Tag: sermon

The First Will Be Last; the Last Will Be First

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(Luke 13:22-30)

Why do Jesus’ words this morning stand out so much when he claims, “Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last” (v.30)? His words grab our attention because we live in a world that doesn’t operate that way at all. The class valedictorian is not the student with the lowest GPA. It isn’t last-place competitors in Olympic trials who go on to represent their countries in going up against the best in the world. The sales rep generating the weakest sales numbers for the company isn’t on the shortlist for a bonus or promotion. Our world doesn’t work that way, and that’s what makes Jesus’ words stand out this morning.

And those aren’t his only words that make for this morning’s Hard Truth! He also warned, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to” (v.24). This, too, doesn’t jive with what most of us would like to prefer to believe is true. We want to believe that if there is a heaven, which is what Jesus is referring to here, everyone should be able to get in, regardless of any sort of differences they might have. We don’t want to see anyone left out.

Well, almost everyone. There are of course some types of people we wouldn’t expect to be in heaven. The bad ones. The ones who have done the really cringe-worthy things that are really disgusting or twisted or sick – not those people, of course.

Should we stop right here and list who would be included in our category of disgusting, twisted, or sick people? Because I’m sure we’d all agree on our lists, right (he wrote, sarcastically…)? That would make it easier for us to determine who’s in and who’s out as far as entering through that narrow door.

Did we just expose why what Jesus says is such a hard truth? We tend to hold to two ideals that also happen to stand at odds with each other. The first is that things should be equal and inclusive. This may be why some struggle with organized religion, perceiving that it thrives on judgment and exclusivity. That doesn’t sit well in our everyone-is-equal world. 

But the second sentiment is at odds with it: that of course certain types of people shouldn’t be allowed into heaven. Certain types of people should naturally be excluded. So how do we maintain inclusivity, while also agreeing that certain types should be excluded, while still also acknowledging that we don’t all agree on exactly which types of people should be excluded?

Here’s where the Christian faith is set apart from every other religion: it is the most inclusive religion there is. “Wait just a minute,” you’re thinking. “You literally just read the words of Jesus clearly saying that many who try to get into heaven will not make it through the narrow door. How is that the most inclusive religion there is???” 

There are many places in the Bible that explain it, but one of the more simple and straightforward is Romans 3:23-24: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” All people are in the same boat, as “all have sinned.” That is God’s way of saying everyone has missed the mark; we’ve all failed to live up to his expectation of a life of only bullseyes in what we think, do, and say.

But all people are also in another boat together, as “all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” That’s a wordy way of saying that even though we’ve all missed the mark of perfection in our lives, God has nonetheless declared us, “not guilty” because of what Jesus did for us. All people. Everyone. That friends, is the very definition of “inclusive!” 

While God has declared everyone “not guilty,” what God won’t do is force anyone to believe it. But what he also won’t do is accept any other alternative arrangements folks would like to make to get into heaven. That isn’t because God is some intolerant, narcissistic deity, though; rather, it’s because no other deal or payment will suffice. That’s what Jesus was warning the person who asked him, “Lord, are only a few people coming to be saved?” (v.23).

Why in his response would Jesus tell warn the man to make every effort? If God has declared all people not guilty, then it should be easy peasy, right? Yes, except that Jesus seemed to warn that some people would be in for a bit of an unexpected, embarrassing shock: the Jesus they thought they knew didn’t seem to recognize them. “Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’  Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’  But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’” (vv.25-27). 

Have you had a similar experience? A social function or class reunion brings people together who haven’t seen each other in years or even decades. Seeing a certain familiar face instantly puts a smile on yours. You eagerly approach the individual and begin to recount a memorable shared experience that you had… only to suddenly realize by the puzzled look on the other person’s face that They. Don’t. Recognize. You. At. All. After your initial shock, you immediately begin to remind them of more of the details of the story and your past experiences together, as if those will surely jar their memory and help them recall who you are. But it doesn’t matter – the other person has zero recollection of you or the experience. That’s the kind of experience Jesus was describing.

The question is, who are the people who would fall into the category Jesus is describing? Two categories come to mind: 1) those who wish to redefine God’s expectations, and 2) those who wish to redefine God. 

The first group is dangerous because it twists God’s Word into a playbook or manual to follow as the method of getting right with him. This is the category of religious folks who have been deceived into thinking it’s their self-righteousness that gets them in. They are the modern-day Pharisees who mistake their acts of religion as the badge of honor that will get them through the narrow door. They are diligently at church every Sunday, not as troubled sinners who desire to be reassured of peace and forgiveness through Jesus, but rather to get the perfect attendance sticker. They give offerings, not from a cheerful heart that is head-over-heels in love with their Savior, but because that “Give 10%” box needs to be checked off to get right with God. They read the Bible, not so that the Holy Spirit can breathe new life into them and produce faith-born fruit, but because that’s what religious people are supposed to do, and by golly, they’re going to make sure all their bases are covered.

So when they meet Jesus on that last day, they will be eager to submit their fine resumé of self-righteousness, only to hear Jesus say, “I’m sorry, who are you again?” These are the people Jesus chastised in Matthew 23:13: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” No one who thinks the key code into heaven is the right combination of good works will ever get in. 

But the second category is equally dangerous – not because it misunderstands that man is incapable of earning anything before God; rather, because it misrepresents who the true God is in the first place. One of the dead giveaways of those who fall into this category is some expression along the lines of, “The god I believe in would never do this or that.” That may sound nice, but with all due respect, where did that version of god come from, and how do we reconcile that version of god with the person down the street who has a slightly different take on how his god would respond in a certain situation?

While we passively stand by in our “don’t-step-on-anyone’s-toes” culture and totally respect that other person’s view of god, has anyone bothered to ask God what he thinks of all of these different avatars that are supposedly representing him? By all means, please let him know how he is supposed to respond to that situation today, and this one tomorrow, and so on and so forth.

Isn’t it a little bit ironic that Christianity is sometimes labeled as unreasonable or irrational, while in the meantime, it’s not unreasonable or irrational that ten different people have ten different versions of god and we can all be fine with that? Let’s either acknowledge how silly that is or at least have the decency to come right out and admit that we don’t believe in god. That way at least there won’t be any surprise when the God who does exist doesn’t recognize those who refused to recognize him.

Whether we’re wrong about God in the first category or wrong about God in the second doesn’t matter – we don’t want to be in either category! Instead, we want to be in the third category of those who are absolutely 100% sure we’ll enter through that narrow door! How do we do that?

We can’t. Only Jesus can. Only Jesus did. So how did anyone enter the narrow door to “take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God” (v.29), as Jesus stated? 

Jesus spelled it out: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture” (John 10:9). Entrance into heaven goes through Jesus. Those who set aside any hope of entrance based on their efforts, those who set aside any expectation of entrance based on their own arrogance or wishful thinking about who God is and how he ought to operate, and instead see Jesus as the promised Savior who through his death and resurrection forgives sin and offers a clean conscience have what it takes to enter into heaven. And oftentimes, as Jesus pointed out this morning, those are the last people we’d expect. 

So sure are we of this narrow door into heaven – Jesus – that our congregation has established and supported an elementary school to teach the next generation this good news. In addition to meeting all of the academic standards to prepare them for the next level of education, building character and confidence, and giving them the social skills to succeed in today’s world, we point them to the gate, the door, the Savior who lovingly promises that all who believe in him have nothing to fear for this life or the life to come. Our teachers not only love and care for their students enough to equip them with what they need to thrive, but also for them to be alive with Jesus by their side during this life, and to be by his side for eternal life.

We Want Peace, But God’s Word Divides

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(Luke 12:49-53)

The debate will never be resolved. Sports analysts and fans will never be able to agree on who are the greatest players or teams in any given sport. The problem goes back long before weeding through and sorting out statistics. The problem starts with the definition. How does one define “great”?

Does greatest mean the most championship rings, because there are plenty of players who were not superstars, but who had the privilege of being shuffled around and playing on multiple championship teams. Does greatest mean the best statistics? If so, which statistics matter the most, and what if someone has great statistics but no rings? Does greatest mean record-holder in any given statistical category? What if a player dominates in only one statistical category, but is mediocre, at best, in others? And what about sports where different players play entirely different positions – a great lineman on the football field cannot be compared to a great quarterback by using the same metrics for greatness. It’s impossible to nail down the greatest, because it’s impossible to agree on the definition of greatest.

Part of the reason Jesus’ words from Luke 12 are so striking is that we’re not naturally on the same page when defining the word peace. Just as rabid sports fans will become rather unruly when discussing who is the greatest, should it surprise us that issues are also going to arise if no two people are able to agree on a definition of peace? How does one define it? Absence of conflict? Tolerance? Complete agreement? Indifference? If two people cannot even agree on a definition of peace, then it is really difficult to imagine how peace could be achieved.

How does the world define peace? The world has its own version of peace, but it isn’t easy to come by. Peace, as our culture has come to define it, is what happens when you agree with me on a matter. So for peace to exist between two individuals, each requires that the other side shares their same opinion. It isn’t acceptable anymore for someone merely to keep their opinion to themselves or choose not to get involved and just let others do as they wish; no, peace will only come when you see things my way and are willing to let go of your “wrong” opinion on a matter. How likely do you suppose it will be to achieve peace with that understanding?

How do believers define it? We talk about it. We sing about it. The Bible discusses it, but that doesn’t matter too much if you have your own working definition of peace. I think we know that peace doesn’t mean that Christians will get a pass on problems in life, but still we find ourselves struggling perhaps more than we should when the going gets tough. We still slip into that transactional understanding of our relationship with God: so long as we do the things Christians are supposed to do – go to church, pray, read our Bible – that sort of thing, then God will keep the trouble off our radar and his favor flowing freely, and for the most part, we’ll be at peace. 

