Whose Lives Matter?

I do not often write about current events, but the country has gotten focused once again on a tragedy. A policeman killed an arrested, handcuffed African American man. My only hope is that it was a stupid stunt, and not malicious, and intentional. But I can't climb inside the man's head.

And the black community is enraged. There are protests. There are riots.

I understand the anger. Many are calling this a sign that African Americans do not matter. Hence the BLM slogan.

As a follower of Jesus, how do I respond?

Scripture says that Jesus died for the whole world. He died for the Roman soldier, who put the nails in his hands. He died for the Jewish leaders, who turned him over to Pilate. He died for Judas Iscariot. He died for the arrested man. He died for the policeman. He died as an expression of his love for people. 

And if God loves you, you matter. There is a saying in some religious circles: "If you were the only person to sin, Jesus would have died for you . . . alone." And if God loves you, you matter.

So, black lives do matter. And white lives, brown lives, yellow lives -- and even blue lives -- all matter. And if they matter to God, they should also matter to God's family.

The media, of course, is focusing on the sensational. Fires, rock throwing. beatings, tear gas, and looting. The ignore the good, showing up among the bad. Like the 6 black men in Louisville, surrounding, and protecting, one lone white cop. Black men and white men shaking hands, hugging, praying together.

How should God's people respond? To quote Martin Luther King Jr:

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that."

The Challenge

Early in Jesus’ ministry, one of the Jewish leaders came to Jesus secretly, after dark. His primary question was: when would God’s kingdom be established? Like a lot of Jews, he read his Bible, and he saw Messiah as Reigning King … and missed Messiah as Suffering Servant.

So, Jesus told him, unless he was born a second time, he would not see the Kingdom of God. There are two kinds of life. There is physical life. There is spiritual life. The physical can only reproduce the physical. And only the Holy Spirit can give spiritual life.

People are estranged from God, cut off due to sin. Jesus reminded the leader of a time in Israel’s past, where they rebelled against God. And God sent poisonous snakes among them. But Moses made a bronze snake, and hung it on a pole. Anyone, who was bitten, could look to this “snake on a stick” and God would heal them. There was no medicinal value, or healing properties, in the snake. There was only God’s promise that this would work.

So, because of God’s great love for people, he allowed his son to get hung on a pole. Everyone who looks to the Son, like Israel looked to the snake, will be redeemed from God’s punishment. When we accept what Jesus did for us, and choose allegiance to be followers, we are redeemed from God’s judgment, justified, brought into God’s family, and our spiritual DNA is reseeded. We become new, and different. We have moved from the dark to the light.

Because a person’s inner core now agrees with God’s design, he begins to live in a new way. Some people have a radical metamorphosis. (Caterpillar to butterfly.) Some, because of early decisions, and experiences, are profoundly changed, but don’t look so different on the outside. (Moth to butterfly.)  And some, because of early decisions, and experiences, are accepted by Father, Son, and Spirit, but have more difficulty changing lifestyles.

Just, because a person does not look like a butterfly on the outside, does not mean that he\she is not a butterfly. Yes, it is certainly true that they may not be. But, they may be staying in the cocoon longer than others.

I am encouraging all of us to be a little more patient, and kind, with someone, who is more broken from his life experiences, and not expressing Father’s character very well, but whom Father loves just as much as you and I, and who Jesus died for, just as he did for you and I.

The Ascension

In Jesus' final days on earth, he made an appearance to his disciples. He let them touch him. He showed them the scars on his hands. He ate some fish. All of this to assure them, he was not a dream, or a disembodied spirit.

Then, he told them that everything, that had happened, was foretold by prophets: his birth, his ministry, his death, and his resurrection.

Now, every person needed to hear that, if any person chose to change their thinking, decide that God had a better way to think, feel, speak, and act, choose to follow God's way -- give allegiance to the God of creation -- there was forgiveness of sins ... past, present, and future. There was a cancellation of the punishment of sin ... past, present, and future. That person would become part of God's family, and God would begin re-working their lives, so they would live as he had originally designed them to live.

