For at least a couple of decades, among many other things, I have prayed for God to teach me to love through His eyes. What I mean by this is that I desire to see people the way He sees them. Not that I want know their secrets, but that I want to see the good that may not be obvious on the surface. I simply want to have God's mindset instead of my own, and His mindset is so very different than the way our minds naturally think and reason. I'm a work in progress.
This morning, again in John, I was reading the account of Jesus having gone to the temple and overturned the money changers table. (John 2:12-25) When I read the last couple of verses I had my ah ha moment for today:
John 2:23-25 (Amp) "23 But when He was in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast, many
believed in His name [identified themselves with His party] after seeing His signs (wonders,
miracles) which He was doing. 24 But Jesus [for His part] did not trust Himself to them,
because He knew all [men]; 25 And He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning
man [needed no evidence from anyone about men], for He Himself knew what was in
human nature. [He could read men's hearts.]"
So, if I understand this correctly, during this trip to Jerusalem there were numerous people who saw the things that Jesus did and believed that He was truly the Messiah. We know from earlier in John 2 that He had turned the water into wine, and He must have done some others things as well that were just not recorded. Nevertheless, these people saw and believed, but Jesus knew what was in their hearts and it is recorded that He did not trust them. So, He did not stay around to invest time in them.
In whom did He invest time? Who did he trust? Let's see...we'll there was Matthew. He was a tax collector, a liar, a cheat, a consorter with all manor of what we would call low life. Peter was a hothead who cut off a guy's ear and completely denied Christ 3 times. Andrew was Peter's baby brother. He was sort of a shy, thinker type with apparently no leadership skills, but he was a good guy. Then there were the Sons of Thunder, James and John, aptly given this name because they were a bit over the top. They were ready to torch a village by calling down fire from heaven when some people in the village rejected Jesus. They also had a "stage Mom" who kept lobbying Jesus for her babies to have the best seats in Heaven when all was said and done. Additionally, John obviously had a problem with pride. He openly called himself, "the disciple whom Jesus loved," and only referred to the other disciples by their given names. Phillip was an all around good guy. He jumped right into following Jesus by telling his friend Nathaniel about the Messiah. Nathaniel, who later became Bartholomew, needed a minute to get rid of his skepticism. He was also a good guy, but was a bit prejudiced about Jesus' hometown. Thomas doubted everything. (Maybe he was from Missouri?) Even though he eventually did believe, Jesus had to go out of his way to prove who He was to Thomas. Then there were three guys who did not really distinguish themselves: The other James, Thaddeus, and Simon the Zealot. We do not know much about them, but in order to fit into this group they probably had some sort of quirks. Last but not least is Judas Iscariot. We all know that he betrayed Jesus with a kiss for the price of 30 pieces of silver. He was the group's treasurer and stole from the treasury. This was a deceitful, completely untrustworthy scoundrel, and Jesus knew his heart from the beginning.
This group seems like an overall mess, yet these were the guys in whom He invested His time. Guys with which He trusted the keys to the Kingdom. Except for a couple of the innocuous personalities we would never peg these guys as the ones that Jesus would choose and deem trustworthy. However, with all of their flaws and foibles, both past and present, He recognized 11 hearts that were ready to be sold out for Jesus. Jesus saw past their appearance, circumstance, personality, and habits. He saw the core of their hearts and knew that these were mighty men who, with some training, would set the world on fire for Christ.
I don't know why the people in Jerusalem were not trustworthy, and I don't know why, except for fulfillment of prophecy, that Jesus chose Judas. I do, however, know that I want to be able to see beyond people's quirks and flaws. I want to be able to look past a person's ways and see his/her heart. I want to be able to love like Jesus loves you and me. I want to be able to love, and to be loved by others, through God's eyes.
It is well!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Can Anything Good Come From Nazareth?
This is the first of what I hope to be a regular inspiration sharing session. For the past two years I have shared mostly about God's provision in the healing process of our son. However, being fed daily from God's Word is just as important as any other aspect of our lives. So, now that that season has ended, it's time to begin a new one.
I started reading again this morning in the book of John. The first chapter sets the stage for who Jesus really is. So, if you are wondering who He is...that would be a great place to start. (You can Google "John 1" and read it in any number of versions. I suggest the New Living Translation, especially if this is new to you.)
Background: Jesus had just begun being known by His true identity: "...the unique One, who is Himself God..." (John 1, 17) John the Baptist had been announcing His impending arrival, and there He was. God had instructed John the Baptist that when he saw the Holy Spirit descending upon someone he would know that that was Jesus. So, when John baptized Jesus and saw the sign, he knew for sure that Jesus was the One that he had been announcing for so long. Jesus then began gathering his disciples. One of His disciples, Philip, went to look for a friend of his named Nathaniel. When he told Nathaniel about Jesus being the Messiah prophesied by Moses, Philip said, "..His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth." (John 1:45)
""Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?..."" (John 1:46) This is the thing that jumped out at me today. Nazareth was known as a small, very unimportant place. Nathanael was basically saying that he knew about Nazareth, and no one who is anyone comes from Nazareth. No, that couldn't be right. The Messiah was to be the biggest deal ever. There was no way that this could be right.