Or we may have a rather simplistic, hardly-scratch-the-surface understanding of peace. Peace means Jesus has forgiven my sins. This is true! But knowing it and living and breathing it are different things. If I don’t live in that peace that flows from the forgiveness of sins but shelve it instead, how much will peace really characterize my life?

When we take a hard pass on the peace of Jesus in favor of pursuing the perfect partner, do we wonder why we’re restless? When we put our family and kid schedules in place of the peace of Jesus, are we surprised that stress and chaos carry the day? When we worry endlessly about money and focus on our possessions, where does peace have a place at the table?

Are you ready to consider how God defines peace? What does his Word reveal about his definition of peace? Try this on for size: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 4:25-5:2). Paul here gets right at the root of the problem by pointing out the reason Jesus had to be delivered over to death: our sins. Our sin smacks God in the face and undermines any sort of relationship with him. It is a wrong that must be made right, but as the wrongdoers, we cannot help ourselves because the only thing we’re capable of is smacking God in the face again and again with our sin. How can peace exist in such a scenario? It can’t!

Jesus had to bring it. By his death then, he righted the wrong of our sin, making payment in full, and because of Jesus’ resurrection, God determined that we are no longer guilty, since all of our wrongs have been righted in Christ. We now stand in grace, not guilt. 

So the peace we have with God is like this: imagine two circles. One circle is guilt. The other circle is grace. While in unbelief, we stand in the circle of guilt, because of our sin. But when we come to faith, believing in Jesus and what he has done for us, we embrace that God says we no longer stand in that circle – the circle of guilt. Instead, we stand in the other circle, the circle of grace. So peace with God means no guilt, just grace. 

Let’s now revisit Jesus’ words to us, the hard truth he expressed in Luke 12. “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division” (v.51). When we consider the words of Isaiah 9:6 (where Jesus is referred to as the Prince of Peace) and the rejoicing of the angels at Jesus’ birth, Jesus’ words here certainly appear to contradict them! 

But let’s apply the understanding we just gained from God’s definition of peace from Romans 4. Even though Jesus was delivered over to death for the sins of all people, allowing God to declare all sinners not guilty, those who don’t believe it remain standing in the guilty circle. However, those who believe all that Jesus has said and done as their Savior stand in the circle of grace.

Now picture that. Two different circles – one of guilt and one of grace – are filled with only two different categories of people: those who believe and those who don’t. What is the result? Division. There is a division between those who rejoice in the peace Jesus came to bring and those who refuse it. 

So did Jesus come to bring the division? Yes, because he was responsible for bringing the peace that would be rejected by many in the world. So the division is Jesus’ fault in the same way that it is dad’s fault for taking the whole family out for ice cream. One child was in a pouty mood and stubbornly decided he didn’t want any. However, after seeing everyone else enjoy theirs, suddenly he determined it wasn’t fair that everyone else got some and put up a stink about it. That division wouldn’t have come if dad had not taken the family out for ice cream! So, in that sense, yes, it’s dad’s fault.

When the division of which Jesus speaks comes into the picture then, it stems from those who don’t want the peace he came to bring, but then decide it’s not fair that others would want it or have it and puts up a stink about it. And, as Jesus described, this kind of division goes deeper than just a group of Christians and those outside in the unbelieving world. It often hits home and we experience the division right under our own roof. 

And Jesus knew that division would happen. Jesus didn’t look forward to it, but he knew it would happen. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but he knew it would happen. That’s what he meant when he lamented, “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!” (v.49-50). Jesus came to save sinners, and he knew the grueling payment that was required of him to make that happen. But he also knew something else that would be equally agonizing: in order for sinners to be saved, they must first acknowledge they need saving. The refining fire of repentance needs to do its work. But many will refuse to acknowledge their need for repentance over any wrongdoing or sin against God. That’s why wherever Jesus is, division is right there with him.

And wherever the church is doing the work Jesus entrusted to it, division will result, just as he promised. Not only is this a hard truth because it hits close to home for many of us; it’s a hard truth because it is an undeniable reality of the ministry of the church. We are called to bring peace, yet God prepares us for the hard work of ministry by telling us that our efforts will result in division. We experience that kind of division as we live out our faith and seek to bring peace to others in our own personal mission field. That division will result when certain teachings turn others off and away from a congregation. That division will happen in a school ministry when the values or beliefs of families don’t always align with the mission of the school. Ministry involves many challenges, so Jesus warns us that we can count division among those challenges as we proclaim peace. 

But as long as we proclaim peace by his definition – peace that comes from being justified (declared “not guilty”) and peace that means standing in grace – then we have nothing to worry about. Jesus himself proclaimed peace and he was rejected. Those following in his footsteps will not be surprised to experience the same rejection. And we will have thick skin when we do. Why? Because we know and believe God’s definition of peace, and that through Jesus, that is exactly what we have. About that there is no doubt and no debate.

Focused Prayer

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(Genesis 18:20-32)

August is here, which means it’s time to ask: are you done with your Christmas wish list yet? Don’t you know there are only 130 days left until Christmas??? What are you waiting for? It’s time to get cracking on that Christmas list!

But before you do, have you ever taken the time to go through your past lists to determine the success rate? What percentage of the gifts that you asked for did you actually receive? Has it ever been 100%? I suppose that rate of success would be easy to hit if, like my dad throughout my whole childhood, you asked for total dad things every Christmas, like socks and oil change coupons, and nothing else. But most tend to put a little more thought into our lists and, the longer the list, the less likely we are to have all of our wishes granted. 

Prayer is not like your Christmas list in that regard. Prayer has a 100% success rate. No, that doesn’t mean you’ll always get everything you ask for, but it does mean that every prayer you’ve ever offered up to God has been answered. And, it’s been answered in one of two ways: God either gave you what you asked for, or he answered it with something better in mind. In which one of those ways did the Lord answer Abraham’s prayer in Genesis 18? And how can we apply this account to ourselves so that our own lives reflect more focused prayer?

Abraham had just finished up sparing no expense in hosting three strangers in his home. Actually, as it turned out, they weren’t really strangers. Rather, his three visitors were the Lord God himself and two accompanying angels! That impromptu dinner party culminated in the Lord’s promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would finally welcome their promised child within the year.  

Following that revelation, the guests were about to leave and be on their way. But before they did, the Lord made known what he was about to do. He explained that he had heard the lamenting over the degree of depravity that had become quite well-known in Sodom and Gomorrah. His intent was to pay a personal visit to see if it was truly as bad as it was made out to be.

You might understandably be wondering why God would need to pay a personal visit to confirm what he had heard. Is the Lord not omniscient? Doesn’t he know all things? Why a seemingly unnecessary trip to experience firsthand what he surely already knew?

To arrive at the answer to that question, let’s ask another. Why does the Lord bother to share his itinerary and plans with Abraham? Why does he not just leave to conduct his divine business elsewhere? He surely doesn’t need Abraham’s approval or permission. God’s plans for Sodom and Gomorrah didn’t require Abraham’s input or insights.

In his mercy, he was leaving the door open for Abraham to intervene. Yes, the Lord was well-aware of Sodom and Gomorrah’s reputation; but the Lord also had covenant plans to carry out through his servant, Abraham. This was a growth opportunity for him.

The Lord had reiterated his plans for Abraham in the preceding verses. “Then the Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him’” (vs. 17-19). God didn’t need anything at all from Abraham. Purely by his grace he had chosen Abraham as the family line through which the Savior would come. On this occasion then, we see God giving Abraham the opportunity to do “what is right and just,” acting in a way that reflected well on his gracious God.

And Abraham revealed the kind of heart that God desires all of us to have: one that is filled with mercy and compassion for others. Upon hearing of God’s plans for Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham seized the opportunity to plead on their behalf. “Then Abraham approached [the Lord] and said: ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?’” (v.23-24).

Depending on your level of familiarity with the Bible, you may know that something else was certainly on Abraham’s heart at this point: he had family living in Sodom. Abraham’s nephew, Lot, had chosen to live there, so Lot and his family were surely a part of Abraham’s concern. Nevertheless, note that Abraham’s request was not limited to the rescue of his own flesh and blood, but rather that God would also spare the whole city on their behalf. 

Do you think Abraham’s request would stand out just a bit in our cancel culture society today? For that matter, do you think Abraham’s request would stand out even in our own midst or that of any Christian congregation today? Are we as quick as he was to ask for mercy on behalf of “people like Sodom and Gomorrah?” Are we as interested in seeing God show patience and grace to the people of the world today who would undoubtedly rival Sodom’s wickedness?

Or are we more like Jonah than Abraham? Would we be responding to God’s stated plan to destroy Sodom with our highest approval rating, rallying behind him to “see those sinners get what they deserve?” After all, mercy and grace aren’t for people like that; it’s reserved for the good folks sitting in the pews on Sunday morning, right?

Already that says quite a bit about our prayer lives, doesn’t it? When is the last time you prayed for God to show mercy to the wicked and change their hearts? When is the last time you prayed for the conversion of an unbelieving acquaintance of yours by name, especially the ones who brazenly live godless lives? When is the last time that your prayers didn’t revolve at all around you?

These questions lead us all to the same conclusion: there is room for us to grow in our prayer lives. That is probably the first step in becoming more focused in prayer – acknowledging that we often aren’t. And we ought to then go a step further and also acknowledge that God really doesn’t need to waste another second of eternity bending his ear to hear anything that we ask of him or say to him.

But God is merciful. Jesus’ perfect prayer life satisfied the Father. Our often pitiful prayer lives have been forgiven at the cross, along with our reluctance or flat-out refusal to make growing in our faith our greatest priority. God has taken the worst of us and nailed it to the cross, removing it from us and paying for it through his own Son’s sacrifice. That means there is never a bad signal between believers and God.

