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Posts Tagged ‘way of Jesus’

Spiritual Suicide

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , on July 17, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Mark 9:42
And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.

It is bad enough that we sin and play havoc with our own spiritual state. But here is a warning that comes directly from Jesus about causing another to sin. This is a type of true suicide, for the repercussions are quite serious.

Perhaps we have lost sight of what this might look like in our own world. Usually, when I read this passage, I think of all those wicked “drug dealers” and the like. And truly, there will be “hell to pay.” But what about my own choices and omissions? It is so easy to cast dispersions on others, to glare at the “specks” in their eyes and miss the plank in our own. [Matthew 7:3]

How often has my own mouth, through gossip and tale-telling, sucked others into the fray? How often have I vanquished someone with my “judgments” of him or her. How often have I walked away from helping others? How often have I withheld information from someone to protect my image or my “turf.” How often has my “controlling self” driven the direction that has caused others to stumble?

I’m not trying to beat myself up here … or anyone else. But I do want to remind myself and others that we are all capable of causing harm. We should not gloss over these admonitions. It’s suicide by degree.

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Using the Gate

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , on July 13, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 10:9
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Using the gate has parameters. Since there is only one gate into a pen, you may have to walk around. If the gate is locked and you don’t have the key, you may have to wait for the gate to be opened by someone else. The gate usually swings only one way. The gate may be opened only at certain times. The gate may not be opened wide if there are those who need to be kept out or in while you travel back and forth.

Let’s face it, most of us will try something else if the gate is locked or closed. I think I’ve jumped the fence quite a few times. Remember, I’m the fixer/problem-solver. If I want to get inside, I’ll do what I need to get in. Patience is not one of my Top Ten virtues. I am truly a product of my culture.

Here’s the thing: if we can accept the restrictions of the gate (usually for our own good), then the result is safe passage in and out to the pasture (world).

Jesus says is he is, at minimum, the gate. He is our ticket to safety. It’s a promise.

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I am still blind

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , on July 9, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 9:25
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

The man who had been born blind was healed by Jesus. Apparently, the man didn’t even know who Jesus was that day nor did he ask Jesus to heal him or give him sight. He was content. He had adapted to his circumstances.

It was Jesus who chose the man and the moment. And just like that, he stepped into a new world.

Afterward, he and his parents were all dragged into a trial of sorts before the Sanhedrin. The Pharisees tried to intimidate the man into admitting or accusing Jesus of sin. Instead, the man took a very pragmatic view. He had been born blind and now he could see. How could that miracle be classified as anything but good? (Of course, there was the additional controversy of Jesus having healed this man on the Sabbath.) In any event, the man was changed and he would not deny it. He knew he would never be the same.

Scientifically, anyone who gains any of the senses back goes through a very difficult time of integration. To suddenly see or hear is overwhelming to the brain. It must learn how to interpret all the new messages. This story implies that no such integration period was necessary. The miracle was complete. The man was not just healed physically but in totality. He was blind and then he could see (and understand).

The metaphor is simple. This verse is used often to describe a person’s transformation from unbelief to belief, from darkness to light.

For me, it is also about the “Aha” moment. The light bulb goes off and finally, I understand. I get it.

But I wonder in what areas I am still blind. Am I walking around, blind to the world around me? I live in a very insulated environment. I don’t see much suffering. I don’t see many who are hungry or dying. I don’t see bombs going off or guns pointed at me. I don’t see animals cruelly slaughtered for my food. I don’t see people who have lost their way.

Yes, I am still blind. It’s time for a miracle.

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From Fear to Silence

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , on July 8, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 9:22
His parents said this [about the miracle] because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.

I have a problem with silence in general. I don’t mean keeping the silence, at least, that’s not my norm. Nope, I am a great talker. I am a typical “extrovert” and “A-type” personality. I fill space and time with talk. I talk to think. I talk fast. And as I’m talking, I’m watching the reaction. If what I have said seems to have offended in some way, I just keep talking until the other person’s body language settles down. I can usually talk myself in and out of trouble.

And yet, there are times I keep silent. If I fear my place in the scheme of things might be at risk, I do hold back. I think this is a poor reason to be quiet. It’s not so much choosing silence as it is choosing not to speak. There’s a difference.

If we are silent for fear of reprisals, that’s not the right motive. If we are silent because we have self-edited and decided our opinion will not have value, this is not the right motive. If we are silent because we don’t want people to know who we are or what we really think, this is not the right motive.