The disciples were not responsible to proclaim this message to everyone. But they were responsible to begin the process. And they were responsible to pass the mission onto those, who choose to follow Jesus. So, each person, who gives his allegiance to Jesus, has a part in advancing his mission, like running in a relay race.

This mission we advance: God is seeking to rebuild his family, by making people, who rebel against him, his children. He wants them to know, to understand, and to experience his love. Those people need only to live in agreement with what God says. Living in agreement with God's word brings love, joy, peace, and all good things.

Jesus, and his disciples, went out of the city, spent time in prayer, and then, he was lifted up, and went back to his Father ... and our Father. The disciples worshiped, and rejoiced.

The Resurrection

Good Friday is the pivot point of the universe. Because the Crucifixion happened on Good Friday. Jesus paid the price for all mankind. Jesus redeemed all people, and the Father began re-building his family.

But it wasn't until Easter that the impact began to be felt by people.

Early Sunday morning, women, who had been following Jesus, gathered spices, and went to the tomb to prepare the body for burial. They couldn't do it before, because it was the beginning of the Sabbath. (To honor the dead, or break God's law -- as they had been taught it.)

But, when they reached the tomb, the stone was rolled away. And two "men," in a bright light, stood there, and told the women: "Go tell his disciples, that he has risen, as he said he would."

And Jesus appeared to various groups:

• To Mary Magdalene.
• To the rest of the women at the tomb.
• To the disciples, without Thomas.
• To the disciples, with Thomas.
• To two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
• To 500 people.
• To the disciples, while they were fishing.
• To the disciples at the Ascension.

Scripture does not always give numbers. It said 500 at one time. It said there were 120 gathered at Pentecost, and they received the Holy Spirit. So, disciples could mean the Twelve, or it could be a group of more people.

The disciples, who fled and hid in fear after the crucifixion, who denied they knew Jesus:

• They boldly stood in a public place, and proclaimed Jesus. 3000 gave their allegiance to Jesus.
• They went to the temple, and healed a man, who had been crippled from birth, in a very public way. And 2000 more gave their allegiance to Jesus.
• They stood in front of the same Jewish leaders, who handed Jesus to Pilate, and proclaimed that Jesus was God's Promised One.
• And, of the Twelve, who all ran for their lives, when Jesus was arrested, only one died of old age. The rest were all martyred, because of their stand for Jesus.

The Resurrection changed these men forever -- not in anyway minimizing the Helper, Advocate, Teacher, Enabler, that Father sent to them. And sends to each one of us. It is God's Spirit in each person's heart, that enables them to walk in obedience.

Perhaps, it is the Resurrection that gives people a handhold on faith, enabling all of the inner man to live in agreement, and to allow the Spirit to flow through a man, and be part of impacting the world.

The Crucifiction

The Jews turned him over to Pilate. And Pilate turned him over to his soldiers. And the soldiers crucified him.

And during his time on the cross, Jesus demonstrated he had a different heart than normal people. Most people would focus on their present condition. Jesus took time to focus on:

• His mother, who he gave to John to care for her.
• One of the other thieves, who he assured was now in his family.
• The soldiers, and Jews, responsible for his death, to forgive them, and ask his Father to forgive them. 

If you are a follower of Jesus, if you have given him your allegiance, you recognize this day, that Jesus died, as the focal point of all history.

The punishment for the sin of all mankind fell on Jesus. He bore the punishment for those who give him allegiance. He bore the punishment of those who would never give him allegiance.

Father would re-boot his family making project. The way is open to reconciliation, to justification, to redemption, and to adoption.

The Holy Spirit moves closer to reclaiming mankind, marking and guaranteeing who God's children are. Filling the depths of his children's heart with his grace, his love, and his empowering. 

His followers did not realize it, but nothing in the cosmos would ever be the same. But they would soon.

The Arrest

After dinner, Jesus led the disciples to a garden to pray. Judas, knowing about the garden, also led soldiers there to arrest Jesus.

