The Kingdom of Light
I asked my former colleague, pastor Susan Watson, if I could use her sermon from last Sunday…and she agreed! Susan is a gifted preacher and leader and I am proud that she and my friend Tom Clegg are doing such a great job in leading Westview Church. Westview is the church I helped to start 18 years ago. They are my sending church in this mission to Portland. Susan’s message is quoted in full below. Light and Christmas go together don’t they?
We are living in the 1st chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossians this Christmas season. Today we are looking at verses 9-14 to see what we learn about Jesus.
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you & asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom & understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord & may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance & patience, & joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness & brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Paul says that as followers of Jesus Christ, we live in his kingdom. He is the King, & we are saints … subjects in his kingdom.
Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah prophecies this in a familiar Christmas passage:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, & the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government & peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne & over his kingdom, establishing & upholding it with justice & righteousness from that time on & forever. (Is. 9:6-7) Isaiah foretells of a king who will be born & a kingdom that will be established.
It’s not a king or kingdom as we might think of it in modern times. When I think of a king or kingdom, I think of the British Empire. It comprises the colonies & territories that are ruled by the United Kingdom. At 1 time the British Empire was the largest empire in history, encompassing ¼ of the world’s population. At its peak it was said that “the sun never sets on the British Empire” because its span across the globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least 1 of its numerous territories.
Eventually, most of the territories were granted independence, including the 13 colonies in N. Am. 14 territories, though, remain under British rule. If you live in 1 of those territories, your Head of State is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, & you are considered a subject of the British Empire.
The kingdom of God is not like that. It is not a physical or geographic place. There is no location on this planet that we can designate as “the kingdom of God”. Jesus says this when he begins his earthly ministry: “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mk. 1:15)
The kingdom of God is present in the person, ministry & miracles of Jesus. When he is present, the kingdom is present. The kingdom is not a visible, political, geographic place or territory. It is wherever Jesus is present … wherever he rules & reigns.
The kingdom of God has come to this earth with the birth of Jesus Christ. He is the king from the line of David. He came in the 1st century & established his kingdom. But there is a part of his kingdom that is yet to come. Jesus taught his disciples in the Lord’s Prayer to pray “your kingdom come”. There is a “not yet” aspect to his kingdom. It is here now, but has not been fully realized. At some point in the future, Jesus will return to this earth and his kingdom will be established forever. He will set up a new heaven & a new earth. All things will be set right, & everything will be made new.
Now … I want to go back to our passage in Colossians 1, because Paul gives us on interesting description of the kingdom. Of all the ways he could have referred to the kingdom, he chooses to call it a “kingdom of light”. That phrase will be our focus for the remainder of this morning. Jesus came as a king and his kingdom is a kingdom of light. Light & darkness. Powerful themes that run throughout Scripture. They are present in the opening verses of Genesis:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning – the 1st day.
Light & darkness … in the beginning. In the Gospel of John in the NT, we get another version of the creation account. Listen. In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, & the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
In the Genesis account, we learn that the light is good. In John, we learn that the light is God. God himself, in the person of Jesus, enters this world as the light. The birth story of Jesus is surrounded by light. The passage that I read earlier from Isaiah … for to us a child is born … has this just a few verses prior. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
The Magi or wisemen were ones that saw that great light. Matthew records that they traveled to Bethlehem and asked: Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. The shepherds, too, saw the great light. An angel of the Lord appeared to them & the glory of the Lord shone around them. Jesus enters this world as the world’s light.
It was not just the events of his birth that were associated with light. Jesus’ ministry was marked by light. In fact, he uses light to describe & define himself. In John 8 there is a record of a special holiday called the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, and Jesus like everyone else in those days went up to the temple. The Feast of Tabernacles occurred in the late autumn & celebrated the harvest. There were water ceremonies that recalled the need for water in the dry autumn. There were also light ceremonies, marking the end of the long summer days. The Mishnah, a collection of Jewish instructions, gives lavish descriptions of the water & light ceremonies. In regards to the light, there were 4 large stands that each held 4 golden bowls. These were placed in the heavily used Court of Women in the temple. These 16 bowls were reachable only by ladder, & they were filled with oil. Now … I am not making this up … the wicks in the oil were made from the used undergarments of the priests. They must have thought they were sanctified. Thankfully, no such practice occurs here at Westview! When they were lit at night, all Jerusalem was said to be illuminated. In a world that did not have public lighting after dark, it must have been quite an impressive sight. People would dance in the streets, carrying torches & singing hymns. On the last day of the Feast, Jesus is in the temple in the very court where this ceremony takes place. He is standing under these 16 bowls, & he says this: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Not only is he the true light of Jerusalem, but of the entire world.
