selfishness

I am convinced that there is nothing compelling--nothing captivating--nothing beautiful about selfishness.

Tell me a story in which a character is in love with himself and makes great sacrifices to make himself happy, and I will walk away disappointed.  Show me a movie where a character overcomes conflict so she can walk away from her family to pursue her dreams, and I will walk away troubled.  Play me a song where a character desperately wants to amass wealth so he robs from the poor and needy, and I will walk away angry.  BUT tell me a story in which a character is in love with someone else and makes great sacrifices to make the other person happy, and I will walk away inspired.  Show me a movie where a character overcomes conflict so she can stay with her family, and I will walk away enriched.  Play me a song where a character desperately wants to give his wealth away to the poor and needy, and I will walk away incited.

And yet, the great lie of our age and every age, continually wins my allegiance--the lie that selfishness brings happiness / that my happiness is the number one priority / that my fulfillment trumps the fulfillment of others / that I am the center of the universe / that I deserve to be happy and fulfilled . . . however we choose to state it, tragically selfishness continues to garner my affection.

When I see selfishness modeled--I hate it.  When I take the time to examine my life and see my selfishness--I hate it.  I don't want to live that way--but how can I keep myself from sliding into that familiar pattern, popularized by Adam and Eve?

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. Psalm 119:9

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31


The lives that captivate us, the movies that enrich us, the books that inspire us, the songs that move us are consistently stories of love for God and love for others.  May I live out that kind of story today.

like a child

Mark 10:15
"whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

I am not sure what this means . . . but for as complicated and conflicting as faith in Jesus can be at times, this verse is reassuring.
Let the theologians debate God's sovereignty, let the skeptics struggle with His existence, let the conservatives argue over His laws, and let the liberals question His justice (and I surely will join in with each of them from time to time) But let us all come home to a simple child-like faith.  Let us all remember the wonder that fills a child's eyes as you tell them stories--the peace that fills their heart as you let them under the covers during a thunder storm--the comfort that calms their tears as you kiss away the pain from their scraped knee.
No doubt there is time and space for the questions and the struggles, but whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.

I believe; help my unbelief

Mark 9:24 captures the struggle that is faith . . . I believe . . . at least I think I believe . . . I want to believe . . . how can I tell if I really believe . . . it is so hard to believe . . .

"I believe; help my unbelief."

In Mark 9 a father brought his demon possessed son to Jesus with the hope that Jesus could make his son well.  Jesus' response to the father was, "all things are possible for the one who believes." To which the father responds, "I believe; help my unbelief."  Jesus then heals his son.

The father's response resonates with me because it is honest.  He doesn't try to fool anyone. His son's life is on the line; if I were him I would of put on a face of total belief--I would have left off those last 3 words.  But the father defaults to the path of total transparency--I believe, but honestly there is a little doubt floating around in the back of my head about who you are Jesus, and about how you are going to act in this circumstance; help my unbelief.

At times it can feel like there is very little room for doubt in Christian circles.  It can feel like everyone is running on a full tank of faith, and if that is the case you feel like keeping quiet about your quarter tank.

I wish we could all be more like the father in this story.  I wish we could be more open about our belief AND our unbelief.  I know it's true for me.  I know I believe (after all I am a pastor) but the gas gage of faith is not always full.  Faith is difficult to understand; it is difficult to exercise; it is difficult to discuss.  So with that understanding, lets be honest about the struggle--and like we see in the story, Jesus will work in spite of our unbelief.

what moved Jesus

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?

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.

dirty dishes

Few things upset me like pouring a glass of water into a cup that looks clean only to find the inside of the cup was dirty.  You get the little floaties, or you see something crusted to the inside of the cup.  Well, it is comforting to know that Jesus hates this type of thing as well.  In Matthew 21-24 Jesus rails against the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. He calls the snakes, blind fools, and hypocrites.  He calls them out on their lack of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.  He even compares them to a cup that is clean on the outside, but inside is filthy with greed and self-indulgence on the inside. . . .

