The Story: A Father Who Runs

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Jason

A Father Who Runs – Luke 15:11-32

Luke 15 – Three parables or stories Jesus tells; Parables of Joy

V1 – Pharisees complain that Jesus is eating with “sinners.” In the ancient world, breaking bread was a sign of full acceptance. Jesus isn’t just “tolerating” these sinners; he’s fully welcoming them around the table. These tax collectors and public sinners are drawn to Jesus. He receives them with the same compassion we discussed last week.

But this draws the ire of the Pharisees, which prompts Jesus to tell three stories.

V3-7, The Parable of the Lost Sheep

It really ought to be called the Parable of the Found Sheep, because that’s the point. Man w/ 100 sheep; loses one. Impact is not as severe as in the final story; yet, the actions are indicative of one who is deeply concerned when even one sheep has gone astray. He leaves the 99 and pursues the one who is lost. In the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Do you know why? Because there’s no such thing as a righteous person who does not need to repent.

These self-righteous Pharisees think they’re in the clear; that they have nothing to repent of — and this is the height of human pride, which is a sin.

Ultimately, though, sheep are replaceable. The impact of that which is lost increases in the next story Jesus tells.

V8-10, The Parable of the Lost Coin

Same thing; should be known as the Parable of the Found Coin. In this story, the impact of that which is lost has increased. 10 silver coins, 1 is lost. 10% loss of income. This is significant. So our heroine sweeps and searches and sweeps and searches until she finds this coin of great value. And when she finds the lost coin, she throws a party, because this is the kind of news that’s meant to be shared!

And yet, coins are replaceable, too. We understand her plight, because we’ve all misplaced things from time to time.

Years ago, Sunny and I took a trip out West to Colorado with our good friends, Corey and Alisha. We’d all only been married a few months and in those first months, I had a hard time adjusting to wearing a wedding ring. Like most men, I’d never worn a ring before; my finger would itch, it would irritate me. I’d take it off at restaurants, play with it. It was December and we drove up to Pike’s Peak; got out and walked around. Huge snow drifts, beautiful view. Got out, walked around a little, took a few pictures, and just before we hopped in the car, I noticed that my wedding ring had slipped off.

I just knew it was going to be a lost cause; we’d walked around several spots there trying to find a good place to take a picture. I’ll never for the life of me know how she did it, but Alisha spotted it and yelled, “I found it!”

This ring means a lot to me, and replacing it would be difficult because of the sentimental value associated with it. But in the end, this wouldn’t have been a tragic story if I’d never found my ring.

But the final story Jesus tells is the story of a man with two sons; and for a period of time, one of them is lost. We understand why this story resonates so deeply with us: a human life is a lot different than material possessions.

V11-32, The Parable of the Lost Son

Really, this is poor title for this parable; the hero of the story is the father. He’s a Loving Father, a father who runs; more to say about that in a moment. Read v11-32.

The first two stories certainly stand on their own; good teaching there for us. But they also serve as something of a set-up. In the first two stories, Jesus asks these rhetorical questions that assume the hearers / readers will agree that what is about to be recounted is self-evidently true:

  • V4, Does the shepherd not leave the 99 in open country and go after the lost sheep?
  • V8, Does this woman not light a lamp, sweep the house, looking until she finds the coin?

But in the final story, the pattern is broken: the father doesn’t behave in the way everyone would have anticipated. He does not go in search of the lost son and seek until he finds him.

Of the two sons, the story focuses most of the attention on the younger one. That always happens with the baby of the family, right? Nothing cute about what this young man says, though. V12, The younger son said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the estate.”

What a brat! Based on an interpretation of Deut. 21:17, the younger son, this young man would’ve inherited 1/3rd of the estate at his father’s death, compared to the 2/3rds his older brother would’ve received. That’s not in question. But the way this young man goes about this is just all kinds of wrong. Cold-blooded and offensive. In essence, he’s saying, “I can’t wait for you to be dead so I can have what’s coming to me.” One scholar I read this week said this: “It was as though the boy considered his father already dead and regarded himself as breaking family relationships forever.”

The word “prodigal” means “recklessly wasteful” and that’s a good description of what happens next in this young man’s life. He journeys to a distant country – listening with Jewish ears, we should hear “a godless country” – and engages in “wild living” (v13).

He spends all his money and then famine hits. He’s the life of the party as long as he has a little jingle in his pocket, but when the hard times hit, his friends all abandon him. He resorts to feeding the pigs – which illustrates just how low he has sunk. He reaches rock bottom in v16, “He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.” For the Jewish people, this is the lowest of the low: even the filthy pigs have more to eat than you do.