We have all experienced the phone conversation with a bad signal – where the person on one end or the other has a spotty signal. A few words cut out here and there. The person on one end informs the person on the other that they’re cutting out. So they attempt to get to where a better signal is. But it doesn’t get better and patience wears thin. Finally, either the call is dropped or the decision is made to hang up and try later when the signal is better.

Jesus’ work on our behalf ensures that prayer to God will never be like that. We won’t cut out or get cut off. He won’t have trouble hearing what we’re saying on his end. Not only that, but the Holy Spirit promises to clear up whatever is muddled on our end so that by the time it reaches the Father’s ears, our prayers and requests are perfectly pleasing to him (cf. Romans 8:26-27).

Do you get what that means? It means God isn’t waiting for you to step up your prayer life in order for your relationship status with him to improve; in Christ, he’s already done all that is necessary to put you on the best terms possible with him. Your status before God has been established by Jesus’ perfection, not your prayers; by his sacrifice, not your supplications.

So let our prayer lives reflect that. Let our prayers reflect a renewed focus. Let them imitate the qualities that Abraham demonstrated in his dialogue with the Lord: Persist, Repent, Ask, and Yield (PRAY).

Persist

Too often our prayer life resembles the Hail Mary. We throw up a prayer at the last minute and hope a miracle results. Hail Mary’s work… occasionally. But the more passes a quarterback throws, the more chances there are for receptions. The more persistently you ask of God, the more opportunities you give him to answer. Abraham peppered the Lord with one request after another as he adjusted his prayer. Don’t hesitate to do the same. After all, He won’t answer the prayer you haven’t asked. Think of the infinite means God has at his disposal to grant your every request. As James writes, you don’t have because you don’t ask (James 4:2). Infrequent prayers mean infrequent requests. Be boldly persistent – which also means to keep praying for the same thing until there is a result, or PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens).

Repent

Do not confuse a bold persistence with arrogance, however. Abraham remained humble. He displayed a repentant heart even as he persisted in his request of the Lord, confessing, “though I am nothing but dust and ashes” (v.27). Abraham knew full well who the Lord was – that he was able to destroy not only Sodom and Gomorrah but any unholy human in his presence! And that was what he was. His tone and attitude in the midst of his prayer reflected the self-awareness of his own unworthiness. Our prayers should reflect the same repentant spirits.

Ask

This one seems unnecessary – of course we ask! It’s a prayer, after all, right? But bear with me. Sometimes in our prayers, we end up rambling without really saying much, not even focusing on what exactly we’re asking God to do. We jump right into the prayer and haven’t given enough thought to what we’re asking of God. But it’s a no-brainer, you reason. The person is sick, so we ask God to make them well.

But is that it? Is that the only ask we’d have of God in that situation? Can you think of anything else to ask for when a person is sick? Here are a few suggestions: ask for God to be glorified through the sickness. Ask for God to provide strength and perseverance to the sick person. Ask God to stretch the faith of the sick person. Ask for God to use the sickness to impact others. Ask God to work in your own heart the willing faith to accept the outcome of the sickness. Yes, ask – but think through exactly what you’re asking the Lord to do in prayer.

Yield

Be all of these things in prayer, and then yield to however the Lord chooses to answer your prayer. That shows that you trust that his answer is the best possible one. God may not answer your prayer the way that you asked him to, because just maaaaaaybe he had a little more insider information than you did.

So did God answer Abraham’s prayer? Abraham asked God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of ten people. God agreed. But… God didn’t. Why? Because God couldn’t! He couldn’t find ten believers in the whole city! So he destroyed it. He allowed his response to make it very clear that he does not tolerate sin and that it must be punished (which is exactly what he did for us in punishing Jesus!).

But he also showed mercy and grace, rescuing Lot and his family from the destruction. So he answered Abraham’s prayer in a way that was even better than what Abraham had asked. To have relented against Sodom and Gomorrah could have given the impression that God is actually quite OK with sin, quite tolerant of it, and that it’s not really a big deal to him, as so many in the world today presume. But to destroy all of it would be to miss the opportunity to show that he is also a God of deliverance, of rescue and redemption. Even in the midst of destruction, God desires to deliver. 

It’s OK if you don’t have your Christmas list done yet. In fact, you’re better off giving more attention to your prayer life instead. It will make a much bigger difference. Focused prayer will bless others, grow you, and glorify God.

Focused Finances

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(Luke 12:13-21)

Consider the source. That phrase can mean a lot of things. We might apply it to some juicy gossip being passed along by someone with a questionable reputation. In such a case we either avoid him or at least don’t put much stock in his words. Consider the source. Another person provides guidance or direction on a matter in which they have zero expertise. We don’t weigh their advice heavily. Consider the source. A threat is made by someone with little to no ability to actually carry it out. We brush it off. Consider the source. 

This morning we hear Jesus warn us, “Watch out! Be on your guard…” (v.15). Do you consider the source? Does this warning hit you differently than the “Caution: wet floor” sign on a newly-mopped surface? It should, shouldn’t it?

After all, it is Jesus warning us, the same Jesus who just before this had warned the crowds, “Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has the power to those you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him” (12:5). Yikes! The hypocrisy of the Pharisees revealed their greater concern for how they appeared to others on the outside than how their hearts actually appeared before God – the only One with the power to condemn any soul to hell. That’s the Jesus who responded to the man in Luke 12’s request with the warning to watch out. 

Notice that Jesus didn’t chastise the man in the crowd for his request. He didn’t call it wrong for him to discuss the matter of dividing the inheritance with his brother. In such matters it was the normal practice for a rabbi to help carry out the division of property so that the older son received the double portion of the inheritance. So whether this brother was the older or younger, it didn’t matter – it wasn’t a sin for him to be concerned about his financial situation, so Jesus didn’t call it sin.  

But I wonder if it would have been easier if he had. If Jesus had clearly stated in no uncertain terms that it was sin, it was wrong to be concerned about such things, it might have been easier. If Jesus had laid it out in black and white then it would have been so easy for him – and us – to know when we’ve crossed the line between right and wrong. Laws serve that purpose. Clear rules make it known to everyone when they are being followed and when they are being broken. 

And wouldn’t the managing of God’s gifts to us be so much easier if Jesus had done that for us? He calls us to manage his blessings faithfully. How much easier that would be if only a list of “do’s” and “don’ts” accompanied the call to be faithful so we could gauge whether or not we are! He calls us to give generously. How much easier if we just had a formula where we plugged in income and expenses and it spit out our own personal number representing God’s definition of “generous” giving! He calls us to meet the needs of others. How much easier if we had a simple quote laid out for us that we had to meet each week or month!

All of that would be easier. Instead, Jesus doesn’t even call it wrong – but he did seize the opportunity to give a warning. “Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions’” (Luke 12:15). Consider the source and take very seriously Jesus’ urging to be careful. Watch out – greed is tricky, Jesus says.

He doesn’t say it’s a sin to be rich or to build wealth. He does say that greed is something to be on guard against, because it can so easily lead one to believe the lie that the best things in life are things in life. Stuff. Belongings. Clothes. Possessions. Technology. Memorabilia. Cars. Vacations. Etc. Greed wouldn’t dare go so far as calling those things sin – because they’re not; greed is content in its role of serving as the gateway drug to idolatry – to loving those things more than the gracious God who granted them to manage in the first place. 

If we are going to have a healthy relationship with God’s physical blessings, if we want to be focused financially, then we have to better understand the relationship between greed and idolatry. In fact, they are so closely related that in our Colossians, Paul equates greed with idolatry. When we define idolatry, we think as the explanation to the First Commandment has taught us to – we should fear, love, and trust in God above all things. “Well, I don’t fear, love, or trust in anything more than I do God,” we reason, “so I must not be an idolator.” Wrong. 

Think differently with me for a moment. It’s quite easy for us to claim to fear, love, and trust God above all else, but our hypocrisy is often exposed when something – or someone – in our lives is suddenly taken from us. What loss could you experience that would rattle your soul? What would leave you absolutely devastated tomorrow if no longer in your life? A family heirloom? Your pet? An empty bank or retirement account? Your child(ren)? Your spouse? 

Greed and idolatry are partners in crime, and it’s not always the love of a thing, but the loss of it, that might more effectively expose them in our lives. When we comfortably convince ourselves that loving something too much isn’t an issue for us, it might be the loss of it that reveals a sinful fixation. It might be the loss of it that reflects where our hearts truly are.

Consider how this applies to Jesus’ words elsewhere: “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20-21). Jesus said that in order to find out what it is that we treasure, we only need to look where are hearts are. But our hearts deceive us. So how does our heart often come to speak the truth? How does our heart finally fess up and reveal what it truly treasures? When what it loves most is taken away from it. 

I miss church for a Sunday or two. Oh well – my heart can manage. I go days or weeks without reading my Bible. Eh – my heart tends to hold up OK. I make no effort to engage in any Bible study. My heart learns to live with it just fine. 

But a tanking stock market and depleted retirement portfolio? The death of a family member? A word or action that disrespects me or makes me look foolish in front of others? A president or politician who tramples on my Constitution? Now the heart rate has jumped! Now the heart is engaged! Now the emotions follow and the passion is flowing! Because now… my heart has shown its true colors and revealed where its true treasure is.

And it’s not Jesus. It isn’t the God we claimed to fear, love, and trust in above all else. And for that idolatry, we deserve the very hell Jesus warned about. And we deserve to spend eternity not with the God who gave us everything we’ve ever owned or experienced, but with those empty and vain things to which our hearts attach themselves.

Dismiss greed then. Disregard Jesus’ warning. Take lightly his urging to be on guard against all kinds of greed. And you will regret it for eternity. 

Or, like the man in the parable, be sure to focus on how to hoard and protect as much as you can during this lifetime, while leaving God out of the picture – with the exception of the occasional Sunday morning appearance of course! For that is surely what he is interested in! That is surely what will tide him over! Never mind the fate of the rich man who was not rich toward God. For him it was too late. Do not let it be too late for you! Do not let your possessions possess you! Do not let the this life be a stumbling block that forfeits your eternal life. 

