Relationships

Go with? Discover God’s answer to shame.

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9For in him (Jesus) the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.  Colossians 2:9-15

I spent a summer in Iowa working with a church youth ministry. It was a challenging and rewarding experience. I learned lots, met some people who changed the trajectory of my life, and picked up some new english expressions.  The students would hear about a plan or even an errand I was running and they would ask,“Can I go with?”

“Go with?”

It felt familiar with the hopefulness of family; but always expressed a  question, an uncertainty. I have never been able to see and hear the word “with” the same way.

We need inquisitiveness and hope when we read the Scripture’s words “in” and “with.”  When the Apostle Paul uses “in” and “with” he expresses the mystery of the Gospel and the reality of our life with Jesus the Risen King. It is an answer to the question of our longing for God and the humility or shame that wonders, “Would God really want to be close to me?”

To be Christian is to be in Christ Jesus for He is in us. We are with Him now and for eternity participating in His life, death, and resurrection. To be in Christ Jesus is to be immersed into the communion of God without shame for He has fundamentally altered who we are at the heart of who we are. Once we were dead to God, but now we are alive. Once we were outsiders but now we have been included. Once we had a record of failure and sin that stood against us, but now we are pardoned and free.

Jesus wants you to be with Him. His desire for you required a cross. The cross takes the question “go with?” and makes it a reality for now there is no guilt, shame, fear or threat of accusation equal to the glory of being “in Him” by His invitation.

Jesus was not an independent operator.

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19So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.   John 5:19-21

Remember the Bourne Identity? Tension grows in the series as the mystery of Jason Bourne’s identity grows. We wonder even as he wonders, is he a rouge operative? Who is he? Where did he come from? What is his purpose in life?

These are the essential questions of our humanity.
When we read the Gospels we must not read Jesus as an independent operator. He did not view himself as a self-made man. Nor was Jesus unclear as to His true identity and purpose in life. Jesus did not view Himself or His mission as something He had to create in order to feel good about life or Himself. Jesus is intent on revealing His true identity and His relationship with the Father to all who will hear so those who hear may have life.
Jesus lived loved. And He declares, “Truly, truly, I say to you, The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”

I don’t have a lute but I’ve got rhythm.

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1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

2to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,

3to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.

4For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

Psalm 92:1-4

Even if you don’t have musical rhythm you can can enter into the daily rhythm of a life with Jesus.

Declare the faithfulness of the Lord in the evening.

Declare His steadfast love in the morning.

When you come in from the fullness of your day and begin your evening routines its a good time to consider how God had shown His faithfulness to you. Debrief the day with thanks.

Each morning when you prepare to go out into the fullness of your day do so in the love of our Lord Jesus. Take time to declare the Lord’s love to yourself and to those you share space with. Live loved by entering the day with praise.

Sit with Jesus long enough to be glad in His work on your behalf in the Cross and from the Throne.

He is our joy.

Reason for Faith

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1When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. 2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” Matthew 11:1-6

John, the one we call John The Baptist, was not a new believer when he raised the question of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. John was the prophet who prepared the way for Jesus; he pointed to Jesus as the “lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world;” he baptized Jesus and heard the voice from Heaven declare that Jesus was his beloved Son. John’s zeal for God and determination to speak of all people’s need for the righteousness of God landed him in prison when he criticized the lifestyle and choices of the governing ruler.

Yet in the dark and loneliness of prison, John had to grapple with his reasons for faith in Jesus as the Christ. I love what happened next! John made his questions known to Jesus and Jesus answered. “Go and tell John what you hear and see…”

When the events of life challenge our faith that’s the time to activate it by considering again the life, person, character, preaching and activity of Jesus. This is the time to read the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John slowly and persistently. We will see again how He fulfills the promise of God and brings us into His Kingdom. Jesus Himself is our reason for faith.

 

We Hate Helpless

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35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  Matthew 9:35-38

When we persistently approach life from a position of strength it won’t be long till we hate the helpless. Our denial of weakness demands contempt for both ourselves and others who fail. We will gravitate toward the “wisdom” of self-help gurus who support our moral superiority and remove our need for God.

The Gospel of Jesus confronts our view of God, people and ourselves. Simultaneously from God’s point of view, we see the extraordinary worth of people and the devastating incapacitation of their lostness. Jesus recognized the lostness of people and he had compassion for them. He knew they could not help themselves out of their spiritual alienation from God. People require grace.

I fear our response is so different. We really hate the helpless. We don’t want to believe they are helpless or harassed, like sheep without a shepherd. Why? Perhaps because we still have a sneaky faint-hope clause  buried in our mind, holding out for a self-created salvation and validation. If that’s true we deny grace and we refuse to enter fully into the salvation given us by Jesus. And for sure, we will excuse ourselves from the Lord’s harvest field. Our motto will be “Let them save themselves.”

Yet, its true, I cannot save myself or enter fully into relationship with God by my own design. While I may appear to be the captain of “this ship” through life, I lack what is required to enter into life with God. I need a Saviour. I need a Shepherd. I need Jesus. So I am giving thanks today for the One who loves me and gave Himself for me that I may live loved. I’m  thankful He did not hate helpless.