Later in his ministry, Jesus goes up on a high mountain with 3 of his disciples (Peter, James & John). While they were there, Scripture records that There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. The disciples are given a glimpse of his glory … the glory that someday will be revealed to all. Jesus is the light of this world.
What does it mean that Jesus is the light of the world? I want to look at 3 functions of light with you & discuss the implications of following a king who is light & the implications of living in a kingdom that is characterized by light.
1st: Light Exposes. Look at John 3:19-20. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. Light exposes. I mentioned to you a few weeks ago that in November, my mom, sister & I traveled to Spokane for a family wedding. The hotel where we stayed had a makeup mirror in the bathroom attached to the wall. It was backlit & had quite a bit of magnification. At home, I am just used to using the regular mirror in the morning to get ready & put on my makeup.
Well, the 1st morning in Spokane, I used this makeup mirror in the hotel. Was I shocked when I looked at my face in the light & magnification. There are blemishes & wrinkles & spots I never knew I had. The mirror with the lights & magnification exposed them. It revealed things that I didn’t want to see. If fact, I announced to my mom & sister that I wasn’t using that mirror again … & I didn’t. I didn’t want to know the truth. I didn’t want to see reality.
Light exposes reality. It shows us the truth. Evil deeds … darkness … are revealed. And Scripture says that men & women don’t want their sin & dark stuff revealed, so we hide from the light … we avoid it. Yet, we are intended to live in the light. If we want to follow the king who is light & live in his kingdom, then we must come into the light. See darkness & light can’t co-exist. Even the smallest of light will illuminate a dark place. You can’t have both darkness & light.
John in his opening chapter links life & light. In him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of men. If you want to know the fullness of life that God has for you … if you want to know life eternal, then you must come into the light. You must acknowledge your sin & turn from your sin & turn toward the light. That is what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Don’t hide from the light. There is healing & wholeness & life to be found in the light.
Anyone know of someone afraid of the dark? Many of us as children are afraid of the dark? Afraid of what might be under the bed or in the closet or around the corner. What about the light? Are any of you afraid of the light … afraid of what you might see … afraid of what might be revealed? Allow the light of God to penetrate your lives & reveal areas of your life that are in darkness. Come into the light & the life that God has for you.
What else does light do? Light Illumines. It guides us. In the OT, while the Israelites were in the wilderness, God guided them with a cloud by day & a pillar of fire by night. The light illuminated their path. In the NT, the Magi saw the star … the bright light, & it guided their journey. Jesus Christ, the light of the world, guides his people. He is, in the words of the Psalmist, a lamp to our feet & a light for our path.
Are you following the light? That is what it means to be a Christian … a disciple of Jesus Christ. It isn’t enough to simply believe. Even the devil believes Jesus is the son of God. Christians are those who have chosen to follow … who allow the light to expose sin in their life … who turn from that sin … & allow the light to illumine their path … who look to God for guidance & direction.
One area that the light illuminates for us is Scripture. The Bible is the very words of God. It is our text book for teaching us who God is & how we are to live. God’s Spirit inspired the authors of Scripture to write it, & the Spirit illuminates our minds & hearts to read it & understand it. Paul in our text in Colossians prays that the readers might be filled with all spiritual wisdom & understanding. It is the light of God that illuminates our hearts & minds.
There is another sense in which light illumines. Look again at John 3:21.But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. Light illumines good deeds. It highlights them, so people will know they were done through God. It gives him the glory and points people to Jesus. Light exposes evil, & it illumines good. Things are drawn to light. Plants grow toward the light. Bugs fly to a light. Humans, particularly when they are lost or in darkness, will seek out light. Come into the light. Live in the light that people may see your good deeds & praise your Father in heaven.
Light also Transforms. In the presence of light things change. Seeds germinate. Snow melts. Water boils. Fruit forms & grows.
