Eyes that See

In teaching about the relationship of a Kingdom person to money and possessions, Jesus says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23).

        How are your eyes? How do you see life? Is it (A) about doing well financially, saving for your dreams and then getting to a comfortable place where you can buy what you want and travel where you want to go?  On the other hand, maybe you look at life and (B) you see the supremacy of family and friends. You believe that relationships are what matter and make your decisions accordingly. Or maybe you have chosen (C) a mixture of A and B.

        Any of these choices would put you in the human mainstream and a little shockingly, in the group who Jesus says have eyes that are bad. You would surely feel your vision is clear, but Jesus says your eyes are not as right as you think.

        What life is really for is seeking the rule and reign of God. It is about lining yourself up with what he created us for. Now, he is not against possessions, although they can be as dangerous as they are temporary. And he certainly is for relationships as long as we understand they cannot be put before our loyalty to him. But our eyes are never good and our bodies are not full of light unless we are praying, “Your kingdom come; your will be done” in all aspects of our lives.

Matthew 6:19-33

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Running from the Bus

This last week as I was driving home from a meeting, I turned into my neighborhood and found myself behind a school bus bringing home elementary school kids who all looked to be from six to nine years old. As each little boy or girl got off the bus with their heavy coats and backpacks, they all did the same thing: they ran to their front door like they were dashing for Olympic gold. I could only guess what was in their little minds.

Was there an afternoon snack awaiting them? Was there a TV show that was about to start at 3:30? Or could they just not wait to run into the arms of a mom or dad who would assure them they were safe after a hard day out in the tough old world? I decided to vote for the latter and let it remind me of something good we all need to do.

And then my mind rewound to 1968. I was seriously seeking Jesus, but there weren’t many new translations of the Bible. Most people still used the King James version. But the American Bible Society published something called Good News for Modern Man that became popular with students. It translated Galatians 3:24 like this: “the law was a school bus to bring us to Christ.” (If you look into it, you will find that wasn’t such a bad translation.)

Somehow, in the funny way a mind can work—the school bus, the little kids, their dashing to the houses, and my memory of Galatians 3—all led to the image of Christ meeting us at the door to throw his arms around us, to hold us and love us.

I smiled.

That may not be great exegesis, but it does describe something that is true.

Focus Scripture

John 14:23

    Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

   

   

Soar, Run, Walk

The last four verses of Isaiah 40 may be some of the most encouraging in the Old Testament, but in the last verse we have a surprising order. Speaking of those who put their hope in God and thus will renew their strength, Isaiah says they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

John Ortberg in his book To Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat, points out that there we times in our spiritual lives when we, like the eagles, seem to catch that column of warm rising air and just soar. We feel the Spirit of God as the wind beneath our wings and it is good.

However, there are other times when we are moving forward and doing well. We are running, but unlike soaring, running takes effort, exertion and stamina, but with God at our back we do move on without growing weary.

But there are also those times when we look at others who are soaring and we can remember those days, but we wonder what happened to us. We look at those that are running and it seems impossible. About all we can do is just keep walking. And we aren’t even sure about that.

The lesson here is let’s not compare ourselves to others If you are soaring don’t be judgmental of those who are walking. Your day for that will probably come. If you are running don’t berate yourself because you aren’t soaring. If you have slowed to a walk, keep waiting on the Lord, let his power help you not to faint and keep own walking. As my physical therapist tells me as I deal with my MS. Keep on walking even it you have to use a walker.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Why do you say, O Jacob,

and complain, O Israel,

"My way is hidden from the Lord;

my cause is disregarded by my God"?

28Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

29He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

30Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

31but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

What Can We Handle?

Life is much like a plane ride. There are times when the travel is smooth and we function with ease. But there are also times of turbulence when the captain turns on the “Fasten Seat Belts” sign. If you are flying and the turbulence last more than  about five or ten minutes, you can feel the anxiety levels going up all around you. In real life those times often last a whole lot longer.

We are hit with one thing after another, knocking us this way and that way. Perhaps we take the first few jolts in stride and then the next group with gritty determination. But if the turbulence continues beyond what we feel is some reasonable time, we begin to think, “This is too much,” or “I’m about at my limit,” and eventually we may get to, “I can’t handle this.”

 It might be in a marriage. It might be on the job. In might be in the work of the ministry or in discipling relationships. It might be with health problems. But inside many of us have some kind of meter that indicates how much we can take and how much goes beyond the pale, and once the line is crossed, the alarm goes off and we are ready to bail out.

It is surely true that any of us can over-commit and have to back up and let go of some things, but I am talking here about an attitude toward what life brings us and how we often set ourselves up to judge how much is too much. 

