Do we really know good from evil?
I remember a story shared with me about the keen perception of my mother-in-law. Laura, my wife, was studying in Spain for a year in college. Her parents brought her cousin for a visit over Christmas break. While they were moving through one of the crowded bustling streets Laura's mom spotted a man who she new had just robbed someone. She even said it out loud. But Of course she had not seen the robbery, she just new some how it had happened by looking at this man. Sure enough Laura's cousin soon discovered the money she had in her breast pocket was gone. She was the one who had been robbed. Laura's mom also seemed to have this discerning gift when she refused to let Laura babysit at a certain families house alone. It turned out the father was an abuser and molester, but they didn't know that until after wards.
Is this what it means to know good from evil? Can we really perceive these kinds of things?
Hebrews chapter 5 talks about what it means to be mature in Christ. The readers are almost chided because they should be able to teach the things the letter is instructing and yet they are sill in need of intense nurture on these subjects. So much so they are compared with infants who still need to be fed spiritual milk rather than real food. This castigation is finished with the explanation of what it means to be mature in Christ. To be mature is to know good from evil.
It is interesting this lesson on maturity comes at the end of teaching about Jesus as our high priest. The teaching that he cried out to God for deliverance, went through suffering on our behalf, and then was made perfect at his resurrection thus becoming the source of salvation for all mankind. What kind of evil was against this good? I wonder if the people were still coming to God through priests rather than strait to God through Jesus? Had there been a re-commitment to the old rituals of sacrifice and looking to their own works to save them from sin? I'm not sure what the historical context is presenting here, but I does bring questions for us today.
Do we know what is good and what is evil? So many times the evil we rage against as Christians are behavioral acts like what movies or music are bad. Drinking, smoking, premarital sex. These are the things that are evil. Whether to have drums in the church or not, good or evil?
It seems to me, just perhaps, this passage is suggesting true evil are the things which misplace Jesus. When we think we need to go to God through some good and pleasing action of our own, or when we don't approach God at all because we don't think we are worthy to do so. We need a priest or a pastor to pray for us. We can't really go to God...can we? But scripture is telling us we can, and Jesus is the source, the way of this salvation. To be with God, reconciled to God.
The behavioral aspects are important, don't get me wrong I am all for purity of heart, mind, soul, and body. But the only reason they are important is because they are indicators we are still separated from God. When we focus on them we miss the point. We may correct some of the behaviors, but we will still miss God who is to be our focus. When we look to him the other things will fall by the wayside.
Does it show how much of a baby I am, that when I read this passage the first things I thought of with good and evil where what books I was reading and movies I was watching? Spending time in the Bible, pursuing God's intentions and will revealed to us, and learning of who Jesus is. When we are focused on God who is good, I don't think the evil will be to hard to spot.
My life is filled with so much gray sometimes of what is good and what is evil, it is really hard to tell. I wonder if I was a little more focused on the light if the shades of gray would become more distinct.
May we grow in maturity today. May we be able to discern the good from the evil, because we are so focused on the good, so in pursuit of God the evil will become so much more apparent and so much less desirable.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
"Daddy my heart is breaking right now." (Hebrews 4)
Is obedience a source of rest?
When I pick my daughter up from school she loves to surprise me. She hides behind the same chair every day and then pops out and says surprise. I do my best to ask surprised and then she laughs and laughs. Yesterday I went to pick her up she was hiding as usual. She didn't jump out as fast though and I got to where I could see her before she had yelled surprise. She melted into a puddle on the floor. I had seen her upset before when she wasn't able to surprise me, but this was a little more than usual. She wouldn't help clean her toys up and I ended up half pulling her out to the car. She is crying and sobbing telling me, "Daddy my heart is breaking right now."
I suggest she might need a nap when we get home, and she doesn't like this at all. So I let her know if she can't calm down by the time we get home she will need to take a nap. She gets her sobs kind of under control and then she tells me what's really going on. She had stayed at school later than usual which means she had to stay through rest time. Lorelai is not good at rest time. She has too much energy and doesn't like to slow down. So she doesn't sit still and usually gets in trouble with the teacher. This time she was convinced she had been told by the teacher, "because you are not obeying and resting you won't be able to go to any more parties at the school."
