Answering Jesus.
Jesus asked 307 questions in his ministry, as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Asking questions was a central practice in Jesus' ministry. The Bible shows us that he asked significantly more questions than were asked of him (183, to be exact). I was challenged by a friend to identify those questions within the text, and provide my personal, heart-felt responses. This is an ongoing project in which I share some intimate emotions and fears. Feedback is encouraged and valued, and I would love for others to join me in this journey.
What did you go out into the desert to see? (Matthew 11:7)
Matthew 11: New International Version (NIV)
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
I can very clearly picture John the Baptist, sitting on a dirt floor in his prison cell, absolutely elated by the news that is reaching him from his devoted followers: Those who were blind can now see all of God’s creation. Those who were lame are now strolling through the town, carrying about their business. Those formerly deaf are hearing the Good News preached in Galilee. Those who had suffered from leprosy now have clear skin, free of the characteristic bumps that had plagued them and marked them as “unclean.” John had been unrelenting in his preaching that the Kingdom of God was at hand, and now things were beginning to come to fruition. Despite his present, dire circumstances, imprisoned by Herod Anitpas at the bequest of his latest wife, Herodias (who had previously been wed to Herod’s brother, Herod Philip I), John has lived to see his little cousin, the Messiah’s, rise. From his time in the wilderness, clothed in camel hair and subsisting on locusts and honey while preaching repentance, to his role as the baptizer of Jesus in the Jordan River, John has literally lived for Jesus. The Gospel of Mark even introduces John as a fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy, specifically, as the messenger being sent ahead of Jesus referenced in the books of Isaiah and Malachai.
A voice is calling, 'Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.’ - Isaiah 40:3
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. — Malachi 3:1
Knowing this, why on earth did John send his followers to question Jesus, as if unbelieving that Jesus was the son of God? When John reluctantly (because he felt unworthy) baptized Jesus, did the Heavens not open up? Did the spirit of God not descend as a dove? Did he not hear the voice from Heaven declare "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." (Mark 1:11)? And if we go even further back, was it not John that had recognized Jesus as the Messiah while they were both in utero? (Luke 1:41)
In one commentary I have read on Matthew 11, it is surmised that John’s question was meant more for his followers than for himself. That is, John knew that Jesus is the Messiah of whom they had been waiting, but he wanted his followers to hear it for themselves, from the horse's mouth, so to speak. (Is it heretical to use that colloquialism here? If so, my apologies). Remember, at this point in time, John was imprisoned, and while he may or may not have been aware of it, his ability to freely preach and proclaim had come to an end. Millions would go on to be influenced by John’s testimony as recorded in the gospels, but due to the negative reaction to his criticism of Herod Antipas and Herodias’ marriage, his imprisonment and eventual death by beheading meant that he was no longer free to preach the Kingdom of God and repentance in the early first century. I can totally get behind this line of thinking. John had been preparing the way for the Son of God, and now that he’s here, I can see how John would want his followers to transfer their allegiance to the one who would baptized not with water, but with the Holy Spirit! Other commentaries theorize that John was experiencing momentary doubt because of a possible misunderstanding of the work, or ministry, the Messiah was sent to do. Many believed the coming of the Christ would result in a spectacular political deliverance of Israel from Roman rule through a magnificent warrior-king. Jesus’ humble acts of service, individual healing, and private ministry was a far cry from the image of a holy warrior that many clung to during years of Roman domination. Whether posing the question for the sake of his followers or to assuage his own doubts, John provides a teachable moment. The evidence Jesus provides is clear. I am who you say I am.
7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Throughout the Bible, instances in which the Holy Spirit chooses people to receive and deliver the truth of God are recorded in detail. In the Old Testament, we recognize four major prophets, selected by God as messengers to the Israelites: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. We also recognize twelve minor prophets, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. New Testament scripture also references mostly unnamed prophets, leaders of the early church, tasked with using their gifts (The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teacher. -Ephesians 4:11) to speak for edification, exhortation, and comfort (For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God; for nobody understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, those who prophesy speak to other people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. -1 Corinthians 14:2,3) and to lay the foundation for the church (Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. -Ephesians 2:20). Prophetic ministry was not a position for which one could be ordained by the community or the early church, but only, ONLY, God. The community could recognize a prophet, but they certainly couldn’t authorize one.
In response to His question that I am “answering” today, Jesus specifically identifies John as a prophet. As D.A. Carson so simply states: “John had often borne witness to Jesus; now Jesus bears witness of John.” Jesus’ question to the crowd addresses John, the miraculous son of temple priest Zechariah, and his post-menopausal wife, Elizabeth, whose birth had been foretold by the angel Gabriel. A descendant of the first priest, Aaron, brother of Moses, on both his paternal and maternal sides, John was divinely-chosen to prepare the way for Jesus. He was not a self-righteous man, seeking power and prestige. Instead, he lived as a humble prophet, an inspired teacher and proclaimer of the will of God, with his full attention on his ministry as God’s messenger.
Based on Jesus’ own characterization of John in Matthew 11: 7-11, we see John as a person who is:
Crowds flocked to John, making personal pilgrimages to the wilderness, receiving his message of repentance, and being baptized.These days, who do we go out to the wilderness to see? Right now, thousands of millenials and Gen Zers are making their way to or making their way home from Coachella, or more specifically, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival located in the Colorado Desert in Indio, California. This two weekend music festival features live performances from popular and emerging musical artists from many genres of music, including rock, pop, indie, hip hop, and electronic dance music, as well as art installations and sculptures. I’ve read that each Coachella staged from 2013 to 2015 set new records for festival attendance and gross revenues. The 2017 festival, for example, was attended by 250,000 people and grossed $114.6 million. Off the top of my head, I can’t name a Christian conference that can boast as much.
So where should we be flocking? What is our wilderness? While the Christian church is blessed with many shepherds, pastors and writers and theologians who strive to make the abstract concrete and the ancient texts applicable to modernity, I think that my wilderness remains the Bible. It is there that I find the truth God is trying to speak into my heart. It is the Bible where I find examples of hope, faith, and trust, despite seemingly insurmountable odds. It is the Bible where I am comforted and confronted, assaulted and assuaged. Its words provide perspective and promote introspection. I am going to the wilderness to see Jesus.
-HRB 4/17/19
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
I can very clearly picture John the Baptist, sitting on a dirt floor in his prison cell, absolutely elated by the news that is reaching him from his devoted followers: Those who were blind can now see all of God’s creation. Those who were lame are now strolling through the town, carrying about their business. Those formerly deaf are hearing the Good News preached in Galilee. Those who had suffered from leprosy now have clear skin, free of the characteristic bumps that had plagued them and marked them as “unclean.” John had been unrelenting in his preaching that the Kingdom of God was at hand, and now things were beginning to come to fruition. Despite his present, dire circumstances, imprisoned by Herod Anitpas at the bequest of his latest wife, Herodias (who had previously been wed to Herod’s brother, Herod Philip I), John has lived to see his little cousin, the Messiah’s, rise. From his time in the wilderness, clothed in camel hair and subsisting on locusts and honey while preaching repentance, to his role as the baptizer of Jesus in the Jordan River, John has literally lived for Jesus. The Gospel of Mark even introduces John as a fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy, specifically, as the messenger being sent ahead of Jesus referenced in the books of Isaiah and Malachai.
