Mark 1:41, Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him
Mark 3:5, And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart
Mark 6:6, And he marveled because of their unbelief
Mark 6:34, When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd
Mark 8:2, I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now 3 days and have nothing to eat
Pity, anger, grief, marvel, compassion . . .
Mark's gospel is helping me develop a fuller view of Jesus. And if I truly want to be more like Jesus, I have to ask myself:
Am I moved with pity as I observe the sufferings and misfortunes of others?
Do hardened hearts anger and grieve me?
As I see so many lost souls struggling to make sense of this world, does it move me with compassion?
Do I have compassion for the hungry?
Do the things that moved Jesus move me?
Friday, April 27, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
God bothers me
Having just finished reading the book of Joshua, I am conflicted . . .
This book contains the story of a faithful God who honors his promises, preserves his people, and does so in awe-inspiring ways.
However;
In order to honor his promises and preserve his people; thousands of men, women, and children are destroyed as God's chosen people take possession of the land of promise.
So on the one hand I am grateful that God clearly keeps his promises: Joshua 21:45, "Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass."
But on the other hand I am bothered that God clearly keeps his promises: Joshua 11:19-20, "There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel . . . For it was the Lord's doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the Lord commanded Moses."
But here is what I am learning: God never promised that he would never confuse or confound us. He never promised that we would never be bothered by how he works and moves in the world. Our goal is not to fully understand God, but to fully trust God--fully is the key word. I don't know that I want to serve a god that I can fully understand. I want the awe, the wonder, the divinity, the mystery that comes from a limited understanding. I understand enough of him that I feel confident in placing my full trust in him.
(Disclaimer: I am aware of the Biblical responses to my conflict--God is the creator and holy. Humanity is his creation and stands condemned. We all deserve the destruction that came upon the inhabitants of the land of promise. It is only God's mercy that saves us. Isaiah 55:8-9. etc. BUT IT STILL BOTHERS ME, and that is ok.)
This book contains the story of a faithful God who honors his promises, preserves his people, and does so in awe-inspiring ways.
However;
In order to honor his promises and preserve his people; thousands of men, women, and children are destroyed as God's chosen people take possession of the land of promise.
So on the one hand I am grateful that God clearly keeps his promises: Joshua 21:45, "Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass."
But on the other hand I am bothered that God clearly keeps his promises: Joshua 11:19-20, "There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel . . . For it was the Lord's doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the Lord commanded Moses."
But here is what I am learning: God never promised that he would never confuse or confound us. He never promised that we would never be bothered by how he works and moves in the world. Our goal is not to fully understand God, but to fully trust God--fully is the key word. I don't know that I want to serve a god that I can fully understand. I want the awe, the wonder, the divinity, the mystery that comes from a limited understanding. I understand enough of him that I feel confident in placing my full trust in him.
(Disclaimer: I am aware of the Biblical responses to my conflict--God is the creator and holy. Humanity is his creation and stands condemned. We all deserve the destruction that came upon the inhabitants of the land of promise. It is only God's mercy that saves us. Isaiah 55:8-9. etc. BUT IT STILL BOTHERS ME, and that is ok.)
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Psalm 52
Psalm 52
(To our culture, Hollywood, the music industry, and those that buy into their lies.)
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practice deceit,
your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor.
3 You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth.
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!
(The fate of everyone apart from God's grace)
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.
(Don't forget what it says in Psalm 14:2-3
2 The LORD looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good, not even one.
So the righteousness that the author is about to refer to here is not found in mankind. There is none in humankind that is righteous apart from God's grace.)
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
and grew strong by destroying others!”
(If trusting in wealth and growing strong by destroying others is the description of the one who will be brought to everlasting ruin (v5), then we Americans had better watch out.)
8 But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you
in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
for your name is good.
(I want verses 8-9 to be true of me. I want to trust in God's unfailing love. I want to praise God with other faithful Christians. I want my hope to be in Him and His goodness.)
(To our culture, Hollywood, the music industry, and those that buy into their lies.)
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practice deceit,
your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor.
3 You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth.
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!
(The fate of everyone apart from God's grace)
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.
(Don't forget what it says in Psalm 14:2-3
2 The LORD looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good, not even one.
So the righteousness that the author is about to refer to here is not found in mankind. There is none in humankind that is righteous apart from God's grace.)