Light is productive. In fact, Scripture teaches that light produces fruit. Eph. 5:9 says the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness & truth. It is set in contrast with the fruitless deeds of darkness. Paul, in Galatians, calls that fruit … the fruit of the Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Gal. 5:22.
The more time we spend in the light … walking in the light … living in the light … basking in the light, the more our lives will be transformed … the more our lives will be characterized by love, joy, peace, etc. As the light of Christ shines on us, we begin to be transformed into what he is.
This is what really struck me this week in my studies. God is light. We, as his followers, live in the kingdom of light. We, in turn, become agents … conduits of light in this world. But … it’s not just that we hold a mirror refracting God’s light into the world. It’s not just that we have reflectors attached to us bouncing his light off of us. There is a real sense in which we, ourselves, are being transformed into light. Jesus taught his followers that he was the light of the world. And at one point, he looks at them & tells them what must have been astonishing to them. He said, You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Mt. 5:14-16.
It’s not just that we are reflecting God’s light. We are light. Paul tells Timothy that there is a flame in him. It is as if when we become a follower of Jesus Christ, a pilot light is lit within us. As we grow as a Christ follower, that light becomes brighter & more beautiful.
We are to take that light wherever we go. We take it with us to the grocery store … when we ride the bus … in the classroom if we teach or are a student … to the coffee shop … the office. And that light will do what light does. If we choose not to hide it, it will expose darkness. It will illumine our world & show it a better way. It will transform things with which it comes into contact.
We are light in this dark world, & we need to let it shine. Paul in Philippians says that we are to “shine like stars in the universe” … that is our job description as a follower of Jesus Christ.
The message of Christmas is that Jesus came as the light of the world. He took all sin & darkness on himself on the cross, so that we might be able to stand blameless before him & live in the light. He has given us the gift of light & the ministry of light. We are to be servants of the light of Christ in the dark corners of this world … until that day when darkness will be no more.
We looked at the opening verses in Genesis when light entered this world. The final verses of Revelation give us a glimpse of the light we will enjoy for eternity. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
As you ponder the light of the world this Christmas season, may you be drawn to him … may you be transformed by him … and may you shine like stars in the world around you.
Instead
What is it that keeps me from living the life that God has for me? What prevents me from following Jesus and seeing his power at work? One word…Instead.
A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. Mark 1:40-45
Instead. The man, just healed of his terrible disease is told directly and firmly by Jesus to do certain things and not do other things…instead he does the opposite…exactly the opposite. It’s interesting to notice in the gospels how often people who have been healed by Jesus choose to “instead”. Wouldn’t you think these would be the one most likely to listen to Jesus, to trust Jesus, to obey what he tells them to do? These are the ones who have experienced his mercy, who are grateful for his goodness and power in their lives. Yet they choose “instead”….makes me wonder how often I “instead” with Jesus.
“As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. ” Jesus is hampered in what he would like to do by the choice of this man. “As a result”, another phrase that carries a lot of meaning. What is the deal? Why would Jesus give this man such power over him? Why would Jesus allow this man to affect his life in such a way? Why? Because Jesus allows this man to choose “instead”. Jesus allows you and me to choose. Jesus is serious about our responses to him. He is serious about our listening, trust and obedience, and the only way our obedience means anything is if we have the ability to choose another path, to choose…instead.
While many, even most, people that Jesus heals don’t do well in following his orders, some are different. Some listen, trust and obey. One man, possessed by a legion of demons is healed by Jesus. As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. Mark 5:18-20
Some come to Jesus in their need to find healing then go on their way. Others come to Jesus in order to follow him. These followers are more likely to listen, trust and obey, not perfectly (no one follows Jesus without an occasional “instead”) but it seems to make a difference if the choice is made to follow Jesus, not just to come to him for his help. There it is…this is the difference: am I willing to follow Jesus? Or do I simply want a savior, a helper in time of need?
For all of us who tend to “instead” there is another word, a word of grace…”yet”. “Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.” You see, even when the man disobeys Jesus and even though this changes the way Jesus does things, the people still come. Jesus will accomplish what he intends to do. “Yet” is a word of grace. It’s a reminder that we can start again. Even when I am stuck in a pattern of insteads, Jesus carries on with his mission and Jesus waits for me to follow, to listen, trust and obey.