I tried to reassure her I was sure this was only for the day. Then she would burst into bigger tears and cry out, "you don't believe me, I'm telling you the truth and you don't believe me." So much agony so much sadness and all because she couldn't obey and sit still for a little rest time.
Hebrews chapter 4 tells us about the rest available to us. There was a rest offered to the children of Israel, way back when they were to enter the promised land, but they didn't choose to obey God and accept the rest he had for them. They heard the message of rest but did not believe it was true. "Those people in that country are too big, we can't do this." Hebrews goes on to say there is a rest available to us now. Today is the day of salvation to accept the gift of Christ and rest in obedience to him. Believing the message of the gospel is true and acting upon it by approaching the throne of mercy and grace with confidence when we are in need.
I know the war I have with my conscience when I am not in obedience. It is the constant struggle with sin. Hebrews says Jesus understood this battle with temptation and he battled the evil. Sometimes though I feel like I'm on the other side battling the good. I know the good I should do, but I don't do it. Instead I do the evil I want to do. It is in these battles that obedience truly brings rest. When I choose obedience to Christ in these moments and go to the throne of grace and mercy for strength there is great rest in my mind, soul, body, and emotions.
Sometimes it seems God just really wants me to sit down on my mat and take some rest time. Just a little obedience can go a long way. It sets my mind at ease I can find rest and peace. And you know what, there is a big party coming at the end where our struggle with sin will be no more and we can truly live in the rest of God. Can you imagine sabbath rest and communing with God every day? The beautiful thing is it can start here and now. Even this time writing this blog is a moment of rest for my weary soul.
May you take time today to sit still, rest, and know he is God. Hear the message of the gospel and believe it, through our obedience to him we will find rest for our weary souls. Wrestle no more with sin but find mercy and grace when we are in need from a savior who understands because he as been there.
When I pick my daughter up from school she loves to surprise me. She hides behind the same chair every day and then pops out and says surprise. I do my best to ask surprised and then she laughs and laughs. Yesterday I went to pick her up she was hiding as usual. She didn't jump out as fast though and I got to where I could see her before she had yelled surprise. She melted into a puddle on the floor. I had seen her upset before when she wasn't able to surprise me, but this was a little more than usual. She wouldn't help clean her toys up and I ended up half pulling her out to the car. She is crying and sobbing telling me, "Daddy my heart is breaking right now."
I suggest she might need a nap when we get home, and she doesn't like this at all. So I let her know if she can't calm down by the time we get home she will need to take a nap. She gets her sobs kind of under control and then she tells me what's really going on. She had stayed at school later than usual which means she had to stay through rest time. Lorelai is not good at rest time. She has too much energy and doesn't like to slow down. So she doesn't sit still and usually gets in trouble with the teacher. This time she was convinced she had been told by the teacher, "because you are not obeying and resting you won't be able to go to any more parties at the school."
I tried to reassure her I was sure this was only for the day. Then she would burst into bigger tears and cry out, "you don't believe me, I'm telling you the truth and you don't believe me." So much agony so much sadness and all because she couldn't obey and sit still for a little rest time.
Hebrews chapter 4 tells us about the rest available to us. There was a rest offered to the children of Israel, way back when they were to enter the promised land, but they didn't choose to obey God and accept the rest he had for them. They heard the message of rest but did not believe it was true. "Those people in that country are too big, we can't do this." Hebrews goes on to say there is a rest available to us now. Today is the day of salvation to accept the gift of Christ and rest in obedience to him. Believing the message of the gospel is true and acting upon it by approaching the throne of mercy and grace with confidence when we are in need.