Peter took a sword, and attacked one of the servants, cutting off his ear. Jesus ordered Peter to stop, and healed the servant’s ear. Then, the soldiers took Jesus, and led him to the High Priest. And after he had questioned Jesus, he sent him to Pilate.

And after being questioned by Pilate, Pilate saw that he was innocent, and sought to have him released. But the Jews objected. So, Pilate had him flogged, and sought to have him released again. But when the Jews continued to object, in order to avoid a riot, Pilate gave Jesus to the soldiers to be crucified.

After his one act of bravado, Peter grew afraid. He denied he even knew Jesus three times. We will all find ourselves in Peter’s shoes at one time, or another. And we may succeed to stand up for him. And we may fail. But we should all be encouraged by Peter, because Jesus gave him another chance. And Peter made good use of that chance. God used him to bring the first 3000 members of his new family to him. He challenged the Sanhedrin. He brought the first Gentile, non-Jewish, people into God’s family.

God is the God pf second chances. And probably third, and fourth, chances.

I don’t think God gets excited when people are overcome by their failure, and feelings of guilt. If such feelings lead people to seek him, choose allegiance, and become part of his family, that’s good. But, being wrapped up in guilt means our focus is not where it should be. He wants our focus to be on:

• Love – service, sharing his love and good news, encouragement.
• Prayer – worship, praise, for blind eyes to see, for workers, healing.
• Thanksgiving – sonship, salvation, provision, God’s positive activity.

 

The Passover

Before Jesus was crucified, he celebrated the Passover with his disciples. The Passover was Israel’s celebration of God’s deliverance from Egypt. On that day, the Jews sacrificed a lamb, and smeared some of its blood on the lintel, and door posts of their houses. The blood marked that house as having people, who belonged to the God of Israel. Judgment would pass by that house. That night, they ate bread made without yeast. They needed to eat, but they needed to hurry, because they were preparing to leave their current life, and current home, behind.

During the meal, Jesus made several things very plain to his disciples. (Although, what he told them was so foreign to their thinking, judging by their actions in the next few hours, that the did not understand what Jesus was saying.)

First, he was going to be betrayed by one of his disciples.

Second, he was going to be delivered over to those who hated him, and killed.

Third, his death was, in reality, like the Passover lamb. His blood, like the lambs, would mark those who were his, and protect them from God’s judgment. His body was like the bread, sustenance leading to a new life.

This new Passover meal was a celebration of deliverance from a different cruel master – sin – and a transition to a new promised land.

Greatest in the Kingdom

Biblical prophecy can be like looking at a range of mountains. Individual peaks rise up, and appear to stand right next to each other. However, in reality, there is a valley between them.

When the Jews read the Scripture, they saw prophecy concerning God’s Promised One. They saw the Promised One on the throne of Israel, ushering in a golden age of peace and prosperity.

So, maybe, it’s not so strange for one woman, who believed that Jesus was God’s Promised One, and therefore, that the golden age was coming very soon, to ask Jesus to give her sons high positions in his kingdom.

She, like many of the Jews, saw the Reigning King mountain peak, but missed the Suffering Servant mountain peak. So, Jesus had an opportunity to teach two lessons.

First, in God’s kingdom, love rules. So, those, in the highest position, give the most. They are servants. Service is not just physical labor. Generosity is also service. Teaching, and encouragement, to enable people to live improved, more optimal lives, is also service. But, in all cases, a servant gives himself, and his resources, to meet needs, and to make someone else’s life better.

And that leads to the second lesson. God is a servant. And God’s Promised One is a servant. God’s Promised One in one particular way – by giving his life to ransom the world. To pay the price, so that each, and every person, living in the past, present, and future, can be delivered from sin, the devil, and the world, and brought into God’s family, and kingdom.

Not everyone will choose to receive this gift. But there is a gift for everyone, bought, and paid for.

Lazarus

Jesus received a message from his friends – Mary, Martha, and Lazarus – that Lazarus was very sick. Scripture goes great lengths to inform the readers that Jesus, and these three, have a very close relationship. Yet, Jesus remains where he is, on purpose, for two more days.

