Worthless, Aimless, but Now Free!

We don't "do the bunny" at our house. Even as a kid, I always thought of Easter as some sort of second-rate Christmas. When the snow was gone, and all the glass Christmas balls were either smashed to pieces or safely packed away, there was Easter. It was something to do, something to anticipate. Not so. Our pastor calls it the "Super Bowl of the Christian World." This is it! The culmination of the Christmas story and the birth of eternal life's story. Our only tradition these days is worship. Celebrating the resurrection of our Savior! But what would you say if I told you I'd rather dig through chemical-laced plastic grass and pick tiny jelly beans from the bottom of a basket than be a legalist? Apparently Simon Peter would agree.

From time to time, I come across these "when-did-they-put-that-in-there?" verses. I've read the Bible cover to cover --more than once; I went to a Christian school, attended Sunday school, and spend as much time as I can studying Scripture, BUT every once in a while, there's that verse, the one I DO NOT remember seeing before. When did they put that in there? Hebrews 4:12 tells us God's word is alive, and by that, I don't mean changing, but it hits differently sometimes. It's like the method speech teachers or acting coaches use, where they make you say a multi-syllable word again and again, transferring the accent to a different syllable each time: SYL-lable, syl-LA-ble, sylla-BLE. 

Anyway, the WDTPTIT? verse --Okay, two verses --I was meditating on today, was 1 Peter 1:18,19 (CJB):

You should be aware that the ransom paid to free you from the worthless way of life which your fathers passed on to you did not consist of anything perishable like silver or gold; on the contrary, it was the costly bloody sacrificial death of the Messiah, as of a lamb without defect or spot.

Did you see that? "The worthless way of life which your fathers passed on to you." Worthless. The New King James Bible says, "your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers." Aimless. And handed down, preserved, taught to the folks Peter was addressing at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These people had "inherited" a tradition of legalism. And how legalism does decimate! The hypocrisy, deep and choking roots, confusion, abuse, pain, unbearable burdens, soul-crushing guilt, frustration, broken relationship, and death. What father would do that? A father who had himself been handed the same tradition, perhaps. Worthless, aimless, and yet, preserved and shared. Not even as valuable as a basket loaded with plastic grass or sitting on the lap of an underpaid retiree in a bunny costume. Those may seem like silly things to do, but at least they bring people together; they make for great pictures and yield laughs and memories. There is something profitable in those traditions; there is purpose. But a religion, an entire system of rules and conduct, a dogma handed down and observed for generations? God, through Peter, calls it worthless and aimless. He says we were redeemed from that, purchased with "the costly bloody sacrificial death of the Messiah," Jesus.

Remember the lockdowns of a few years ago? Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years --holidays and holiday traditions cancelled. People were losing their minds! What are we gonna do? No turkey at Tia's, no ho-ho at Holly's, no Auld Lang Syne at Andy's. Traditions mean something to us: routine, expectation, celebration. But legalism is worthless and aimless, a tradition that keeps us in bondage to exercises without meaning and manmade regulations without relationship. Not what God intended. Jesus came that we might have life; He gave His life that we might be reconciled to God through our relationship with Jesus. And, yes, we love Him so much, we become so much like Jesus we no longer act as we once did. We desire to please Him with our behavior, but it's relationship with our Savior that determines our "rules" of conduct. Every imperative of Scripture (what we are to do for God) rests on the indicative (who we are in our relationship with God), and the order is not reversible. We respond to what Christ has done by becoming who His work has made us. I like to envision a young child. He or she is the child of the king, the heir to the throne. His/her birth has made him/her so. However, there's a lot to be done before the child is ready to rule, to step into that crown. Education and training comes in the classroom and at the king's side. As the child submits to the lessons, he/she grows in wisdom and stature; that crown that has been reserved for him/her begins to rest securely and perfectly on the heir's head. And so it is with us. We are heirs, but there is education and sanctification that brings us closer to being who we are. Obedience, submitting to teaching and transformation, is how we respond so that we might become, by His grace and work, the heirs that we are. 

Following Jesus is not a "worthless way of life." It is not "aimless conduct received by tradition from [our] fathers." We are called by the Holy Spirit, and we respond with our obedience. And it is daily --not just at this time of year --we give thanks for the work we could not do, work enacted by our Savior's "bloody costly sacrificial death." Because of Him, we are free from legalism. If Peter was here today, he might just tell us Easter egg hunts make for better religion --at least there's chocolate!

Midweek: "You Will Be Haunted by Three Spirits..." (2010)

Happy Wednesday! When I wrote the following article in 2010, we were dealing with some interfamily issues, big problems with our little people. Time has passed, we are of an older demographic, but several of our friends are dealing with big problems with their big people. Some adult children have cast their parents aside, refusing to let them see grandchildren or have any sort of relationship whatsoever, because of "childhood trauma" --godly discipline or parents' failure to indulge their child's every whim. Some parents are aching from the pain of their adult children's addiction. Some are watching their children follow a path that does not include God or perverts His Scriptures.