I want to pause right here and point out something: this is the ultimate end of self-centered living. Some of you have been here, I know; others of you are pained right now because this is the story of your children, your spouse, your parents, your close friends, etc.

  • Self-centered living is fun…for a while. You call the shots. You make the rules. You’re in the driver’s seat. Like this young man, there are no parents to report to; no God to try and appease. The pleasure principle rules the day. It’s a lot of fun. At least while it lasts.
  • But here’s the part they don’t tell you…it doesn’t last! Eventually, the money runs out, the party ends, the buzz fades, and you’re left feeling empty. And that’s when you have a choice to make: you either have to double down and party even harder to achieve the same buzz or you come to your senses and you start to realize that there’s something greater to live for. There’s a better story to tell with your life.

But I want to state it as clearly as possible: the ultimate end of self-centered living is isolation. When you live only for yourself, you find yourself living all by yourself. This young man wakes up one morning and realizes how lonely and small his life has become; no friends, no family, no relationship he can count on.

And this is the rock bottom revelation that transforms his life.

He decides that this self-centered existence will not be the defining story of his life. Instead, he decides to take the long walk back home. He takes responsibility. He’s not a sheep or a coin; he’s a human being, therefore it is incumbent upon him to take the first step toward home. He realizes that his father’s servants have it better than he does. So he turns for home; he starts rehearsing his speech: “Dad, I’ve made a mistake. I’ve sinned against heaven and against you.” This young man puts himself in the category of the “sinners” that Jesus has been spending time with — the same group that the Pharisees want nothing to do with. And this is what makes all the difference in this young man’s life: his rock bottom revelation leads to repentance.

The young man rehearses another line: I’m no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men. In this inner monologue, the young man acknowledges that he’s wronged both his earthly father and his heavenly Father. He’s giving up his claim of sonship; he simply asks to be a servant.

But this is where the story turns. Look again at v20: But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

Do you remember what we said about Jesus last week? He looks on the crowd in Mark 6 and He has compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus uses the same word here to describe the heart of this father: he was filled with compassion to the degree that he runs to greet his son.

In the ancient world, wealthy men like this didn’t get in a hurry for anything. It would’ve been considered undignified in the eyes of the community. Wherever you’re going, if you’re wealthy enough, they’ll wait on you. YOU don’t hurry for anything. But this father in the story doesn’t really care about conventional norms — sort of like Jesus, who really doesn’t care about the fact that these Pharisees are troubled that He eats with “sinners.”

The father runs — because that’s what fathers do when their children come home. I want you to picture this lovesick father standing on the porch, staring down the road, hoping and praying that he’ll see his son’s silhouette rounding the bend one day. And when he finally returns — imagine the joy that is in this father’s heart!

Look at the verbs used to describe the father here:

–       He sees his son

–       He runs to greet his son

–       He embraces his son

–       He kisses his son

The son’s rehearsed speech doesn’t matter.

His tattered and worn out clothes don’t matter.

The fact that he smells like pig-slop doesn’t matter.

The only thing that does matter is this: he’s come home.

We have a father who runs. When we take one step toward home, the father comes running.

Have you been in the far country?

Posted in Blessings, Devotional, Faith, God, Jesus, Repentance, Scripture, The Story, Theology | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Story: The Miracle of Compassion

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Jason

The Miracle of Compassion – Mark 6:30-44

“Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah of God’s kingdom is soon validated by some amazing acts that reveal the saving power of God at work in him. People witness miracles of healing, demons driven out, the powers of nature subdued to Jesus’ will, death itself unraveling and giving back life. The sheer scope and power of his deeds proclaim that something fresh, a new power, is irrupting into history. These ‘deeds of power’ are unmistakable evidences of God’s liberating power at work through him.” — excerpt from Craig Bartholomew & Michael Goheen’s The Drama of Scripture

Only one miracle appears in all 4 Gospels: the miraculous feeding of over 5,000 people – found in Matthew 14:13-21; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15; and the text we’ll look at today, Mark 6:30-44.

The ministry of Jesus is booming. In Mark 6:8-11, Jesus sends the disciples out 2×2, gives them authority over evil spirits. And this is what Jesus tells them in Mark 6:8-9: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic.”