But, which thought should rule us: “I can’t handle this” or “I can do all things through him who gives me strength”?

 Focus Scriptures

   

Philip. 4:13  NAS

    I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

1 Cor. 10:13

    No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.

   

   

Your Name, Your Kingdom, Your Will

What we call “The Lord’s Prayer” or what we might call “The Kingdom Prayer” has this line: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done.” Soren Kierkegaard, who we have referenced the last two weeks, thought deeply about these words and felt that the more aware of God we become, the more humbly silent we will become before him.


He seems to be speaking to himself when says that the goal is “that you in silence might forget yourself, what your name is, your own name, the renowned name, the pitiful name, the insignificant name, for the sake of praying in silence to God, ‘Hallowed be YOUR name!’ That you in silence might forget yourself, your plans, the great, the all-comprehensive plans, or the petty plans regarding your life and its future, for the sake of praying in silence to God, ‘Your kingdom come!’ That you in silence might forget your will, your self-will, for the sake of praying in silence to God, ‘Your will be done!’ Yes, if you could learn from the lilies and the birds to become perfectly silent before God, what might not the Gospel help you to accomplish, then nothing would be impossible for you.”


Seeking first the kingdom of God is certainly a whole lot more than making church work your top priority. If fact we can do that and not be seeking first the kingdom at all. Seeking the kingdom is to want that place where our name is nothing and God’s name is everything, where our plans are surrendered and God’s reign is everything, where our will yields and God’s will is everything.


Kierkegaard sees that these words are strong, but that’s because he had a childlike willingness to listen to Jesus.

Focus Scripture

Matthew 6:9-13

"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
[10] your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
[11] Give us today our daily bread.
[12] Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
[13] And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'

Kierkegaard's Lily

Last week I used a story by Søren Kierkegaard. In another place he talks about the fact that there is a great difference in man and the lily. He describes the lily who knows nothing but how to totally be what God wants it to be. On the other hand, he says that we men are quite accomplished at what he calls “half measure”—that is doing things partly for God, but partly for ourselves.

He describes a certain lily which gets rooted in a most disadvantageous of places, meaning it is out in a place where its beauty may never be seen and where its ability to have an impact seems minimal or non-existent its whole life long. “Nevertheless,” he writes, “the lily puts up obediently with its circumstances and shoots up in all its beauty.”

We men, on the other hand, would complain that this situation is hard and should not be endured. If we have the ability to bloom beautifully, it is only fair, we protest, that we be in a place where we get noticed and appreciated.


When I read of Kierkegaard’s lily, I found myself immediately praying, “Lord Jesus, have mercy on me.” While there are times when I feel I deserve nothing and want nothing, there are other times when I want recognition or credit. I was reminded of a book Kierkegaard wrote titled Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing, and I prayed for a heart change that would mean absolutely no concern for anything but the will of God and no concern for where I am planted and whether it seems of any advantage to me.


In the future I know there will be plenty of times when I will say to myself, “Remember Kierkegaard’s lily.”

FOCUS SCRIPTURES

Luke 17:7-10

"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? [8] Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? [9] Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? [10] So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "

1 Cor. 7:17-25

Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. [18] Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. [19] Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. [20] Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. [21] Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you--although if you can gain your freedom, do so. [22] For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. [23] You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. [24] Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.

Take the Plunge

The next three weeks I will refer to an 18th Century writer named Søren Kierkegaard. He is best known as a philosopher, but he wrote many thoughtful things about the message of Jesus and the kingdom of God. He could write esoteric philosophical ideas, but he could also employ simple images and parables that communicated important spiritual truths.

One of the first of his stories that I read nearly forty years ago, described a man who wanted to understand swimming. Every day he went down to the sea to watch those in the water. He would carefully analyze their movements, make notes and use his knowledge of science to determine just what was causing them to stay afloat and move forward. He recorded many observations and wrote his conclusions for others to read. He believed that his description of swimming was one of the most technically accurate that one could find.

But, says, Kierkegaard, such a man really knows nothing of swimming, and he will not know anything of it until he himself plunges into the sea and commits his body to the water.

All around Kierkegaard saw people who were experts in languages and theology and could describe in great detail what Christianity was about. But, in his mind, these people did not know anything about the kingdom of God, because they had never plunged in and abandoned themselves to Jesus and his teaching.

And so Kierkegaard would encourage us to study and learn, but to take all that and charge by faith into the water. In terms we talk about here each week, no mind change really has any value until we believe the promises of God so much that we leave our comfort zone and take the plunge.

Focus Scriptures:

Hebrew 11: 8

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

Hebrews 11:17-18

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

Hebrews 11: 24-26

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.