Instead, let this life be an opportunity for you to be rich toward God. And that doesn’t come naturally. It springs from an awareness of how rich God has been toward us. 

Do you know when we often see this most clearly, when we truly grasp how rich God has been toward us? It’s when he brings into focus for us what truly matters, and that often happens in the thick of heartache and hardship.

I had been home three full days from vacation, and in that time have had three different opportunities to be reminded of this bittersweet truth. A young couple whose only son, not even a year old, was taken home to heaven. A man unexpectedly and rather suddenly hit with a cancer diagnosis. Another cancer fighter found out it is no longer contained, but has spread to other parts of his body. 

As devastating as these things are, and as heavily as they weigh on our hearts, they have a way of clearing out the clutter in life and focusing our attention on what matters. What matters is how richly God has treated us in lavishing us with his love, even when our own love is extended so freely to the world and its trappings. Paul wrote it beautifully in his letter to the Christians in the church in Ephesus: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (1:7). God’s grace is so rich because it has no limits. It doesn’t run out. There is no end. It is an account that will never be depleted, an abundance out of which he has an endless supply of forgiveness, which he lavishes on us.

For him to treat us so richly naturally begs us to respond in kind. With all that we have. With all that he has given us. With a focus that sees every physical blessing and every gift that he has given us as a means to an end – his end and his purposes. To love him first and best is the only way to have a healthy relationship with the stuff of this world. It allows us to see the stuff of this world as resources to help focus our attention – and the attention of others – not on this world, but on the world to come, the heaven that has been won for us already. 

We want others to consider the source. We want others to know how richly God’s grace abounds and extends to everyone in the world. We want others to look beyond the gifts to the source of those gifts, the Giver himself, who has so much more to offer than the fleeting stuff of this world. Let us focus on how we manage his blessings to us in a way that shows he has freed us from being possessed by our possessions and freed us for a focused life of managing what he gives us for his kingdom purposes.

Focused Friendship

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(Ruth 1:1-19)

It’s catching up to me. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to put it off. I’m squinting more than I used to and, while I wish I could say it’s because of the bright sun, it’s not. No, it’s because things further away have somehow managed to get blurrier in recent years. So squinting is an attempt to sharpen my focus in order to see things more clearly. It’s frustrating when things are blurry. When things are blurry they’re out of focus.

When the blurred vision is gradual, it’s often so subtle that a person isn’t aware of how out of focus things have become. We get used to what is blurry. You’ve experienced this if you’ve thought your eyesight was just fine, only to try on someone else’s glasses and find they allowed you to see things much more clearly. You might remember thinking that you don’t need one of those fancy new 4K Ultra super high definition televisions you see walking into the electronics store because the picture on your current television is just fine. But if you saw the two screens right next to each other, you would realize how much you’ve gotten used to a lower-quality picture.

While we could probably get by faking it through a lot of areas in life not realizing how blurry things are, doing so spiritually could have devastating results. So we want to bring our spiritual lives into focus over the next several weeks. 

We start by looking at friendship. Much has been made of the rampant loneliness affecting people today, which is rather surprising given that social media and online activity have allowed us to connect to more people than ever before. Nevertheless, we’re isolated. We’re alone. We don’t have as many friends as we used to. 

Yet, we all value friendship. We all crave it. When we think of meaningful friendships, we do so in terms of how other people treat us. We assess our friends on the basis of how reliable they are, how quickly they respond, how interested in us they are, how much they share with us, etc.

Do you notice this? Our valuation of friendships is almost entirely based on what others do or don’t do for us (as opposed to a focus on what we do or don’t do for others). Doesn’t this betray how innately self-centered we are? It’s like we view our friendships as if we’re in the HR department and constantly either conducting interviews to hire new friends or doing performance reviews on our current friends to see if they still measure up. Our view of friendship is naturally out of focus. It’s blurry – at least when we compare our view of friendship with God’s view of it and his desire for it.

As we look at Ruth, we start to see things more clearly. We start to see what focused friendship looks like; friendship that seeks first to be friendly rather than to be friended. Why does it matter? Is our goal simply to be more like Ruth as we pursue focused friendship? No, but as we do, our own relationships will blossom and God’s kingdom will bloom. 

Stick with that picture for a moment. You don’t have to be a green thumb or a garden guy or gal to appreciate flowers. Even if you don’t fancy yourself the flower type, we can all agree that plants, trees, and flowers that are healthy and blooming with bright colors and fascinating structure and growth liven up a yard or a room in a way that neglected or dying plants cannot. Think about it – have you ever given someone flowers or a plant only to see a downcast expression on their face as a result? Never! Such things cheer and uplift! In the same way, so does focused friendship. So let us pursue focused friendship with the confidence that our own relationships will blossom and God’s kingdom will bloom.

One introductory detail serves to make Ruth’s story stand out: “In the days when the judges ruled…” (v.1). Yes, Ruth’s dedication, her focused friendship which we see in this account, is inspiring in its own right. However, what makes her story pop even more is the backdrop against which it is set.

The “days when the judges ruled” were not Israel’s finest! In fact, the main theme that runs through the time of the judges is Israel’s self-centered rebellious disregard of friendship with the Lord! They repeatedly pursued friendship with the heathen nations around them – which might have been noble on their part if the intent was to turn them to the true God – but it wasn’t! Their pursuit of friendship with the world was based on worldly, godless attraction, the very kind God demanded they avoid as he prepared them for the promised land. 

And to shine an even brighter light on Ruth, notice that she wasn’t even an Israelite; she was a Moabite! A quick little refresher on the Moabites: their beginning was “ewwww.” After fleeing from Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot allowed his daughters to get him drunk and then they each slept with him. The oldest daughter’s son was named Moab, from where the Moabites came (Genesis 19:30ff). And if you remember the account of the talking donkey and the king who tried to enlist the help of a prophet to call down curses on Israel – that King Balak was king of Moab (Numbers 22-24). So not only was Ruth not a Jew, but as a Moabite, her family history was less than favorable!

It’s hard not to see the parallels with the Gospel account of the Good Samaritan. The good samaritan was the last individual anyone listening to Jesus would have expected to be the good one! Surely the priest or the levite should have been good! But neither was. Instead it was the Samaritan, degraded inferiors as far as the Jewish people were concerned. God truly goes to great lengths to see that his lessons hit the mark! He allows those who would be considered the least to take the lead in exemplifying who and what we are to be.

Now let us look to Ruth’s example of focused friendship. It starts with Naomi. Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi, had lost her husband over a decade ago. Naomi’s two sons had married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Then Naomi’s sons both died, leaving Naomi without any male at all in her house, which at that time would have had a devastating impact on how Naomi would be able to get by. With Naomi’s blessing, Orpah left Naomi and returned to her people to make a fresh start re-establish her life. While we don’t take issue with Orpah’s decision to do so, her actions end up showcasing the selflessness of Ruth even more. 

Rather than follow suit and make a new beginning for herself as her mother-in-law encouraged her to, Ruth makes a remarkable decision. She opts to put her mother-in-law’s needs – and really her life – ahead of her own. Ruth was such a devoted daughter-in-law that she could only think of Naomi’s needs. That prompted her heart-felt commitment to Naomi: “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me” (v.16-17).    

Through Ruth, God provided for Naomi’s physical needs, but through Ruth’s greater Son, God provided for the spiritual needs of all people. Through Jesus, God provided for eternity. And no, Jesus was not merely another fine example, as Ruth and the Good Samaritan were; he was much more. His focused friendship toward fallen mankind was prompted by agape love, and unconditional love that was determined to do not what was in his own best interest, but what was absolutely necessary for the salvation of souls. His focused friendship meant a willingness to allow his Father forget and abandon him so he could forgive and absolve us. He put our needs before his own. Though again and again Satan tried to entice Jesus with some self-care, that surely just a little bit here and there he could put himself first, Jesus refused. He cared too much about us to put himself first. What focus! What devotion! What love! What friendship!

Do you have any friendships like that? Yes. You have Jesus. But do you treat your relationship with him as you do a dear friend? Do you put him first? Are you eager to spend time with him and hear from his Word what is on his heart and mind? Or… do you treat his friendship like we do so many others, giving attention to them only on the basis of “what have you done for me lately?” The answer for all of us is the same – too often, in too many ways, we don’t treat Jesus like a very good friend in our relationship with him. We don’t even deserve his friendship as a result.

Despite that though, he treats each and every one of us as if we’re his absolute best friend. And he always will. His friendship with us is grace-driven; it’s not based on how we treat him. May I ask a silly question? Do you enjoy knowing that your relationship with Jesus is grace-driven? Does that feel good?

What if someone else was able to first experience that good feeling through your friendship with them? What if you were their first experience with a grace-filled friendship – a friendship not because of what they gave you first or in return, but simply because you cared about them and chose to befriend them no matter what?

Focused friendship sees other people the way Jesus sees us. When our existing relationships are grace-driven and when we look to establish new grace-driven friendships, it’s as if we’re giving out free samples of what a grace-driven friendship with Jesus is like.

Has a free sample ever worked for you? Did you ever decide on that flavor of ice cream because you got to sample it first? Of course! Do you think others might be drawn more to Jesus if they experience more grace-driven friendship from Jesus’ followers, instead of only believing our culture’s negative narrative about Christians and Christianity? If you agree about any of this, then join me in being more focused in friendship – existing friendships and establishing new friendships, with the understanding that our grace-driven friendship with others could very likely make an eternal difference. He may very well be waiting to use your grace-driven friendship with them to ultimately bring others into an eternal grace-driven friendship with him.