A voice is calling, 'Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.’ - Isaiah 40:3
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. — Malachi 3:1
Knowing this, why on earth did John send his followers to question Jesus, as if unbelieving that Jesus was the son of God? When John reluctantly (because he felt unworthy) baptized Jesus, did the Heavens not open up? Did the spirit of God not descend as a dove? Did he not hear the voice from Heaven declare "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." (Mark 1:11)? And if we go even further back, was it not John that had recognized Jesus as the Messiah while they were both in utero? (Luke 1:41)
In one commentary I have read on Matthew 11, it is surmised that John’s question was meant more for his followers than for himself. That is, John knew that Jesus is the Messiah of whom they had been waiting, but he wanted his followers to hear it for themselves, from the horse's mouth, so to speak. (Is it heretical to use that colloquialism here? If so, my apologies). Remember, at this point in time, John was imprisoned, and while he may or may not have been aware of it, his ability to freely preach and proclaim had come to an end. Millions would go on to be influenced by John’s testimony as recorded in the gospels, but due to the negative reaction to his criticism of Herod Antipas and Herodias’ marriage, his imprisonment and eventual death by beheading meant that he was no longer free to preach the Kingdom of God and repentance in the early first century. I can totally get behind this line of thinking. John had been preparing the way for the Son of God, and now that he’s here, I can see how John would want his followers to transfer their allegiance to the one who would baptized not with water, but with the Holy Spirit! Other commentaries theorize that John was experiencing momentary doubt because of a possible misunderstanding of the work, or ministry, the Messiah was sent to do. Many believed the coming of the Christ would result in a spectacular political deliverance of Israel from Roman rule through a magnificent warrior-king. Jesus’ humble acts of service, individual healing, and private ministry was a far cry from the image of a holy warrior that many clung to during years of Roman domination. Whether posing the question for the sake of his followers or to assuage his own doubts, John provides a teachable moment. The evidence Jesus provides is clear. I am who you say I am.
7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Throughout the Bible, instances in which the Holy Spirit chooses people to receive and deliver the truth of God are recorded in detail. In the Old Testament, we recognize four major prophets, selected by God as messengers to the Israelites: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. We also recognize twelve minor prophets, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. New Testament scripture also references mostly unnamed prophets, leaders of the early church, tasked with using their gifts (The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teacher. -Ephesians 4:11) to speak for edification, exhortation, and comfort (For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God; for nobody understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, those who prophesy speak to other people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. -1 Corinthians 14:2,3) and to lay the foundation for the church (Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. -Ephesians 2:20). Prophetic ministry was not a position for which one could be ordained by the community or the early church, but only, ONLY, God. The community could recognize a prophet, but they certainly couldn’t authorize one.
In response to His question that I am “answering” today, Jesus specifically identifies John as a prophet. As D.A. Carson so simply states: “John had often borne witness to Jesus; now Jesus bears witness of John.” Jesus’ question to the crowd addresses John, the miraculous son of temple priest Zechariah, and his post-menopausal wife, Elizabeth, whose birth had been foretold by the angel Gabriel. A descendant of the first priest, Aaron, brother of Moses, on both his paternal and maternal sides, John was divinely-chosen to prepare the way for Jesus. He was not a self-righteous man, seeking power and prestige. Instead, he lived as a humble prophet, an inspired teacher and proclaimer of the will of God, with his full attention on his ministry as God’s messenger.
Based on Jesus’ own characterization of John in Matthew 11: 7-11, we see John as a person who is:
- steady, not shaken easily like a reed.
- sober, in that he lived a disciplined life, not in love with the luxuries and comforts of this world.
- a servant, a prophet of God.
- sent, as the special messenger of the Lord.
- special, in that he could be considered the greatest under the Old Covenant.
- second to even the least in the kingdom under the New Covenant.
Crowds flocked to John, making personal pilgrimages to the wilderness, receiving his message of repentance, and being baptized.These days, who do we go out to the wilderness to see? Right now, thousands of millenials and Gen Zers are making their way to or making their way home from Coachella, or more specifically, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival located in the Colorado Desert in Indio, California. This two weekend music festival features live performances from popular and emerging musical artists from many genres of music, including rock, pop, indie, hip hop, and electronic dance music, as well as art installations and sculptures. I’ve read that each Coachella staged from 2013 to 2015 set new records for festival attendance and gross revenues. The 2017 festival, for example, was attended by 250,000 people and grossed $114.6 million. Off the top of my head, I can’t name a Christian conference that can boast as much.
So where should we be flocking? What is our wilderness? While the Christian church is blessed with many shepherds, pastors and writers and theologians who strive to make the abstract concrete and the ancient texts applicable to modernity, I think that my wilderness remains the Bible. It is there that I find the truth God is trying to speak into my heart. It is the Bible where I find examples of hope, faith, and trust, despite seemingly insurmountable odds. It is the Bible where I am comforted and confronted, assaulted and assuaged. Its words provide perspective and promote introspection. I am going to the wilderness to see Jesus.
-HRB 4/17/19
Do you believe that I am able to do this? (Matthew 9:28)
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.
Miracle stories are an integral part of the narrative of Jesus’ ministry in the gospels, asserting Jesus as the son of God and the Messiah. Through miracles, Jesus demonstrated that the Kingdom of God was at hand, that the reign of terror Satan had ushered in with the arrival of sin and death in Genesis was over, that humanity was to be liberated and evil defeated. Jesus has, by now, undoubtedly demonstrated his power and authority over nature and man. His divine intervention has been used to physically cleanse, or heal, as well as to spiritually cleanse, in the forgiveness of sins and the casting out of demons. Matthew 9 & 9 overwhelm us with stories of Jesus’ healing power, or miracles. Jesus cleanses a man of leprosy 8: 1-4), heals a centurion’s servant (8:5-13), heals Peter’s mother-in-law and unnamed others (8:14-17), casts out demons from people (8:28-9:1), heals a paralyzed man (9:2-8) , heals a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years (9:20-22) and restores life to a young girl, the daughter of a synagogue leader named Jairus (9:18-25). These acts of power also demonstrate significant love, mercy, and compassion for God’s people and the suffering they had endured.
This story is not just a story about healing. Equally important, here, is the faith displayed by the blind men pursuing Jesus in full belief that he has the power to remove their infirmity. They address Jesus as “Son of David,” identifying him as the Messiah. This same term is used later by the woman of Canaan (Matthew 15:22), and again by the blind at Jericho (Matthew 20:30-31; Mark 10:47; Luke 18:38-39). These men, due to their blindness, could not have physically seen Jesus’ miracles for themselves, and instead were fully trusting the testimony of those around them who had witnessed Jesus’ actions, coupled with the promise in Isaiah 35:5 that the Messiah would open the eyes of the blind.
When reading the gospels, I am reminded of Jesus’ power and promise. But do I always lean into that promise? I would like to say yes, but the truth, when really, truly examined, more accurately lies in shades of gray. Our senior pastor frequently challenges us with these questions: do we believe Jesus is who he says he is and do we believe that he can do what he says he will do? Yes, I believe with all of my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that he is the Messiah, sent to earth to teach, preach, and to take on the sins of the world so that those who believe in him will be granted salvation and the ability rest in eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven. I have and will share this belief publicly. (Technically, I’m doing so write now!-- pun definitely intended) There is, in my heart, no question, no suspicion, no reasonable doubt. You can mark the checkbox on that one without a second thought.
Do I believe that he can and will do what he says he will do? In this moment, as I am sitting in my safe and comfortable home, in a country where I am free to say and think and do (for the most part) as I please, with a full belly and a stocked medicine cabinet, with my children safe and educated and with great opportunity in front of them, my answer is resoundingly yes. But in those moments when something in my safe, comfortable life is shattered, when I feel vulnerable and scared and alone, things get a little less clear. Don’t get me wrong- my belief in Jesus never waivers, and I know in my heart of hearts he will prevail and overcome, but a case of the “why me’s” can creep up so suddenly you don’t even realize what has happened. You know what I’m talking about-- I’m sure many a Christian has been there. As in, “I know you have plans for me Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm, but why does this have to happen to me right now?” Or “I know you’ve got me, God, but, oh my goodness, I do now want to carry this burden! Why do I/ we have to do this?” The faith is there, but selfishness starts to creep in.
This is one of the many, many things I absolutely love about God- HE CAN TAKE IT! He can take our questioning, our floundering, our selfishness. It’s not like we could try to hide it from someone who is omnipotent, anyway. When we are challenged, when we feel defeated, we remember that we serve a God who will listen and will continue to love us, even when we believe with the “why me” asterisk. To believe in God is to believe that He is, and that His word is true. The blind men who actively sought out Jesus for healing believed Jesus was the Son of God, and believed that, as the Messiah, Jesus would demonstrate the healing ability that Isaiah had prophesied. I remember the blind men of Matthew 9:28 when, in Hebrews 11:6, Paul writes the following: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Jesus rewarded the blind men, and others, such as the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, for their faith- believing and seeking him as the Christ.