I know the war I have with my conscience when I am not in obedience. It is the constant struggle with sin. Hebrews says Jesus understood this battle with temptation and he battled the evil. Sometimes though I feel like I'm on the other side battling the good. I know the good I should do, but I don't do it. Instead I do the evil I want to do. It is in these battles that obedience truly brings rest. When I choose obedience to Christ in these moments and go to the throne of grace and mercy for strength there is great rest in my mind, soul, body, and emotions.
Sometimes it seems God just really wants me to sit down on my mat and take some rest time. Just a little obedience can go a long way. It sets my mind at ease I can find rest and peace. And you know what, there is a big party coming at the end where our struggle with sin will be no more and we can truly live in the rest of God. Can you imagine sabbath rest and communing with God every day? The beautiful thing is it can start here and now. Even this time writing this blog is a moment of rest for my weary soul.
May you take time today to sit still, rest, and know he is God. Hear the message of the gospel and believe it, through our obedience to him we will find rest for our weary souls. Wrestle no more with sin but find mercy and grace when we are in need from a savior who understands because he as been there.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Hey, God I'm not sure I believe in you. (Hebrews 3)
Can we have questions about God's existence and a good heart at the same time?
I have had many conversations with God about my questions of his existence, especially in college but after-wards as well. I remember one instance when I was driving along in Denver. I was a youth pastor at one of the churches there at the time. I remember a really strong pang of doubt coming over me. “Am I just making this stuff up, am I living a lie as a pastor and trying to convince others of the same lie, the same conspiracy?”
So I began to talk with God about that. This is kind of strange I suppose to talk with the being you are doubting the existence of, but hey why not? It’s in conversations like these I find myself reminded of the moments in my life where I know God moved. This time was no different. The Holy Spirit moves in my heart and helps me to recall these moments, these anchor points for my faith. As the memories come back I find myself at rest once again in the faithfulness of Christ in my life.
Hebrews 3 challenges us,” See to it, brothers, that non of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that runs away from the living God.” The first reaction of many Christians is, how is this possible? Doesn’t scripture say the heart is deceitfully wicked beyond all things? How can we have a heart without sin and unbelief? It seems to me once again a good heart is one that is receptive to Christ. This passage in chapter 3 tells us again and again, “today is you hear his voice do not harden your hearts.”
Even in the middle of my questioning and struggle with unbelief I kept my heart open to God. I brought my questions to him. Israel hardened their hearts towards God, they wouldn’t follow him into the Promised Land so they wandered for 40 years in the wilderness. A whole generation didn’t enter into the rest of the Promised Land. There are many today who are in the same place. Peace seems to be ever elusive for them, even when they have the life of the American dream.
I pray today we would open our hearts to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Seek God with our questions and our doubts. Don’t let these things drive us away from God but towards him. This is what it means to have a good heart. Open to what God has to say to us. Jesus told the parable of the sower, different hearts different soils. The good soil was the one that received the word let it grow deep and produce a good crop. This soil was good even before the word was in the heart, because it was open and receptive.
May we be open and receptive today to the voice of God. May we have good hearts without sin and disbelief. May we find rest as we follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
I have had many conversations with God about my questions of his existence, especially in college but after-wards as well. I remember one instance when I was driving along in Denver. I was a youth pastor at one of the churches there at the time. I remember a really strong pang of doubt coming over me. “Am I just making this stuff up, am I living a lie as a pastor and trying to convince others of the same lie, the same conspiracy?”
So I began to talk with God about that. This is kind of strange I suppose to talk with the being you are doubting the existence of, but hey why not? It’s in conversations like these I find myself reminded of the moments in my life where I know God moved. This time was no different. The Holy Spirit moves in my heart and helps me to recall these moments, these anchor points for my faith. As the memories come back I find myself at rest once again in the faithfulness of Christ in my life.
Hebrews 3 challenges us,” See to it, brothers, that non of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that runs away from the living God.” The first reaction of many Christians is, how is this possible? Doesn’t scripture say the heart is deceitfully wicked beyond all things? How can we have a heart without sin and unbelief? It seems to me once again a good heart is one that is receptive to Christ. This passage in chapter 3 tells us again and again, “today is you hear his voice do not harden your hearts.”