Later on in the text Jesus, Himself, calls Nathanael "...a man of complete integrity." (John 1:47) So, if Nathanael was a man of complete integrity, how could he jump to such a conclusion? How could this man of character get it so wrong? How could this completely trustworthy, wise council of a man be so wrong about something so important? The answer is that he was a man, and he jumped to a conclusion just like you and I do. He had probably heard comments about Nazareth all of his life. Evidently Nazareth had a reputation that had not been proven wrong. So, as far as everyone knew, the reputation was fact.
I started to write that I didn't know about you, but I do know. We have all been the Nathanael who jumps to a conclusion, and we have all been the one about which the conclusion was drawn. It seems to be our nature as humans to gather tidbits, often unwittingly, about a person or situation. We take on others opinions, prejudices, and offenses without even realizing that we have done it. Then we act on the gathered tidbits as though they were fact, when in reality, they may be completely erroneous. Very often the cases that we have built in our minds seem ironclad. We can't even imagine than we could be wrong. "Nazareth!...Can anything good come from Nazareth?..." Oh my, yes!
Nathanael very quickly found out that he was wrong, and proclaimed that Jesus was who He said He was. However, it usually doesn't happen so quickly with us. People's lives, livelihoods, relationships, ministries, families, and much more can be destroyed so very easily. All of us know that we are not perfect, but we expect grace and mercy for ourselves. However, we tend to be very stingy when giving the same. We want the benefit of the doubt for ourselves, but find it hard to give.
As Christians, Jesus is our example. He never threw away anyone. Yes, He rebuked the religious leaders who were behaving badly, but He didn't reject them. If they had repented there would surely have been full forgiveness. This is what we all want for ourselves. We want to know that when, not if, but when we mess up we will be able to find forgiveness and restoration. We want to know that we will not be defined by someone else's opinion of us, and that we will not be defined by any real or imagined mistakes of the past. Is this what you want for yourself? I do.
So, if this is what we want, then this is what we must give. I am not saying that we must trust someone who has proven himself untrustworthy. There are people who are unrepentant and delight in evil. I am simply saying that to comport our lives as true Christians we must strive to follow the words of Jesus in Luke 6:31. "Do to others as you would like them to do to you." (...even if they do not act that way in return.)
It is well.
I started reading again this morning in the book of John. The first chapter sets the stage for who Jesus really is. So, if you are wondering who He is...that would be a great place to start. (You can Google "John 1" and read it in any number of versions. I suggest the New Living Translation, especially if this is new to you.)
Background: Jesus had just begun being known by His true identity: "...the unique One, who is Himself God..." (John 1, 17) John the Baptist had been announcing His impending arrival, and there He was. God had instructed John the Baptist that when he saw the Holy Spirit descending upon someone he would know that that was Jesus. So, when John baptized Jesus and saw the sign, he knew for sure that Jesus was the One that he had been announcing for so long. Jesus then began gathering his disciples. One of His disciples, Philip, went to look for a friend of his named Nathaniel. When he told Nathaniel about Jesus being the Messiah prophesied by Moses, Philip said, "..His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth." (John 1:45)
""Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?..."" (John 1:46) This is the thing that jumped out at me today. Nazareth was known as a small, very unimportant place. Nathanael was basically saying that he knew about Nazareth, and no one who is anyone comes from Nazareth. No, that couldn't be right. The Messiah was to be the biggest deal ever. There was no way that this could be right.
Later on in the text Jesus, Himself, calls Nathanael "...a man of complete integrity." (John 1:47) So, if Nathanael was a man of complete integrity, how could he jump to such a conclusion? How could this man of character get it so wrong? How could this completely trustworthy, wise council of a man be so wrong about something so important? The answer is that he was a man, and he jumped to a conclusion just like you and I do. He had probably heard comments about Nazareth all of his life. Evidently Nazareth had a reputation that had not been proven wrong. So, as far as everyone knew, the reputation was fact.
I started to write that I didn't know about you, but I do know. We have all been the Nathanael who jumps to a conclusion, and we have all been the one about which the conclusion was drawn. It seems to be our nature as humans to gather tidbits, often unwittingly, about a person or situation. We take on others opinions, prejudices, and offenses without even realizing that we have done it. Then we act on the gathered tidbits as though they were fact, when in reality, they may be completely erroneous. Very often the cases that we have built in our minds seem ironclad. We can't even imagine than we could be wrong. "Nazareth!...Can anything good come from Nazareth?..." Oh my, yes!