So- here is an action step I am assigning myself. When in the midst of chaos, anxiety, a personal tragedy or setback, change the “why me” to the “how can you use me,” as in, “Lord, how can you use me in this situation?” Because, deep down, when I sort through the panic and the fear and the confusion, I know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) May I have faith like a mustard seed.
-HRB 3/21/19
Miracle stories are an integral part of the narrative of Jesus’ ministry in the gospels, asserting Jesus as the son of God and the Messiah. Through miracles, Jesus demonstrated that the Kingdom of God was at hand, that the reign of terror Satan had ushered in with the arrival of sin and death in Genesis was over, that humanity was to be liberated and evil defeated. Jesus has, by now, undoubtedly demonstrated his power and authority over nature and man. His divine intervention has been used to physically cleanse, or heal, as well as to spiritually cleanse, in the forgiveness of sins and the casting out of demons. Matthew 9 & 9 overwhelm us with stories of Jesus’ healing power, or miracles. Jesus cleanses a man of leprosy 8: 1-4), heals a centurion’s servant (8:5-13), heals Peter’s mother-in-law and unnamed others (8:14-17), casts out demons from people (8:28-9:1), heals a paralyzed man (9:2-8) , heals a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years (9:20-22) and restores life to a young girl, the daughter of a synagogue leader named Jairus (9:18-25). These acts of power also demonstrate significant love, mercy, and compassion for God’s people and the suffering they had endured.
This story is not just a story about healing. Equally important, here, is the faith displayed by the blind men pursuing Jesus in full belief that he has the power to remove their infirmity. They address Jesus as “Son of David,” identifying him as the Messiah. This same term is used later by the woman of Canaan (Matthew 15:22), and again by the blind at Jericho (Matthew 20:30-31; Mark 10:47; Luke 18:38-39). These men, due to their blindness, could not have physically seen Jesus’ miracles for themselves, and instead were fully trusting the testimony of those around them who had witnessed Jesus’ actions, coupled with the promise in Isaiah 35:5 that the Messiah would open the eyes of the blind.
When reading the gospels, I am reminded of Jesus’ power and promise. But do I always lean into that promise? I would like to say yes, but the truth, when really, truly examined, more accurately lies in shades of gray. Our senior pastor frequently challenges us with these questions: do we believe Jesus is who he says he is and do we believe that he can do what he says he will do? Yes, I believe with all of my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that he is the Messiah, sent to earth to teach, preach, and to take on the sins of the world so that those who believe in him will be granted salvation and the ability rest in eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven. I have and will share this belief publicly. (Technically, I’m doing so write now!-- pun definitely intended) There is, in my heart, no question, no suspicion, no reasonable doubt. You can mark the checkbox on that one without a second thought.
Do I believe that he can and will do what he says he will do? In this moment, as I am sitting in my safe and comfortable home, in a country where I am free to say and think and do (for the most part) as I please, with a full belly and a stocked medicine cabinet, with my children safe and educated and with great opportunity in front of them, my answer is resoundingly yes. But in those moments when something in my safe, comfortable life is shattered, when I feel vulnerable and scared and alone, things get a little less clear. Don’t get me wrong- my belief in Jesus never waivers, and I know in my heart of hearts he will prevail and overcome, but a case of the “why me’s” can creep up so suddenly you don’t even realize what has happened. You know what I’m talking about-- I’m sure many a Christian has been there. As in, “I know you have plans for me Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm, but why does this have to happen to me right now?” Or “I know you’ve got me, God, but, oh my goodness, I do now want to carry this burden! Why do I/ we have to do this?” The faith is there, but selfishness starts to creep in.
This is one of the many, many things I absolutely love about God- HE CAN TAKE IT! He can take our questioning, our floundering, our selfishness. It’s not like we could try to hide it from someone who is omnipotent, anyway. When we are challenged, when we feel defeated, we remember that we serve a God who will listen and will continue to love us, even when we believe with the “why me” asterisk. To believe in God is to believe that He is, and that His word is true. The blind men who actively sought out Jesus for healing believed Jesus was the Son of God, and believed that, as the Messiah, Jesus would demonstrate the healing ability that Isaiah had prophesied. I remember the blind men of Matthew 9:28 when, in Hebrews 11:6, Paul writes the following: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Jesus rewarded the blind men, and others, such as the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, for their faith- believing and seeking him as the Christ.
So- here is an action step I am assigning myself. When in the midst of chaos, anxiety, a personal tragedy or setback, change the “why me” to the “how can you use me,” as in, “Lord, how can you use me in this situation?” Because, deep down, when I sort through the panic and the fear and the confusion, I know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) May I have faith like a mustard seed.
-HRB 3/21/19
How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? (Matthew 9:15)
I cannot even begin to tackle this rhetorical question without some background and review of NT commentary. I tried to just play around with this idea, no context, with our church’s Next GEN Pastor on Sunday and realized that I was WAY OFF, sooooooo…. Full disclosure: leaning into John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible on this one…
First, on the marriage metaphor: In John 3:29, the gospelist himself, brother of James and son of Zebedee, makes the first recorded New Testament reference to Jesus as the bridegroom: “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.”
Paul borrows this metaphor in Ephesians, 2 Corinthians and Romans, and it is reanimated again by John repeatedly in the book of Revelation. There is actually a name for this New Testament concept of communion with Jesus as marriage: “bridal theology.” Pretty cool, huh?
Prior to Jesus’ questioning retort, he had been asked about the fact that his disciples do not fast, while those of John and the Pharisees do engage in the practice of fasting. This question is being directed to the disciples of John and, indirectly, to the ever-present, ever-judging Pharisees. Jesus is the bridegroom, the church (His followers) is his bride.
At the time this discussion is taking place, John has been imprisoned but has not yet been beheaded. John wanted his disciples to become followers of Jesus, but not all have done so. Passover 31 CE is approaching, and some of John’s disciples have noticed that Jesus’ disciples are not fasting, a religious ritual and/or cultural custom for the Pharisees and disciples of John alike, and perhaps, for the disciples of John, even an act of mourning or expression of grief for his current imprisonment.
Jesus thus poses the question, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?”
Essentially--- why would my disciples fast while I’m here? There are ZERO (that I could find) recorded incidents of Jesus and his disciples fasting together in the gospels.
The origins of fasting as a religious ritual can be traced back to the Old Testament. Fasting was specifically commanded by God on the Day of Atonement, a day of holy assembly on which God required the Israelites to fast before him in atonement for their sin. We see OT fasting taking place during intensely- specific prayer (in times of war, when loved ones were sick, when seeking God’s forgiveness or God’s will), in times of grief, or as an element to demonstrate repentance. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4: 1-9). He taught about fasting in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6: 16-18). Jesus was not anti-fasting, but was trying to make a different point.
Jesus’ disciples break ritual and custom in NOT fasting. Ritual fasting was an important element of worship in the old Judaic tradition, but Jesus was here to REMOVE the rituals, sacrifices, and other barriers that were required of God’s people to have a relationship with Him. Jesus replaced sacrifices with salvation. Through his death and resurrection, we are fully forgiven and fully accepted. Jesus was not saying that the disciples would never fast, but that fasting as a ceremonial rite was not required.
The practice of fasting was not completely discarded after Jesus’ death, nor did it have to be. Many scriptures throughout the New Testament indicate that the early Church actively fasted after Christ was “taken away from them,” just as He said they would be (Acts 10:30, Acts 13:2-3, Acts 14:23, 2 Corinthians 11:27). Different denominations, associations, churches, and even individuals often engage in religious practices from the OT or the New that are intended to assist the believer in strengthening their relationship with the Lord. The point to be made here, friends, is that you can CHOOSE whether or not to engage in those practices. If you find them helpful in focusing your mind and heart on your relationship with Jesus, then by all means, move forward! But, one of the amazing things about Jesus as our savior is that his death made it possible for us to have a personal, direct relationship with the Lord through him and through the Holy Spirit, no rituals required! When Christ died for our sins, he put to death the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. Much of Leviticus and Numbers went out the window! Hundreds of thousands of commandments about ritual sacrifice and practice GONE, “fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17) by Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. Whereas God’s OT people had belonged to the law, his NT people, the followers of Jesus, belong to Jesus.