And this is what really matters in life. So many things seem to matter…what I choose to do for a living, where I choose to live, what people I choose to relate to, which politician I root for…these all are important questions, but they are secondary or further down the list. The ultimate questions involve the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Is he my Master? If so, will I follow him?
Grace and glory,
Jay
Journey3 is a movement with three parts.
We Believe. We gather on Sunday afternoons at 4 in order to grow in our ability to believe Jesus. For now we are meeting at the home of Jay and Barb Braband, 4409 N Willamette Blvd in Portland. Check with me if you would like to come (and you are certainly welcome to do so!) as our meeting schedule occasionally changes.
We Build. We meet in triads to share life in a deeper way.
We Bless. We go into our beloved city of Portland to make a difference by serving people who need a touch from God.
Interested in living life the way God intended you to live? Email me…Jay@Journey3.org.
a heaven-on-earth disciple-making party!
How’s that for a description of the church? Mark’s gospel, probably the first written of the New Testament gospel narratives, begins by giving us the goal and the strategy for the coming of Jesus.
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:9-11
The “torn open” language makes me think of Isaiah 64:1-3,
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!
As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
Jesus came to fulfill the cry of Isaiah, that God would tear open heaven and come down to earth. Jesus is that ‘coming down to earth’. You see, the primary message of the bible is not that we go to heaven when we die. Rather, the bible tells the story of God bringing heaven to earth in Jesus. Heaven, in bible speak, is short hand for, “where God is”, and Jesus, according to Mark, is where God is. Jesus announces his ministry with the words, “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15) Jesus, the King, is near!
Heaven on earth. This is the goal of the coming of Jesus. How about the strategy?
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.
Jesus goes from seeing heaven torn open and hearing the voice of his Father…to calling three common dudes to follow him, with the promise that he will turn them into fishers of men. You would think he would have some glorious plan to build cathedrals and create a worldwide organization. He seems content to leave such things to us. He is intent on teaching people to be Jesus followers who teach others to be Jesus followers. Disciple-making is the core strategy of the Jesus movement.
The goal, heaven on earth. The strategy, disciple-making. We have added so much unnecessary baggage to this simple movement…so much so that we often lose the power of the movement. Journey3 is a simple movement. Our simple goal is to allow Jesus to shine through us and so to become little outbreaks of heaven on earth. Our simple strategy is to go and make disciples of Jesus.
Grace and glory,
Jay
Journey3 is a movement with three parts.
We Believe. We gather on Sunday afternoons at 4 in order to grow in our ability to believe Jesus.
We Build. We meet in triads to share life in a deeper way.
We Bless. We go into our beloved city of Portland to make a difference by serving people who need a touch from God.
Interested in living life the way God intended you to live? Email me…Jay@Journey3.org.
at that moment
Just pondering the other day… what happened the moment Jesus died? I was meditating on the story found in the Bible, Matthew 27: 45-56.
45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
In verses 45-48, we see the condition of humanity. Jesus experiences our lostness at an excruciating level during these hours hanging on the cross. He experiences darkness, aloneness, and confusion.
Darkness. How amazingly ironic that the one who is light is wrapped in darkness for 3 hours before his death. Luke tells us that the sun stopped shining for these three hours…an eclipse? How it happened we don’t know, but it was dark. John introduces Jesus as the light. “The true light that gives light to every person was coming into the world”. John 1:9. But now, the light takes on our darkness. Jesus makes the trade…give me your darkness and I will give you light.
Aloneness. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” How desperately alone we are! Dallas Willard writes in his excellent book, Hearing God, that we are not able to truly be with others. “It is simply not within human capacity to care effectively for others in the depths of their life and being or even to be with them in finality—no matter how much we may care about them.” No matter how close you may be with another human, there is no way that person can know your intimate thoughts or be with you at all moments in your joys or struggles. The only one who really knows us and therefore can truly be with us, is God. Jesus, during these hours on the cross, is truly alone. God the Father / Holy Spirit, has withdrawn from Jesus. Jesus trades his presence with the Father and takes on our aloneness.
