Month: April 2018

Reflections

 

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” – Paul, 1 Corinthians 13:12

It must have been one of her prized possessions. She carried it with her into the desert as she fled. It was a mirror. Not a fine modern glass and silver mirror, but a mirror of polished metal. It was the finest of its kind two thousand years ago. It was set in a painted wooden case and tucked deep in a goat skin bag. Perhaps, each night when they stopped, she would carefully take it out and comb her hair. By the light of the fire she saw the lines of her face grow deeper, caked with dust. The journey was hard and by the time they reached the cave in the Judean wilderness, she could hardly recognize the person staring back at her.

Once she had seen a girl – young, spry, winsome. The lass had become a lady and the mirror had confirmed the compliments of her suitors. Now that same mirror echoed her despair. The revolution was over. The Romans would relentlessly hunt them down. She could hardly bear to look into that mirror again and see what she had become. Finally, one day, she put it in its case and hid it in the floor of her cave home.

I stepped back from the display in the Jewish museum saddened by my own over‐active imagination. The ancient mirror, recovered by archaeologists, now sits in a display case in a museum in Jerusalem. The owner has long since passed away but mirrors still tell us stories.

On earth, we may not be able to see Jesus today, but upon reflection, like gazing into a looking glass, we can see how he is changing us. I hope you like what you see!

The Fruit Inspector

Jesus warned us, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged,” (Matthew 7:1), but we are required to make judgments all the time. Based on what Jesus says just a few verses later (Matthew 7:16), the famous Los Angeles preacher, Marshall Keeble, use to quip, “I’m not a judge – I’m a fruit inspector!” So what’s the difference?

A judge makes a solemn pronouncement branding someone for all time: “Guilty!” and people who act like judges condemn people and don’t give them a chance to grow: “You’ll never amount to anything” or “You are such a disappointment!”

A fruit inspector, on the other hand, makes allowances, “It’s not quite ripe yet,” or “It’s past its prime. This apple is rotten.” A fruit inspector knows the difference between a peach and a mango. As Jesus said,

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them,” (Matthew 7:16-20).

Judges are harsh and their decisions are not easily reversed. A fruit inspector recognizes produce and knows how to care for it. Wouldn’t it be great if we were all fruit inspectors?

The Worst Host of All Time

Procrustes was very friendly, but he may have been the worst host of all time. He invited all passersby to stop and spend the night at his house. He even graciously offered them the use of his famous iron bed. There was only one problem: if the guest was too short, Procrustes would stretch them out until they fit his bed and if they were too long he would simply cut them down to size.

Of course, there truly is no such thing as “one size fits all” in clothing or in congregations. We are such a diverse lot, aren’t we? In our congregation, we have old and young, rich and poor, people with strings of degrees after their name and those without. We speak English, Spanish, Tagalog, and Texan. We love spicy food and bland. Our diversity is our strength, but it can also become our greatest vulnerability. I truly fear those who would, like Procrustes, insist we all fit the same mold.

In the Corinthian church, some people loved listening to Paul. He wasn’t a trained orator and often talked too long, but the depth of his understanding has never been equaled. Then there were those who loved the “Eloquent Alexandrian” Apollos. Others were entranced by the sincerity and first-hand knowledge of Peter. How did they ever get along? What advice would you give them? Rupertus Meldenius (circa 1627) wrote:

“In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.”

Yawn

My grandkids have introduced me to the cartoon series, Phineas and Ferb. It’s about how they spend their “104 days of summer vacation.” They are always inventing and building things and having fantastic adventures. Those two are never bored.

Wouldn’t it be great if life was like that — never dull — but we can’t always have mountaintop experiences and, thankfully, we don’t always live in dark valleys. Sometimes life is boring: “same ol’, same ol’” and sometimes our faith goes through “dry places.” Bible study becomes meaningless, and prayers are repetitious. We find ourselves just going through the motions.

I wonder if, in the days before his public ministry, John the Baptist ever was bored in the desert? Did his diet of locusts and wild honey ever seem stale? Did he become tired of looking at sand, rocks and scrub brush? If he did, what advice would you give him?

