That's Nonsense!

            “He is not here, but He has risen.  Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”  And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.  Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.  But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. (Luke 24:6–11).

            The angels at the tomb of Jesus had some incredible news for the women who had come to attend to the crucified body of their Lord.  The tomb was empty!  Jesus had risen from the dead!  Who could believe it?  And yet, as the angels reminded them, the Lord had spoken of these things before.  When the terrified women reflected on it, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place.  They rush back to share the exciting news with the apostles themselves.  Surely these leaders will be excited as well and able to help them make sense of it all.  But the reception they receive is less than enthusiastic.  In fact, as the text records, their report is viewed by the apostles as “nonsense.”

            I realize that the resurrection of Jesus is a one-off event, so I need to be careful as I draw applications from it.  But as I reflect on this text, I pause to consider my own reactions to things that seem unbelievable to me.  Have I been too quick to dismiss as “nonsense” something that needs further exploration?  Perhaps it’s an interpretation of Scripture that seems utterly foreign to me.  Maybe it’s a series of events that doesn’t fall comfortably within my own set of parameters.  In such cases, am I willing to examine the evidence fairly before uncritically filing it as nonsense?  What about you?

 

God loves you!

Mike

Proven Character

“Character is the one thing we make in this world and take with us into the next. The circumstances amid which you live determine your reputation; the truth you believe determines your character. Reputation is what you are supposed to be; Character is what you are.  Reputation is what you have when you come to a new community; Character is what you have when you go away. Reputation is made in a moment; Character is built in a lifetime.  Reputation grows like a mushroom; Character grows like an oak.  Your reputation is learned in an hour; Your character does not come to light for a year.  A single newspaper report gives your reputation; a life of toil gives you your character.  Reputation makes you rich or makes you poor; Character makes you happy or makes you miserable.  Reputation is what men say about you on your tombstone; Character is what angels say about you before the throne of God.  Your character is what God knows you to be. Your reputation is what men think you are.” (William Hershey Davis).

This description of character reminds me of the Old Testament story of the young Moabite woman named Ruth.  After a series of devastating events in Moab, Ruth ends up in the land of Israel with her mother-in-law Naomi.  As the story unfolds, she ends up married to Boaz and the couple become the great-grandparents of King David.  It is certainly an amazing story of love and redemption.

In the midst of the story, Boaz and Ruth find themselves in a potentially questionable situation.  Ruth is fearful that her reputation will be damaged.  Boaz seeks to calm her fears by reminding her of her character.  “And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character” (Ruth 3:11 NIV).

            Good character gives us the foundation to withstand the assaults on our reputation.  And, as Ruth learned, it’s often the difficult times that prove most valuable in building character (Romans 5:3-4)

 

God loves you!

Mike

Long Live The King!

            “Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”  Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek.  So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’”  Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”” (John 19:19–22).

            The kingship of Jesus remained a matter of vigorous debate to the very end of His life, even to the point of arguing over the inscription to be affixed to His cross.  There were those like Nathanael who, even early on, were convinced of Jesus’ kingship (John 1:49).  Later on, following a display of His miraculous powers, a large crowd decided that this was the kind of king they needed.  They planned to force Jesus into a kingly role that clashed with His own vision of what God desired, so He refused to be crammed into their mold (John 6:14-15).  Then, as He entered Jerusalem for the final time, the Passover crowd hailed Him as the fulfillment of their expectations of a coming Messianic king (John 12:12-13).

            But most of the Jewish leadership was not so favorably disposed toward this “king.”  They deliver Jesus to the Roman authorities in hopes of having Him executed.  Pilate, the Roman governor, questions Jesus about His kingship and the Lord affirms that He is indeed king of a spiritual kingdom (John 18:33-37).  After questioning Him, Pilate knows Jesus is innocent of the charges against Him and tries to have Him released.  But the opponents of Jesus respond with a telling statement: “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15).

            Ironically, the death and resurrection of Christ proved to be the stage for His exaltation to His kingly throne (Acts 2:29-36).  God turned the tables on the resisters.  Long live the King!

 

God loves you!

Mike

Eyes Wide Shut

Physical vision problems are a worldwide concern.  The World Health Organization shares the following estimates: “Globally, 1 billion people have a vision impairment that could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.  This 1 billion people includes those with moderate or severe distance vision impairment or blindness due to unaddressed refractive error (123.7 million), cataract (65.2 million), glaucoma (6.9 million), corneal opacities (4.2 million), diabetic retinopathy (3 million), and trachoma (2 million), as well as near vision impairment caused by unaddressed presbyopia (826 million).”*  If you or someone you love has vision issues, no one has to tell you how difficult it can be.

