Midweek: Food for Thought (April 2024)

As we continue in this Lenten season, a time of meditating (hopefully) on the passion of our Lord, I'd like to share with you this post from April 2024, Food for Thought. How resolute are you in your belief of all the Scriptures tell us? Those around us should be able to answer that question by watching how we live our lives.

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I'm currently reading Frank Morison's Who Moved the Stone, an oldie but a goodie. In short, it is an apologetic on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. At least, that's what the back cover of my edition states. But it's provided me with so much more: food for thought and a clearer picture of the events leading up to the murder of Jesus. Today's food for thought came as I was reading about the guard posted to secure the tomb at the priests' request. Morison writes:

It is usually contended that the excuse given to Pilate (viz., that the disciples might steal the body) is wildly improbable; ...the behavior of the disciples shows that they had not apprehended or believed Him;

Did you notice his statement regarding the disciples? The disciples, by their behavior, demonstrated their lack of belief. After the crucifixion, they went into hiding; they grieved the loss of their Leader. On the road to Emmaus, recorded in Luke 24, the two men associate themselves with the women who discovered the tomb of Jesus empty that morning: they refer to them as "certain women of our company." These were followers of Jesus, and what was their response to His death? We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. The morning after the Sabbath, why had the women gone to the tomb? To finish the burial process sunset stole from them on Friday. They were shocked His body was gone and demanded to be told where it had been taken. With Jesus' final breath, all hope left this group.

But the religious authorities, the priests and scribes, that "brood of vipers," what did they believe? By their actions, they demonstrated belief in the power of all Jesus of Nazareth had said! This prophet from a backwater town who vexed them and challenged them all throughout His ministry, they believed His words would --at the least --incite some sort of funny business! Now that's some food for thought right there! If the enemies of Jesus are more convinced of His authority or His charisma than His followers...

Why would anyone who doesn't believe in the power of prayer be upset if you prayed over your lunch at the local McDonald's? Listen to those who are crying out for Jesus to be erased from history or the Ten Commandments to be removed from public places. Are they more passionate about their cause than we are about our Savior? Do those who deny Jesus spend more time advocating for the poor, hosting strangers, fighting for justice, looking out for their neighbors, and caring for creation than we do? Are their more non-believers at the gym, fostering children, donating to the women's shelter, raising money for cancer, sending out Get Well wishes, coaching t-ball, or attending Overeaters Anonymous than there are believers? When my boss cuts my hours, is it my Muslim coworker who talks me out of panic mode? Is my Buddhist neighbor kinder and gentler toward her children than I am? Was it my Mormon friend who pointed out the beggar in the doorway, or did I have my coat off long before she mentioned it? What we believe --what we truly believe in our hearts determines our behavior. 

The Jewish leaders were more convinced of Jesus' impact than His own disciples. They took precautions to secure the tomb! To them, Jesus had given His followers something. A fire had been ignited, a fire they feared they were unable to extinguish. Were they right? Almost every one of the twelve were eventually martyred for their faith, and the truth of the gospel has spread far and wide. Hard to imagine anyone willing to give up their life for something they didn't believe whole-heartedly. 

So, I'm sharing some of my food with you today. Has the hope of victory, the hope of eternity died with you, or does the passion of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection burn so brightly in you, others can't help but be convinced?

Cause for a Pause

At some point during the Lenten season, I try to sit down and watch Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Every time I watch it, there is some thought that occurs to me or symbolism that stands out to me that, in all my previous viewings, escaped me. Now, I know it's a movie, someone else's interpretation of the accounts in the Gospels; and I often wonder, when we do find out the actual details behind the writers' words, when we truly discover the accurate and intended meat of God's Word, just how shocked we will be. This is not at all how I imagined! Nevertheless, this year, it was during the scene with Jesus and Pilate, based on John's Gospel that I paused. Pilate asks Jesus directly, "Are You the King of the Jews?" Jesus responds by asking Pilate if he wants to know personally or is he seeking answers from a legal perspective. In other words, had Pilate discerned Jesus' deity and authority for himself, or was Pilate merely investigating the accusations made by the Jewish leaders against Jesus. Obviously, Jesus knew the heart of Pilate; He didn't have to ask the governor's intentions. But the best teachers, the best psychologists are people who ask questions. Questions provide a pause in a moment, a pause that summons us to introspection. Are you sure that's the answer you want to go with? Have you double-checked your work? Do you have your glasses? Who told you you were naked? Questions aren't always asked as a means of obtaining information, but merely calling for it to be presented, laid bare, brought to the forefront. Are you asking for yourself, or are you merely doing your job?

When I watched this scene the other day, I paused it, rewound it, paused it again, and reached for my Bible. As I read the passage in Scripture, what impressed me was the mercy and courageous kindness of our Savior. As He stood face to face with Pilate, the man His accusers counted on to deliver the verdict of death, He saw before Him a spirit. A spirit in need of a Redeemer, a man loved and created by God, fallen and dead without a Savior. Jesus did not tremble with fear; the spirit who stood before Him was more valuable than His own knocking knees or His own reassurance. Jesus did not beg for His life; the man who stood before Him was enslaved by sin and death. Surely, Pilate's condition was far more dire than His own. Jesus, out of mercy and lovingkindness, commanded the situation. He redirected the conversation, provided a pause, and called for clarity.