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
and grew strong by destroying others!”
(If trusting in wealth and growing strong by destroying others is the description of the one who will be brought to everlasting ruin (v5), then we Americans had better watch out.)
8 But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you
in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
for your name is good.
(I want verses 8-9 to be true of me. I want to trust in God's unfailing love. I want to praise God with other faithful Christians. I want my hope to be in Him and His goodness.)
Monday, April 16, 2012
the kid sitting alone in the cafeteria
I recently finished reading the gospel of Matthew. As I read through the final chapters about Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, I was drawn to this sentence in Matthew 26:56:
"Then all the disciples departed him and fled."
Jesus and his disciples were praying in the garden of Gethsemane, when Judas approached with a large mob to arrest Jesus. After a brief scuffle, Jesus is hauled away and all the disciples fled. . . ALL the disciples fled.
I'm not sure what to do with that little phrase. On the one hand it is comforting that even the people that were physically with Jesus 2000 years ago had moments of weakness and fear--moments when they abandoned God for a safer option. This is a comfort, because God continued to use these disciples in spite of their failures. In just a few pages Jesus will be committing them with the task of spreading his message around the world. So there is still hope for me when I abandon him for something less dangerous.
On the other hand, rather than comforting, this little phrase is severely humbling. If I would have been in the garden I would have abandoned Jesus as well. I abandon him everyday for something easier, safer, or more appealing. As angry as I get at the disciples when I read about this scene in the garden--I should be equally angry at myself. My betrayal is much easier to hide, therefor I do it much more frequently. I recently heard it put this way in a film, it's like Jesus is that kid sitting by himself at an empty table in a crowded cafeteria, and I just keep ignoring him, trying to get an in at the "cool" table.
I think that I need to be humbled more often than I need to be comforted. The more I face the realities of my sinful-self, the more it pushes me into the arms of grace.
"Then all the disciples departed him and fled."
Jesus and his disciples were praying in the garden of Gethsemane, when Judas approached with a large mob to arrest Jesus. After a brief scuffle, Jesus is hauled away and all the disciples fled. . . ALL the disciples fled.
I'm not sure what to do with that little phrase. On the one hand it is comforting that even the people that were physically with Jesus 2000 years ago had moments of weakness and fear--moments when they abandoned God for a safer option. This is a comfort, because God continued to use these disciples in spite of their failures. In just a few pages Jesus will be committing them with the task of spreading his message around the world. So there is still hope for me when I abandon him for something less dangerous.
On the other hand, rather than comforting, this little phrase is severely humbling. If I would have been in the garden I would have abandoned Jesus as well. I abandon him everyday for something easier, safer, or more appealing. As angry as I get at the disciples when I read about this scene in the garden--I should be equally angry at myself. My betrayal is much easier to hide, therefor I do it much more frequently. I recently heard it put this way in a film, it's like Jesus is that kid sitting by himself at an empty table in a crowded cafeteria, and I just keep ignoring him, trying to get an in at the "cool" table.
I think that I need to be humbled more often than I need to be comforted. The more I face the realities of my sinful-self, the more it pushes me into the arms of grace.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Big Chunks
As I mentioned in my last post, I am behind in my Bible reading. In an effort to catch up I recently read through Numbers and Deuteronomy. Prior to starting this long haul of 70 chapters, I was dreading it. Both books recount Israel's time wandering in the dessert listening to the laws of God repeated over and over again. However, once I started into it, I really did enjoy it. It is a little repetitive at times, and it does talk a lot about strange laws and customs that seem irrelevant. But I loved watching the character of Moses develop. I enjoyed immersing myself in a distant time and a peculiar culture. I was enthralled by the story of Balaam. But most of all I was captivated by God--who consistently disturbed me by shattering my preconceived notions of who he was (and is) and how he should act. It is this final point that I would like to focus on.
Deuteronomy 4:31, "For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them."
Deuteronomy 20:16-17, "But in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, but you shall devote them to complete destruction."
2 strikingly different pictures of God.