I have fasted in prayer and plan to continue the practice when the Spirit moves within me and deems it appropriate. Fasting was not the problem. Fasting just for the sake of ritual was. Relationship over Ritual. Thanks, Jesus!
-HRB 3/19/19
First, on the marriage metaphor: In John 3:29, the gospelist himself, brother of James and son of Zebedee, makes the first recorded New Testament reference to Jesus as the bridegroom: “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.”
Paul borrows this metaphor in Ephesians, 2 Corinthians and Romans, and it is reanimated again by John repeatedly in the book of Revelation. There is actually a name for this New Testament concept of communion with Jesus as marriage: “bridal theology.” Pretty cool, huh?
Prior to Jesus’ questioning retort, he had been asked about the fact that his disciples do not fast, while those of John and the Pharisees do engage in the practice of fasting. This question is being directed to the disciples of John and, indirectly, to the ever-present, ever-judging Pharisees. Jesus is the bridegroom, the church (His followers) is his bride.
At the time this discussion is taking place, John has been imprisoned but has not yet been beheaded. John wanted his disciples to become followers of Jesus, but not all have done so. Passover 31 CE is approaching, and some of John’s disciples have noticed that Jesus’ disciples are not fasting, a religious ritual and/or cultural custom for the Pharisees and disciples of John alike, and perhaps, for the disciples of John, even an act of mourning or expression of grief for his current imprisonment.
Jesus thus poses the question, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?”
Essentially--- why would my disciples fast while I’m here? There are ZERO (that I could find) recorded incidents of Jesus and his disciples fasting together in the gospels.
The origins of fasting as a religious ritual can be traced back to the Old Testament. Fasting was specifically commanded by God on the Day of Atonement, a day of holy assembly on which God required the Israelites to fast before him in atonement for their sin. We see OT fasting taking place during intensely- specific prayer (in times of war, when loved ones were sick, when seeking God’s forgiveness or God’s will), in times of grief, or as an element to demonstrate repentance. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4: 1-9). He taught about fasting in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6: 16-18). Jesus was not anti-fasting, but was trying to make a different point.
Jesus’ disciples break ritual and custom in NOT fasting. Ritual fasting was an important element of worship in the old Judaic tradition, but Jesus was here to REMOVE the rituals, sacrifices, and other barriers that were required of God’s people to have a relationship with Him. Jesus replaced sacrifices with salvation. Through his death and resurrection, we are fully forgiven and fully accepted. Jesus was not saying that the disciples would never fast, but that fasting as a ceremonial rite was not required.
The practice of fasting was not completely discarded after Jesus’ death, nor did it have to be. Many scriptures throughout the New Testament indicate that the early Church actively fasted after Christ was “taken away from them,” just as He said they would be (Acts 10:30, Acts 13:2-3, Acts 14:23, 2 Corinthians 11:27). Different denominations, associations, churches, and even individuals often engage in religious practices from the OT or the New that are intended to assist the believer in strengthening their relationship with the Lord. The point to be made here, friends, is that you can CHOOSE whether or not to engage in those practices. If you find them helpful in focusing your mind and heart on your relationship with Jesus, then by all means, move forward! But, one of the amazing things about Jesus as our savior is that his death made it possible for us to have a personal, direct relationship with the Lord through him and through the Holy Spirit, no rituals required! When Christ died for our sins, he put to death the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. Much of Leviticus and Numbers went out the window! Hundreds of thousands of commandments about ritual sacrifice and practice GONE, “fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17) by Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. Whereas God’s OT people had belonged to the law, his NT people, the followers of Jesus, belong to Jesus.
I have fasted in prayer and plan to continue the practice when the Spirit moves within me and deems it appropriate. Fasting was not the problem. Fasting just for the sake of ritual was. Relationship over Ritual. Thanks, Jesus!
-HRB 3/19/19
Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? (Matthew 9:5)
Blasphemy is a pretty serious accusation, and it is absolutely INSANE (in hindsight, of course) to be throwing up against Jesus. I am guessing those Pharisees engaged in some SERIOUS self-reflection as a result of this question (among others) after the resurrection. I mean, really.
When Jesus confronted the religious leaders with this question, His ability as a healer had already been on display over and over again. And then some. He had healed the sick, the demon-possessed (Matthew 8:16-17), a man with leprosy (Matthew 8:1-4), the centurion’s paralyzed servant (Matthew 8:5-13), and now, another man who is paralyzed. And these are just the healings that are documented in the first eight chapters of Matthew! Obviously, Jesus had the authority of God for healing. That is not even a question, even from the Pharisees. They had, by now, heard testimony and had even seen firsthand Jesus heal his people. So if Jesus had the authority to heal the physically sick, why wouldn’t he be able to do the same with the spiritually sick?
Me? I do not have the power to either- forgive sins or initiate any sort of healing whatsoever. But God? He can do both. So, as the Son of God, insofacto, Jesus could also do both. If Jesus had the God-given power to heal a plethora of diseases, as He had undoubtedly proven at this point in the ninth chapter of the first Gospel, why would one assume He would be unable to forgive sin? The problem here is that the Pharisees had not recognized Jesus as the Son of God. Thus, they had not recognized the divine power and authority that had been bestowed upon Jesus for the healing of both physical and spiritual maladies.
In this instance, Jesus has healed both the physical (body) and the spiritual (soul) in telling the paralyzed man “your sins are forgiven” and to “get up, take your mat, and go home.” When the Pharisees objected to Jesus’ assertion that the man’s sin’s had been forgiven, they insisted that “only God can forgive sins.” YES YES YES!! If only God can forgive sins, and Jesus is standing right here in front of you forgiving this man’s sin, then……. JESUS IS GOD! GOD IS JESUS! (I’m having an Ace Ventura-type “Finkle is Einhorn” revelation here).
The Pharisees missed that. There are so many others who didn’t. In my personal bible study, I am currently reading the opening chapters of the Gospel of Luke, which has reminded me of all of the believers who had recognized Jesus as the Messiah while yet unborn, while in his infancy, and during his early childhood. Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, identified Jesus as “my Lord” when her unborn son, who would later be known as John the Baptist, physically moved within her womb in excited reaction to Elizabeth’s proximity to the newly-pregnant Mary. Shepherds, upon their arrival at a lowly stable in Bethlehem, bowed in worship to the newborn King. Simeon, a “just and devote” believer a the temple where Jesus was presented by his parents, praised God for having seen “your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:30-32). The prophetess Anna, also at the temple for Jesus’ presentation, upon seeing the child began to “praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
There were plenty that already knew of Jesus as the Christ, the son of God, the Messiah. Yet these Pharisees turned their head from the obvious conclusion and from the divinity present in the miracles they were bearing witness to. Before I judge them too harshly, let’s take a look at these Pharisees. What do we know about them? Well, we know they were depicted in the gospels as rule followers. I am certainly guilty there. At times, I would characterize their depiction as self-righteous, another description for which I could raise my hand. Guilty. When I read this passage, I see competition and conflict. Can I defend myself from similar accusations? Guilty again.
What I learn from this passage, and this question of Jesus, is that our devotion to our religion, to our conviction from the hours and hours spent learning about God’s word and God’s covenants, should never supercede the moving of the Spirit when faced with holy moments. Jesus, the man the Israelites had been waiting for for thousands of years, was HERE, IN THE FLESH, and the Pharisees were too hung up on their learning and knowledge to recognize that they were sharing the same plot of earth with their Savior. Instead, they trying to put him on the defensive, having to defend himself against charges of blasphemy. Sometimes, the rules need to be thrown out the window. Sometimes, we, as modern Christians, need to listen to the movement of the Spirit within our hearts to love as Jesus loved, despite the discomfort or, dare I say, “rule-breaking” it may require. Jesus has the power and the authority of God to heal physically, spiritually, emotionally, and I hope to stand in awe if I ever have the opportunity to stand on holy ground with Him to bear witness.