The other three Gospels record the scene earlier in His ministry when Jesus questioned His disciples:

Who do men say that I am?

Who do you say that I am?

Not in some fact-finding expedition, but for the purpose of providing a pause. Have you made a personal decision about My identity? Do you believe I am the Christ, the Son of the living God?

This is a great time to pause, to consider your relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ. If you feel yourself coming up a little weak or watered-down in that area, I encourage you to begin daily reading in the Gospel of John; get to know Jesus better and spend the rest of life following Him and serving Him with all you've got. If you've not taken any steps at all toward a relationship with Jesus, you can do that right now by confessing your belief He is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the One sent to save you from the wrath of God for your sin. In order to build your relationship with Jesus, find a Bible or Bible website, allowing Scripture to become your daily guide for life. Pray, talk to God about whatever crosses your mind and expect Him to communicate His will for you through His Word. And, please, allow me to pray for you; drop me a message through the Contacts form in the righthand column of B2B's home page. 

Allow this season to be cause for an important pause.

Time to Let It All Out

Many moons ago, I went to the doctor with a boyfriend. He invited me into the examination room where the doctor began asking him about his medical history.

"So, I smoke about a pack a day," my friend disclosed. Ok, I thought, that makes sense. You are going to have some obvious signs of cigarette smoking and there could be risks to your health. Your doctor should definitely know that.

"And I smoke weed every day." Wait, I thought, weed's illegal! Do you really want to mention that? Does he have to know that?

"And I do coke on the weekends --well, sometimes through the week." WHOA!! Dude, stop! I mean, never mind the weed, coke is really illegal! Not a good idea.

Full disclosure, the list went on, and though I wasn't exactly innocent, I was stunned anyone would say those things out loud. To a guy in slacks and a tie. In a professional office building. Those things were done in the dark, behind closed doors. They were meant to be kept secret! But my friend wanted to be healed. I don't mean he wanted to give those things up, necessarily; but in order to diagnose the issue, in order to write a script or recommend a course of treatment, the doctor required transparency, and this patient was willing to give it. 

Have you ever thought you were hiding something from God? Stop and think about that for a moment. Think of all the things you and God have talked about. Please heal my mom. Please make me more like Jesus. Thank You for handling that situation with a coworker. But have you ever, intentionally gotten down to the nitty-gritty? Have you ever asked the Holy Spirit to reveal things you've been living with so long you don't even notice their impact on your life? Have you ever turned off your phone, shut the door and prayed through the moments of your past life? Have you talked to God about the time you cheated on your spouse or your taxes? Have you talked about the time you switched price tags at Home Depot? Have you talked about all those dirty little habits you think no one knows anything about? Have you talked about your lust? your selfishness? your agoraphobia? your nail-biting? To be healed, to be transformed, we need to be fully transparent with our Physician. Those things we think we are keeping from Him we are not. Through confession, the bearing of our hearts, giving them to Him in full we take our first steps toward healing; we demonstrate our willingness to trust. 

And there is immediate benefit! The lightening of our load. By speaking "hidden" truths to a mighty, omnipotent Savior, we cast our cares on the One who cares for us. We bring the past into the present to be dealt with right there; our maladies are no longer waiting to sneak up on us from behind, but are right before our eyes, ready to be faced down and destroyed like Goliath before a young but faith-filled David. We bring shame, the parasitic ravager of souls into the light and breath of the Spirit, staving its growth as air and light halt assailing bacteria. We bring our accounts current, leaving no area of our history concealed, unspoken, or unaddressed, so that we may participate in the new life purchased for us through Jesus Christ.   

I don't know whether my old boyfriend had known this doctor for so long, he trusted him implicitly, or whether he had great confidence in medicine and its practitioners. Maybe he was just that desperate for healing. Whatever the reason, this man was willing to be completely open and honest --divulging even some of the worst things he had done --in hopes some aspect of his life would change. If transparency entrusted to another fallible human being can lead to healing in the body, imagine what the Great Physician, the Creator of every human being --body, mind, and spirit --can do with your honesty. Do you know Him so well you can trust Him? Do you believe in the existence and redemption of Someone greater than this world? Are you that sick and tired of being sick and tired? Speak the truth honestly, openly. Confess your sins and your failures to the Lord. There is nothing He doesn't already know and nothing He can't carry. When you withhold nothing from God, He will not withhold His good work from you. 

         

Midweek: Why I Don't

I don't say "thank you" when you hold the door because sometimes my thoughts are far away.

I don't vote the way you do because my life experiences are different than yours and so are my values.

I don't view the use of alcohol the same way you do because my relationship with the Lord is not your relationship with the Lord.

I don't view vaccinating my children the same way you do because I am trying to be the best parent I can be, and the research I have done leads me to believe as I do.

I don't live the way you do because the way I live is what I believe is best for my family and me.

I don't volunteer as much as you do because I have as much as I can handle on my plate right now.

I don't clean my house as well as you clean yours because we all prioritize differently.

I don't permit my child to do things you may permit because neither one of us is a perfect parent.

I don't work or worship or shop or travel or serve or indulge or speak the way you do because we are not the same. We face or fear our Creator in different ways but not by different standards. Let us all be mindful of our differences and be kind in spite of them. Let us all be willing to listen to the hearts of others and compassionate enough to speak the truth. Let us love one another as Jesus Christ has loved us.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

~ John 13:34, 35