The disciples are to learn a lesson about trusting in God’s provision – “Don’t take anything with you but the clothes on your back and the staff in your hand. Everything else…God will provide.” And so the disciples go out and they preach repentance and heal the sick and drive out demons.

Mark 6:30-44

V31 – The disciples are so busy, they can’t even eat. We understand this, don’t we, in our fast food culture? 25% of American adults eat fat food every day. According to a recent study, Americans spent over $117 billion in fast food in 2011. Something sacred is lost when we’re too busy to eat properly. Jesus knows this.

Jesus says, “Come with me to a quiet place.” The word is actually “deserted place” or “wilderness.” Calls to mind the location of Israel’s exodus journey — the place where Israel murmured because they didn’t have any bread (Exodus 16).

But the crowds run ahead of them and they’re waiting on Jesus when he gets out of the boat. And v34 is one of the key phrases here that I want to focus on: When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

Compassion – literally, “to feel in the gut.” He sees these wilderness people and allows their pain to reach Him at a visceral level. My mentor defines compassion this way: “Compassion is your pain in my heart.” This is what Jesus feels when He sees the crowd.

This August marked the 8-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. In late August 2005, Katrina hit the Gulf Coast as the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Total property damage was estimated at over $81 billion; more than 1800 people lost their lives. In the days that followed, we were all struck by the wake of destruction and death. Images of people stranded, standing on their rooftops waiting for help. Then came the stories out of the Louisiana Superdome. Looting, violence, all kinds of horrible things happened in those days that followed.

But people responded in powerful ways. Millions of dollars donated to charities; others donated to their churches and other faith-based relief organizations. Groups went to go and help; even groups from this very church. As with any tragedy, you always see the kindness and compassion of good people shining through.

However, like most disasters we experience through the broadcast media, the interest in Hurricane Katrina relief decreased as the months and years stretched on. People’s attention moved on to other disasters and causes. Outside of the anniversary of this disaster, when was the last time you heard a news story about Hurricane Katrina?

Psychologists have coined a term for what happens as these disasters fade from our memory – “compassion fatigue“.  After a while, we become desensitized to the images of pain and suffering. Frequently affects caregivers – system gets overloaded with so much tragedy that they become emotionally callous.

But here’s the amazing thing about Jesus: he doesn’t seem to get emotionally calloused. He doesn’t have compassion fatigue. As Isaiah 53 says, He’s a man of sorrows, well acquainted with suffering…yet His heart still bleeds for these people. They are like sheep without a shepherd.

“Sheep without a shepherd” – this is a common OT expression for Israel without leadership or poor leaders. You find it in a couple of places: In Numbers 27:17, Moses says he doesn’t want the people to be like sheep without a shepherd after he’s gone. In Ezekiel 34 & Zech. 10 the same phrase appears, used against abusive shepherds who no longer care for their sheep.

In Jesus’ day, these crowds are lacking true spiritual leaders. Since the days of David, Israel has been waiting for her true King. A ruler who will stand as a true shepherd over God’s people – one who rules with compassion and mercy.

Look at the last part of v34 – Jesus’ first response is to teach them; “So he began teaching them many things.” This is primary: His compassion prompts His teaching. They have a need for deeper understanding and Jesus compassionately responds by teaching them.

It’s important that we hear this. Today, the impulse for many Christians is simply to go and serve. Service is absolutely vital to our mission. But teaching was primary for Jesus. He didn’t immediately rush to feed these folks; He spent time teaching them. In Mark 1, after performing all of these miraculous healings, Jesus goes off to this quiet place to pray; the disciples come find him and they say, “There are all these people looking for you!” Listen to what Jesus says, “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” (Mark 1:38)

Jesus is interested in more than mere charity. His ministry is first and foremost a ministry of teaching about the Kingdom of God. For Jesus, His compassion first prompted His teaching.

Presumably, Jesus taught them all day long because the disciples eventually speak up and say, “It’s getting late. Send these people away so they can eat.” And you can hear Peter mumbling under his breath, “Yeah & I’d like to get something to eat, too!”

But Jesus says something remarkable in v37: You give them something to eat.

One of the most surprising things about this text is that Jesus assumes responsibility for the crowd’s hunger. Moreover, he puts this responsibility squarely on the shoulders of his followers. “You give them something to eat.” Logistically, this is a problem: it costs 200 denarii – or 8 months salary to feed this kind of crowd. We know from John’s Gospel this was Phillip.