-HRB 3/17/19
Blasphemy is a pretty serious accusation, and it is absolutely INSANE (in hindsight, of course) to be throwing up against Jesus. I am guessing those Pharisees engaged in some SERIOUS self-reflection as a result of this question (among others) after the resurrection. I mean, really.
When Jesus confronted the religious leaders with this question, His ability as a healer had already been on display over and over again. And then some. He had healed the sick, the demon-possessed (Matthew 8:16-17), a man with leprosy (Matthew 8:1-4), the centurion’s paralyzed servant (Matthew 8:5-13), and now, another man who is paralyzed. And these are just the healings that are documented in the first eight chapters of Matthew! Obviously, Jesus had the authority of God for healing. That is not even a question, even from the Pharisees. They had, by now, heard testimony and had even seen firsthand Jesus heal his people. So if Jesus had the authority to heal the physically sick, why wouldn’t he be able to do the same with the spiritually sick?
Me? I do not have the power to either- forgive sins or initiate any sort of healing whatsoever. But God? He can do both. So, as the Son of God, insofacto, Jesus could also do both. If Jesus had the God-given power to heal a plethora of diseases, as He had undoubtedly proven at this point in the ninth chapter of the first Gospel, why would one assume He would be unable to forgive sin? The problem here is that the Pharisees had not recognized Jesus as the Son of God. Thus, they had not recognized the divine power and authority that had been bestowed upon Jesus for the healing of both physical and spiritual maladies.
In this instance, Jesus has healed both the physical (body) and the spiritual (soul) in telling the paralyzed man “your sins are forgiven” and to “get up, take your mat, and go home.” When the Pharisees objected to Jesus’ assertion that the man’s sin’s had been forgiven, they insisted that “only God can forgive sins.” YES YES YES!! If only God can forgive sins, and Jesus is standing right here in front of you forgiving this man’s sin, then……. JESUS IS GOD! GOD IS JESUS! (I’m having an Ace Ventura-type “Finkle is Einhorn” revelation here).
The Pharisees missed that. There are so many others who didn’t. In my personal bible study, I am currently reading the opening chapters of the Gospel of Luke, which has reminded me of all of the believers who had recognized Jesus as the Messiah while yet unborn, while in his infancy, and during his early childhood. Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, identified Jesus as “my Lord” when her unborn son, who would later be known as John the Baptist, physically moved within her womb in excited reaction to Elizabeth’s proximity to the newly-pregnant Mary. Shepherds, upon their arrival at a lowly stable in Bethlehem, bowed in worship to the newborn King. Simeon, a “just and devote” believer a the temple where Jesus was presented by his parents, praised God for having seen “your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:30-32). The prophetess Anna, also at the temple for Jesus’ presentation, upon seeing the child began to “praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
There were plenty that already knew of Jesus as the Christ, the son of God, the Messiah. Yet these Pharisees turned their head from the obvious conclusion and from the divinity present in the miracles they were bearing witness to. Before I judge them too harshly, let’s take a look at these Pharisees. What do we know about them? Well, we know they were depicted in the gospels as rule followers. I am certainly guilty there. At times, I would characterize their depiction as self-righteous, another description for which I could raise my hand. Guilty. When I read this passage, I see competition and conflict. Can I defend myself from similar accusations? Guilty again.
What I learn from this passage, and this question of Jesus, is that our devotion to our religion, to our conviction from the hours and hours spent learning about God’s word and God’s covenants, should never supercede the moving of the Spirit when faced with holy moments. Jesus, the man the Israelites had been waiting for for thousands of years, was HERE, IN THE FLESH, and the Pharisees were too hung up on their learning and knowledge to recognize that they were sharing the same plot of earth with their Savior. Instead, they trying to put him on the defensive, having to defend himself against charges of blasphemy. Sometimes, the rules need to be thrown out the window. Sometimes, we, as modern Christians, need to listen to the movement of the Spirit within our hearts to love as Jesus loved, despite the discomfort or, dare I say, “rule-breaking” it may require. Jesus has the power and the authority of God to heal physically, spiritually, emotionally, and I hope to stand in awe if I ever have the opportunity to stand on holy ground with Him to bear witness.
-HRB 3/17/19
Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? (Matthew 9:4)
I know, right, Jesus? Why do I do this? It is incredibly frustrating, humiliating, disheartening... all of the negative -ings. I pray, I read the scriptures, I ask the Lord to continue to develop the fruits of the Spirit in me, I try really, really hard to watch my words and actions so that I am reflecting the love of Jesus to the world… And yet-- I still catch myself thinking mean thoughts and, occasionally, spreading those mean thoughts into the world.
(face palm)
I want to have a heart like Jesus’. I want to do what Jesus would do. I really, truly do. I feel like, with Jesus’ help and surrounded by models of loving and accepting friends and family, I have come a L.O.N.G. way from that superficial, conceited, judgmental preteen and teenager that I used to be. (I was a MEAN GIRL at times, without the cool hair or wearing pink on Wednesdays).
I am proud of how far Jesus and I have come together. That I now look for the silver lining in people and in situations FIRST rather than last. That I catch my mean girl thoughts before they exit my mouth and defile the world around me more often than I release them. That the Spirit leads me to recognize the ignorance or error in those thoughts, and to reframe them into thoughts that include grace, empathy, or compassion.
But I still slip. We all do. Jesus recognizes that. Later on, in Matthew 15:19, he says: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”
True that.
God’s word has a LOT to say about evil thoughts. Proverbs chapters 1-10 alone pretty much cover the topic, but then, just to make sure we get the picture, the writers of the Gospels and Paul team up to throw some pretty poignant reminders all up in the New Testament.
3 John 1:11: Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.
Romans 12:21: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Yes, sin in there, and it can creep into our thoughts. But you know what the awesome thing is? We can recognize those thoughts and identify them as sinful, and then refocus our thoughts elsewhere!
Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
I can count my blessings. I can identify beautiful aspects of creation. I can think of my family and friends. I can change my thoughts.
Thank you, God. 3/11/19
(face palm)
I want to have a heart like Jesus’. I want to do what Jesus would do. I really, truly do. I feel like, with Jesus’ help and surrounded by models of loving and accepting friends and family, I have come a L.O.N.G. way from that superficial, conceited, judgmental preteen and teenager that I used to be. (I was a MEAN GIRL at times, without the cool hair or wearing pink on Wednesdays).
I am proud of how far Jesus and I have come together. That I now look for the silver lining in people and in situations FIRST rather than last. That I catch my mean girl thoughts before they exit my mouth and defile the world around me more often than I release them. That the Spirit leads me to recognize the ignorance or error in those thoughts, and to reframe them into thoughts that include grace, empathy, or compassion.
But I still slip. We all do. Jesus recognizes that. Later on, in Matthew 15:19, he says: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”
True that.
God’s word has a LOT to say about evil thoughts. Proverbs chapters 1-10 alone pretty much cover the topic, but then, just to make sure we get the picture, the writers of the Gospels and Paul team up to throw some pretty poignant reminders all up in the New Testament.
3 John 1:11: Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.
Romans 12:21: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Yes, sin in there, and it can creep into our thoughts. But you know what the awesome thing is? We can recognize those thoughts and identify them as sinful, and then refocus our thoughts elsewhere!
Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
I can count my blessings. I can identify beautiful aspects of creation. I can think of my family and friends. I can change my thoughts.
Thank you, God. 3/11/19
Why are you so afraid? (Matthew 8:26)
This is another one where I feel like the Lord is speaking specifically to me. Why are you so afraid, HILLARY?????
In Joshua 1:9, the Lord says: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
David calls us out on this one, too: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:5).