Ministry

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(1 Peter 5:1-4)

What is ministry? While describing what it involves, Peter also provided a good definition with the phrase, “eager to serve” (v.2). Ministry is service. Of course, we have to be a little more specific. There are lots of ways to serve others, but we are speaking specifically of kingdom-related service. The server bringing the lunch you just ordered to your table is serving, but that’s not ministry. The man checking in the back to see if they have the shoes you’re looking at in your size is serving, but that’s not ministry. The mail carrier delivering your mail to your mailbox is serving, but that’s not ministry. 

Yet, each of those roles just mentioned could also be viewed as an individual’s personal ministry. The server, the shoe salesman, and the mail carrier could view their jobs as opportunities to serve the physical needs of others while also keeping eyes open to meet spiritual needs as the opportunity arises. Connections with real people can be made, which can lead to conversations, which can lead to Christ, either indirectly or directly. The server can offer to pray for the table that seems to be hurting. The shoe salesman can consistently serve with a smile and a joy that compels customers to ask the reason why. The mail carrier can take moments here and there to get to know the families along the route to build relationships that might lead to invitations. We could call this personal ministry. 

There is also congregational ministry. When believers join together as a congregation, it is to see that gospel ministry is carried out. Our school is reviewing its mission statement, which would probably not be a bad thing for the congregation, too. A mission statement is a reminder of the gospel ministry that we gather together to carry out.

Are you only involved in congregational ministry if you’re knocking on doors or visiting members or leading a small group? No – however each of us utilizes the gifts God has given us to care for and put to use the facilities and resources God has given us so that the gospel can continue to be preached, taught, learned, and shared, is congregational ministry. Which ones are most important? All of them. 

I could ask which link in the chains holding up the swings on a swingset is the most important. Is it the link by which the swing is attached to the swing set? Is it the link that connects to the seat of the swing? Is it a link somewhere in the middle? They all matter because they all work together to make allow the swing to swing. If any one of them broke, the swing wouldn’t function. So all of the gifts God has given you matter when used in service of the church so that the church can be the church and do what the church has been called to do: communicate Christ. We all work collectively to carry out that congregational ministry. 

God wants to make sure that personal and congregational ministry never dry up or cease, so he established the type of ministry which Peter is speaking about in these verses. We call this the public ministry or sometimes representative ministry. This is where pastors, teachers, or staff ministers have been called by groups of Christians to represent and serve them publicly. God has established this office of the public ministry, but he has not designated one specific form, which is why we see a variety of terms in the Bible that apply to this public ministry. A few examples of these ministry titles are “overseers,” “ministers,” and “elders,” as Peter calls them in our verses. While there may be slightly different titles or designations in the public ministry, God has given guidance as to the responsibilities of anyone holding the office of public ministry.

Peter compares the role and responsibility of this gospel ministry to the work of a shepherd. He writes, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care…” (v.2). The apostle Paul used the same picture when encouraging public ministers as he was saying farewell to the congregation he served in Ephesus: “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock” (Acts 20:28-29). This is no accident. Why might God use the description of a shepherd to convey what he wants public ministers to do? Because that role is to be a reflection of our Good Shepherd.

Our Good Shepherd looks after us, his sheep. He guides us and guards us. He protects us and provides for us. He corrects us and cares for us. He feeds us and leads us. Every good and beneficial thing in our lives – physically and spiritually – comes to us only because our Good Shepherd is behind it.

And one of the ways our Good Shepherd provides for us spiritually is through his undershepherds – those serving in the public ministry. Pastors are called to carry out the work of the Good Shepherd. Many of the blessings of our Good Shepherd then, he bestows on us through his pastor shepherds 

When you hear the pastor’s comforting assurance of the resurrection at the death of a fellow Christian, you are hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd. When the pastor calls on his wayward sheep, you are hearing the loving correction and discipline of your Good Shepherd. When the pastor faithfully feeds you with Word and sacrament, you are really filled with the food of the Good Shepherd’s banquet. The Good Shepherd has given the public ministry, not for the sake of establishing an entourage around popular preachers or spiritual celebrities, but for you to grow closer to your Good Shepherd, to faithfully follow him and commit all that you are and all that you have to him.

How do pastors carry out this public ministry? In positive terms, Peter writes they are to serve willingly, eagerly, and by being an example (vs. 2-3). No one is forced or coerced into ministry but pursues it willingly. No one is installed or ordained into ministry against their will. It is a vocation that is pursued and prepared for, and it is nothing short of the greatest privilege of all.

It is also an extension of what Jesus embodied on the night before he died – a life of proverbial foot-washing – eager service to others. The pastor is called to serve the sheep, not be served by them.

The pastor will also recognize that he is to be an example for the flock. A shepherd will lead not merely with words, but with actions. The shepherd should not expect to see in his sheep what his sheep fail to see in their shepherd.  

Peter also states how not to carry out this ministry. Public ministry is never paycheck-driven or geared toward making a buck. While spiritual scam artists have always existed and will always exist, there is no place for such abuse when it comes to shepherding God’s flock. The financially-focused pastor cannot give his undivided attention to caring for souls.

Neither will he abuse the authority or responsibility that has been entrusted to him in watching over the sheep. His is not a position of control, but of care; his is not the calling of tyrant but of servant. His is a high and holy calling from God, and one that is to be a rich blessing to God’s flock as he carries out the public ministry.

And if he’s carrying out his work faithfully, God’s powerful Word will see to it that he is equipping you for both your personal and congregational ministry. You can help him in that role. Just as the shepherd is to be a blessing to his sheep, so also can the sheep be a blessing to their shepherd. How do sheep help their shepherd? Let’s begin with our perception.

Do you see yourself belonging to a congregation merely to “go to church”… or to carry out the ministry the Chief Shepherd has given to you and the congregation? Now for some sheep, it would be a grand step in the right direction just to start going to church regularly. Worship is one of the primary ways the shepherd carries out his role of feeding the sheep – work that is difficult to do if sheep rarely show up to eat. 

But there are also sheep who are far too content to feed and feed and feed to the point of being too stuffed for service. They eat, but they do not view the spiritual food as fuel for ministry.

Or, it may be that they are not aware of the personal or congregational ministry opportunities. What are some? Consider a congregation with a school – do they have a school ministry, or do you as a member also have a ministry to your school? How do you view it? When we have Bible classes or services in person and online, are those just for you, or does your ministry also include thinking of and inviting others to those opportunities to be fed? Do you look around as the flock gathers and see other sheep for you to serve or other sheep to serve you? Can you serve your shepherd pastor by heeding his encouragement and applying what he says? Can you see clearly how your personal ministry connects to your congregational ministry? 

As sheep, we need to either shape up or stay in shape. The power God’s Word possesses equips us to be great sheep and be a blessing to the shepherd pastor. When that happens we can all focus on adding more sheep to the flock while the flock also cares for itself under the guidance of its shepherd and ultimately the Good Shepherd.  

Are sheep ever going to carry out that ministry perfectly? No, and how could they be expected to when there is no shepherd who is able to carry out his ministry perfectly? No sheep deserves to be a part of the flock and no shepherd is deserving of such a title and calling.

That is why the Good Shepherd is necessary. Only through the Good Shepherd – Jesus – can anyone be brought into the flock. He carried out the role of the perfect Lamb of sacrifice when he sacrificed himself on the cross for our sins. His blood alone purifies us to be his sheep.

Only the Good Shepherd qualifies sheep to be in his flock and pastors to shepherd and care for his flock. And he will continue to Shepherd both through his powerful Word – now and into eternity. “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17). 

Commitment

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(Luke 9:51-62)

Are we really that bad at commitment, or are we just over-committed? There is a difference. Being bad at commitment simply means you don’t stick with doing what you say you’re going to do. Companies and services are well aware of our lack of commitment. Cell phone providers offer great deals in exchange for a one or two-year commitment because they know that otherwise you’ll likely jump ship and go somewhere else. 

They also offer free trials. “Try this service for free for so many days and if you don’t like it, just cancel at no charge.” Now we could presume that they are so convinced you’ll be won over by that trial period that you’ll continue paying for their service or… they have studied the statistics that support the number of people who will not follow through with their commitment to cancel before being charged for a subscription. Those people then go on months or years somehow unaware of the ongoing charge. 

We could look at marriage and divorce statistics to support our lack of commitment, too. The number of billboards for divorce lawyers would imply that business is good. And of course, fewer and fewer couples are even getting married in the first place, which also reflects an unwillingness to commit. 

Or, if it isn’t that we lack commitment, it may be that we are over-committed. Do we still fool ourselves into thinking that we can say yes to an endless list of commitments without ever giving anything up? We try to squeeze one more thing into the same 24-hour day that we’ve always had, and wonder why we end up dropping the ball here and there. Commitment is more than just saying “yes” to some event or activity; it is also saying yes to the necessary responsibilities that accompany that commitment. My kid playing the sport doesn’t just mean showing up for a game once in a while; it means multiples practices each week, perhaps weekend tournaments, coordinated pickups and drop-offs, snacks, plans for where the other kids are going to be, end of the year party, coach’s gift, etc. – and that’s just one commitment! How many of those types of commitments can we successfully pull off? And more importantly, how many of those commitments end up squeezing out the other commitments that we’ve already told ourselves are the ones that matter?

If that is where we’re at culturally, struggling so much with commitment, should we really be surprised to see a struggle with commitment in the Christian church?  

As Jesus walked with his disciples, he had three separate exchanges with individuals. Each one demonstrated a deficiency when it comes to commitment. These three individuals will serve to display three prominent struggles stifling Christian commitment today. As we look at these three “commitment killers,” listen to each. Each scenario may apply to us in different seasons of life.

Yet, while we struggle at various times and in various ways with each of these “commitment killers,” there is likely one of them that stands out among the others as the most challenging for us. Identify which one it might be for you, and you’re already on your way to allowing God to help you overcome it.

The three commitment killers can be broken down into these three struggles: “Nice vs. Sacrifice,” “Divided vs. Devoted,” and “Past vs. Present.”