But I think what Jesus is doing is reminding the disciples of the lesson they just learned when He sent them out without food or money. God provided for them in mighty and profound ways. This scenario is no different. Note from Life Application Study Bible: “A situation that seems impossible with human resources is simply an opportunity for God.”

V38 – Jesus says, “How much do we have?” They reply, “Five loaves and two fish.” John’s Gospel tells us that Andrew is the one who brings this boy to Jesus. So we have this crowd of hungry folks and there’s one kid with a lunchbox. He’s the only Boy Scout in the group, apparently; the only one who came prepared.

Jesus has the group sit down, divided into groups. He looks up to heaven and gives thanks, blesses the food. And Jesus begins to divvy up the food; breaks it off and begins to pass it to the disciples, who take it to the people. 5,000 adult males were there, but we don’t know how many were there. Everyone eats, 12 baskets left over.

In answer to prayer, God does the impossible.

This ain’t your ordinary church potluck. Hardly anybody brought anything. Instead, this is an overwhelming demonstration of God’s abundant grace. This is not a story about how much you bring to the table; instead, it’s a story about what God can do, even with our meager little offerings.

V42 says everyone ate and they were filled.

We take it for granted that when we sit down to a meal, we’re going to leave the table filled. My Grandmother Bybee was quite a character. We’d go over to eat at her house and she would say this every time: “If you don’t see it, don’t ask for it; and if you leave hungry, it’s your own fault.” We’d never leave hungry — always fresh corn, okra, plenty of ham, potatoes.

But for most of the people in the world today, it’s not a given that they’ll leave the table feeling full. If you open up my refrigerator right now, there are leftovers from probably two or three different meals. We have the luxury of options when we go to the refrigerator or the pantry. In many places around the world today, that luxury does not exist. It certainly wasn’t common in Jesus’ day. But in this moment, Jesus gives a glimpse of the future – the Messianic banquet table over which He will someday preside. It is a table of abundance, where every need is supplied. It is the future for followers of Jesus – and that future breaks into the present in this miraculous feeding.

In this miracle, Jesus is saying, “We have a Father God who is quick to supply our every need to the degree of overflow. With Him, there’s always enough!”

Do you feel like a sheep without a shepherd?

Do you feel as if your needs often times outrun your resources?

Remember, it was the compassion of Jesus that prompted this miracle.

And that compassion does not run out or wear thin. Perhaps this is the greatest miracle of all: He cares for you. He is the Good Shepherd, the One who cares to supply our every need. Everything about our lives, from our physical sustenance to our spiritual survival, is dependent upon Him.

He will supply…He will provide…for He is our shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture.

Are you trusting in His provision?

Posted in Devotional, Faith, Gospel, Jesus, Love Others, Scripture, Social Issues, The Story | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Word of God

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Jason

Our youth ministry used the lyrics to this song recently at a worship event. The song is entitled “He Is” by Aaron Jeoffries and it articulates the activity of Christ throughout the Bible. I wanted to archive it here in light of our yearlong study of The Story:

In Genesis, He’s the breath of life
In Exodus, the Passover Lamb
In Leviticus, He’s our High Priest
Numbers, the fire by night
Deuteronomy, He’s Moses’ voice
In Joshua, He is salvation’s choice
Judges, He’s the giver of the law
In Ruth, the kinsman-redeemer
First and Second Samuel, our trusted prophet
In Kings and Chronicles, He’s sovereign
 
Ezra, true and faithful scribe
Nehemiah, He’s the rebuilder of broken walls and lives
In Esther, He’s Mordecai’s courage
In Job, the timeless redeemer
In Psalms, He is our morning song
 
In Proverbs, wisdom’s cry
Ecclesiastes, the time and season
In the Song of Solomon, He is the lover’s dream
 
In Isaiah, He’s Prince of Peace
Jeremiah, the weeping prophet
In Lamentations, the cry for Israel
Ezekiel, He’s the call from sin
In Daniel, the stranger in the fire
In Hosea, He is forever faithful
 
In Joel, He’s the Spirit’s power
In Amos, the arms that carry us
In Obadiah, He’s the Lord our Savior
In Jonah, He’s the great missionary
 
In Micah, the promise of peace
In Nahum, He is our strength and our shield
In Habakkuk and Zephaniah, He’s pleading for revival
In Haggai, He restores a lost heritage
In Zechariah, He’s our fountain
In Malachi, He is the son of righteousness rising with healing in His wings.
 