I’ve held onto Joshua 1:9 like a banner through most of my adulthood. Sept. 11? Be strong and courageous. First job as a special educator? Be strong and courageous. Becoming first time parents? Be strong and courageous. Medical diagnosis for child #2? Be strong and courageous. These words became a mantra. I prayed them, I chanted them, I sang them, I wrote them on post-its and posted them in my home and office. But, in all honesty, strong and courageous? How about timid and fearful? Sure, there are times I feel ready to take on the world’s atrocities, but there are also times where I feel like I’d love to just hide under the covers when the morning’s alarm goes off.
What do I have to be afraid of? This world is SCARY.
Cancer. School shootings. Mental illness. Terrorists. Copperheads. Gun violence. Car accidents. Illness. Injury. Death. Kim Jong Un. Intruders. Aspartame. Suicide. Crystal Meth. Job security. Sexual predators. Germs. Tornadoes. Heroin. Gang activity. Government shutdowns. Identity theft. Hypertension. Genetic diseases. Seizures. Child trafficking. I can literally feel the anxiety creep up from the pit of my stomach as I type, so while there are dozens more, I am going to go ahead and stop.
Ugh.
We live in a fallen world. It can be scary, and it can be confusing. We are bombarded with images and audio reporting on the woe that has befallen our communities from tv, radio, the internet. We receive bad news via text messages and emails, during water cooler conversations and business lunches. Sin envelops those we love, those we know, and those on the periphery.
But so does love. For every “scary” thing in life, I can identify something lovely. A smile. Friendship. Forgiveness. Reconnection. Acts of kindness and random acts of kindness. Giving of time, talents, resources. Helpfulness. A hug. A handshake. Healing. Resolution. Restoration. Redemption. Salvation. New beginnings. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Bonus points if you sang that in the mid-nineties VBS tune!)
So when we are consumed with “scary,” it is time to hone in on the good, even when we have to will ourselves to do it. The goodness of God, the goodness of His Son, and the goodness that can and will be found in His people. In this instance, the act of being hopeful and faithful is NOT a passive verb. It’s not like I “hope” for a sunny day tomorrow and I have “faith” that someday it will stop raining in Richmond. It is that I have HOPE, a noun, because I have God. I have FAITH because I know God has a plan, and I’m a part of it.
Jesus tells us to have faith- the complete trust and confidence that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do.
Jesus’ friends tell us to have hope- belief in God’s reality and power.
Did you know that God and Jesus remind me that “I am with you” twenty-one times in the Bible? So when I feel scared, I commit to reminding myself that God is God and that He is the captain of this ship.
The Lord MY God will be with ME wherever I go.
-HRB 3/8/19
In Joshua 1:9, the Lord says: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
David calls us out on this one, too: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:5).
I’ve held onto Joshua 1:9 like a banner through most of my adulthood. Sept. 11? Be strong and courageous. First job as a special educator? Be strong and courageous. Becoming first time parents? Be strong and courageous. Medical diagnosis for child #2? Be strong and courageous. These words became a mantra. I prayed them, I chanted them, I sang them, I wrote them on post-its and posted them in my home and office. But, in all honesty, strong and courageous? How about timid and fearful? Sure, there are times I feel ready to take on the world’s atrocities, but there are also times where I feel like I’d love to just hide under the covers when the morning’s alarm goes off.
What do I have to be afraid of? This world is SCARY.
Cancer. School shootings. Mental illness. Terrorists. Copperheads. Gun violence. Car accidents. Illness. Injury. Death. Kim Jong Un. Intruders. Aspartame. Suicide. Crystal Meth. Job security. Sexual predators. Germs. Tornadoes. Heroin. Gang activity. Government shutdowns. Identity theft. Hypertension. Genetic diseases. Seizures. Child trafficking. I can literally feel the anxiety creep up from the pit of my stomach as I type, so while there are dozens more, I am going to go ahead and stop.
Ugh.
We live in a fallen world. It can be scary, and it can be confusing. We are bombarded with images and audio reporting on the woe that has befallen our communities from tv, radio, the internet. We receive bad news via text messages and emails, during water cooler conversations and business lunches. Sin envelops those we love, those we know, and those on the periphery.
But so does love. For every “scary” thing in life, I can identify something lovely. A smile. Friendship. Forgiveness. Reconnection. Acts of kindness and random acts of kindness. Giving of time, talents, resources. Helpfulness. A hug. A handshake. Healing. Resolution. Restoration. Redemption. Salvation. New beginnings. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Bonus points if you sang that in the mid-nineties VBS tune!)
So when we are consumed with “scary,” it is time to hone in on the good, even when we have to will ourselves to do it. The goodness of God, the goodness of His Son, and the goodness that can and will be found in His people. In this instance, the act of being hopeful and faithful is NOT a passive verb. It’s not like I “hope” for a sunny day tomorrow and I have “faith” that someday it will stop raining in Richmond. It is that I have HOPE, a noun, because I have God. I have FAITH because I know God has a plan, and I’m a part of it.
Jesus tells us to have faith- the complete trust and confidence that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do.
- Matthew 21:22: And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
- Mark 11: 22-24: And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
- John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus’ friends tell us to have hope- belief in God’s reality and power.
- 1 John 5:13-14: I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
- 1 Peter 1:3-6: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Did you know that God and Jesus remind me that “I am with you” twenty-one times in the Bible? So when I feel scared, I commit to reminding myself that God is God and that He is the captain of this ship.
The Lord MY God will be with ME wherever I go.
-HRB 3/8/19
Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? (Matthew 7:16)
Umm… no? I’ve never picked grapes, but from what I know of grapevines based on my limited experience with Charlottesville wineries, they have no thorns. I’ve never seen a fig tree (do figs even grow on trees?) but I can’t believe that the deliciousness that is a Fig Newton comes from a pile of thistles?
Without context, this question seems to make no...sense...whatever. Are you hitting us with a rhetorical question, Jesus? But looking back over the chapter, we see that Jesus is warning those attending his Sermon on the Mount about the danger of false prophets. Here’s what this verse ACTUALLY looks like:
Matthew 7: 15-20: “Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.”
I don’t have much experience with false prophets. I remember accidentally stumbling upon my grandparents watching in horror as the Branch Davidian’s compound burned in Texas during the early nineties, but as far as I know, that’s about it. This is an area for further personal study.
I can say that our world can be incredibly confusing. Millions of dollars are spent in futile attempts to identify the meaning of life, the secret to happiness, the perfect work-life balance. We are flooded with ideas about truth. Right now, I follow several prominent Christian authors online who have incredibly oppositional opinions about truth. Sorting through which messages are authentic is daunting, and a task in which alone I cannot and will not be successful. That is heart work. That is for prayer and discernment and a big does of help from the Spirit.
But I can speak to being recognized by your fruits. We are on mission, every day, no matter our profession or circumstances. When you identify as a follower of Christ, the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) reflect Jesus into the world. While we may publicly profess or proclaim our faith in God, our believe in the death and resurrection, and our hope in salvation, our actions are what truly reflect aspects of God’s character to those around us. As a child, we sang “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!” on REPEAT. While it might have been mildly precious and exceedingly precocious then, ingraining those words into my understanding of life served as an imperative precursor to my adult life as a follower of Christ, as a wife and mother, as a teacher, as a teammate, as a volunteer.
The imagery that Jesus shares a bit earlier, in Matthew 5:14, sets my brain-tv in motion: “You are the light of the world--like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” I grew up right outside of Cincinnati, and there is this point on I 75-North when you come around a bend and suddenly, BAM! There’s Cincinnati. It’s a pretty awesome sight during the day time, but it is SPECTACULAR at night. A big, bright, bustling, shiny city, with lights from high-rises that can be seen for miles. This is what Jesus calls us to be! Through the fruits of the Spirit, our words and our actions are the light, shining into the darkness. -HRB 3/7/19
Without context, this question seems to make no...sense...whatever. Are you hitting us with a rhetorical question, Jesus? But looking back over the chapter, we see that Jesus is warning those attending his Sermon on the Mount about the danger of false prophets. Here’s what this verse ACTUALLY looks like:
Matthew 7: 15-20: “Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.”
