Appreciating Each Other

May 11th, 2012 by marcus

Appreciating Each Other

Luke 24:1–35

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.
Luke 24:31

My friend and her husband had been married for a few years, and though she still loved him dearly, the humdrum of day-to-day living had lulled her into taking him for granted. Sure, he was loving, steady and dependable, but the romance was gone.

Then at a yearly awards banquet at her husband’s company, my friend was shocked and pleasantly surprised by the accolades heaped on her husband. Superiors spoke of him in glowing terms. Coworkers gushed about what a great guy he was. Even the custodian made a point of telling her what a likable man her husband was.

My friend found herself swelling with pride—and a little shame—wondering why she hadn’t noticed this side of her husband. Did he act differently at work, or was she just not seeing what had been there the whole time?

Cleopas and his friend, who were walking to Emmaus two days after Jesus was crucified and buried, had a bit of the same problem. To be sure, they were depressed, tired and drained from what had happened in Jerusalem. A great teacher who had promised so much had been arrested, beaten, crucified and buried. Now his body was missing. Certainly they were not expecting that the man who joined them on the road was that very man—Jesus.

They didn’t acknowledge Jesus as Messiah either—likely because they were disillusioned that the one they had expected to deliver their nation from Roman rule was now dead. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people,” they said of Jesus (Luke 24:19). But they didn’t have a clue that he was Savior of the world.

As we read this, we want to cry out, “How could you not see Jesus as Messiah after all the wonderful things he did? And how could you not recognize him as he explained the Scriptures to you and your hearts burned within you?” (see verse 32) But until they broke bread with Jesus and the Spirit of God opened their eyes, these men were blind to Jesus’ true identity.

Isn’t that the case with many of us today, in both marriage and our walk with Christ? Seeing Jesus as a living, vibrant presence in our lives comes before anything else, of course. Only when our eyes are focused on him as our Savior can we begin to truly appreciate a spouse who also believes in Christ. When we study the gracious attitudes and actions that Christ pours out on his church—loving, caring, cherishing, submitting even to death—we ask ourselves, “How does my spouse show these same attributes to me and to others? Have I shown appreciation for those Christlike qualities being lived out in him? Am I being Christlike to him?”

It’s easy to become so self-absorbed that we fail to recognize the qualities and gifts of the person who is closest to us in life. In becoming blind to those attributes, however, we miss some great opportunities to build on each other’s strengths.

Let’s pray for open eyes before sickness, loss, separation—or accolades from others—force us to pay attention.
Valerie Van Kooten

Let’s Talk

  • What attributes in each other have we sometimes taken for granted that others have helped us see?
  • What qualities of Christ do I see working in you?
  • What are some ways we can keep our eyes open, keeping Christ the central focus of our marriage?

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Jesus’ Prayer for Us

May 10th, 2012 by marcus

Jesus’ Prayer for Us

John 17:20–26

Additional Scripture Readings: Romans 8:26–27; 2 Peter 3:9

Before we believed in Jesus, before we even knew who he was, Jesus prayed for us.

Jesus prayed in the garden, prior to his arrest and crucifixion. First, he prayed for himself, that God would complete the work of salvation he began in sending Jesus to live and die. He prayed for his disciples, that God would keep them faithful, that they might have God’s joy within them, and that God would protect them from the evil one.

And then he prayed for us. For you and me and for all who would come to believe in him after his death, that we would be unified and that God’s love would be in us.

When we read Jesus’ words in this passage, remember that he prayed them for all of us. We can insert our own names and picture ourselves as the subject of his prayer. We can see in his prayers the events of our lives. Jesus also prayed for those we love who have yet to come to know him as Savior and Lord. He loves them even more than we do—so much that he prayed for them before he died on the cross on their behalf.

Jesus prayed for you. Nearly two thousand years ago, in a garden in Israel, you were on his mind. Don’t you feel loved?

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What Did Jesus Understand About His Own Miracles?

May 10th, 2012 by marcus

What Did Jesus Understand About His Own Miracles?

Luke 11:20

Jesus’ deeds—especially his miracles—offer additional insights into how Jesus viewed himself. It’s not the fact that Jesus performed miracles that illuminates his self-understanding (especially since his own disciples later performed miracles), but what’s important is how he interpreted his own miracles.

Jesus said, “If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20). He’s not like other miracle workers who do amazing things and then life proceeds as it always has. No—to Jesus, his miracles were a sign indicating the coming of the kingdom of God. They were a foretaste of what the kingdom is going to be like. And that sets Jesus apart.