Confusion. You would hope that at this dark and alone time of life, Jesus might be allowed to at least exist without being troubled by confusing voices. Not to be. As he cries out in anguish, those at the foot of the cross hear him shout in Aramaic, “Eloi, Eloi…”, meaning “My God, my God…”. They thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. The crowd is stirred, they get a bit excited. After all, this guy had, it was said, done some pretty amazing things, maybe he could call up Elijah! Let’s stay and watch! I imagine Jesus, his heart sinking as he hears the confusion, thinking, “Why can’t they see what is happening? Can’t I say anything without others confusing the issue?”. Jesus takes on our confusion in order to be our truth.
Darkness, Aloneness, Confusion. A picture of life apart from God. This is us, as written in Ephesians 2:12, “without hope and without God in the world”.
But then it happened, “he gave up his spirit”. Jesus dies. And, “at that moment” three things happen, the curtain in the temple was torn, the earth shook, and the tombs broke open.
The Curtain. Hebrews 10: 19-22 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” This curtain separated the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies in the temple from the rest of the temple. This is the place where God’s presence existed in a special way with his people. But, because of his holiness, and our sin, we were prevented from entering into the presence of God. No more! We now have access to God!
Earthquake. The East Coast felt the the tremors just a few days ago. And earthquake reminds us that the foundation, the earth itself, is not beyond shaking. The death of Jesus lays a new foundation. A new building, a new creation has begun. “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11 The quake told everyone in Jerusalem that a new reality had begun. Jesus now offers to rebuild our lives!
Tombs breaking open. How strange! How…almost comical! Hey mom, did you hear? Uncle Josiah was at Bingo last night! He’s been dead for years! Something new has begun. Jesus often uses powerful miracles to demonstrate in a visual, experiential way his authority over hidden, unseen realities. Death has been conquered. You can’t argue with Uncle Josiah back at Bingo. And, because we see death being demolished, we can believe that sin and the devil are beaten as well. Jesus frees us from sin, death and the devil.
At that moment! At the moment of his death, when Jesus gives up his spirit…he makes the trade. Give me your darkness, aloneness, confusion, and I will give you access, foundation, life!
Grace and glory
Jay
Journey3 is a movement with three parts.
We Believe. We gather on Monday evenings at 7 as a larger group in order to grow in our ability to believe Jesus.
We Build. We meet in triads (groups of 3-4) to share life in a deeper way.
We Bless. We go into our beloved city of Portland to make a difference by serving people who need a touch from God.
Interested in living life the way God intended you to live? Email me…Jay@Journey3.org.
Peter is ready for a fight!
I am feeling for Peter. You may know the story. Jesus is about to be betrayed and will be tortured and killed. At the end of their final meal together he tells his followers
“This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. Matthew 26:31-35
I am feeling for Peter because I can identify with him. He wants to do the right thing. He wants to be loyal to Jesus. He wants to be committed and courageous. I imagine Peter standing up and slapping his hand on his sword, ready for action! Isn’t this a good thing? Aren’t we supposed to give it all we have? After all, Jesus tells us that anyone who follows him must be willing to die, to deny self, to take up the cross and follow him. In the Old Testament, God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous. Later Paul writes that he wants to “press on toward the goal of the upward call of Christ.” He wants to be committed and courageous. So…why does Jesus argue with Peter? Why not say to Peter, “Hey, thanks for your commitment! Thanks for being willing to stick with me through anything!”?
The answer I think goes back to the transfiguration. In Matthew 17, we read the story. Jesus takes Peter, James and John to a mountain top and there Jesus is changed in appearance before them and talks with Elijah and Moses. Peter is caught up in the moment and wants to stay and live in this time of joy and amazement. Again, this is not a bad thing. King David wrote in the Psalm 27, “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” It is a good thing to want to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. This is what King David wanted and this is what Peter wanted on the mount of transfiguration.
But then, the voice of God the Father is heard. While they were gazing on Jesus with Moses and Elijah, God speaks, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” These are the exact words the Father speaks at the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3, except that the Father adds the last sentence, “Listen to him!”. And here, I think, is point. Before courage, before worship, before our acts of commitment, the Father charges us to listen to Jesus.
Peter, Jesus says on that terrible last night, listen to me, it is written that you all will run. Peter, listen to me, you will deny my three times, I am telling you the truth. This is not a time for acts of courage. Peter would try anyway and ended up whacking a servant of the high priest with his sword. Even then, Jesus says…listen…not now, we are not fighting with swords now.