I don’t have much experience with false prophets. I remember accidentally stumbling upon my grandparents watching in horror as the Branch Davidian’s compound burned in Texas during the early nineties, but as far as I know, that’s about it. This is an area for further personal study.
I can say that our world can be incredibly confusing. Millions of dollars are spent in futile attempts to identify the meaning of life, the secret to happiness, the perfect work-life balance. We are flooded with ideas about truth. Right now, I follow several prominent Christian authors online who have incredibly oppositional opinions about truth. Sorting through which messages are authentic is daunting, and a task in which alone I cannot and will not be successful. That is heart work. That is for prayer and discernment and a big does of help from the Spirit.
But I can speak to being recognized by your fruits. We are on mission, every day, no matter our profession or circumstances. When you identify as a follower of Christ, the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) reflect Jesus into the world. While we may publicly profess or proclaim our faith in God, our believe in the death and resurrection, and our hope in salvation, our actions are what truly reflect aspects of God’s character to those around us. As a child, we sang “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!” on REPEAT. While it might have been mildly precious and exceedingly precocious then, ingraining those words into my understanding of life served as an imperative precursor to my adult life as a follower of Christ, as a wife and mother, as a teacher, as a teammate, as a volunteer.
The imagery that Jesus shares a bit earlier, in Matthew 5:14, sets my brain-tv in motion: “You are the light of the world--like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” I grew up right outside of Cincinnati, and there is this point on I 75-North when you come around a bend and suddenly, BAM! There’s Cincinnati. It’s a pretty awesome sight during the day time, but it is SPECTACULAR at night. A big, bright, bustling, shiny city, with lights from high-rises that can be seen for miles. This is what Jesus calls us to be! Through the fruits of the Spirit, our words and our actions are the light, shining into the darkness. -HRB 3/7/19
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3)
Oh, Jesus. You are at it again. Making me take a look, hard look at myself in the mirror.
Does anyone else get goosebumps when reading some of Jesus’ pointed questions? I mean, I know that He was technically speaking to ancient Galileans who have come to hear his teachings during the Sermon on the Mount, but sometimes it feels like this is the Sermon at Montpelier, and Jesus is speaking specifically to me…
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye, Hillary?
What a question! I mean, obviously He is so, so, so right. (Ummm….When is Jesus not right?) How many times have I thought to myself, “Who am I to judge?” and then plowed right on ahead and made a silent judgement against someone right then and there.
In every position I have ever held, in every relationship I have ever been a part of, personal reflection has been paramount. How do I improve relationships gone sour? Consider my words, actions, and intentions, and align them more closing to that whole “love your neighbor as yourself” thing. How do I become a stronger, more effective team member or professional? Reflect on my actions and how they compare to the vision/beliefs of the position or team.
Interestingly, the periods in my life during which I have felt most “stuck,” “anxious,” “fearful” or “frustrated,” are the times in which I have consciously chosen to neglect personal reflection and intentional decision-making or action. Maybe I am choosing not to carefully consider the food I choose to put into my body and the exercise I choose to or to no exert, and now I am overweight and sluggish and lethargic and unhappy. Maybe I am choosing not to wake up earlier or stay up later to make the time for personal bible study, bible journaling, prayer journaling, or any other action that brings me in a closer relationship with God, and now I am feeling distant from Him and from our body of believers. Maybe I am choosing to spend ridiculous amount of time twiddling on my phone, playing Words with Friends and checking Facebook for updates from mere acquaintances I haven’t had a real conversation with since we were in grade school, or adding ideas to my Pinterest boards that will never come to fruition, and then I am enveloped in isolation, feeling distant from friends and family members with whom I have previous enjoyed an intense closeness.
We were created in God’s image. We have a heart for God, and for His people. Sometimes, in our selfishness and close-mindedness, we choose not to assert the dignity and holiness innate in God’s creation. Instead, we place ourselves on a self-imposed and yet non-existent hierarchy, believing that we can pass judgments about another’s decision even though we have not once walked a single step in their shoes.
Your journey is not my journey. While we may have shared some of the same experiences, those experiences are not manifested in the same way, with the same people, in the same circumstances. Each life lived is as unique as the life living it.
I hear you, Jesus. I’m working on it. -HRB 3/7/19
Does anyone else get goosebumps when reading some of Jesus’ pointed questions? I mean, I know that He was technically speaking to ancient Galileans who have come to hear his teachings during the Sermon on the Mount, but sometimes it feels like this is the Sermon at Montpelier, and Jesus is speaking specifically to me…
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye, Hillary?
What a question! I mean, obviously He is so, so, so right. (Ummm….When is Jesus not right?) How many times have I thought to myself, “Who am I to judge?” and then plowed right on ahead and made a silent judgement against someone right then and there.
In every position I have ever held, in every relationship I have ever been a part of, personal reflection has been paramount. How do I improve relationships gone sour? Consider my words, actions, and intentions, and align them more closing to that whole “love your neighbor as yourself” thing. How do I become a stronger, more effective team member or professional? Reflect on my actions and how they compare to the vision/beliefs of the position or team.
Interestingly, the periods in my life during which I have felt most “stuck,” “anxious,” “fearful” or “frustrated,” are the times in which I have consciously chosen to neglect personal reflection and intentional decision-making or action. Maybe I am choosing not to carefully consider the food I choose to put into my body and the exercise I choose to or to no exert, and now I am overweight and sluggish and lethargic and unhappy. Maybe I am choosing not to wake up earlier or stay up later to make the time for personal bible study, bible journaling, prayer journaling, or any other action that brings me in a closer relationship with God, and now I am feeling distant from Him and from our body of believers. Maybe I am choosing to spend ridiculous amount of time twiddling on my phone, playing Words with Friends and checking Facebook for updates from mere acquaintances I haven’t had a real conversation with since we were in grade school, or adding ideas to my Pinterest boards that will never come to fruition, and then I am enveloped in isolation, feeling distant from friends and family members with whom I have previous enjoyed an intense closeness.
We were created in God’s image. We have a heart for God, and for His people. Sometimes, in our selfishness and close-mindedness, we choose not to assert the dignity and holiness innate in God’s creation. Instead, we place ourselves on a self-imposed and yet non-existent hierarchy, believing that we can pass judgments about another’s decision even though we have not once walked a single step in their shoes.
Your journey is not my journey. While we may have shared some of the same experiences, those experiences are not manifested in the same way, with the same people, in the same circumstances. Each life lived is as unique as the life living it.
I hear you, Jesus. I’m working on it. -HRB 3/7/19
Why do you worry about clothes? (Matthew 6:28)
Why do you worry about clothes? (Matthew 6:28)
Oh...my...goodness….
If I am completely honest, I have share that I have sat down to try to tackle this question on five or so different occasions. I have also STRAIGHT UP walked away from my laptop in order to avoid tackling this question. This one is very personal and very convicting. So I’m basically currently holding my feet to the fire and bribing myself with some online window shopping in order to formulate a coherent response.
Obviously, I do not believe Jesus to be fashion-conscious. The heart of this question has nothing to do with shirts or pants. This question has much more to do with veritas than with Versace. In fact, I don’t think Jesus could care less about whether we are wearing Old Navy or True Religion jeans in His presence. In the context of the chapter, Jesus is asking us to look deep into our hearts and reflect on if we truly believe what we say we believe. If we believe that God is our creator and our provider, that He has plans for us and that those plans are for good, then why are we wrought with fear and anxiousness about the provision of tomorrow? Did God not bring the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt? Did He not then provide them with manna in the wilderness? And how about those endless flocks of extremely-punctual quail? Did he not give Abram/Abraham and Sarai/ Sarah a son?
God's promises are ALWAYS fulfilled. ALWAYS.
Over and over and over, in both the Old and New Testaments, God’s word affirms that the Lord will provide.