In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John He is God, Man, Messiah
In Acts, He is fire from heaven
In Romans, He’s the grace of God
In Corinthians, the power of love
In Galatians, He is freedom from the curse of sin
 
Ephesians, our glorious treasure
Philippians, the servants heart
In Colossians, He’s the Godhead Trinity
Thessalonians, our coming King
In Timothy, Titus, Philemon He’s our mediator and our faithful pastor
 
In Hebrews, the everlasting covenant
In James, the One who heals the sick
In Peter, He is our Shepherd
In John and Jude, He is faithfully coming for His bride
In the Revelation, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords
 
The prince of peace
The Son of man
The Lamb of God
The great I AM
 
He’s the Alpha and Omega
Our God and our Savior
He is Jesus Christ the Lord
And when time is no more
He is…
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He Will Be Their Peace

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Jason

sheep-with-shepherd“And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.

And they shall dwell securely, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.

And he will be their peace.”
— Micah 5:4-5

 

The people of God were facing hard times.

Their enemies were on the march, coming to destroy their cities, defile their temple, and humiliate their king.

In this season of strife, God raised up a voice — the prophet — to stir the people’s hearts and imaginations. His words were more than simply pedantic descriptions of these unfavorable circumstances. The prophet used his words to plunge us into a world of presence, to a space where we might encounter the living God.

Micah was one such prophet. And in his day, he spoke words of judgment and hope.

God will send His people into exile.

And God will restore their fortunes and bring them back home.

When this happens, God will crown a new king in Israel. This Shepherd-King will be born in humility, in Bethlehem, in squalor. He will fulfill the ancient promises of God toward His covenant people.

And He will offer Himself to us, becoming our peace — our shalom, our well being, our completeness.

Lord, be our peace.

In these hard days, shepherd us in the strength and majesty of the LORD God Almighty.

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Things I Want to Remember, Vol. 23

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Jason

Tonight I’m thinking over some of the most recent “Jackson-isms” that have kept us laughing around our house. I’m keeping up with them here so I can look back on them someday.

  • Our puppy, Sadie, is a Shih Tzu. The other night, Jack said, “Dad, I know why they’re called Shih Tzus. It’s because they like to go to the zoo.” I have to admit, I wasn’t sure how that sentence was going to end!
  • Ever since we’ve come back from Disney, the kids have been obsessed with all things Jack Sparrow and Pirates of the Caribbean. Only, Jackson calls it “Pirates of the Carousel Bean.” Close, but not quite, son.
  • A few nights before Halloween, Jackson was telling me that at his school, they had been praying that the rain would hold off so all the kids could trick or treat. He said, “We are praying it will just hold off and rain later in the night, kind of like when you have to go potty and you have to hold it until you get to the bathroom and then WHOOOSH, you’re able to go potty!”
  • Tonight as we were saying our prayers, Jack said, “Dad, I think it would be good to live in the Bible times because then you could see the real Jesus. But there are some things that I wouldn’t like about living back then. Like, not having a pantry to keep your food in. And all the kings in the Bible are wicked. But it would be worth it to see Jesus.” Deep thoughts.
Posted in Faith, Family, Humor, Kids | 1 Comment

Fall

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Jason

red_autumn_leaves_water-1600x900Today was one of those glorious autumn days: 60 degrees, zero humidity, and a clear blue sky that contrasted the glorious red, orange, and yellow of fall’s changing leaves. As we were driving home after running a few errands, Sunny and I commented to one another about the beautiful hues on display through the autumn season. This is truly my favorite time of year.

And I started thinking about the irony of all this beauty that comes from dying foliage. They say that the leaves change color as the trees enter into a natural state of rest in the winter, when light and water limits the process of photosynthesis. As chlorophyll production decreases, leaves lose their green color and a more diverse color pallet appears, colors that were always present but were merely overwhelmed by chlorophyll’s green tint. These colors are never seen until the life force of chlorophyll goes dormant.

Basically, the leaves die.

And that got me to thinking how we see beauty in this death. Year in and year out, the trees reach their inevitable season of rest and we see the glorious flourishing of what was always there, innate “true colors” shining through in the most critical hour.

Can the tree be faulted for understanding this season as a final repose?

Does the tree possess an awareness of the beauty that presages the oncoming season of rest?

Can the tree possibly be aware of the glory that awaits on the other side of winter’s harsh darkness?

Of course not.

These are trees we’re talking about, right?

Right?

As we enter the final months of 2013, I can’t help but reflect on what has been a difficult year for me personally. I suppose it’s an indicator of where my mind has been lately that a Saturday afternoon drive leads to a blog post about death and resurrection.