Jesus knows that if something is not done, Lazarus will die. He stays because God will move in Lazarus’ life as a powerful demonstration of who he is, and what he can do.

So, Jesus and the disciples return to Bethany. And Mary, and Martha, go to him. They go separately, but they have similar conversations with Jesus. “If you had been here …”

Life, and wholeness, is not derived from a set of rules. Life is derived from a relationship with a person. And to demonstrate that, Jesus has men remove the stone, that covers the tomb. And he calls Lazarus to come back form the dead. And Lazarus walks out of the tomb.

Life, whole, and optimal living do not come from following a system. They come from following a person.

Religious Behavior

The religious leaders did not like Jesus, because he did not behave like a religious teacher should. He did not follow their system.

Jesus did have expectations of behavior too. He expected each person to have a relationship with Father. And each one practice it with sincerity, genuineness, and authenticity. He expected each person to live expressing love to other people.

The Pharisees – or, at least, some of them – seemed to make a habit of publicly, and obviously, demonstrating that they kept the system. Were they saying: “All this is not my fault.” ? Or were they saying: “Look how good, noble, devoted, and pious I am.” ?

People don’t do family things to be noticed. People do family things, because they love their family. Because they like to be with, and do things with, their family.

We are part of God’s family. We ought to be with him, because we love him, and he loves us. “Doing our religion” ought to be a demonstration of that love. Giving to meet needs, prayer, worship, fasting – all of these should be natural moves of a heart motivated by love.

Prayer

And Jesus discusses prayer in other ways. Once, we have given our allegiance to Jesus, we become part of his family. And, as his child, we can approach him directly. We come to him through the work of Jesus. But, now we have our own relationship with him.

And Jesus encourages us to go to him with whatever is on our hearts, our needs, and our desires. And because he is our Father, he listens to us. Really listens with 100% focused attention.

And his inclination is to grant whatever we ask. His heart yearns to fulfill whatever is on our hearts.

He obviously does not. A child may yearn intensely to have “gummy worms” every day for dinner. It is actually cruel to grant that request. No matter how much we may like, and want, “gummy worms,” a consistent diet of “gummy worms” does not lead to optimal living.

And our hearts should become like his heart. Jesus told his disciples to pray for more workers in the harvest. How often do we pray this? How often is our hearts aimed at those who do not know him? His heart yearns for in increase of his family. Does ours?

The Pharisee and The Tax Collector

Jesus told another story about a Pharisee and a tax collector.

Both went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee praised God, because of his right standing through is obedience to God’s Law. The tax collector begged for mercy, because all he saw was his own sin.

I have a theory about the Pharisees. (As it is a theory, it may be true, but it might also not be true.) They read the Scriptures, and saw all the places where God said: “You are my people. I will bless you.” Then, they looked at history: the Philistines, Assyria, Babylon, and Rome. And they said: “That’s not good. What happened?”

So, they read more Scriptures: “Obey me, and I will bless you. Disobey me, and you’re in trouble.” The, they looked at more history, and said: “Oh, yeah. My bad.”

The say that the bad, that happened to Israel, was a result of their disobedience. So, to get good results, they needed to work hard at obeying God. So, they asked: “How do we obey God?” And they studied, and they mapped it all out. They developed a system. Obey the system, you’re good with God. Disobey the system, and you’re the cause of all the bad stuff.

So, the Pharisee, praising God in the temple, is saying: “I’m keeping the system. So, I know God is pleased with me. The bad stuff is not my fault.”

They did work hard to obey God, but it was in all the superficial areas. They tithed, but the were not loving, merciful or compassionate. They should be obeying all of God’s word.

The tax collector was honest with God. He knew he sinned, and could only stand before God if God extended mercy, and grace. The Pharisee was deluded, because he only obeyed part of the Law. And the easy part at that.

The Two Sons

Then, Jesus tells another story about a family: a father, and two sons. One son was a rebel, who had no love for his family. The other son was a do-gooder, dutiful, and hardworking.

The rebel son wanted whatever property, or money, he would receive when his father died now! The only value his father, and his father’s work, had for him was how big of a party he could throw.