Even in the middle of my questioning and struggle with unbelief I kept my heart open to God. I brought my questions to him. Israel hardened their hearts towards God, they wouldn’t follow him into the Promised Land so they wandered for 40 years in the wilderness. A whole generation didn’t enter into the rest of the Promised Land. There are many today who are in the same place. Peace seems to be ever elusive for them, even when they have the life of the American dream.
I pray today we would open our hearts to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Seek God with our questions and our doubts. Don’t let these things drive us away from God but towards him. This is what it means to have a good heart. Open to what God has to say to us. Jesus told the parable of the sower, different hearts different soils. The good soil was the one that received the word let it grow deep and produce a good crop. This soil was good even before the word was in the heart, because it was open and receptive.
May we be open and receptive today to the voice of God. May we have good hearts without sin and disbelief. May we find rest as we follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
Under the bed bother (Hebrews 2)
Have you ever had a brother die for you?
I grew up in a family of four; Mom, Dad, and my younger sister. I have to admit my sister and I didn’t get along to well. I am very glad we do now. But during those growing up years I had another sibling I was closer too. Wait a minute you say, I thought you said family of four. I did and we only had four in the “family,” but not in the family. My best friend growing up was the closet person I had to brother. We did everything together. And for a while he ever lived at our house.
In my bedroom I had my bed put up on bookcases, kind of like having a bunk bed but with out the lower bunk. It gave me way more space in my little room and a great little cave for video games, hanging out, and putting a mattress in when my “brother” needed to move in. Our friendship just got stronger in those months he spent living with us. We are still brothers and friends today even though we don’t see each other that often. I guess that is kind of like brothers too.
Warning: Transition! Stay with me.
I remember thinking for a long time, I wish I had more feeling attached to the act of Jesus dying for me. I have been a Christian sense I turned 13. I always felt like I should get hit harder when I read the story of Jesus’ death. If I really love Jesus then I should feel sad when I read about his suffering. But it just never really hit me until I read Hebrews chapter 2 while I was a youth pastor in Denver.
Hebrews 2 tells us Jesus is like our bother. He calls us brother. He took on flesh and blood because we have flesh and blood. He really became human, made a little lower than the angels as we are, and suffering with temptation as we do. When I read the word brother I thought on my friend, the one who had slept on that mattress under my bed. The friend I love as a brother. Then I thought about him giving his life for me on the cross. Suffering the whipping, the agony of Gethsemane, the crown of thorns, and the ragged breath on the cross. It hit me then.
My brother dying for me.
I don’t know if this hits home for you or not. I hope it does, because the brother connection doesn’t stop at the cross. Jesus being our brother means it’s our brother who is on the throne in heaven now. Our brother is the one standing up for us in the face of accusation. He is our high priest and he is our advocate. He is our brother, he knows what its like to suffer from temptation. Far more than we do actually, why would the devil turn up the heat on us if we give in and fall on something easy. Jesus never gave in he just kept fighting, so the heat of temptation was turned up even hotter for him. He knows what we go through.
He is our brother.
I pray today you would sense a deeper connection with Jesus Christ today. Take him in to your family. See him sitting with you at the dinner table, opening presents Christmas morning, hanging out at camp fires with you in the back yard.
He’s there, he’s our brother.
I grew up in a family of four; Mom, Dad, and my younger sister. I have to admit my sister and I didn’t get along to well. I am very glad we do now. But during those growing up years I had another sibling I was closer too. Wait a minute you say, I thought you said family of four. I did and we only had four in the “family,” but not in the family. My best friend growing up was the closet person I had to brother. We did everything together. And for a while he ever lived at our house.
In my bedroom I had my bed put up on bookcases, kind of like having a bunk bed but with out the lower bunk. It gave me way more space in my little room and a great little cave for video games, hanging out, and putting a mattress in when my “brother” needed to move in. Our friendship just got stronger in those months he spent living with us. We are still brothers and friends today even though we don’t see each other that often. I guess that is kind of like brothers too.