But these falling leaves testify to what I hope to be true, portents of a deeper reality that transcends our present circumstances.

And I remind myself that spring is just around the corner.

He is like a tree
Planted by streams of water
That yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. — Psalm 1:3
Posted in Blessings, Devotional, Disappointment, Eschatology, Faith, Family, Scripture | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Wreck

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Jason

So yesterday, I was in a wreck.

Not a major wreck. More like a “fender bender.” But still. A wreck. My youngest son was with me, and he was really scared. A wreck is a harrowing experience for anyone, but especially a little one. Thankfully, everyone was okay. If a dented bumper is the worst of my problems, I’m doing okay.

Last night Sunny asked me, “What went through your mind when it happened?” In that moment of impact, I remember two thoughts, clear as day:

  1. I hope Jackson is okay.
  2. This is going to seriously mess up my plans today.

Without question, my first impulse was to check on my child. But I also had a pretty good feeling that, based on the impact of the wreck, he was going to be okay. Like I said, it was more like a fender bender than anything. But as I answered Sunny’s question, I had to be honest in saying I was also a little put out that my plans had to change.

Silly isn’t it?

I’m reminded that I need to repent of my idolatry, particularly when it comes to buying the lie that I’m the god of my schedule.

One of my favorite people tells me that when someone walks into his office, no matter how busy he might be, he always puts down whatever he’s working on and gives his full attention to the person in front of him.

“I am not the god of my schedule.”

Are you able to say that?

If not, my only advice to you is “Keep a close eye on your rear-view mirror.”

 

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Service Day 2013

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Jason

Last Sunday, our church participated in our first congregation-wide Service Day. Our leaders asked our members to consider two questions:

  1. What is God doing in our community?
  2. And how can we join Him there?

In response to these questions, we prepared a host of service projects and made plans to move out into the Huntsville community in the name of Jesus. We gathered for worship at our usual time, dressed in service attire. At the final amen, we set out to serve; here are a few of the projects we were engaged in:

  • Winterizing homes for shut-ins and widows
  • Hospital visitation and care baskets for ER families
  • Yard work and facility repair at 305 8th Street, a residence home for the mentally disabled
  • Landscaping at the Arc of Madison
  • Installation of a wheelchair ramp at Dayspring Christian Counseling Center in Owens Cross Roads
  • Putting on a Family FunFest in the New Hope community at New Hope Church of Christ

My family was part of the team that worked at New Hope. We set up a ton of games, children’s inflatables, and prize areas. We had been advertising throughout the community, but we also had been using plenty of personal connections to help get the word out. For the past few years, we’ve been serving in the New Hope Care Center to help provide weekend and Thanksgiving meals for children on the subsidized lunch program. This gave us a greater opportunity to serve an even greater number of families with our FunFest project.

The day was a huge success. Scores of kids came through to enjoy the games. My family was in charge of the frisbee toss and we had a blast visiting with a lot of new friends and passing out candy. Afterward, we enjoyed a great devotional time led by our Children’s Ministers followed by a meal with members of the New Hope church and their guests.

We had been telling our kids all along that we were going to serve, not to play. This was a little hard for them to understand at first, seeing as how they’ve been participating in our church’s version of FunFest for the past few years. But they quickly got into it and we were really thankful for this opportunity to serve together as a family.

Today was our church’s FunFest, a similar event with inflatables, games, trunk or treat candy, and a devotional. Instead of serving, though, we were there as consumers, enjoying a glorious afternoon for our family thanks to the hard work of our Children’s Ministry leaders. We even saw some familiar faces we recognized from last week; it seems that word spreads when it comes to good FunFest events!

On the way to the truck as the sun was going down, Joshua said something that made me proud. His bag was loaded down with candy and he was covered in sweat after playing with his friends on the back lawn. But he turned to me and said, “Dad, this was a lot of fun. But serving was better.”

Glad to know he gets it.

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The Story: Tempted

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Jason

The Story: Tempted – Matthew 4:1-11

“Virtue is not virtue if it be untested and unexamined.” – Origen

The Temptation of Christ

The Temptation of Christ

Immediately following his baptism, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness. The wilderness calls to mind Israel’s desert / wilderness experience in the aftermath of the Exodus. We mentioned this earlier in our study: Matthew understands Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s story. There are several parallels between Jesus and Israel here:

  • In the previous chapter, Jesus passes through the waters of baptism just as Israel crossed the Red Sea.
  • His 40 days of fasting parallels the 40 day fast Moses experienced on Mt. Sinai (Ex. 34:28).
  • The 40 days Jesus spends in the wild also matches the 40 years Israel spent wandering in the wilderness.
  • The wilderness is the place of Israel’s great failures. But where Israel fails repeatedly, Jesus succeeds.