Throughout the book of Matthew, Jesus has consistently reached out to the non-religious people--white collar thieves and prostitutes, blue collar laborers and lepers.  Jesus seems to want to meet people where they are.  If where they are is neck deep in sin, then Jesus offers them a better way.  If, however, they are neck deep in sin and pretending to be Godly, then Jesus seems to have very little patience for them--especially if they are in a role of spiritual leadership.

We all need to stop playing games.  Be who you are.  If you are a dirty cup--fine.  Stay in the sink to be cleaned.  If you are a clean dish--fine. Get it in the cupboard to be used. But don't be the cup that is pretending to be one thing when they are really the other--nobody likes drinking out of a cup they think is clean only to find out it's dirty.

more than words . . . I hope

Matthew 18-20 is loaded with good stuff, but I will pick just one nugget to highlight.  One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Matthew 20:28, "even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
If anyone ever deserved to be served it would be Jesus.  The king chooses to give it all up to serve those in his kingdom.  He steps down from his throne and puts on poor mens clothes.  He has no home in which to sleep, and spends his days serving those around him.
If a life defined by serving others was good enough for Jesus, then it is good enough for me.
While this sounds good and I like to say it . . . to live a life of serving others is humbling, inconvenient, uncomfortable, difficult, painful, and the list could go on and on.  Jesus' life ended when he sacrificed his life in the greatest act of service imaginable.  His death paid the ransom that freed our souls.
May I do more today than merely talk about a life of service . . .

I didn't wash my hands today

I like to apply my Bible reading to my life, so before I sat down to my grilled cheese and cheesy broccoli soup this afternoon, I intentionally did not wash my hands (nor did I wash them before preparing my delicious little feast).  You see, I read Matthew 15-17 this morning and in chapter 15 the religious leaders said to Jesus, "why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders by not washing their hands when they eat?" And Jesus basically tells the religious leaders that they are hypocrites because they are more concerned with their religious traditions than with honoring God with their hearts.  Jesus says that what goes in your mouth is not what defiles people, but rather it is what comes out of your mouth that defiles people.  He said that out of the overflow of your heart your mouth speaks, and that the religious leaders ought to be a little more concerned about the self-righteous, judgmental garbage that was spewing out of their mouths, and a little less concerned about the dirty hands going into the disciples' mouths.

So I figure if non-handwashing is good enough for Peter, James, and John; then it is good enough for me. I hate washing my hands anyways--it is such a drag.

Perhaps that's not the primary application of this teaching of Jesus.  Perhaps the primary application is that Jesus' primary concern is not with our physical actions and not even our words--his primary concern is the condition of our heart.

I once heard the story of a foul mouthed coach who went to his pastor for help. He told his pastor that he had a cussing problem.  The pastor replied, you don't have a cussing problem.  You've got a heart problem.

this people's heart has grown dull

As I read through The Gospel of Matthew I continue to see a progression presented by Matthew:
prep1-4-->teaching5-7-->miracles8-9-->resistance10-12-->parables13-14

In chapter 12 the religious leaders attributed Jesus' miracles to Satan, and in chapter 13 Jesus changes up his style and switches to teaching in parables.  The disciples seem concerned by this change and ask Jesus why he would speak in such a confusing way, and Jesus answers, "because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand."  Then he quotes the prophet Isaiah, "You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull . . . "  It seems like Jesus is saying that because their hearts have grown dull, I will speak in a such a way that the true message evades them.

I am not sure what to do with this concept . . . along with the disciples I question Jesus' strategy.  But God never has and never will need my approval for his dealings with humanity.  I suppose my take away from this section is: may my heart never grow dull.

The Resistance

Matthew 1-4 Jesus' prep for ministry

Matthew 5-7 Jesus' teaching

Matthew 8-9 Jesus' miracles

Matthew 10-12 THE RESISTANCE

Matthew continues to unfold a more and more complex picture of Jesus and his time on Earth.  Chapters 10-12 of Matthew seem to all be focused on the resistance that Jesus and his followers experienced.  This is a new dimension to his ministry, and Jesus doesn't mince any words with his opposition.  His language in this section is bold and uncomfortable.  He tells his followers of the rejection they will encounter, he curses cities for their unbelief, and he calls the pharisees a brood of vipers.  The author seems to be illustrating that not everyone liked Jesus, and that he and his followers faced strong resistance. 