Nice vs. Sacrifice captures the first individual’s struggle. “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’  Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head’” (v.57-58). There was certainly an appeal to following Jesus. Miracles happened. Needs were met. Lives were changed. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of something so positive? So this individual expressed his desire to join Jesus – sounded nice!

But Jesus didn’t just respond with an “OK – fall in line and let’s get after it!” No, by his response he communicated to the individual the need to count the cost of discipleship before making such a commitment. Even though foxes and birds have a place to call home, Jesus did not (v.58). And if Jesus himself did not then his disciples needed to be ready for that same type of lifestyle – one that would involve sacrifice. 

What a commitment killer! And one that has filtered out casual Christians from committed Christians for centuries! It’s a popular idea even today. Many jump into Christianity being drawn to everything that is nice about it. Belonging to a church can be a great way to find friends. It can be a nice place to hear a generally positive message or uplifting music. It might be a good place to turn when I’m in a bind and need something. Maybe it’s good for my kids. There are lots of nice things about a church.

But often the cost is not counted. When commitment means sacrifice, it loses its appeal. When we’re so overcommitted in so many other areas, Sunday morning is relegated to just one more commitment. When it church life cuts into other commitments, we don’t see it any longer as a place to eagerly serve and make a difference, but a place that demands more of my time and responsibilities. When things get messy and I am expected to forgive and reconcile instead of just forget and leave awhile, that’s more than we signed up for. Too often we just want nice without the sacrifice.

The second commitment killer is represented by the individual Jesus calls out to next. “He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God’” (v.59-60). Divided vs. Devoted. This almost sounds downright cruel – how can Jesus say no to burying his father?!? He was illustrating the difference between being Divided and Devoted. The point Jesus was stressing was that commitment to him is not a both/and, but an only. If anything is allowed to precede one’s commitment to Christ, it’s a divided commitment. That is not the kind of dedication Jesus calls us to. 

It has been shown time and again that a significant shortcoming of multi-tasking is that it results in doing multiple things poorly. Yet, rather than focusing on doing one thing well, we still try to get away with getting multiple things done at once.

We even do this when it comes to our commitment to Jesus. We want Jesus… and the priorities that my worldly friends have. We want Jesus… and the material things I can’t live without. We want Jesus… and whatever else it might be, not realizing that Jesus and anything else means a divided heart. My heart wants what it is convinced is the best of both worlds. When we keep living that lie we don’t see that our commitment to Jesus is not devoted, but divided.

The third commitment killer, “Present vs. Past,” is illustrated by the final individual in these verses. “Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God’” (v. 61-62).

How we long for the things that were! We crave the good ‘ole days. We want things the way they were, leaving us stuck reminiscing on the past while missing out on the present and the future. That means we aren’t using the present and the future to plan, prepare, and carry out the ministry to which Jesus has called us!

How long do you think you could successfully drive your car from where you are to where you’re going with your eyes glued to the rearview mirror? I don’t encourage you to find out! Yet, we are satisfied with a commitment to Jesus that can’t get beyond the way things used to be. And then we fail to see how that stifles our present and future personal and congregational growth and ministry. 

Furthermore, if we insist on looking back into the past at the expense of the present, then let us also compare the commitment of generations past to current generations. Shall we compare the commitment to church attendance, when commitment meant attending every Sunday? Shall we compare commitment to keeping the church and school up and running by rolling up the sleeves and putting in some sweat equity rather than writing a check to pay someone else to do it? Shall we compare generations past when young people were encouraged to serve in the public ministry as pastors and teachers versus pursuing successful careers that make more money? 

These three individuals and their examples – “Nice vs. Sacrifice,” “Divided vs. Devoted,” and “Past vs. Present” – are not insignificant! They might shock us. We might be rather sympathetic toward the requests these individuals made. They were not just along the lines of, “May I return home and feed my pet?” No one would balk at Jesus refusing that less significant request.

But burying your dead or saying bye to family??? What is Jesus’ point? If these requests had been merely small things, and Jesus had permitted them, we would reason that there are some things that would understandably come before Jesus – for the right reason(s), of course! But Jesus goes big to make a big point: nothing comes before him. Commitment is a serious thing! 

Commitment has sometimes been broken down into three levels: commitment to Christ, then to his church, and finally to his cause. Where are you at on that spectrum? Wherever you may be, we’re all in the same spot: we have room to grow when it comes to our commitment to Jesus and his church. Assessing our level of commitment to Jesus can lead us to draw only one conclusion: our diluted commitment to Christ deserves condemnation from Christ. 

But instead of condemnation from Christ, do you know what we get? Complete commitment. We don’t have to question Jesus’ level of commitment to us. Jesus was perfectly committed. In fact, a word that Luke uses to introduce these verses reflects that very commitment: “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (v. 51).

“Resolutely” describes Jesus’ commitment to the destination where he would die. Jesus would not be deterred. Jesus counted the cost. His priorities were not divided. He was not longing for the good ‘ole days where suffering and death were not a part of the discussion. Jesus was fully committed… to you. He committed to being ridiculed and bullied for you. He committed to suffering excruciating punishment for you. He committed to dying for you. He committed to condemnation in hell for you. 

And his commitment is why you will never feel the lick of hell’s flames. His commitment is why you will never be abandoned by the Father. His commitment is why you can give it right back to Satan instead of giving in to him. His commitment is why your place in heaven is never in question, never in doubt. His commitment… is what makes it possible for us to deepen our commitment to him. To level up. To number our days on earth as days of committed service to Christ and his kingdom. 

Jesus’ commitment has made you fit for service in his kingdom. His Word possesses the power to take your commitment to new heights. Tap into the power of his Word daily. Choose sacrifice over nice. Choose dedicated over divided. Choose present and future over the past. What difference would it make if each one of us moved one level forward in our commitment? How healthy and vibrant would our congregations be? How impacted would our communities be? What could Jesus do with us, with a church filled with intensely committed Christians? I’d sure love to find out – wouldn’t you?

Freedom

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(Luke 8:26-39)

We have a unique relationship with freedom in our country. We certainly appreciate our freedom as a nation and the many liberties we enjoy because of it. Free speech affords us the opportunity to speak without fear of being silenced or censored. The right to bear arms means we are able to defend ourselves. But we also know the tension that exists when those freedoms are abused and taken too far. Free speech seems to have its limits if what is said qualifies as hate speech. The right to bear arms has been abused and results in calculated acts of violence and murder. So as much as we have been, and will continue to be willing to fight for such freedoms, wonderful as they are, such freedoms will always be abused by some and taken to shameful extremes. As long as that happens, tension will exist and turmoil will surround our freedoms to some extent. 

The people in the region of the Gerasenes seemed to take issue with the matter of freedom, too. They didn’t seem to think that freedom was good for the demon-possessed man in their midst. At least that would appear to be the conclusion one could draw based on their reaction after Jesus healed him. Luke described how they responded in verses 35-37: “When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear.”  

Jesus had just freed a man from the demon that had been tormenting him, and that, more than even the demon-possessed man himself – was what frightened them! What is wrong with this picture? How could a man being healed cause more consternation for a community than the same man did when he was demon-possessed? How could his freedom cause them so much fear? What was wrong with them?

Here we have another scenario in which we have issues with freedom – when we’re talking about the freedom of others. It’s one thing for us to expect and appreciate freedoms when they apply to us, but we don’t always have the same standard when freedoms are applied to others. Do we celebrate when a convicted criminal, on the basis of either good behavior or some legal loophole, is granted a reduced sentence and given freedom earlier than his original sentence? No, we typically want to see more time served, more punishment meted out, not less. “Those” kind people don’t deserve freedom! And when the co-dependent relationship falls apart because I am no longer needed, I resent that freedom or independence the other person has gained. Spiritually speaking, it takes some time for us to be OK with the “really-awful-guy-turned-committed-Christian” conversion stories, too. Freedom… for “those” kinds of people?

May God forgive us for being so selfish about the freedom he grants to others! We’re really no different from the unmerciful servant of Mt. 18 who, after having his own debt canceled, went out to wring the neck of the man who owed him a pittance by comparison! The good news of the gospel means that we have been freed from spiritual slavery! Jesus snapped the chains of our slavery by his crucifixion, but we want to play the role of arbiters determining whether or not others deserve that same freedom we enjoy.  

May we instead appreciate the freedom Jesus came to bring much as the demon-possessed man did! And, may we appreciate the power of his Word by which he grants that freedom. In this series, we are focusing on the power God’s Words possess, and here we see exactly how powerful those words are. The demon-possessed man was not the only one who witnessed the power of Jesus’ words. 

Not even Satan’s henchmen could ignore Jesus’ powerful words! They had to comply! “For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man” (v.29). Jesus’ words are never empty. They are never spoken carelessly. They are never powerless. Jesus speaks and action takes place. The one identified as “Legion” was well aware of Jesus’ power and the power of his words, not just because he put an end to the possession, but also because of what else Jesus was capable of doing. We know this from the pitiful begging that followed.

“And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss” (v.31). Hell is not a popular concept today, and fewer and fewer people continue to even believe there is a hell. Or, they joke rather lightly about it. Don’t ever buy into the garbage about people preferring heaven over hell because heaven is full of hypocrites. Don’t ever believe the lie that the company in hell is somehow better or that there are certain spaces in hell that would be preferable over places in heaven. Some sell the lie that preachers and the Christian church just use the imagery of Satan and hell to strike fear and to terrify people so they fall into line and submit to the church’s authority.

None of it’s true! But you don’t have to take my word for it; pay attention to how the demons react upon recognizing the authority of Jesus! There was nothing pleasant about hell – they begged to possess pigs, to be sent into swine, over being sent back to hell! What does that tell you about the reality of hell?!?