Jesus saw his miracles as bringing about something unprecedented—the coming of God’s dominion. He didn’t merely see himself as a worker of miracles; he saw himself as the one in whom and through whom the promises of God come to pass. That’s a not-too-thinly-veiled claim of transcendence.
Adapted from interview with Dr. Ben Witherington III

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Appointment with Destiny: Betrayal in a quiet garden

May 9th, 2012 by marcus

Appointment with Destiny: Betrayal in a quiet garden

Matthew 26

Matthew 26:39 “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

In a stroke of bitter irony, the intimate scene of the Last Supper butts up against the brutal scene of betrayal in Gethsemane. The ordeal begins with Jesus praying in a quiet, cool grove of olive trees, with three of his disciples waiting sleepily outside. Inside the garden, all is peaceful; outside, the forces of hell are on the loose.

An armed mob makes its way toward the garden to seize and torture Jesus. He feels afraid and abandoned. Lying facedown on the ground, he prays for some way out. The future of the human race—more, the universe—comes down to this one weeping figure whose “sweat [is] like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

Blustery Peter is prepared to fight evil in the traditional way—by force. When he hacks off a guard’s ear, however, Jesus stops the violence and performs, notably, his final miracle: He heals the guard (see Luke 22:50–51).

No Rescue Plan

Although Jesus has the power to defend himself—he could dispatch squadrons of angels to fight his battles—he will not use it. When the disciples realize that they can expect no last-minute rescue operations from the invisible world, they all flee. Fear extinguishes their last flicker of hope. If Jesus will not protect himself, how will he protect them?

Matthew’s account of what transpires in Gethsemane and before the Sanhedrin shows that, in an odd inversion, the “victim” dominates all that takes place. Jesus—not Judas, not the mob and not the high priest—acts like the one truly in control. “Are you then the Son of God?” the chief priests demand. Jesus finally answers, simply, “You say that I am” (Luke 22:70).

That single admission condemns Jesus to death, for the members of the Sanhedrin have a different expectation of the Messiah. They want a conqueror to set them free by force. Jesus knows that only one thing—his death—will truly set them free. For that reason he has come to Earth.

Life Questions

How would you respond if your life were threatened because you were a follower of Christ?

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I Shall Not Want

May 8th, 2012 by marcus

I Shall Not Want

Psalm 23:1–6

The ordering of the Psalter is no accident. As English pastor and theologian Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892) observed, it is only after we have read “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps 22:1) that we come to “The LORD is my shepherd” (Ps 23:1).

Experience teaches us that “I lack nothing” cannot mean that we will always receive what we desire—even if our wants are in keeping with God’s general principles. A man may long to become a missionary, only to be paralyzed in an automobile accident. A woman with wonderful potential as a Christian mother may remain infertile. And what about those desires to improve our lot in life? Many of God’s “sheep,” both at home and abroad, are hungry, naked—even dying—at this very moment. The meaning of “I lack nothing” is that I will never lack anything necessary to my ultimate good—which God has wrapped up with his own (cf. Ro 8:28,38–39).

The fact is that if this psalm had no valley in it (v. 4), it wouldn’t have any comfort either. When we pass through life’s valleys, we have the assurance that we will never lack anything required for our eternal well-being. The only reason a shepherd would guide his sheep into a dangerous valley would be to lead them through it to a better place (see Heb 11:16,40).

In his personal role as a real-life shepherd, Phillip W. Keller has reflected extensively on Psalm 23. Following are extracts from his observations on Psalm 23:5:

In thinking about [the] statement [“You prepare a table before me …”] it is well to bear in mind that the sheep are approaching this high mountain country of the summer ranges. These are known as alplands or tablelands so much sought after by the sheepmen.

In some of the finest sheep country of the world, especially in the Western United States and Southern Europe, the high plateau of the sheep ranges are always referred to as “mesas”—the Spanish word for “tables.”

So it may be seen that what David referred to as a table was actually the entire high summer range. Though these “mesas” may have been remote and hard to reach, the energetic and aggressive sheep owner takes the time and trouble to ready them for the arrival of his flocks.

It is not always apparent to us what tremendous personal cost it has been for Christ to prepare the table for His own. Just as the lonely, personal privation of the sheepman who prepares the summer range for his stock entails a sacrifice, so the lonely agony of Gethsemane, of Pilate’s hall, of Calvary, have cost my Master much.

Think About It

  • What does this beloved psalm mean to you personally?
  • What do you feel you lack that you need to turn over to God’s keeping?
  • What does the sacrifice of Jesus teach you about God’s care for you?

Pray About It

Lord, you are my shepherd. I have everything I need. You give me peace and guide me to do right. Even when bad things happen, I will not be afraid because you are there beside me. Thank you for all you give me.

