Home Away From Home

Psalm 84:3 Even the sparrow finds a home,and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah
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Matthew 10:31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
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Luke 9:58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
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My first point is that the Psalmist claims animals make their homes as an act of worship to God. He declares a blessing over those people who would live their lives and make their "homes" in the same fashion, under the authority and protection of God's "house". My second point is to point out the rather funny syllogism which Jesus offers - God values us even more than sparrows (and he does value sparrows). It is funny because it should be obvious, but it isn't. The problem of pain and evil in the world causes us to doubt God's goodness and His power to bring about justice. The world is wild. It isn't easy to find the kind of peace a sparrow seems to have at home in a nest made from twigs, leaves and feathers. Third point: God inserted himself into our displaced situation, making himself "homeless" like one of us and then going back to His Father to prepare a place for us.
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2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

The Mystery of Life

Ecclesiastes 11:5 As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb [4] of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
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I am increasingly aware, as a father of four, of the miracle of life. Cliche, sure, but true. To be aware of a miracle is to be knowledgeable about our lack of knowledge. How does the human spirit become attached to the physical body in the womb? When? That's the politically charged question, and one that is certainly mysterious (although, if I dare, still within our pay grade to discuss). It might be easier to deny the existence of the human spirit entirely, or to redefine it as the chemical byproducts of the brain, but I reject those beliefs as the antithesis to my personal experience. Human life is a mystery and a miracle, but it most certainly IS human life, which is distinct from animals and vegetables. Human life is essentially spiritual, even before it is physical. Our bodies are mere shells. They are not us. Nowhere is this more obvious than at a birth or funeral. Seeing the face of a newborn child, knowing that this person is experiencing life, just as we have, is a shock to our senses and sensibilities. Where did he/she come from exactly? Conversely, observing the dead body of a person who once walked and talked with us we become acutely aware of the absence of the spirit. Where did he/she go exactly? These are mysteries that should humble us and cause us to approach God with reverence. He is the giver of life and the author of our story, and yet we have a hand in the subplot too. What does it mean to be human? That's the question that we all pose with our daily efforts to live a meaningful autobiography.

The Miracle of Forgiveness

John 20:19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
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One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to this passage, seems to be the ability to declare the forgiveness of sins. If you recall, on multiple occasions Jesus demonstrated how this miracle, the miracle of forgiveness, was much more profound and powerful than physical healing. Physical healing, although wonderful and certainly indicative of God's goodness, is not lasting because our current bodies are mortal. Forgiveness which comes from the Holy Spirit is the ultimate act of healing, in a sense cleansing us of our permanent, spiritual leprosy. When was the last time you told someone that their sins were forgiven by God? Do you believe that God has breathed His Holy Spirit into you and that you have the authority to do what Jesus empowered the disciples to do? I believe that the miracle of forgiveness is essential to building authentic community. Jesus, as our King, has invited us into a loving Kingdom, a Kingdom community where all are forgiven and free. We are his agents of forgiveness in the world, welcoming people into that safe place.

Broken Beyond Healing

Proverbs 29:1 He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,will suddenly be broken beyond healing.
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It seems to me that we often only learn the things we are willing to learn. Obvious? Perhaps. But here is the thing which captures my attention right now: the intersention between the will and the heart, or the will and the mind. Jesus said that the greatest commandment was/is to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind and strength. Loosely (because I am not taking the time to do a word study just yet) I read this to be love which requires the mind, the emotions and the will, in unison. In other words - everything about us which is human must be turned towards God in an act of love. This is what we were created to enjoy. This is who we were created to be. It is our highest calling and greatest mode of existence - Love. One of the things which Love does in our lives is make us capable of being corrected, by God and by others. When we know we are loved, we are able to open ourselves to honest input. When we know we are safe in a loving community, we are able to be more truly ourselves. But love is also hard on us in the sense that it won't alloow us to be lazy. God's love is rigorous and inspires others to live rigorously. I am praying that my local community would be so full of love that we would be able to open up to eachother and at the same time, spur eachother on to do awesome stuff. The alternative is really not pleasant. If we neglect to live lives of love and close ourselves off to the possibility of honest community, we will eventually be broken. And yet, if you are reading this and you feel broken, I suspect that there is still healing waiting for you. I think the crux of the Proverb here is that those who refuse healing will not be healed. Sad, but true.

Perception is not Reality

John 7:1 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews [6] were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers [7] said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not [8] going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee. 10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him. 14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, [9] when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone's will is to do God's [10] will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” ... 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
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I love the fact that Jesus came from a town that no one thought was good enough. It is as though the Son of God was born in Intercourse, Pennsylvania or something and then everybody who considers themselves intellectual says, "surely not!" But God is God and he can have his son born in any place he chooses. Same thing with the Jews. Why did He pick the Jews as his chosen people rather than the Canaanites or Philistines? He can do whatever he wants! I think he could have chosen any group, birth place or design he wanted, and he went with this one for many wonderful reasons beyond my comprehension. Here Jesus underlines the point that part of his plan is to weed out those who judge only by appearance. He teaches that there is a way of knowing the truth through the will to do God's will. This is echoed in Matthew 6 when we are told that our quest for God will be answered in time. In a sense, all people will find what they are ultimately looking for.

Truth in Private

Luke 23:3 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.”
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So Pilate asks Jesus for a declaration of his identity, but as I read it, Jesus knows that Pilate has already referred to him as "the King of the Jews" behind closed doors. By showing Pilate that he knows this, he is demonstrating supernatural power and showing that his kingship is not of this world. Pilate gets it. He understands what Jesus is not. Unfortunately, understanding what Jesus is not is only part way to realizing who he is.