In the wilderness, Jesus is tempted by Satan and a conflict of kingdoms ensues. Satan essentially asks Jesus, “What kind of Messiah will you be?” The temptations will reveal Jesus’ character and provide an answer to this question.

First Temptation: Stones to Bread (v3-4)

The Greek word translated “if” here is also translated “since” in many other places in Matthew’s Gospel. Satan isn’t trying to establish Jesus’ identity as Messiah or Son of God — that’s a given. Satan knows this. In the previous chapter, God just declared it to anyone within earshot. Instead, he’s tempting Jesus to express his identity in ways that run counter to God’s will. “In view of the fact that you’re the Messiah, why don’t you turn these stones into bread?”

In this temptation, we can hear Satan whispering, “If you’re really God’s Son, surely he doesn’t want you to go hungry! Imagine what people will say: ‘God doesn’t even provide for His own Son! How will He provide for us?’” Satan’s initial temptation is a temptation of appetite; Jesus, in the midst of this period of fasting, is susceptible to this particular temptation because of His weakened physical state.

Has this ever happened to you? Does Satan know how to tempt you when you’re at your weakest? Absolutely, he does. Temptations of appetite often break down into three primary categories: food, sex, and money / possessions. These are natural appetites we have — which makes them natural points of attack for Satan and his minions.

Israel has been here before, hasn’t she? In the wild, struck with hunger pangs. After being liberated from Egypt, the Israelites began to grumble against Moses in Exodus 16: “You’ve led us out here to starve. At least in Egypt we had food to eat!” Israel failed her temptation of appetite, by not trusting in God’s provision.

And now, a similar temptation comes to Jesus: What kind of Messiah will he be? Will he be self-serving? Will He use His divine status to break the rules of nature and physics? Or will he wait for God to provide bread from heaven?

There’s something else deeper here, too: the Messiah is a public figure for Israel. So the stakes here involve the people as well. There are implications hanging in the balance if Jesus chooses to define his Messiah-ship this way. “Think of all the people you could feed. Think of all the needs you could meet.” If this is the kind of Messiah he chooses to be, then in one move, by turning those stones into bread, Jesus could wipe out hunger forever.

But he doesn’t do that.

Because his primary concern isn’t meeting your needs.

His primary concern is being faithful to the Father.

I think this is hard for us sometimes, because we’ve made such a big deal out of Jesus coming to meet our needs.

To be fair, He’s interested in our needs; over in Matt. 9, Matthew is going to tell us about a time when Jesus looked out on the people and it says he had compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. So Jesus is concerned about our needs. But make no mistake: that’s not His primary concern. His primary concern is faithfulness to God. Your needs are important to Jesus, but not more important than faithfulness to God. This is one of the things that qualifies Jesus to be our model in all relationships: He shows us what it means to love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.

Rather than simply meeting our needs; rather than becoming a welfare king; rather than settling for a physical feeding of the flock…Jesus replies with these words from Deuteronomy, Israel’s wilderness book: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Jesus is more than a benevolent king; He is God’s faithful Messiah. He teaches us to trust in God’s provision; to be sustained by the power of God’s Word; to wait confidently for bread from heaven. Jesus faithfully shows us what total dependence upon God looks like.

Second Temptation: High Point of the Temple (v5-7)

This temptation is yet another opportunity for Jesus to define His mission. Satan takes Jesus to the highest point of the temple. This time, the temptation goes like this: “Do something spectacular. Don’t you want these people to see who you are? If God is really with you, won’t He have to save you?” Satan really brings his A-game on this one, quoting from Psalm 91: “Doesn’t it say that ‘He will command his angels concerning you?’ If you’re truly God’s Son, wouldn’t He rush to rescue you if you were in danger?”

The second temptation is the temptation to test God. It’s the temptation to demand proof. It’s saying, “God, I want to see some results. Let’s see if you are who you say you are.” And this is antithetical to faith. Faith doesn’t have to see in order to believe. As Paul will say in 2 Cor. 5:7, “We walk by faith, not by sight.”