“Just be faithful Brother Baptist! But we are not called to stagnation and “faithfulness” can even become a way of rationalizing complacency or outright negligence.

Someone else might encourage John the Baptist to, “Keep growing!” That isn’t necessarily biblical advice. Does it sound like something Oprah or Dear Abby would suggest and what if you lack the motivation to do even that?

“Persevere! Our preacher keeps talking about Christians persevering. Winston Churchill said, ‘Never, never, never, never, never, never, never give up!’” And while the Bible does call for perseverance, it doesn’t allow for hollow perseverance. Paul told the Romans, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord,” (Romans 12:11).

I think John the Baptist understood the need to maintain an internal faithfulness. We need a sense of duty and a sense of passion. That sense of passion comes from seeing faith at work. That means spending time with my brothers and sisters, sharing our passion and our energy. When I see the Spirit at work in others, I am more likely to sense his presence in my own life.

And finally, what is the difference between sitting at home on the couch – bored – and standing in line for an hour at Disneyland? Anticipation! So what are we waiting for? The Lord is coming, and that is exciting!

The Second Saying from the Cross

“The first word that Jesus uttered from his cross was a prayer for his enemies. The second word was an answer to prayer.”  — Clovis G. Chappell

It Wasn’t an Accident

It wasn’t a matter of chance that Jesus was crucified between two thieves. Isaiah 53:12 prophesied it 700 years before: “Numbered with the transgressors.” Jesus was despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3).

At the Foot of the Cross

As horrible as this scene is, let’s stand at the foot of the cross and listen.

One of the men, even in his pain, notices Jesus. Jesus doesn’t curse or condemn. He forgives!

This man reflects on his own life. He wasn’t just a common thief. He was a revolutionary and probably a murderer (the original word translated into English means much more than “criminal.”) This man deserved to die and he knew it.

A Strange Request

The revolutionary turns to Jesus and asks, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Had the criminal met Jesus before? He is the only person to call Jesus by name.

Still, this is a strange request! We would have expected him to say something like, “Save us!” But, instead, dying, he talks about Jesus’ kingdom.

You see, they both wanted the same thing: to change the world. But they chose two different methods: one by the power of the sword and the other through the power of love.

Why did the revolutionary pray?

He didn’t pray because he was frightened – that was the prayer of the other man. What can we learn from his prayer?

He prayed because he was penitent.

He prayed to Jesus the King.

The prayer was personal. Do you pray for yourself? Some people are hesitant to do so.

This was a prayer of faith: not “if you come” but “When you come”

This was a modest prayer – he only asked to be remembered.

The Assurances of Jesus

Jesus gave assurance that life goes on.

Jesus gave assurance of abiding fellowship.

Jesus gave assurance of a heavenly home.

Jesus gave assurance of immediacy: “this day”

Jesus gave assurance of salvation.

Positively Christian

“The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser — in case you thought optimism was dead.”  — Robert Brault

Somewhere along the way, Christians got a reputation for being negative people. Perhaps we inherited that label from our Jewish forefathers. The rabbis studied the first five books of the Bible and identified 613 commandments that cover nearly every aspect of life. It seems 365 of them are negative (“One for every day of the year”) and 248 of them are positive (“One for every bone in the human body”).

Of course, we do it to ourselves too. I once knew a preacher who always seemed so angry in his sermons. I asked him why and he announced, “The Apostle Paul told Timothy to ‘reprove, rebuke, and exhort’ (2 Timothy 4:2) and so I believe two out of three sermons ought to be angry!” I’m sad to say, I think he was serious, but I don’t think that’s right. Christians ought to be the most positive people on the planet. We have so much to live for and, what’s better, we have something to die for! After all, we’ve read the book and we know how the story ends.

I suppose I’ve always been an optimistic Christian. Along the way, I’ve collected some tidbits that reinforce that view:

  • “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill
  • “What day is it?”
  • “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
  • “My favorite day,” said Pooh. 
  • — A. A. Milne
  • “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” — Marcus Aurelius
  • “You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down” — Charles Chaplin
  • “Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible.”  — Albert Einstein

Life isn’t a weary cycle that repeats itself over and over and over again. Jesus assured us, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). So, I’m positive – I’m a Christian!