In the trial of Jesus before the Jewish leaders in John 18:28-40, we see another kind of “vision” problem at work: spiritual blindness.  This blindness was driven by their hatred of Jesus and revealed itself in the following ways:

 

❏    Their spiritual blindness caused them to worry about ceremonial defilement while ignoring moral defilement (18:28).  They were rail-roading an innocent man toward his death but were concerned about defiling themselves by going into the Roman Praetorium.

❏    Their spiritual blindness caused them to take refuge behind a law and system they despised (18:31; 19:15).  Most Jews hated the Roman occupation of Judea and chafed under the burden.  But in this case, they are willing to claim: “We have no king but Caesar.”

❏    Their spiritual blindness caused them to choose a murderer, insurrectionist, and thief over the sinless Son of God (18:38-40).  They have one final chance to do the right thing and have Jesus released.  But they choose a criminal over the Christ.

 

            It has been said that there are none so blind as those who will not see.  This text bears that out.  These Jewish leaders are following in the steps of their ancestors who were rebuked by Jeremiah: “‘Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see; who have ears but do not hear” (Jeremiah 5:21).  How incredibly sad.

 

God loves you!

Mike

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment

Might Makes Right

             “And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.  And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus *said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:50–53 NAS95).

            It’s easy to fall for the false philosophy that “Might Makes Right.”  Throughout human history, nations have exemplified this mindset as they have amassed weapons in an effort to subdue their enemies.  And history also records the devastation left in the wake of such efforts.  All “mighty” nations eventually crumble as they are supplanted by “mighty” nations.  Arms races are inevitably doomed to failure in one way or another.  There is always a bigger sword, gun, or bomb.  Sadly, the problem isn’t only limited to geopolitical issues.  The “Might Makes Right” philosophy also invades government, businesses, and relationships.  Everywhere humans are involved, the potential is there.

            Even the church is susceptible.  But Jesus is clear in the matter: the kingdom of God is not to be advanced by human force -- be it the edge of a sword or otherwise.  If believers resort to “the sword,” they will perish in the same manner.  Worldly methods yield worldly results.  And remember, the problem isn’t a lack of resources.  As Jesus reminds Peter, God has all the heavenly firepower needed at His disposal.  We don’t have to play by the world’s rules.  “Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.  Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God” (Psalm 20:6–7 NAS95).

God loves you!

Mike

A Little More Info

  I received an email from a well-known Bible software company recently.  Here is the message it contained: “There’s still time to get _________ for less, but the clock is ticking. Pick your ________ package before February 1 to take advantage of launch discounts.  Not sure which package is right for you? Click below for a personalized recommendation!”  A personalized recommendation?  The only “contact” I have ever had with this company is by downloading a couple of free books and being added to their email list -- all accomplished with a few keystrokes on a computer.  How could they possibly make a “personalized recommendation” based on that level of interaction?  But somewhat curious at this point, I thought, “Ok, I’ll bite.”  I clicked on the big, blue “Recommend for me” button to see what they would suggest.  Blazoned in bold letters at the top of the next page were the words:  “We Think _________ Would Be a Great Fit for You.”  Coincidentally, this great fitting package was discounted 15% and available for only $849.99!  Not sure how someone who knew me so well would recommend software at such a price, I scrolled to the bottom of the page and was relieved to read this: “Not sure we got it right?  Give us a little more info and we'll fine tune your recommendation.”

As I smiled and shook my head at this marketing strategy, I also began to reflect on the times when I have been quick to make “personal recommendations” in the life of someone else without really knowing them.  This can be especially dangerous when the recommendation hasn’t even been solicited.  But even when the advice has been requested, I’ve learned it’s always best to try to get to know the person before making too many pronouncements.  Most recommendations are not “one size fits all.”  If I rush to make a determination before I have all the facts in the matter, I will likely miss the mark with my counsel.  “A little more info” is rarely a bad thing.

God loves you!

Mike

"Stop! No More Of This!"

“And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?  How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”  At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me.  But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.” (Matthew 26:51–56 NAS95)

            The scene in the Garden that night was chaotic.  A large crowd with swords, clubs, and torches came searching for the Rabbi who was threatening their way of life.  The suspect in question is betrayed by one of his own inner circle of confidants.  The mob seizes Jesus and, suddenly, the sword of a loyalist strikes the servant of the high priest.  In the midst of the frenzy, the Savior appears to be the only One with sense enough to cry out, “Stop!  No more of this” (Luke 22:51).

            The worldly way of handling disagreements has been amply illustrated over the past few months in our nation.  Is any believer really surprised to learn that resorting to mobs and violence is not our calling?  We are part of a kingdom that does things differently.  “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm”” (John 18:36).

            Stop!  No more of this.

 

God loves you!

Mike