And again, there are implications for the people here, too. Jesus could show them His identity through some sort of miraculous display. He could give them the “Wow” factor to end all debate for all time. He could amaze them, leave them in awe, and in so doing, draw the curious crowd to himself.

But again, He doesn’t do that.

Because He’s not primarily interested in impressing you or amazing you or passing your test.

He’s primarily interested in passing God’s test.

Have you ever been tempted to do something simply to impress other people? This is one of those ever-present temptations. But in Jesus, we find someone who is less concerned with what others think and more concerned with what God thinks.

Satan quotes these verses as some sort of proof-texting for the idea that God must act to save His Son when He finds him in harms way. Little does Satan realize that God’s plan of redemption will require just the opposite — that Jesus will jump headlong into the abyss because he is convinced it is God’s will for him, willfully taking up the cross and offering himself as an atonement on our behalf.

And God will not save him.

Once more, Jesus responds with Deuteronomy: “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.‘” Jesus will be more than a wonder-worker Messiah; He will be God’s Faithful One. He shows us what it means to believe God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Third Temptation: The Kingdoms of the World (v8-10)

It seems as if the other temptations have been leading to this one. In this final temptation, Satan offers Jesus the kingdoms of the world. This temptation is a temptation of power. “In one move, Jesus, they could all be yours. You could coerce them to recognize you by setting up your own empire. You will be their Caesar, the King of Kings. All you must do is bow before me and give me your praise.”

Satan says, “The end justifies the means. Look, I’ll give you what you want. These people will acknowledge you as lord, as long as you acknowledge me as Lord.” Satan is offering Jesus a chance to surrender; all He has to do is pledge allegiance to the Kingdom of Satan.

Interestingly, there is no “If you are the Son of God,” with this temptation — because the issue here is idolatry. This was Israel’s primary failing in the desert. Remember Exodus 32; while Moses is on the mountain receiving the commands from God, Israel is at the foot of the mountain making a golden calf. What’s fascinating about this text is that Israel worships this golden calf and then turns right around and has a festival for the Lord. They don’t totally reject their God; they simply compromise who they are by also incorporating worship to Baal.

Jesus refuses to compromise. Because the end never justifies the means. He won’t water down his commitment to the Father. As with the other temptations, we see in Jesus an ultimate and primary commitment to God that supersedes everything else.

Jesus won’t bend his knee or bow his head.

Because this is his primary concern: that we would have no other gods but God.

One final time, Jesus responds with the words of Scripture: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”

In the temptations, Jesus gives us insight into these values of the Kingdom:

  1. Life is sustained by nothing but the Word of God. We are more than physical beings; we are spiritual beings created in the image of God. Just as God spoke creation into existence in the beginning by the power of His Word, so now does He sustain our existence through the power of the same Word.
  2. Believers must not put God to the test. Faith does not demand proof. Faith trusts in God’s presence, even when the circumstances don’t warrant it.
  3. The priority of the Kingdom is to worship God and God alone. There is only one God; all other allegiances are subservient to this primary truth.

As we learned early on in our study of The Story, a single temptation can be disastrous. Just ask Adam & Eve. And in each successive generation, we find the same thing to be true.

  • Think of Esau, selling his birthright to Jacob for a tempting bowl of stew.
  • Think of Moses, acting in rage to strike the rock rather than faithfully following God’s commands.
  • Think of David, lingering a little too long when he happens upon the bathing Bathsheba.

Through this study of The Story, we’ve found this truth to match the reality of our lives: temptation can be disastrous.

But here’s the good news: in Jesus, we find our champion. To be human is to experience temptation. But in Jesus, we find one who was victorious over temptation by being obedient to God.

Is there a temptation that is particularly troublesome to you? Is there a struggle that is persistent for you?

Maybe you’re struggling with a temptation of appetite in one of those three areas: food, sex, or possessions.

Maybe you’re tempted to test God, to demand proof because you feel overlooked.

Maybe you’re tempted to go your own way, to set yourself up as the god of your own little world.

If so, take heart, for in Jesus we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we have – yet is without sin (Heb. 4:15).

He is the Faithful One.

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A Quiet Season

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Jason

There hasn’t been much activity here on the ol’ blog lately. There are several reasons for this: I’ve been busy being a husband, father, student, minister, ball coach, etc. But the primary reason for the inactivity is something deeper. Simply put, I haven’t had anything to say. It’s been a season of quiet that I’m enjoying. After years of blogging in this space, I’m enjoying a little break. I’ll be back at some point, but for now I’m taking a bit of a break. See you soon.

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