The 2 passages listed above are but a microcosm of these 70 chapters (and beyond). I think if I had read through Numbers and Deuteronomy in smaller chunks, I may have stopped on one of these verses and either fell in love with God's mercy or become angry at God's command. As I read through the 2 books I was constantly vacillating between appreciation for God's provision and just plain outrage at God's commands. But the beauty in reading scripture in such large chunks is you gain a better handle on the big picture. You don't get as hung up on the details, but instead you focus on the greater narrative taking place. You see that God is keeping his promises and faithfully protecting and preserving his people.
Honestly at times I don't like how God chooses to protect and preserve, but the greater narrative also illustrates that humanity is created, God is eternal; humanity is weak, God is all-powerful; humanity is sinful, God is holy; humanity is unfaithful, God is faithful; humanity is just that--human, and God is just that--God. So at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter if I like how God chooses to work in humanity, because I am his creation, weak, sinful, unfaithful, and human. He is the creator, all-powerful, holy, faithful, and most importantly God.
Read scripture in big chunks--it helps you focus on the big picture, which is a merciful, holy God keeping his promise to a fickle, sinful people.
Deuteronomy 4:31, "For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them."
Deuteronomy 20:16-17, "But in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, but you shall devote them to complete destruction."
2 strikingly different pictures of God.
The 2 passages listed above are but a microcosm of these 70 chapters (and beyond). I think if I had read through Numbers and Deuteronomy in smaller chunks, I may have stopped on one of these verses and either fell in love with God's mercy or become angry at God's command. As I read through the 2 books I was constantly vacillating between appreciation for God's provision and just plain outrage at God's commands. But the beauty in reading scripture in such large chunks is you gain a better handle on the big picture. You don't get as hung up on the details, but instead you focus on the greater narrative taking place. You see that God is keeping his promises and faithfully protecting and preserving his people.
Honestly at times I don't like how God chooses to protect and preserve, but the greater narrative also illustrates that humanity is created, God is eternal; humanity is weak, God is all-powerful; humanity is sinful, God is holy; humanity is unfaithful, God is faithful; humanity is just that--human, and God is just that--God. So at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter if I like how God chooses to work in humanity, because I am his creation, weak, sinful, unfaithful, and human. He is the creator, all-powerful, holy, faithful, and most importantly God.
Read scripture in big chunks--it helps you focus on the big picture, which is a merciful, holy God keeping his promise to a fickle, sinful people.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
The Quarter Year Crisis
I am about 1/4 of the way into my thru-the-Bible-in-a-year plan, and I have gotten lazy. The first few months I had a routine, and the Bible stories were cool--then Leviticus happened :) First, I got behind in the old testament readings and then in the new testament readings. After almost 3 weeks I was drowning.
I don't have any good excuses. I work at a church and am paid to study the Bible (among other things), so excuses for finding time are difficult to come up with. In fact it is quite humbling and embarrassing to post this to the handful of people that will read it. But my hope is that perhaps someone else out there is having a quarter year crisis with their New Year's resolution, and perhaps we can both overcome.
I have not given up. I have read through both Numbers and Deuteronomy in the last couple days. I am not going to fail at this, and the reason is not necessarily spiritual--in fact it may be downright sinful--my pride. You see I am a part of this group at my church and we are all reading the Bible together and discussing it week by week. I have not been able to participate over the last few weeks, and I think they are assuming that I am still on track with them, so my pride is forcing me to get back on track before we meet again. Perhaps its not pride . . . perhaps it is the power of community . . . whatever it is I am signing off to start reading a big chunk of the gospels, and I think that is a pretty good thing.
Regular posting will commence again soon . . .
I don't have any good excuses. I work at a church and am paid to study the Bible (among other things), so excuses for finding time are difficult to come up with. In fact it is quite humbling and embarrassing to post this to the handful of people that will read it. But my hope is that perhaps someone else out there is having a quarter year crisis with their New Year's resolution, and perhaps we can both overcome.
I have not given up. I have read through both Numbers and Deuteronomy in the last couple days. I am not going to fail at this, and the reason is not necessarily spiritual--in fact it may be downright sinful--my pride. You see I am a part of this group at my church and we are all reading the Bible together and discussing it week by week. I have not been able to participate over the last few weeks, and I think they are assuming that I am still on track with them, so my pride is forcing me to get back on track before we meet again. Perhaps its not pride . . . perhaps it is the power of community . . . whatever it is I am signing off to start reading a big chunk of the gospels, and I think that is a pretty good thing.
Regular posting will commence again soon . . .
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