Amazingly, even the son practically yelled at the top of his lungs “I hate you! I hate it here! I can’t wait to get out of here!” his father gave him his inheritance. He turned it into cash, left the area, and started one long continuous party, for as long as the money lasted.

And he does run out of money … right in the middle of a famine. He can’t provide for himself. And he can’t get a job that can provide what he needs.

Suddenly, a light turns on. He remembers his father, and life back home. He knows not one of the people, who work for his father, are going hungry, or are lacking anything.

So, he packs up, goes home, and prepares to eat humble pie. He meets his father, confesses he screwed up, and all he is looking for now is a job.

But his father is so glad he is home, safe, and well, that he throws a party to celebrate.

The do-gooder son worked hard, and did everything his was supposed to do. And he gets angry when he finds out that his brother – the selfish, self-centered, brat! – has returned, and his father is celebrating.

The do-gooder son does not have the father’s heart. The father realizes that life is not all play. The father realizes that the rebel son has made decisions that have hurt his life, and negatively affected his life in all areas.

But the father loves both his sons. And the rebel son has made a vital decision: he chose to move back into relationship with his father.

The story is about God’s heart. God is serious about how people live. Their behavior, and lifestyles, affect themselves, their destiny, and how God is represented. Optimum living is derived from how close one keeps to how one is designed.

But God loves everyone. Those who walk away from him. And those who walk with him.

And because the number one, foremost item that brings wholeness, and completion, to people in life is a relationship with Father, he celebrates each, and every, one who chooses to return, and walk with him, no matter where they are coming from.

The Neighbor

Jesus challenged the expectations of what a life that pleased God looked like. One man asked him how someone achieved right standing with God.

Jesus flipped it around. “You read the Scriptures. What do you think God says?”

The man responded: “Love God first. Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus answered: “You’re correct.”

Scripture says the man sought to justify himself. “Who is my neighbor?”

So, Jesus told a story about a man who was beaten, and robbed. The robbers left the man bleeding, and unconscious by the side of the road.

Two leaders of the community passed by the man, pretending not to notice him. These two men were regarded by the community as ones who followed God the best, and were, therefore, ones to emulate. But they failed to show love to someone in need. They lacked compassion, and didn’t want to get involved in something messy.

Another man passed by, and had a different response. He provided care, food, and shelter … and paid for it.

This man was from a group of people view with contempt by the Jewish nation. Yet, he obeyed God’s command to “love your neighbor,” where the men, who should be God’s best, failed.

Life in God is not talking, or teaching, about how we should live. Life in God is about obeying God.

Jesus did not command us to make converts, or church attenders. He commanded us to make disciples. That is, persuade people to give allegiance to Jesus, and have a lifestyle that does what Jesus said, and does what Jesus did.

The Woman at the Well

Jesus was in Jerusalem. He and the disciples bean to travel back to Galilee. To do that, they had to travel through Samaria.

Samaria had at one time been part of Israel. It was part of the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh. When the Kingdom was divided after the death of Solomon, it became part of Israel, which walked away from God, and followed other Gods. So, the inhabitants had varying degrees of Jewishness, and followed lots of religious practices. And the Jews generally looked down on them, and held them in contempt.

So, the disciples prepared to camp outside one of the cities. They went into a town to get food, and Jesus waited by a well outside the town.

A woman came out of the town to get water from the well. And Jesus asked her for a drink of water. Given the contempt the Jews held for the Samaritans, as well as the commonly held Jewish belief that he would be spiritually polluting himself by drinking from her jar, speaking to the woman was astounding.

So, she began a discussion of religious practices, comparing the Jews and the Samaritans. Like the Jews, she was waiting for the Messiah, who would deliver the people, and set all things right.

And Jesus told her three important things:

• Worship would change. It would not be associated with a building, or a place. It would be connected to truth, and a heart linkage with the Father.
• The Messiah would come and set things right. He did not tell that at this time, putting things right would involve a sacrifice for sin, and a creation of a new family for God.
• And he said he had water that would quench her thirst forever. I don’t know if she realized he was speaking figuratively, but when she asked for some of this water, he revealed he knew about her home life, and marital status. (That she was not married, but was living with her boyfriend. Which means she was also held in contempt by her neighbors.)