Warning: Transition! Stay with me.
I remember thinking for a long time, I wish I had more feeling attached to the act of Jesus dying for me. I have been a Christian sense I turned 13. I always felt like I should get hit harder when I read the story of Jesus’ death. If I really love Jesus then I should feel sad when I read about his suffering. But it just never really hit me until I read Hebrews chapter 2 while I was a youth pastor in Denver.
Hebrews 2 tells us Jesus is like our bother. He calls us brother. He took on flesh and blood because we have flesh and blood. He really became human, made a little lower than the angels as we are, and suffering with temptation as we do. When I read the word brother I thought on my friend, the one who had slept on that mattress under my bed. The friend I love as a brother. Then I thought about him giving his life for me on the cross. Suffering the whipping, the agony of Gethsemane, the crown of thorns, and the ragged breath on the cross. It hit me then.
My brother dying for me.
I don’t know if this hits home for you or not. I hope it does, because the brother connection doesn’t stop at the cross. Jesus being our brother means it’s our brother who is on the throne in heaven now. Our brother is the one standing up for us in the face of accusation. He is our high priest and he is our advocate. He is our brother, he knows what its like to suffer from temptation. Far more than we do actually, why would the devil turn up the heat on us if we give in and fall on something easy. Jesus never gave in he just kept fighting, so the heat of temptation was turned up even hotter for him. He knows what we go through.
He is our brother.
I pray today you would sense a deeper connection with Jesus Christ today. Take him in to your family. See him sitting with you at the dinner table, opening presents Christmas morning, hanging out at camp fires with you in the back yard.
He’s there, he’s our brother.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Um...so who was Jesus again? (Hebrews 1)
The claims of Christianity really are quite outlandish and polarizing.
My wife has some pretty great stories of some patients she has met in mental hospitals. Some are very sad and everyone has a story no one is just crazy. I am talking about the ones who made outlandish claims though. She has told me a story of sitting at a table in a ward having a bible study, with one guy who claimed to be Jesus, another guy who claimed to be the devil, and still another guy who told her she was a vampire. They were all together at one table studying the bible. Crazy right? The experience is crazy to have those different claims and perspectives all studying the bible together, but their claims are crazy too!
Christianity makes some claims just as crazy and outlandish, if you think about it. Hebrews Chapter one claims Jesus is the son of God, the one who created the world, the one who sustains the world, the full and complete image of God's glory, he died for our sins, raised to life, and is seated at the right hand of God in Heaven. Oh, and God has chosen to speak through Jesus to us. This is all in just the first few verses. The rest of the chapter goes on to say Jesus is greater than the angels and gives examples from prophecy and the rest of scripture to show this is true.
If someone today claims to be the devil, Jesus, or a vampire and then follows the line of reasoning with action they are locked up in a mental hospital until the can come back to reality. Now Hebrews is written after Jesus was alive on earth, so people make all kinds of claims about people after they are gone. They turn them into God's and all kinds of things the person never intended to be.
The problem is Jesus said the same things. He also said he was the son of God. He stated it so clearly in front of his accusers, the high priest tore is robe (which was a capital offense) and made it very clear they needed no more testimony from anyone else. As far as the priests were concerned Jesus has stated he was God. This was blasphemy and that would be the end of Jesus.
So um...who was Jesus again? He was just a good moral teacher, the simple son of a carpenter, he was a historical figure who had some really good things to say and was a good example for us on how to live our lives, right? Christianity has taken it way further. Because Jesus took it way further. It's no wonder he got killed. If he was on earth today we would at least lock him up and give him lots of drugs and therapy.
C.S. Lewis ask the question; what are we going to do with Jesus? We can't just leave him as a good teacher, because he claims to be more. So we either must dismiss him as a mad man who claims to be a scrambled egg or accept his claim that he was the son of God.
These are outlandish and polarizing claims. This is the way the book of Hebrews begins.