Later, after the resurrection, Jesus reinstates Peter and renews his call. And by then, I think, Peter has it figured out. What does Jesus want from him…courage, commitment, worship? Yes, but before any of these…listen!
Grace and glory
Jay
Journey3 is a movement with three parts.
We Believe. We gather on Monday evenings at 7 as a larger group in order to grow in our ability to believe Jesus.
We Build. We meet in triads (groups of 3-4) to share life in a deeper way.
We Bless. We go into our beloved city of Portland to make a difference by serving people who need a touch from God.
Interested in living life the way God intended you to live? Email me…Jay@Journey3.org.
The 5 Talent Servant
I have been caught up lately in the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. You may be familiar with this story that Jesus told. As with any of the teachings of Jesus, there is so much more to the story than is first apparent.
This is the story where we get our usage of the word, “talent”. In the story a talent is a measurement of money, my bible’s footnote says, about $1,000, so I would assume it might be closer to $10,000 in today’s terms. A lot of money.
The story goes, that a master went on a long journey. Before he goes he “entrusts his property” to 3 servants. To one he gives 5 talents, to another 2 talents and to the third one talent. The first two servants put their money to work and each of them doubles what he was given. The third buries his talent in a hole. When the master returns he praises the first two servants but condemns the third.
What was the difference between the 3 servants? The text says that the master gave the talents, “each according to his ability”. I have in the past thought this to mean natural abilities. That is, I thought this meant that the 5 talent servant was a better natural money manager than the other 2. But, as I look at the story, the only difference I can see is that the 5 talent servant “went at once and put his money to work”. He is quick to initiate and take action. The 2 talent servant puts his money to work…but it doesn’t say “at once”…I am thinking he was a bit hesitant. Why? There’s a clue with the 1 talent servant. He is afraid and digs a hole, hiding his talent. I think this third servant was intending to put the talent to work, but he let his fear rule him. When the master condemns him, he doesn’t do so on the basis of his fear. The master doesn’t say, “You should have not been afraid! Your fear shows that you are no good.” No, instead the master calls the third servant a “wicked lazy servant”.
There is a strong truth here about managing anxiety. Anxiety, often showing up as fear, is a constant in the human condition. I am convinced that all 3 servants were fearful when they received their large amounts of money from the master. The third servant says to the master, “I knew that you are a hard man”, and so he was. The master had high expectations. The challenge is not to avoid anxiety and fear…this can only happen by digging a hole. The challenge is to manage expectations and move ahead.
Here is a simple flow chart which pictures the choice before the servants:
FEAR > LAZINESS > WICKEDNESS
Or
FEAR > ACTION > FAITHFULNESS
The 5 talent servant faces his anxiety and decides to do something, to take action. He and the 2 talent servant are commended by the master, not for success, but for their faithfulness. The 1 talent servant moves from fear to paralysis. The master calls him a worthless servant. He calls him wicked. This is the reason the third servant is cast outside “into the darkness”. It’s pretty stark language from Jesus. But, you see, this servant is condemned not because he was afraid, but because he let his fear paralyze him into laziness, which then led to wickedness. By the time the master had returned, this servant was wicked, obnoxious, argumentative, even blaming the master for his condition.
So…it’s clear from the story and the context, that Jesus is the master. And, yes, Jesus is a hard man. If you disagree with Jesus…guess who Jesus thinks is right? If you have a different idea for your life’s direction, guess who Jesus thinks is right? Each of us has been given kingdom property. We are entrusted with our lives, and, more importantly, with the authority of the king…Jesus says in Matthew 28, “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, therefore go and make disciples…”.
What will I do with the kingdom property he has entrusted to me? I feel the anxiety because Jesus is a hard man. He has high expectations. I want to be a 5 talent servant. So I choose to do something! I choose action. Now action for the servant of Jesus can take many forms: service, healing, prayer, bible reading, witness to a neighbor, caring for someone who suffers, worship…
But what action is not, is hole digging.
Grace and glory,
Jay
live like you’re dying
“The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with His death—we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ.
When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow Him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
Last Monday evening several of us gathered on our back deck and thought together about death. Sound like a fun evening? Maybe fun isn’t the word, but I think it was a joyful evening! We discussed the three Journey3 questions and how they relate to death…Who is God? Who are we? What does God want us to do?