Let’s stay on this topic for a bit, as it isn’t one that gets perhaps as much attention as it deserves. What about demon possession today? Why is it not more prevalent in our culture? Well… who’s to say it isn’t? What if it’s every bit as prevalent, just not labeled as such? Without diminishing the very real turmoil and devastation that mental illness causes in our world today (or the great progress we’ve made in not treating it as some taboo), is it possible that some of the extremes we witness – on the streets, in school shootings, in other random violent acts that have no logical explanation other than chalking it up to the convenient “mental illness” – could be Satan’s work? Or did you suspect that demon possession would naturally involve Satan or his demons openly identifying themselves and taking credit for it? 

Let me ask you this: in a culture increasingly disinterested in religion – which is great for business as far as Satan is concerned! – what would Satan have to gain by drawing attention to religious stuff like demon possession? He’s got a good thing going – why risk ruining it? Remember, it isn’t a popularity contest with Satan. He isn’t concerned about making a name for himself. His goal is not to attract followers, but to distract followers from Jesus. He doesn’t need his TikTok to go viral – he just wants to make sure Jesus doesn’t.

So frankly, the more damage he does “under the radar,” in ways that carry no overt religious or spiritual undertones, he’s tickled pink. Meanwhile, in other countries all over the world, countries which cling heavily to a variety of religions, know this: demon possession is quite common, alive, and very well-known. Satan simply isn’t clamoring to make a name for himself in our society in which so few barely even believe he exists. He’s not looking to rock the boat in a society in which so many boats are heading exactly where he wants them to be. 

But for those who know Satan exists and the very real threats he poses, as the demon-possessed man from Luke 8 did, see what a difference that freedom made in his life! “The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with [Jesus]…” (v.38). What shockingly different reactions between the townspeople and the man! They witness Jesus disarm and dismantle evil and they begged Jesus to leave, but the man experienced freedom from evil and he wanted to stay with Jesus! The townspeople had almost gotten accustomed to living with the demon-possessed man and his eccentrics and didn’t know what to do when things were normal. But for the man, being demon-possessed had given him a personal glimpse into the very real and deadly dangerous spiritual realm, and once freed from it, he had a new lease on life and a radical shift in perspective on what really mattered: Jesus!

And what a difference that freedom makes in our lives! Do not take for granted that you don’t experience any more days in the darkness of unbelief. All you know is light. All you know is life. All you know is the very real freedom from the fear of sin condemning you, from the fear of Satan controlling you, from the fear of death consuming you. That is your reality in Jesus Christ because of the freedom he won from all three of those enemies by his death and resurrection. His death made the full payment for your sin. His death crushed Satan’s head. His resurrection undid the permanent hold death had on us. You are free! Freedom in Jesus Christ is yours. And it is yours because of the power God’s Word possesses. You have heard and believed those words. You continue to hear and believe those words, and wherever the Word is heard and believed, there alone is freedom.

And here’s more evidence of the power God’s Words possess: he doesn’t even have to be the One speaking them for them to be effective! Why else would Jesus willingly oblige and grant the request of the townspeople for him to get out of Dodge? Because he knew that even though he would be leaving, the power of his Word would not. No, he entrusted that powerful word to the newly freed man. As much as the man begged to bask in his newfound freedom at the feet of Jesus, Jesus had other plans in mind. “Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him” (v.38-39). 

How powerful do you think that word was coming from the mouth of the freedman? Evidence suggests a large number from this region came to faith, as crowds of believers from this region are mentioned later on in the Gospels following Jesus. The Word worked on the man to bring him freedom and the Word worked through the man to bring others freedom. The Word worked on you to bring you freedom and the Word will work through you to bring others freedom. 

As long as secular freedoms are abused, there will always be a certain amount of tension when it comes to freedom – at least in the temporary, worldly sense. But spiritually speaking, there is no greater gift that grace bestows than the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. This gift is so valuable that it holds up no matter our circumstances, no matter what is going on at any given time in our lives, we wake up free, we go to bed free, we live free every single day. 

Yet another benefit of that freedom? We are free to commit. Forced commitment is nothing more than slavery. We aren’t slaves. We’ve been freed and we will remain free – the power of God’s Word possesses that promise. In the next post, we’ll see how to maximize that freedom by committing to following Jesus.

Scattering & Gathering

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(Genesis 11:1-9)

Ever since man has worked the ground to grow food and live off the land, scattering and gathering have been a part of life. First, the seed for crops is sown – spread out and scattered. That scattered seed is then watered, either by means of rain from the sky or different types of irrigation that have been designed or developed over time. The crop is cared for and tended to, and finally, when the time is right, what is grown is harvested. The seed that was first scattered is then finally gathered at the harvest. 

Scattering and gathering is also a picture of what God has been doing with his people throughout history.

From the very beginning, God called his people to scatter. God’s instructions to the world’s first family was this: “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). Following the Flood, God called for his people to scatter again. “Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth’” (Genesis 9:1). We might notice also that each time God called for man to scatter over all the earth and fill it, it had the promise of his blessing attached to it. It was therefore a good thing God was calling man to do. Scattering was sanctified!  

Whereas scattering took place from the beginning, gathering will take place on the last day. In reference to his return on the Last Day, Jesus explained, “And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens” (Mark 13:27). In the very first days, God called for man to spread out and scatter, but on the last day, those who are his will be gathered together. Paul, who teaches about what that Last Day will be like in 2 Thessalonians, introduces his teaching with the words, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him,…” (2:1). At that point, there will be no more need to scatter, for after all things have been carried out as the Lord said they would be, all that will remain is for Jesus to return to gather his believers together to be with him in the new heaven and earth at his designated time. 

This morning, we see a smaller scale picture of the scattering & gathering in two major events that are sandwiched in the timeline of history. And we see it being carried out whether mankind initially desires to oblige or not. If God desires to scatter, and man rebels, God will make a way to ensure that his desire is carried out. Furthermore, where it would appear from a human perspective that there are far too many obstacles or hindrances in the way of the gathering of people of all tribes, nations, and languages all over the world, God will make a way, as he did on the Day of Pentecost. 

Some might write off the account of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11 as a man-made story to explain the origin of multiple languages. If the Bible is viewed like any other normal book, this account might conveniently suit such an interpretation. But the Bible isn’t like any other book.

However, even if it did read like any other book, then what would the context tell us? So far in Genesis, we have had only narrative accounts, including historical events with historical people and places named. From where would we suddenly be justified in writing off this event as a made-up tale to explain the origin of languages? What this account shows instead is the sad reality that even after the Flood, mankind was still naturally egotistical and rebellious against God. He continued to disregard God’s clear command to scatter, the command given both at creation and repeated again after the Flood.

But why should God be so bothered by this tower building? Why did this matter? Wouldn’t it be a good thing for people to band together? Why would God be opposed to that? Was he just salty that they disregarded his command?

The answer, in part, is found in the purpose behind the plan to build: “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves” (v.4). “So that we may make a name for ourselves.” Where were their hearts? Where was their concern? What does it mean to desire to “make a name for oneself?”

It means to make it about me. That was their concern. It has been and continues to be one of the greatest fears we face: insignificance. Irrelevance. The result is insecurity. Why else was there such a concern about making a name for themselves?

Doesn’t this reflect something rather telling about human nature? We know something is off. We’re naturally like the individual in the relationship who cannot trust, who has a paranoid fear that the other is either ready to move on or is cheating or it’s only a matter of time before they will.

That insecurity comes from the fear of insignificance, and it’s normal for us because it’s justified. We are so well aware of our offenses against a holy God that we rightly sense insignificance. We might mask it behind bravado or brash confidence, but even that is to go out of our way to make sure others don’t sense our insecurity. We posture and puff ourselves up to hide any scent of insecurity that others may pick up. We are terrified of our worst fear being realized: that we don’t matter. 

And while we are so focused on our fear of not mattering, of not being significant, our attention is not on the compassionate God who loves with an everlasting love and longs for everyone to know that love. We’re so preoccupied with worry over being insignificant that we fail to turn our attention to the God who assures us that we aren’t! So we build, we achieve, we produce, we create, we… do whatever we can to make a name for ourselves, to be significant – the whole while overlooking the God who made us significant by redeeming us in the first place!

When we are so enamored with significance, we will resort to anything for attention. Even disobedience. Children disobey, yes, because they are sinners and disobedience comes naturally. But it is often more than that. As the competition for mom or dad’s attention intensifies (due to busy schedules and attachment to screens, for example), even the negative attention due to disobedience is still attention. And attention = significance in their minds. 

By default then, it isn’t about God, which the people at Babel make abundantly clear in seeking to avoid the very thing God commanded them to do! They stated, “otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth” (v.4). There it is, plain as day – direct defiance to what God commanded them to do, and so casually, at that, as if it made perfect sense for them to want to avoid being scattered, to avoid doing the very thing God commanded them to do.

How relatable! Christian congregations have always reflected this same challenge. When a mission congregation is established, it starts with not only a genuine desire but also a need to reach out, to scatter, to carry out the mission Jesus gave his Church at Ascension. If they don’t grow, they won’t be around very long!

But, as God blesses those efforts and the mission congregation grows, its focus slowly starts to shift to internal priorities. Property is purchased. Buildings are constructed. Various ministries are established to meet the members’ needs. And the spirit of scattering to reach the lost becomes overshadowed by the preference to gather with the saints. Ministry becomes about maintaining and sustaining what has been built; scattering becomes work for others to do. 

But the scattering and gathering are an ongoing cycle that will repeat until Jesus returns. It wasn’t only at Babel that the Lord scattered; he did the same thing after he gathered his Church at Pentecost! Those believers who had gathered from “every nation under heaven” (Acts 2) would be scattered back to their respective homes. The good news – the same news that had converted 3,000 souls on Pentecost – would be scattered to the ends of the earth. 