So we ask ourselves again today so...who was Jesus? Creator, sustainer, redeemer, perfect image of God, sacrifice for humanity, who sits at God's right hand in heaven, higher than any created being including the angels or a mad man who needs lots of drugs and therapy?
I'm going with Hebrews on this one...I don't know what you will choose.
My wife has some pretty great stories of some patients she has met in mental hospitals. Some are very sad and everyone has a story no one is just crazy. I am talking about the ones who made outlandish claims though. She has told me a story of sitting at a table in a ward having a bible study, with one guy who claimed to be Jesus, another guy who claimed to be the devil, and still another guy who told her she was a vampire. They were all together at one table studying the bible. Crazy right? The experience is crazy to have those different claims and perspectives all studying the bible together, but their claims are crazy too!
Christianity makes some claims just as crazy and outlandish, if you think about it. Hebrews Chapter one claims Jesus is the son of God, the one who created the world, the one who sustains the world, the full and complete image of God's glory, he died for our sins, raised to life, and is seated at the right hand of God in Heaven. Oh, and God has chosen to speak through Jesus to us. This is all in just the first few verses. The rest of the chapter goes on to say Jesus is greater than the angels and gives examples from prophecy and the rest of scripture to show this is true.
If someone today claims to be the devil, Jesus, or a vampire and then follows the line of reasoning with action they are locked up in a mental hospital until the can come back to reality. Now Hebrews is written after Jesus was alive on earth, so people make all kinds of claims about people after they are gone. They turn them into God's and all kinds of things the person never intended to be.
The problem is Jesus said the same things. He also said he was the son of God. He stated it so clearly in front of his accusers, the high priest tore is robe (which was a capital offense) and made it very clear they needed no more testimony from anyone else. As far as the priests were concerned Jesus has stated he was God. This was blasphemy and that would be the end of Jesus.
So um...who was Jesus again? He was just a good moral teacher, the simple son of a carpenter, he was a historical figure who had some really good things to say and was a good example for us on how to live our lives, right? Christianity has taken it way further. Because Jesus took it way further. It's no wonder he got killed. If he was on earth today we would at least lock him up and give him lots of drugs and therapy.
C.S. Lewis ask the question; what are we going to do with Jesus? We can't just leave him as a good teacher, because he claims to be more. So we either must dismiss him as a mad man who claims to be a scrambled egg or accept his claim that he was the son of God.
These are outlandish and polarizing claims. This is the way the book of Hebrews begins.
So we ask ourselves again today so...who was Jesus? Creator, sustainer, redeemer, perfect image of God, sacrifice for humanity, who sits at God's right hand in heaven, higher than any created being including the angels or a mad man who needs lots of drugs and therapy?
I'm going with Hebrews on this one...I don't know what you will choose.
Monday, May 9, 2011
"Oh, right, I forgot." (Luke 24)
How many times do we have to be reminded of something?
This morning was a semi-typical morning. We got up and I gave my daughter breakfast, took the dog for a walk, and went to take a shower. I came back out to get Lorelai dressed. "Take your pajamas off...take your pajamas off...take your pajamas off please." This was the whole process, ever article of clothing took at least three verbal ques before things got done. I asked her as we are walking out the door. "Lorelai, why do you wait to do something until I get grumpy? I asked you the first time nicely and you wait until I get grumpy before you do anything." Her response is a typical one for her, "Oh, right, I forgot."
In the final chapter of Luke, 24, its seems this phrase just keeps coming out of the mouths or at least the thoughts of the desciples. The women go to the tomb to annoint his body and they are met by angels who say, he's not here he's risen. Remember how he told you...then they remembered his words. "Oh, right, I forgot."
There are two men walking along the road to Emmaus, downcast and sure everything is over. Jesus, incognito, comes along side of them and says, "what are you discussing, what's got you down?" The continue to tell him about Jesus and how they had hoped he would be the one, but now he is dead. Jesus still unrecognizable tells them, "How foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" Then Jesus gives them a bible study about the messiah. When he is finally recognized at the breaking of the bread and he disappears, the two guys finally get it. Didn't our hearts burn within us on the road and he spoke to us? "Oh, right, I forgot."