Who is God? God, it turns out is a dying God! That’s a concept that can keep a person up at night. How can God, the author of all life, the creator of every living creature, how can this God die?…and WHY would he die? We read and discussed a verse…”But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for you.” Romans 5:8 So…it’s true, he is a dying God and he dies for you and for me.
Who are we? Here I asked each person to share about a time when someone died for them. As you can imagine…some confused looks came my way. So I defined death as sacrifice. When has someone done something for you that cost them and was for your good. Now the stories came. Parents, friends, siblings, people have died for each of us and, in so doing, they have lived out the image of God in our lives.
What does God want us to do? In a word…die. We each took a different bible character and looked up a selection from their lives. Each of us shared about our character…Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Esther, Jeremiah, Mary…how had God asked these people to die to themselves. Jesus tells us “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:25. Abraham died by leaving his homeland and his extended family…God made him the father of Israel. Moses died by going back to Egypt and calling the people of Israel to follow God…God used him to lead his people out of Egypt. Ruth died by refusing to leave her mother-in-law Naomi…God made her the great grandmother of King David. Esther died by risking her life and going to her husband, King Xerxes to plead for the protection of her fellow Israelites…God saved Israel and blessed them. Jeremiah died by going to the leaders of Israel to warn them of God’s displeasure, even though he was young and not an experienced public speaker…God brought his word to Israel through Jeremiah. Mary died by agreeing to give birth to the messiah, even though this meant shame and danger…God…well you know what God did with that death.
How different Jesus is than I am! I would call people to an amazing adventure. I would highlight the blessings of health and wealth that God can provide. I would tell people that God can make you happy. Jesus does it differently…“When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die”.
Here at Journey3 we do three things.
We Believe.
We gather on Monday evenings at 7 pm as a larger group to grow in our ability to believe Jesus.
We Build.
We meet in triads (groups of 3-4) to share life in a deeper way.
We Bless.
We go into our beloved city of Portland to make a difference by serving people who need a touch from God.
Interested in a living life the way God designed you to live? Email me…Jay@Journey3.org.
make us evermindful
Reading in Matthew. Jesus feeds the 5,000…then a few days later, feeds the 4,000. Interesting. I compare the two accounts. I open my bible and there they lie on two facing pages, Matthew 14:13-21, 15:29-39, like God wants us to see them together.
Many similarities: a large crowd each time, far from large enough towns to supply food for everybody, the compassion of Jesus mentioned each time, healing by Jesus before the meal, Jesus has the people sit down on the ground, the disciples have a small traveling amount of bread and fish with them, he gives thanks and breaks the bread and fish, Jesus gives the pieces of food to the 12 to distribute to the people who are sitting on the ground, “they all ate and were satisfied”, the disciples pick up the remaining pieces which is much more than they started with.
Also some differences between the two accounts: in the first Jesus feeds 5,000 (plus) while the second time he feeds 4,000 (plus), the first time the disciples come to Jesus asking him to send the crowd away…the next time Jesus brings the problem to them, the first time the disciples say we have “only” 5 loaves and 2 fish…the second time they say we have “7 loaves and a few small fish”.
More similarities than differences, yet there are differences and Jesus does repeat this miracle. Why? Matthew doesn’t give us an over abundance of miracle stories, leading me to believe that what he does give are carefully and intentionally recorded.
He is teaching the 12. And he uses hunger and food as his teaching tools. Very interesting. Jesus does a lot with bread, food, eating, banquets, doesn’t he? God designed us in such a way that we are never far from the need for food and thoughts of food. Just now as I type, I am smelling some delicious things being cooked (probably just warmed up) here at Starbucks, and I am thinking of what I might have for lunch in a while. Jesus wants the 12 to associate the breaking of bread and eating with compassion. I doubt they could ever sit down to a meal again after these miracles and not think of Jesus taking their small resources and using them to meet the needs of many.
The first time Jesus feeds the crowd the disciples are totally caught off guard. They are likely feeling their own hunger and worried that Jesus is going to give away the small amount of food they brought along. Jesus feeds the crowd and provides enough leftovers for each of them to have a basketful of food (12 basketfulls)…probably each of them had more than all of them started with! The second time, they are little more prepared for the miracle, they aren’t quite as bucky with Jesus, but still are not ready to believe it could happen again.