That is the same cycle God calls us to today. Gather, as we do each week, so that the Spirit may continue in us the same work he poured out on his church on Pentecost – filling and fueling us with Word and Sacrament, to equip and stir us up to be scattered out again for his work each week.

It never stops and it will always be necessary. As long as we look to all of the wrong places for significance, it will leave a trail of sin, which calls for the ongoing pattern of confession and absolution. Again and again we turn away from God and to the world in so many little ways, looking for what only God can give. Instead of allowing us to stumble away in such selfish pursuits, he gathers us again and again to show us how much we matter to him by directing us to his cross.

And we are renewed. We are restored. We are refreshed to carry out the work of scattering once again to go gather in other souls to become saints as the Holy Spirit works the same work in their hearts. 

It isn’t just on Sundays that God comes down to his people personally in Word and Sacrament; he has come down to his people personally throughout history. He did that very thing at Babel, too: “But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building” (Gen. 11:5). The Lord came down – don’t miss this! If God doesn’t come down to intervene, our situation is hopeless! God does this repeatedly in the OT, paying visits to mankind (pre-incarnate Christ), and thank goodness he does! (Gen. 18; Ex. 3:8 burning bush).

Yet the greatest “coming down” of the Lord was at the incarnation. When God-in-the-flesh was born into this world on Christmas, he did more than simply stop in for a visit; he lived and dwelled among those he came to save! What does that say about a personal God and how much he cares about his fallen creation?

This really gets at the other reason God was concerned about the building going on at Babel. In addition to the self-centered desire for significance, God’s name was at risk of being left on the back burner. God knows what happens when people make it a goal to make a name for themselves. When concern for our own name and reputation is what fills our hearts and drives us, then there is no more space in our hearts for the LORD. And that is the greatest tragedy imaginable. 

The reason God wanted them to scatter? So that his name would reach the ends of the earth! So that no one would fail to be able to hear of the salvation promised only through him. The importance of this cannot be understated. Just recently in Bible Information Class, the question came up, as it often does: What about those in such and such places/countries who never had the chance to hear about Jesus? Well, this very lesson underscores why it was so important for God’s people to scatter and take God’s name with them. Because when that doesn’t happen, false religions and all forms of idolatry will fill the vacuum left in man’s heart. 

So, for the sake of souls, God took matters into his own hands at Babel and forced his people to spread out. On Pentecost, God again took matters into his own hands and miraculously equipped the gospel to be scattered, removing any language barrier that might have hindered it. Still today God will take matters into his own hands to see that his Word is scattered. Where believers are reluctant to do so, he is not above taking matters into his own hands to see that this important work is carried out. After all, he desires that when he returns, it will be to gather a large harvest of souls for eternity. Let us then be a part of his scattering and gathering so that he returns on the Last Day to find the large harvest of souls for which he longs.

Victorious Over Meaninglessness

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(Luke 24:44-53)

Aristotle was on to something with the phrase, “well-begun is nearly done.” He was emphasizing the importance of not only getting a project started, but starting it in a strong or favorable way. The theory is that the rest of the work comes much easier from that point on, significantly increasing the likelihood of completion. 

The expression also applied to Jesus’ words at his ascension. Well-begun is nearly done. Jesus got the mission of the church rolling, and he got it off on the right foot: he suffered, died, and he rose. That’s a great start! When on the cross Jesus cried, “It is finished,” he was speaking of your salvation. That part is done. There is no unfinished business or requirement that needs to be met in order to restore a perfect relationship with God that had previously been ripped apart by our sin. It’s all done. We’re all good with God.

But just as surely as Jesus stated, “it is finished,” from the cross on Good Friday, from the clouds at the Ascension, Jesus might as well have said, “It isn’t finished.” Because it isn’t – that is, his mission. No, Jesus’ mission – your mission, our mission, the church’s mission, is why we’re here – because that job is not yet finished. We’re here – living, breathing, alive – because that mission has not yet been completed. You’ll know when it is completed because that will be the day Jesus returns to put a permanent end to suffering and sin.

Until then, though, our mission continues. After beginning the mission and completing the backbone of it in order for us to continue carrying it out, Jesus spelled out our mission. Before returning to the right hand of the Father, he said, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (v. 46-48).

Jesus did the heavy lifting to solidify our salvation. In truth, Jesus is still every bit as much the one who does the heavy lifting today. His disciples are the ones who bring that mission to completion by witnessing to others that Jesus has already done the heavy lifting. Let’s be a little clearer: you are the ones who bring that mission to completion by witnessing to others that Jesus has already done the heavy lifting.

You get to tell others to put down their heavy burdens. You get to tell others to set down their work righteousness. You get to tell others they can let go of their guilt. You get to tell others they do not need to keep carrying their past record of wrongs. You get to tell others their sentence of an eternity of community service has been commuted. You get to tell others there is rest in Jesus, forgiveness from the Faithful One and salvation in the Savior. 

That is your mission, my mission, our mission. Is it clear? Do you need more explanation? Is something fuzzy? Good news: Jesus stands by ready to clarify, just as he did with the first disciples. “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (v.45).

Consider how the phrase “open-minded” is used today. It is not usually a compliment when someone tells you that you need to be more open-minded about something. It implies you’re stuck in your ways, that you can only see a matter one way, that you are incapable of viewing it any other way. So here, Luke uses the phrase to indicate that Jesus’ disciples had a very limited understanding of Scripture. The very purpose of opening their minds was for them to gain a better grasp of Scripture. Why did they need a better grasp of Scripture? So they could understand the mission better, not just in terms of what to do, but why to do it.

Much is made of this in the way of leadership development these days, and rightly so. If people are only given a “what” – the nuts and bolts and ABCs of carrying out some task, they lack the drive to carry it out. They need to know the “why” – “why does this matter? why is this important?” Jesus covered the “why” by reviewing his suffering, death, and resurrection, thereby setting the tone for rolling out the mission: “repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (v.47-48). 

When a believer or a group of believers has lost sight of the mission, minds need to be opened to understand the Scriptures and get back to the “why” of our mission: the good news of Jesus’ perfect life, willing suffering, innocent death, powerful resurrection, and glorious ascension. These are the bedrock of our very being. These remind us of where we stand with God and why – we are at peace with him – sins paid for in full – because Jesus did it all. That news is for us to soak up for ourselves!

That news is also for us to share with others! Nothing has changed in the 2,000 years since Jesus ascended; the mission remains the same. We soak up that message; we share that message.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located in Arlington National Cemetary in Virginia, is a monument dedicated to all of the unidentified military service members who have died fighting in our nation’s wars. It is guarded by soldiers of the United States Army, and it is considered one of the highest honors to be selected to serve as a sentinel (fewer than 20 percent of volunteers are accepted). Visitors can watch the ceremony that takes place as the guard is changed at various times. When that takes place, the guard being relieved will state to the oncoming guard, “Post and orders remain as directed.” The other then responds, “Orders acknowledged.” In other words, the mission to stand guard at the tomb is the same today as it was on the day it was first given, to stand guard at the tomb. 

We need to hear the same reminder today, “post and orders remain as directed.” The mission that Jesus gave to his church at his ascension is the same mission of his church today. Nothing has changed. “Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (v.47-48). Nothing has changed. That is our mission. 

In addition to speaking of opening the disciples’ minds, there is another term that Jesus used that includes the idea of changing one’s mind. That is essentially the meaning of the word, “repentance,” which Jesus stated was a part of our mission. As disciples today witness, the Holy Spirit changes minds through the Word. Repentance takes place as others are led to see their sin and rejoice in their Savior and his forgiveness. Minds – and eternities along with them! – are changed as the mission is carried out. Repentance changes minds about Jesus.

Do our minds “need to be changed?” Does repentance need to take place where we have lost sight of the mission? Do we need to confess that the reason we’re not carrying out the mission is that we’re not caring about the mission? Do we need to acknowledge that we’ve too readily admitted to failing at the mission but have not been very quick to make any changes and resume carrying out the mission we’ve been given? Have we too often told ourselves the “I’m too _______ to carry out the mission” – too timid, too inexperienced, too young, too old, too tired, too… etc.? 

The truth is that we’re “too” forgiven not to carry on the mission. Jesus takes the least qualified, and sends them – sends us – to carry out his mission. That was who he sent at his Ascension, and that is who he sends today. And those he sends, he equips, just as he did ten days after his Ascension through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. That was what Jesus was promising in verse 49: “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” 

To those willing to carry on the mission today, Jesus promises the same powerful Spirit. He equips us with the Word of God, he has dressed us properly in our baptism, and he feeds us regularly through the Sacrament. We lack nothing for carrying out the mission. Jesus needs only hearts stirred by the gospel and lips willing to speak. That’s really all he is looking for, and he can work with that wherever he finds it. Will he find those two things when he looks to you for them?

We live in a culture that clamors for fame. Influencers hope their social media accounts blow up and lead to fame. YouTube offers the hope of a viral video that might pave the way to fame. Sadly, the prevalence of shootings can be tied to a desire for fame – even from such tragedy. In a fame-focused culture, let’s commit to the same pursuit; let’s chase after fame.

But not for you and me. Let’s make Jesus famous. Let’s recapture for a world disenfranchised by the Christian Church what Christianity is all about: Jesus. Let’s stop praying small and start playing big. Let’s stop tearing down the world and focus more on lifting up Christ. Less of digging in our heels and more of digging into the Word. Let’s worry less about making Christianity unpopular and focus more on making Jesus famous.

After all, he got it all started – “well begun is nearly done.” Let’s faithfully finish what he started. Let’s let him bring to completion through us what he brought to completion on the cross. At his Ascension, he spelled out his mission clearly for us. Let’s recommit to carrying it out by making our lives less about us and more about Jesus as we carry out his purposes. Jesus’ resurrection – and ascension – have given your life meaning – let’s let our lives mean as much as possible in pursuit of winning as many souls as we possibly can together!