It happens again as Jesus shows up with the rest of the disciples. He has to eat some fish to convince them he's not a ghost. How many times did Jesus tell these guys he was going to die and then on the third day be raised? "Oh, right, I forgot."
Don't we do the same thing? How many times have we read in scripture and been told by the preachers, in Jesus you are forgiven. We still hold onto our guilt convinced God can't love us..."oh, right, I forgot." How many times are we told of his everlasting love, how many times does Jesus pray for our unity as a body of believers and yet we pick and slash at each other, "oh, right, I forgot." How many times does scripture tell us to care for the poor and the least of these, sharing out belongings as each other have need. Yet we decide the new car, the bigger house, or the $5 cup of coffee is really what we want to do with our money. "Oh, right, I forgot."
May Jesus do for us as he did for his disciples at the end of Luke 24, "Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures." This is not to say the disciples got it from then on out. This is why Jesus promised to send his holy spirit to remind us of all the things he has taught.
One more little thing. How are we going to remember what he said, unless we spend time listening. Our hearts can't really be opened to the scriptures unless we are reading them. How often our busy lives carry us away from this. How often do I find myself saying, "oh, right, I forgot."
May we seek God today while he may be found when we seek him with all of our heart. May we remember who he is and what he has done for us as the words ring out through the history of scripture and resound in our own lives.
This morning was a semi-typical morning. We got up and I gave my daughter breakfast, took the dog for a walk, and went to take a shower. I came back out to get Lorelai dressed. "Take your pajamas off...take your pajamas off...take your pajamas off please." This was the whole process, ever article of clothing took at least three verbal ques before things got done. I asked her as we are walking out the door. "Lorelai, why do you wait to do something until I get grumpy? I asked you the first time nicely and you wait until I get grumpy before you do anything." Her response is a typical one for her, "Oh, right, I forgot."
In the final chapter of Luke, 24, its seems this phrase just keeps coming out of the mouths or at least the thoughts of the desciples. The women go to the tomb to annoint his body and they are met by angels who say, he's not here he's risen. Remember how he told you...then they remembered his words. "Oh, right, I forgot."
There are two men walking along the road to Emmaus, downcast and sure everything is over. Jesus, incognito, comes along side of them and says, "what are you discussing, what's got you down?" The continue to tell him about Jesus and how they had hoped he would be the one, but now he is dead. Jesus still unrecognizable tells them, "How foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" Then Jesus gives them a bible study about the messiah. When he is finally recognized at the breaking of the bread and he disappears, the two guys finally get it. Didn't our hearts burn within us on the road and he spoke to us? "Oh, right, I forgot."
It happens again as Jesus shows up with the rest of the disciples. He has to eat some fish to convince them he's not a ghost. How many times did Jesus tell these guys he was going to die and then on the third day be raised? "Oh, right, I forgot."
Don't we do the same thing? How many times have we read in scripture and been told by the preachers, in Jesus you are forgiven. We still hold onto our guilt convinced God can't love us..."oh, right, I forgot." How many times are we told of his everlasting love, how many times does Jesus pray for our unity as a body of believers and yet we pick and slash at each other, "oh, right, I forgot." How many times does scripture tell us to care for the poor and the least of these, sharing out belongings as each other have need. Yet we decide the new car, the bigger house, or the $5 cup of coffee is really what we want to do with our money. "Oh, right, I forgot."
May Jesus do for us as he did for his disciples at the end of Luke 24, "Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures." This is not to say the disciples got it from then on out. This is why Jesus promised to send his holy spirit to remind us of all the things he has taught.
One more little thing. How are we going to remember what he said, unless we spend time listening. Our hearts can't really be opened to the scriptures unless we are reading them. How often our busy lives carry us away from this. How often do I find myself saying, "oh, right, I forgot."
May we seek God today while he may be found when we seek him with all of our heart. May we remember who he is and what he has done for us as the words ring out through the history of scripture and resound in our own lives.
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