Some miracles that God performs are not meant to be repeated. We are not meant to look for another literal burning bush. That was for Moses. But the miraculous feeding of the crowd is repeated by Jesus in a just a few days! We are meant to expect this miracle to happen again and again. I’m sure Peter thought of this after the resurrection when Jesus commands, “feed my sheep” not once, but three times.
Jesus calls us to look with compassion on the people around us, to bring what we have to him, and to trust that he will give us all we need to do what he calls us to do while he also provides for our needs. It may take several attempts at this for it to sink in. But this miracle is to be a mark of the church.
Years ago my father and mother taught us a simple table grace which included the words, “make us ever mindful of the needs of others”. I think Jesus likes it when we associate meal time with these miracles. I think Jesus intends that we are ever mindful of his desire to work miraculously through us to feed others, physically and spiritually. I am challenged by this as I think of the crowds of people here in Portland who hunger for the message of the kingdom. I think of this as I wonder how my little Journey3 band of believers can make a difference.
Grace and glory,
Jay
an orderly life
I am committed to reading the bible as a collection of books. I learned this early in my college InterVarsity days. I remember Barbara Boyd, a long time IVCF staff worker who taught at a conference on how to study the bible saying, “Book study is basic to bible study”. Since those college days I have been drawn to reading and studying books of the bible rather than jumping around from verse to verse.
So what difference does book study make? Well for one thing it forces me to deal with passages and verses that I would rather leave alone. I am reading and studying the book of Matthew right now. A while back, I came to Matthew 12: 43-45. Jesus says, “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
What a beloved passage!? Don’t you remember hearing this in Sunday School or VBS? Probably not. It’s too…weird. But, since I am committed to reading the book of Matthew as written, I have to deal with this passage. Jesus tells this parable to some Pharisees and Teachers of the law. These were religious people who were in danger of not understanding Jesus and even rejecting him. Jesus loved them and tells this parable as an attempt at shaking them into a correct understanding.
What motivates the person who is demon possessed to seek out Jesus? He or she wants to be free from the demon! Jesus, make my life livable! Jesus, bring healing to me! Jesus, fix me! This is often the motivation for a religious life. Bring healing and a good dose of transcendence to my life and I promise to attend worship services fairly regularly. Jesus, I want you to fix my life and make it possible for me to have a good job, a 401k, and cheerful, obedient children. This is the man, freed from the demon…his life is now “unoccupied, swept clean and put in order”.
Barb and I moved from Des Moines, Iowa to Portland, Oregon last summer. If you have moved you know the drill. We worked and worked on our house, fixing, cleaning, painting, carpeting, mowing, landscaping. The day we moved out of our house it was the most “unoccupied, swept clean and put in order” that it had been since the day we moved in. In a weird way it felt good to have our house all put together and fixed up…but, really the house just felt wrong. It was too clean, too orderly, too sterile. There were no pictures on the wall, no furniture, no books lying around, no plates in the sink, no signs of life! Jesus didn’t come to bring order to our lives. He came to bring life and life is messy.
I think Jesus is warning us against partial discipleship. Many come to Jesus in order to be fixed. But the danger is in stopping there. Now that the demon is gone, Jesus says, let me in! Let me come into your house. Your life will be a bit confusing at times. It won’t be orderly and clean, in fact it will get quite messy. Shane Claiborne, in his book, The Irresistible Revolution, puts it this way: I know there are people out there who say, “My life was such a mess. I was drinking, partying, sleeping around; and then I met Jesus, and my whole life came together.” God bless those people. But for me, I had it together. I used to be cool (I was prom king, for heaven’s sake). Then I met Jesus, and He wrecked my life. The more I read the gospel, the more it messed me up, turning everything I believed in, valued and hoped for upside down. I am still recovering from my conversion.
That’s what happens when Jesus occupies a life! He wrecks us…in a good way, for any other kind of life. The desire to be fixed by God is a good starting point to following Jesus. But, if we remain there, we are in danger of being occupied by something worse than our original demons. We are meant to be occupied by the Holy Spirit, directed by the Lord Jesus, sent into the world on a mission that often creates a mess in our lives…but it’s in the mess that life grows.
Grace and glory,
Jay