And yet we continue to live in fear of tomorrow, in fear of “enough”. For me, “clothes” is replaced with “finances.” I’m not worried about what clothes I will wear tomorrow, but I do worry about what money will be on hand tomorrow. I rationalize it well enough: I (we) need to make sure we have enough money stored away in the event of an unexpected emergency. Makes perfect sense, right? Prudent, even! But when I think back to the true emergencies that I have experienced, God has always provided. He has put people in my path to help with errands, groceries, child care, gas, and other expenses. He has provided opportunities for my husband and I to make adjustments to our budget. He has provided wisdom with respect to the previous month’s (or year’s) discretionary spending, allowing a surplus we might not have ordinarily had. He has included new line items of which I had been previously unaware in our medical insurance.
Please don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating that we spend our entire savings because God has promised us tomorrow. But, when deciding when and how to use our money and resources, the fear of tomorrow should not outweigh the needs of God’s people today. If there is a situation to which we are called, then I believe that in being good stewards of what God has provided, we are called to give, and to give sacrificially when necessary.
Matthew 13: 44-46: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” -HRB 3/7/19
Oh...my...goodness….
If I am completely honest, I have share that I have sat down to try to tackle this question on five or so different occasions. I have also STRAIGHT UP walked away from my laptop in order to avoid tackling this question. This one is very personal and very convicting. So I’m basically currently holding my feet to the fire and bribing myself with some online window shopping in order to formulate a coherent response.
Obviously, I do not believe Jesus to be fashion-conscious. The heart of this question has nothing to do with shirts or pants. This question has much more to do with veritas than with Versace. In fact, I don’t think Jesus could care less about whether we are wearing Old Navy or True Religion jeans in His presence. In the context of the chapter, Jesus is asking us to look deep into our hearts and reflect on if we truly believe what we say we believe. If we believe that God is our creator and our provider, that He has plans for us and that those plans are for good, then why are we wrought with fear and anxiousness about the provision of tomorrow? Did God not bring the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt? Did He not then provide them with manna in the wilderness? And how about those endless flocks of extremely-punctual quail? Did he not give Abram/Abraham and Sarai/ Sarah a son?
God's promises are ALWAYS fulfilled. ALWAYS.
Over and over and over, in both the Old and New Testaments, God’s word affirms that the Lord will provide.
- Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
- Philippians 4:19: “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
- Psalms 81:10: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”
And yet we continue to live in fear of tomorrow, in fear of “enough”. For me, “clothes” is replaced with “finances.” I’m not worried about what clothes I will wear tomorrow, but I do worry about what money will be on hand tomorrow. I rationalize it well enough: I (we) need to make sure we have enough money stored away in the event of an unexpected emergency. Makes perfect sense, right? Prudent, even! But when I think back to the true emergencies that I have experienced, God has always provided. He has put people in my path to help with errands, groceries, child care, gas, and other expenses. He has provided opportunities for my husband and I to make adjustments to our budget. He has provided wisdom with respect to the previous month’s (or year’s) discretionary spending, allowing a surplus we might not have ordinarily had. He has included new line items of which I had been previously unaware in our medical insurance.
Please don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating that we spend our entire savings because God has promised us tomorrow. But, when deciding when and how to use our money and resources, the fear of tomorrow should not outweigh the needs of God’s people today. If there is a situation to which we are called, then I believe that in being good stewards of what God has provided, we are called to give, and to give sacrificially when necessary.
Matthew 13: 44-46: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” -HRB 3/7/19
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? (Matthew 5:46)
Loving those who love us is easy. It comes naturally while building relationships with family and friends. When love and kindness is extended to us, it is second nature to extend it back. However, we are called by Jesus not just to love those who love us, but to extend that love to all those surrounding us. This can require a concentrated and conscious effort in the monitoring and implementation of our thoughts, words, and actions.
Jesus speaks on love 13 times in the New Testament. In four of those instances, Jesus speaks directly to the identification of those whom shall be recipients of our love. We are directed to: love our enemies (Matthew 5:44); love our neighbor (Matthew 19:9); love the Lord our God (Matthew 22:36); love one another (John 13:34). Jesus’ love extended way beyond the lines of those who loved him. His death was not just for the disciples, his family, and his followers in the early church--Jesus loved all of mankind!
Do I love my enemies? If I am being honest- not in the same way that I do my friends and family, but I do try to speak respectfully and extend courtesy to them. I try to be courteous to everyone, regardless of my personal affections for them. I have come a long way in my ability to forgive others for their transgressions against me and to move on in our interactions. However, translating forgiveness and acceptance to love is an ongoing area for growth for many, myself included. I suppose I love my enemies with the love and respect I share with all mankind, in recognition that all were created in the image in God and therefore deserve respect and dignity, empathy and consideration.
I certainly love my neighbors at school. There is a certain camaraderie and sense of community that develops when you have worked in the same community for over a decade. We have a common sense of purpose, serve a common community, and share similar daily struggles. While some of my coworkers may rub me the wrong way sometimes, I am sure I do the same to them. And I appreciate the service and value their bring to our shared students and their contributions to our school.
I try to love our neighbors in our community by SHOWING UP, by contributing to food, clothing, and book drives, by serving when called, and by identifying ways to act on the passion that the Lord has instilled in me for His Kingdom- to support and serve the children and families in our communities.
Jesus speaks on love 13 times in the New Testament. In four of those instances, Jesus speaks directly to the identification of those whom shall be recipients of our love. We are directed to: love our enemies (Matthew 5:44); love our neighbor (Matthew 19:9); love the Lord our God (Matthew 22:36); love one another (John 13:34). Jesus’ love extended way beyond the lines of those who loved him. His death was not just for the disciples, his family, and his followers in the early church--Jesus loved all of mankind!
Do I love my enemies? If I am being honest- not in the same way that I do my friends and family, but I do try to speak respectfully and extend courtesy to them. I try to be courteous to everyone, regardless of my personal affections for them. I have come a long way in my ability to forgive others for their transgressions against me and to move on in our interactions. However, translating forgiveness and acceptance to love is an ongoing area for growth for many, myself included. I suppose I love my enemies with the love and respect I share with all mankind, in recognition that all were created in the image in God and therefore deserve respect and dignity, empathy and consideration.
I certainly love my neighbors at school. There is a certain camaraderie and sense of community that develops when you have worked in the same community for over a decade. We have a common sense of purpose, serve a common community, and share similar daily struggles. While some of my coworkers may rub me the wrong way sometimes, I am sure I do the same to them. And I appreciate the service and value their bring to our shared students and their contributions to our school.
I try to love our neighbors in our community by SHOWING UP, by contributing to food, clothing, and book drives, by serving when called, and by identifying ways to act on the passion that the Lord has instilled in me for His Kingdom- to support and serve the children and families in our communities.
If you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? (Matthew 5:47)
Spending my whole life in the “South,” greeting strangers comes easily. I was raised to smile and greet those with whom I come in contact with, to hold the doors for others, to allow others to enter a line prior to my entering. However, I see these common courtesies disappearing as the years pass. More and more people (and sometimes, even myself) seem more preoccupied with their time, with their personal electronic devices, with themselves. This isolation is not conducive to the community to which we have been called to build both personally and professionally.
Paul says: “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7); “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:12)”
I worry that in this age of cynicism, doubt, and skepticism with respect to “strangers,” many are practicing and modeling weariness of others rather than kindness, generosity, and service. This is an area in which Jamie and I can improve as parents. There is a balance between teaching children to be safe and teaching them to be empathetic and welcoming.
Paul says: “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7); “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:12)”
I worry that in this age of cynicism, doubt, and skepticism with respect to “strangers,” many are practicing and modeling weariness of others rather than kindness, generosity, and service. This is an area in which Jamie and I can improve as parents. There is a balance between teaching children to be safe and teaching them to be empathetic and welcoming.
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:27)
I am a "reformed" incessant worrier. In my childhood, teens, and young adulthood, I had not learned to “let go and let God” when it came to potential problems and stress I was facing. Deep down, I knew that worrying was pointless, because the Lord reminds us “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11); “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) Reading these verses and living confidently in their truth are two very, very different things. This is a major area in my life in which I have seen the fruits of spiritual growth resulting from prayer and faith. Father, continue to lead me. Keep my spirit open to these truths. Replace my doubts, fears, and issues of control with peace, confidence, trust, and understanding.