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Zacchaeus: The Rich, Short Ruler

May 8th, 2012 by marcus

Zacchaeus: The Rich, Short Ruler

Luke 19:1–10

He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. (Luke 19:3)

Everyone in town knew him, but nobody liked him. He threw the worst parties and was always the first one drunk on his horribly cheap wine. It’s not as though he couldn’t afford anything better. Zacchaeus sat atop the whole dirty, tax-collecting heap, and from their years of overpaying collectors, the savvy residents of Jericho knew their money could buy better wine.

So when rumor started that a well-known teacher from the backwater of Galilee who had a penchant for waxing eloquent about money matters was making his way to Jericho, you can bet the person everyone least expected to see in the welcoming party was Zacchaeus. To everyone’s surprise the little man, dressed to the nines, showed up anyway. This teacher was, after all, growing extremely popular, and maybe it would do the collection agency’s reputation some good to see its chief officer rubbing shoulders with a hero of the working class. But when the day arrived, if Zacchaeus had come to be seen, the irony was only too apparent when it was he who had trouble seeing.

The crowds had started at the city gate where Jericho’s main drag began its meandering path through the city. Despite his compromised stature, Zacchaeus had always loved a crowd—crowds meant influence and power, not to mention a concentration of taxable pocketbooks. This small-town teacher’s people skills and crowd-gathering ability could come in handy for an unpopular political figure. If only Zacchaeus could see how this teacher did it.

Zacchaeus knew the parade route well, as he’d been a key figure in many of Jericho’s past spectacles. Picking up the fine linen hem of his garment, the short-legged tax collector hightailed it to a certain bend where the road took a dogleg left to get around a large sycamore tree near the center of town. He hadn’t climbed a tree since all his friends were still his height, and if all of Jericho hadn’t been down the road heralding the teacher, the crowd would have relished watching Zacchaeus fumble his way up the branches.

The only thing sillier than watching Zacchaeus climb up the tree was to see him come barreling out of it when the teacher called him by name: “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today” (Luke 19:5). The crowd must have groaned, knowing the dismal reputation of the tax collector’s social insensitivity. However, over the huffs, Zacchaeus’s voice rose up, “Here and now I’m a different person.” Whether or not he realized at that moment that the crowd was standing there has been a topic of conjecture ever since.

Back to the Future

  • Why do you think Zacchaeus wanted so badly to see Jesus?
  • What measures are you willing to take to gain a clearer “sight” of Jesus?
  • Jesus invites himself into your heart: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:20). What can you do to show Jesus that you want him to “come in and eat with you”?

The Story Continues …

Get the whole story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1–10.

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Wishing Them Well

May 7th, 2012 by marcus

Wishing Them Well

Jonah 3:1–10

Have you ever had a friend or acquaintance who made a wrong choice for every right choice you made, yet in the end your friend seemed to face none of the consequences you faced? It’s hard to take, watching someone come out smelling like roses when you know the stinky stuff they’ve been rooted in.

If you can relate, then you can empathize with Jonah when God told him to go to Nineveh. Now, that was not just any field of service for the ancient prophet. It was Israel’s greatest national enemy. The Ninevites were citizens of Assyria, a brutal nation to the east, and Israel’s greatest threat.

It’s no wonder that when the people of Nineveh did clean up their act (for a while anyway), Jonah was distressed. How could God sanction the redemption of a country like that? It didn’t seem fair. And in truth, at least from Jonah’s perspective, it probably wasn’t.

It’s tough to just do what’s asked of you and leave the fairness issue to God, isn’t it? It’s hard to see people receive good things when they’ve caused you (or someone you love) pain. Like when your ex-son-in-law remarries or when the disloyal secretary down the hall gets a promotion you deserved. It’s even harder to facilitate their good fortune, like Jonah did. Jesus said to love our enemies, but when it comes right down to it, we’d rather not.

How do we get past our feelings and wish our enemies well? We grace them with the same kind of mercy with which God graced us without expectation of getting anything back in return (see Luke 6:35–36). We focus on God and on the good things he has given us and done for us. The key to countering the envy of another’s fortune is to be grateful for our own. And when we do that, we let go of the part of God’s job that we’d like to do—the finger-pointing. It’s just too hard to do our own work and God’s too. And he does it so much better! Since we don’t have his insight into the hearts and minds of those people we’d like to judge and condemn, it’s better for us to push aside our limited understanding of justice and just trust him instead.

Reflection

  1. Think about the feelings you have toward people who live under a completely different set of values than you do. How do your feelings for them compare to the love God has for them?
  2. When it comes to people you dislike, why is it difficult to “wish them well”?
  3. What keeps you from being able to leave that person solely accountable to God? Fear? Anger? Jealousy?

Jonah 3:1–2
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

Related Readings

Psalm 3:1–8; Matthew 5:43–47; 20:1–16

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Why was Elijah afraid after his great victory?