Nathanael very quickly found out that he was wrong, and proclaimed that Jesus was who He said He was. However, it usually doesn't happen so quickly with us. People's lives, livelihoods, relationships, ministries, families, and much more can be destroyed so very easily. All of us know that we are not perfect, but we expect grace and mercy for ourselves. However, we tend to be very stingy when giving the same. We want the benefit of the doubt for ourselves, but find it hard to give.
As Christians, Jesus is our example. He never threw away anyone. Yes, He rebuked the religious leaders who were behaving badly, but He didn't reject them. If they had repented there would surely have been full forgiveness. This is what we all want for ourselves. We want to know that when, not if, but when we mess up we will be able to find forgiveness and restoration. We want to know that we will not be defined by someone else's opinion of us, and that we will not be defined by any real or imagined mistakes of the past. Is this what you want for yourself? I do.
So, if this is what we want, then this is what we must give. I am not saying that we must trust someone who has proven himself untrustworthy. There are people who are unrepentant and delight in evil. I am simply saying that to comport our lives as true Christians we must strive to follow the words of Jesus in Luke 6:31. "Do to others as you would like them to do to you." (...even if they do not act that way in return.)
It is well.
The Answer: Just One More!
How many life changing events can one cram into one weekend? The answer: Just one more! You might as well get a cup of coffee and sit down because it might take a few minutes to catch you up. So much has happened since my last post. Nick is doing so well! He finished the photo pheresis in January and his exit bone marrow biopsy was 100% clean. Tests also show that he is 110% converted to Amanda's immune system. (I know that that is an impossible figure, but that is what we were told. I'm sure that it was just for effect and should be taken as such.)
Later this Spring Nick started back to work. He still can not go back to the E.R. (too many germs) yet, but he is loving his job. If you ever have the occasion to visit Jackson Madison County General Hospital and hear a man's voice over the P.A., that will be Nick.
O.K....now for the big news: Last weekend Nick married Kate. We could not be happier! She is a wonderful young woman, and they appear to be deliriously happy. They wanted a small, intimate wedding. So, it was just for immediate family. It was beautiful and peaceful and just what they wanted. (Please do not feel obligated by this statement, but I know that many of you will ask. They are registered at Target & Bed, Bath and Beyond.) I can not express to you how elated I am that Nick has the opportunity to start his life as an adult. Just the fact that he has a life to begin continually puts me in awe. God is good, and it is well!
Also, last weekend, Amanda, Megan, and I graduated from Nursing School. Megan earned her BSN. She has been an RN for many years, but is in the process of furthering her education. Amanda & I earned our ADN's and will be taking our Boards to become RN's in about a month. It was an action packed weekend, to say the least. I will begin a Residency program in either July or August, depending upon when I get scheduled to take Boards. Then, Megan and I will both be beginning our Masters in Nursing programs in the Fall. We will be busy bees, but we are sort of used to that.
I will leave you with this tidbit from my morning's reading:
John 1:4 (NLT) "So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness...."
This is the God that we serve. Even as a man on this earth corrupted by sin, He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. He was not almost full, or half full, or running on empty. He was full to the sloshing brim. He had no lack of love and faithfulness. Even when betrayed and condemned to the cross His tank remained full. Love and Faithfulness...two character qualities that are never conditional with Jesus, and should never be conditional with us.
It is well.
Later this Spring Nick started back to work. He still can not go back to the E.R. (too many germs) yet, but he is loving his job. If you ever have the occasion to visit Jackson Madison County General Hospital and hear a man's voice over the P.A., that will be Nick.
O.K....now for the big news: Last weekend Nick married Kate. We could not be happier! She is a wonderful young woman, and they appear to be deliriously happy. They wanted a small, intimate wedding. So, it was just for immediate family. It was beautiful and peaceful and just what they wanted. (Please do not feel obligated by this statement, but I know that many of you will ask. They are registered at Target & Bed, Bath and Beyond.) I can not express to you how elated I am that Nick has the opportunity to start his life as an adult. Just the fact that he has a life to begin continually puts me in awe. God is good, and it is well!
Also, last weekend, Amanda, Megan, and I graduated from Nursing School. Megan earned her BSN. She has been an RN for many years, but is in the process of furthering her education. Amanda & I earned our ADN's and will be taking our Boards to become RN's in about a month. It was an action packed weekend, to say the least. I will begin a Residency program in either July or August, depending upon when I get scheduled to take Boards. Then, Megan and I will both be beginning our Masters in Nursing programs in the Fall. We will be busy bees, but we are sort of used to that.
I will leave you with this tidbit from my morning's reading:
 |
| On my kitchen chalkboard this morning |
John 1:4 (NLT) "So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness...."
This is the God that we serve. Even as a man on this earth corrupted by sin, He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. He was not almost full, or half full, or running on empty. He was full to the sloshing brim. He had no lack of love and faithfulness. Even when betrayed and condemned to the cross His tank remained full. Love and Faithfulness...two character qualities that are never conditional with Jesus, and should never be conditional with us.
It is well.
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