The best silence is the one for listening. The next best silence is the one we choose to avoid sin: gossip, hurtful remarks, and angry outbursts. But being silent out of fear is a bad habit.

Today, I want to look at the silences and examine their source.

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Keeping the Grace

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , on July 4, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 8:54b-55
“…My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.”

I claim the Father as my God. I seek to know Him. But knowing God, the Father, is to keep his word. And there’s the rub.

If I could keep God’s word in my own power, I wouldn’t need a savior.

And when we talk about his word… what exactly do we mean? The 10 commandments? I’m dead in the water there. And what about the Great Commandment from Jesus (coined by Scot McKnight as the Jesus Creed) [Mark 12:29-31]:

“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.

How are we doing on that one? Of course, in the end, the entire New Testament was written to help us work out what these two commandments mean and demand of us as followers of God, as disciples (students) in the way of Jesus.

I have no strength. I fail daily. I confess daily. I call on the grace of Christ Jesus. And that’s THE way.

Grace is the whole point. So now, whenever I see the phrase, “keep His Word,” I replace it with the truth, I “keep the Grace” and for that grace, I give thanks to Jesus who offers it freely.

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Words of Jesus

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 3, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 8:51
“I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

The words of Jesus are a big deal. So often, we gloss over these almost unbelievable statements that Jesus made while teaching.

In Jesus’s time and for many centuries before and afterward, the spoken word was the primary way of communicating. People would seek out those who were knowledgeable or anointed in order to hear them speak. They would come away from these experiences changed.

Sometimes, even today, this can happen. We will hear of a person who speaks with great charisma and authority that we want to see and hear him/her in person. But, we’re busy people. We seldom “drop everything” just to go and hear someone speak. So, in an effort to recreate these opportunities, we seek out videos of live events, recordings and podcasts, or YouTube. But it’s not quite the same. Not really.

Oh, yes, we now live in the Information Age. If it’s not recorded, then it’s written down. Thousands and thousands of words are being transmitted every day. The written word is everywhere: Internet sites (and blogs like this one), books, magazines, phone texting, and email, just to name a few. We are communicating more and more virtually. But the written word, though powerful in many ways, can never replace the power of the spoken word in person.

This is especially true in relationships. To connect with one another we need to hear and see one another. True communication is a full body experience. Without all the cues, there are lots interpretations that can ensue. We must be willing to gather together.

We cannot go back and experience Jesus in person. We only have a written record. This record, the scriptures, has been cut up, translated, redefined, interpreted, and analyzed by thousands of people, from scholars to backwoods preachers. We are a long way from a firsthand experience.

In the end, it’s just between Christ and me. What do I understand when I read His Words? What do I hear when I speak His Words out loud? What words of Jesus resonate within me? What decisions will I make? What words will I keep? What words will I believe?

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Birth Certificate or Driver’s License

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , on July 2, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…

I am currently reading The Jesus Creed by Scot McKnight who made this comparison between views of salvation.

So often, people think of salvation as a “birth certificate” and once they’re born again, the work is done and they have their “pass” into heaven. But his Jesus Creed, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. [Luke 10:27] takes more than just a “pass.” Hence, the idea of a Driver’s License in which we learn and become better at the skill.

Love is a skill. Love is conscious. Love is intentional. Love is risk. Love is trust. Love is kind. Love is patient. Love is other-oriented. Therefore, love is also humility.

These do not come naturally to us. I think it’s interesting that I Corinthians 13, the great “love” chapter, actually highlights all the things that love is NOT more so than what love is. Perhaps this is because we more familiar with the “nots” of love.

I have two teenagers who have put off learning to drive a car for almost 2 years. They have plenty of friends, a brother, and parents, who have been hauling them around. They have not seen a “need” for a driver’s license. A driver’s license is a scary business. How many of us remember that first day we got behind a wheel? When did we really start getting comfortable as drivers? So often, we take the whole process for granted.

I can see this applying to a lot of Christians (including me). As long as we remain in our safe environments, go to church every Sunday, drop a buck or two in the offering plate, attend a workshop or a covered dish, we’re good. The driver’s license form of salvation requires more of us… of me. I mean, I’ve had my Jesus license for 30 years. Isn’t it time to start driving into some unfamiliar roads and places?

My daughter has finally started driving practices. She is fearful of all the other drivers. She still drives very slowly. She is very cautious. When we start using our Jesus license, we will be the same way. But, in the end, we must build up our speed. We must trust what we know. We must integrate all the rules with the pleasure of it. We must teach others to drive. And that’s the scariest part of all.

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