas where they can’t afford it. We have compassionate ministries and child sponsorship. We have opportunities within the church to show the love of Christ to others.

More than a parable, this passage speaks of a time to come. It doesn’t take a Bible scholar to figure out what it’s saying, and the question that it poses is equally as simple. On that day of judgement, will you be a sheep or a goat? Will you be at Jesus’ right hand and hear him say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance,” or will you be on the left and hear the words, “Depart from me, you who are cursed?” Which side do you want to be on? The answer to that question is determined by how you live your life today.