In Matthew 12:15 Jesus has so upset the religious leaders that they are now plotting to kill him. So the text says, "Jesus withdrew from that place.  A large crowd followed him and he healed all who were ill."  I think it is worth noting that in light of all the resistance, Jesus never lost his compassion for the sick and hurting.  I love how it says that he healed ALL who were ill.  It is almost as if the resistance from the religious elite only served to fuel his compassion even more for the marginalized masses.

As I follow Jesus I too will experience resistance.  May it fuel my compassion for those in need.

The Compassion of Jesus

As I am reading through The Gospel of Matthew I see a pattern in the beginning chapters.  In 1-4 the preparation for ministry -- In 5-7 the teaching ministry -- In 8-9 the miraculous ministry.  In chapters 8-9 Jesus heals the sick, raises the dead, controls nature, casts out demons, and forgives sins. He heals some by touching them, others by being touched, and others simply by his words.  Some are healed because of their faith, others because of the faith of friends, and others there is no mention of faith at all. These chapters play like a highlight reel of Jesus' miracles on earth, and I think 9:36 provides a good summary, "When He saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep with out a shepherd."

When I look out at crowds of people I typically see "wealthy / poor / religious / secular / attractive / unattractive / cool / loser / sick / healthy / etc."  Do I see more variety than Jesus did, or am I merely seeing the masks that people wear?  I think when Jesus looked out on the crowds he saw people's hearts--he saw through their mask to their core.  He saw past the designer suite to the helpless soul inside; past the dirty, worn clothes to the harassed inner spirit.

All I can see are the masks, but I trust that the souls of humanity haven't changed much since Jesus' time.  I believe that just as many people are harassed and helpless today, but do I share in Jesus' compassion?  The next verse is 9:37, "the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." If I share in His compassion, then I will labor alongside Him and bring hope to the harassed and helpless.

May compassion motivate me to labor with Him in the harvest.

Matthew 6-7

Matthew 6-7 is a continuation of the sermon on the mount.  These chapters are chocked full of insight for living Christ-like lives, and a good summary of them all is found in 7:12: "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
Such a simple concept that I so often forget.  How many problems could be avoided and relationships could be improved if I would simply follow this most basic of rules.  I suppose its like most things--I get so caught up in my own wants/desires/needs that I end up ignoring those of others.
May I follow this golden rule today and thereby fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17).

Matthew 4-5

Matthew 4-5 covers Jesus' temptation, the call of the disciples, and the sermon on the mount.  4:14-16 jumped off the page at me this morning: "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in Heaven."
Often times the Bible is hard to understand.  Frequently Jesus speaks in stories and parables that are confusing.  However, that is not the case this morning.  Jesus doesn't get much clearer than this.  As a follower of Jesus I am a light, and I have the responsibility to shine.  How do I shine?  By my good works.  Why do I shine? So others can give glory to my Father in Heaven.
May I bring light into the world today and may others be pointed to my Father in Heaven.

Matthew 1-3

Matthew 1-3 opens with the genealogy of Jesus through his earthly father Joseph, covers Jesus' birth, early years, and concludes with John the Baptist baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River.

There are 6 fulfilled prophecies in these chapters--virgin birth, birth in Bethlehem, time in Egypt, Herod's decree to murder the all the babies in the region of Bethlehem, Jesus' home in Nazareth, and the ministry of John the Baptist.  The first book of the New Testament opens with example after example of how all that was written before was pointing to Jesus.  Perhaps these prophecies seemed contradictory or irrelevant to the original hearers, but as I read them now they fill me with confidence in the God of the Scriptures.

God has a plan.  I have the privilege of seeing how that plan has worked out through the stories of the Bible, but His plan is still being worked out in my life.  Often times I fail to trust God as I should.  It is in those times that I need to be reminded of God's trustworthiness as demonstrated through the fulfilled prophecies of Matthew 1-3.