These three things stirred her heart, and she went back into town and told her neighbors. And that stirred up her neighbors, so that the whole town walked out to the well, to see and hear Jesus. And Scripture says the whole town believed Jesus, that he was the Messiah, that worship would change, and that people would receive something from God that would quench the thirst in their hearts.

And it was not just for the Jews. It was for all people.

The Paralytic

Jesus is teaching a large group of people in a house. Many houses at that time were built around an open courtyard. The court often had a lattice over it to provide shade. (That’s what it sounded like to me. I might be wrong though.)

Jesus is probably standing in the courtyard. It could accommodate the most people in the house. And Scripture points out that there are Pharisees, and other religious leaders, in the crowd.

Some men carry a paralytic to the house, to be healed by Jesus. But it is too crowded. They can’t get near the door. So, they climb to the roof, remove some of the lattice work, and lower the man down in front of Jesus.

And Jesus, observing the men’s faith, proclaimed that the man’s sin was forgiven.

The Pharisees, immediately, got into an uproar. No one could forgive sin, but God alone. Jesus was a man, and had no such authority.

So, Jesus asked: which is easier? You’re forgiven? Or rise and walk? And the obvious answer is: you’re forgiven, because no visible, tangible response is expected. Rise, and walk, expects a paralyzed man to move.

So, Jesus responded: To demonstrate that I have the authority to forgive sins, … And he commands the man to rise, and walk. And the man gets up and goes home.

Jesus’ miracles were a demonstration of his love, and kindness, toward people. But, they were also a demonstration of his God-given authority. Authority to change the world. Authority to be the forgiver of mankind’s sin. By faith in what he did, and giving him our allegiance, we take up what he gives, and we walk in a new way of life.

The Picnic

Jesus, and his disciples, travel to the far side of the Sea of Galilee. (This quite possibly happened on the same trip, when Jesus freed the demon-possessed man The location described – the modern day Golan Heights – is approximately the same.) And, possibly, it is a different trip, and the people from the surrounding villages come to this area, because of that miracle.

The people come to a deserted place, and only one person brings any food. After discussing this problem with the disciples, he has people sit, borrows the one person’s lunch, thanks God, and proceeds to pull enough food from the one person’s lunch bag – with enough food for one person – and feeds 15,000 people with it. (The disciples only counted the men, and there were 5,000 of those. So, I am assuming an equal number of women and children.)

Somebody realizes that if they put Jesus in charge, he could provide for everyone. They were choosing to “follow” Jesus from self-interest, not love, or a realization of truth, that Jesus was God’s Messiah. So, Jesus withdrew from there.

And when the disciples returned by boat, Jesus walked on water to re-join them.

And the next day, the people also crossed the water by boat, to find Jesus. And Jesus calls them on it. The sought Jesus, not from love, loyalty, a commitment to truth, or even curiosity. They sought Jesus to avoid working to feed themselves.

Jesus urges them to seek “eternal” food. “Food” that will fill their spirit, and soul.

The people asked how to do God’s works. (Are they asking how to get right with God? Or how to do miracles?) Jesus tells them, God wants them to believe in, and follow, God’s Promised One. And they ask for a sign. This always amazes me. The just saw Jesus feed 15,000 people with one person’s lunch, and now they need another miracle. Gosh! Anything but give their hearts to Jesus. Or are they just fixated on themselves, and their needs? They cite God feeding Israel manna.

Jesus says He is true food. He is God’s provision for true life. Provision for the body is important. But it is a relationship with the Father that provides for the inner life, as well as eternity. We need that fuel at least as much as physical food. Giving our allegiance to Jesus gives access to the Father’s fuel. And mankind is short-sighted, self-indulgent, and motivated only by self-interest.

The Demon-Controlled Man

They sailed to the Gerasenes. This was outside of Israel, inhabited by gentiles. (Notice the pigs. Jesus went on a short-term mission trip.)