May 7th, 2012 by marcus

Why was Elijah afraid after his great victory?

1 Kings 19:3–5

Even individuals of great courage and conviction have moments when they feel discouraged. After the euphoric victory on Mount Carmel, it seems that Elijah’s emotions fell. He was not indestructible. He had human weaknesses. “Elijah was a human being just like us” (Jas 5:17).

We might think that in the rush of victory, Elijah would have felt invincible. Instead, it seems, he felt exhausted. We might think Elijah would have welcomed Jezebel’s challenge as an opportunity to attack his enemy at its source. Instead, he retreated.

It may be that Elijah was facing a personal crisis of faith, identity and vision. Now that he had won his lifelong battle against the prophets of Baal, why was his life still in danger? Didn’t he deserve a little rest? Hadn’t he earned the right to retire in peace? Sometimes the thought of another battle, after just finishing one, is overwhelming.

We can only speculate about what actually fueled Elijah’s fears. But we can readily see that he was human. God met Elijah in the midst of fear and doubt, giving the frightened prophet comfort and rest.

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Measuring Our Success

May 4th, 2012 by marcus

Measuring Our Success

Luke 9:18–27

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”
Luke 9:25

Now and again I see mortality clinging to my steps like a lengthening shadow, and I am caught wondering why I am still here. A question chiseled in stone over the grave of a child recycles in my brain: “If I am so quickly done for, what on earth was I begun for?”

Life feeds that cynicism. Since people around us often cannot see our soul inside the material stuff with which we surround it, we are often beguiled into amassing possessions and accomplishments to proclaim our worth.

Yet all of those things can be stripped away from us in a matter of seconds. Recently I cried with a 30-something fellow who appeared to be a glowing testimony of success. He grew up in a close-knit family, has an athletic body and a movie-star face, married a beautiful and intelligent woman, lives in a luxurious home, and is buying a business that could become a multibillion-dollar corporation before he retires.

But now all the good looks and money mean nothing. A foolish action has fractured his marriage and torn him from his children. “Two weeks ago I thought I had it all. Now I don’t know if I have anything,” the man said. “I would trade everything to have my wife and children back.”

His sad words made me think about Jesus’ comment to his disciples. Jesus had set his sights on his future suffering in Jerusalem, and he was trying to prepare his friends for that reality. Jesus knew he would encounter denial, devastation and death. Rather than excusing his disciples from such painful experiences, Jesus warned them that they too would face some tough times. Indeed, it was a requirement of following him: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

God meant for us to enjoy the marvelous beauty and material resources of our world. But Jesus wanted to make clear that we can’t truly delight in possessions if they consume us while we are consuming them.

When Jesus made his pilgrimage to the cross, his disciples accompanied him to Jerusalem. True, they would all have their moments of quivering fright that sent them scrambling into hiding, yet they joined him as best they could. And eventually they all suffered great loss as they took up their crosses and followed him.

The greatest thing about courtship and marriage is that we don’t have to go through life alone. We share our journey with another. We reaffirm the faith and values we have spoken about in the easy times so that when we have to slog through the swamp of despair or navigate the hard places of loss, we can encourage each other to put our feet in appropriate places and keep our eyes trained on our Savior, Jesus Christ. Together we can follow him.
Wayne Brouwer

Let’s Talk

  • What are our 20-year goals? In what ways could those goals nurture or destroy our relationship? How would Jesus nudge us to change or clarify our plans?
  • What is our net worth? How do we measure it? What questions can we ask to help us think through the true value of our possessions?
  • What have we accumulated as a couple that we will pass on to our children? How might those things be a blessing? A hardship?

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How Many Loaves?

May 3rd, 2012 by marcus

How Many Loaves?

John 6:1–15

Additional Scripture Readings: 2 Kings 4:42–44; Mark 6:32–44

The only miracle reported in each of the four Gospels—besides the resurrection—is the feeding of the five thousand. If a truth is worth telling four times, it must be worth hearing.

It probably seemed ridiculous to Philip to even consider feeding 5,000 men (and about 10,000 women and children). Jesus’ response in Mark 6:38 was simple: “How many loaves do you have?” And with the meager resources at hand, a few loaves and fish, Jesus fed the hungry.

Most of the time we don’t realize how many “loaves” we have. We don’t realize the many ways we can feed those around us. With the evening meal, we can serve up a loaf of encouragement to a dejected teenager. With a cup of coffee, we can serve a loaf of support to a new mom in our neighborhood. With a simple brown-bag lunch, we can serve up a happy time, hiking with our little ones. God takes our “loaves” and nourishes the needs of those around us. Let’s eat!

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