In 2010, I began this article with a passage from Isaiah, but I'd like to include another that has been of great comfort to me since. I pray it often for our children:

Isaiah 49:25 

But thus says the LORD:

“Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away,

And the prey of the terrible be delivered;

For I will contend with him who contends with you,

And I will save your children.

~~~~~~~~~~

Isaiah 32:3-8

 "Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,

and the ears of those who hear will listen.

 The fearful heart will know and understand,
and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.

 No longer will the fool be called noble

nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

 For fools speak folly,

their hearts are bent on evil:

They practice ungodliness

and spread error concerning the LORD;

the hungry they leave empty

and from the thirsty they withhold water.

 Scoundrels use wicked methods,

they make up evil schemes

to destroy the poor with lies,

even when the plea of the needy is just.

 But the noble make noble plans,

and by noble deeds they stand."

As parents, what do we do when our child is being hoodwinked? Human nature urges, "Confront that liar and give him a piece of your mind!" -- or worse, your foot. Mom counsels, "Slow and steady wins the race. Just keep talking to him; you stay on the straight and narrow, and your child will too." The voice of Experience kibitzes, "It's deja vu all over again!" (Sometimes the little Jewish woman who lives inside my head sounds a lot like Yogi Berra.) Scott suggests, "We need the ghost of Marley to summon the spirits and show her what is really going on; to float her over there so she can see what is really being said."  Wouldn't that be cool?   

I don't doubt, many of us have to deal with an irresponsible relative who makes your child all manner of promises they have no intention of keeping. Or an ex who, motivated by sheer spite, deceives or coerces a child into abandoning those things -- or people -- he truly loves? Or a child who is so spoiled rotten by others, only you (or so it feels) are left to be the heavy, the tightwad, the funsucker? Will they ever see the forest for the trees?  God says, "Yes."

God is a God of justice, especially when it comes to people who lead His children astray or do them harm. God has hand selected you, the parent for His child, to do what is best for them. If you are walking with God, seeking His will and praying for wisdom -- for yourself and your child -- He will not let you down. What comfort we can take in His promises to us!

Kindness Tough As Nails

Let me acclaim You, O Master, my God, with all my heart,
and let me honor Your name forever.
For Your kindness to me is great,
and You saved me from nethermost Sheol.

~ Psalm 86:12, 13 (Alter)

My day begins with a couple verses from the Psalms. Not because I am that holy, or pious, or eager to wake up and give God His due, but because I am so easily distracted. I am so easily provoked. I am so easily misguided. I am, in a word, a fool when left to my own devices. So, as I meditated on this passage the other morning --Ash Wednesday, to be specific --I once again visited the concept of kindness. Kindness is typically the thing we encourage of toddlers as they first begin to interact with others. Kindness is what we ask of our children toward their siblings. Kindness is something we notice in a beautiful, unexpected bouquet of flowers from a faraway friend. Kindness is sweet and gentle. Not quite.

But see what Scripture has to say about kindness:

"...He is God, the faithful God, who is keeping His covenant and His [steadfast] lovingkindness to a thousand generations..." (Deuteronomy 7:9 AMP)

...I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you (Isaiah 54:8)

...the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:7)

"...God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance." (Romans 2:4 RSV)

The psalmist says God's kindness is great. In a world where superlatives like "awesome" and "the best" are tossed about like dirty socks to the hamper, the word "great" can lose its --well, greatness. Webster's 1936 dictionary defines great as "large in size; big," of course, but it adds "opposed to small and little; specifically, pregnant." Opposed to small and little! Pregnant; filled with life, waiting to burst forth! A little kindness just will not do. A dead or stagnant or reluctant kindness is not the kindness of God. God's kindness is great! 

Deuteronomy tells us His "lovingkindness," His hesed, is steadfast and powerful, sufficient enough for a thousand generations. Using figurative language, Moses is saying "forever." It will make it; God's kindness will not run out. It is covenantal as well. Like God saying, "As long as I live, I will demonstrate kindness." He promised His perpetual kindness to those who love Him and keep His commandments. He would deny Himself --His integrity, His character --if He were to break this promise. The prophet Isaiah wrote, God's kindness is everlasting. Everlasting! Another superlative. Again, Webster's 1936: "continuing indefinitely; hence, wearisome from repetition." God's kindness goes on so long, we can grow weary from it? No more, Heavenly Father! No more! I just can't take it! Well, I'm not sure about all of that, but it is eternal because He Himself is eternal. And His kindness is the impetus for His mercy.

Paul declares the kindness of Christ Jesus, His behavior toward others as He inhabited earth in human form, serves to provide us with an example of the kindness of our Father God. Gentleness, forgiveness, looking out for the interests of others, keeping customs and celebrations, studying and teaching among the devout in the temple, praying to His Father on behalf of folks. His kindness was an outpouring of the exceeding riches of God's grace! And meant to lead those around Him then, as well as those today, to repentance, to forsaking the way we live in error and sin. God's kindness is abundant and resurrectionary, able to turn hearts toward a life of heavenly living in a place that is currently ruled by perdition, able to turn our hearts toward righteousness and holiness when our flesh has been so long in bondage to sin and corruption.

And let us not forget just how far His kindness was willing to go. His kindness was poured out through scourged skin and puddled blue under beaten flesh. His kindness was stripped and thrown to the ground, trampled under leather and contempt, in the greatest display of injustice, irreverence, unkindness, and betrayal ever known. His kindness was pierced with thorns and a sword. But His kindness remained. Voluntary, steadfast, eternal, sufficient, death-defying, quickening, relational, exemplary (Ouch!), tough as nails. The nails that held Him in place to show you and me real kindness.