There was a demon-controlled man living in the area. The people in the area could not control him. He broke out of everything they tried.

The demons in the man saw Jesus get out of the boat, recognized him, and knew they were in trouble. The man ran up to Jesus, and said: “Don’t hurt us, Jesus!” Jesus allowed the demons to enter 2000 pigs nearby.

The men, who watched the pigs, ran into the city; and everybody in the city, came out. The man with the demons – who nobody could control – sat calmly, and normally, with Jesus.

And they began to get frightened, because there was something bigger than demons, and pigs, here. They begged Jesus to go home.

The man, who had the demons, asked Jesus if he could go with him. Jesus told him to go home, and tell his family and friends, all that God did for him. And the man told his story to the entire area.

God is the ideal Father. He invites all people to a stored relationship, and to return to his family. He wants to encourage, and bless, his family.

But he loves all. He wants all to be restored to relationship. And he wants to encourage, and bless, all.

Without allegiance to Jesus, there is no restoration, no relationship. Without relationship, people are not restored to fulfillment of their design. So, God could feed everyone, house everyone, and their lives would still not be complete.

But he will give healing, and provision, in order to facilitate some giving allegiance.

The man sought to follow Jesus. Maybe Jesus did not let him join his merry band, because he was a gentile, and would not be accepted among Jews. But Jesus made him whole, and gave him a mission. One he carried out, exceeding his assignment. Not all who say they follow Jesus, do half of what he assigns them.

The Storm

Jesus had spent the day teaching people along the sea. When it starts getting dark, he says to the disciples: “Let’s sail to the other side.”

They get into a boat, and begin sailing. And Jesus lays down, and goes to sleep.

As I understand it, the topography, around the Sea of Galilee, funnels the wind down to the water’s surface. So, it is possible to have sudden, fierce, storms. And that’s what happened on this trip. A bad storm strikes the small boat. The disciples – many of whom are seasoned fishermen, some on that sea, used to storms – began to grow frightened at the storm’s severity. They began to fear being swamped, and drowning in the storm.

And Jesus slept.

They woke him finally, and said: “We’re all going to die!!”

Jesus stood up, looked the storm in the eye, and said “Ssh!” And the wind, and the waves, became still and quiet.

And Jesus asked: “Where is your faith?”

People everywhere have faith. The disciple’s faith was in their experience at sea, and the soundness of the boat. But the storm was bigger than both.

Jesus’ faith was in the Father, who is bigger that all things.

People have trials, problems, issues, frustrations, storms, emergencies, and catastrophes. They have faith in their skills, plans, bank accounts, and support system. (And it is not bad to have any, or all, of these. Indeed, Father thinks it is wise, and good, to have these.) And some have faith in their God-experiences. But they are all-finite. Because they are finite, they will all fail at some point.

Only one will not fail. Only one is worth putting our faith on.

Jesus’ trust, and reliance, was ultimately in his Father. God puts us into family, gives its, talents, and abilities. All this to support and help us. But, we need to view these things as temporary gifts. Our faith needs to rest on God, our eternally present Father.

The Fast

After John’s anointing, Jesus went into the wilderness. He fasted for forty days. As he had a practice of getting alone to pray, it seems likely that this was an extended time to prepare for his upcoming ministry.

While in the wilderness, the enemy cam to tempt him. Scholars generally divide temptation into three areas. Scripture gives three examples of the temptations. Jesus faced one for each area. And Jesus responded with quotes from Scripture.

Scripture says that Jesus was tempted in every way that people are tempted. Yet he did not sin. Because he was without sin, he was a sacrifice without spot or blemish. Because he was without sin, he was our example in dealing with temptation. (Prayer and scripture.)

Jesus began his ministry demonstrating how to defeat the devil. And demonstrating how he is able to defeat the devil for all of us.

The enemy deceived the first people to break their connection with Father. It is God’s heart to bridge that connection, restore right relationship with his family.

He is ready, willing, and able to defeat the enemy. And he is preparing to take that step.