The Sermon on the Mount 29

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Jason

Judge not, that you not be judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your own eye?” You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. — Matthew 7:1-6

“Don’t judge me!”

This could well be the mantra of our time. Nobody wants to be called judgmental, despite our deeply held longings for things to be just. And this particular passage guards against whatever judgmental tendencies we may have. Jesus clearly says that judgment is not ours to pass.

And yet, based on the full teaching, I think it’s safe to say that Jesus encourages His followers to engage in careful, thoughtful, and prayerful discernment.

There is a fine line between judgment and discernment.

Here’s how I see this: judgment assumes a posture of condemnation. This is never our purview as Christians. God alone is qualified to judge in this manner. But Jesus goes on to teach His followers not to cast their pearls before swine, not to give that which is holy to “dogs.” Who is He talking about here? Whoever it is, isn’t this a pretty “judgmental” thing to say? Well, according to our usage of the term, perhaps. But this is where biblical teaching differs from cultural understanding. It is spiritual discernment that prompts this teaching. The same thought is found in Matthew 10 when Jesus tells the disciples to shake the dust off their feet and move on when they face opposition to the Gospel. It is an act of discernment to make such a “judgment call” in the moment. But such judgment is free from the spirit of condemnation that Jesus clearly speaks against in the Sermon on the Mount.

So when we cry foul and shout, “Don’t judge me!”, we might just as well be saying, “Don’t make any sort of value statement about the way I’m living!” And why not? You can cover up a whole host of sins this way. You can live any way you want and anytime someone loves you enough to call you out, you can simply throw up the “Don’t judge me,” line and walk away feeling completely vindicated. What a lie we’ve consumed!

Is it possible to exercise spiritual discernment without issuing spiritual condemnation? This seems to be the tension we are meant to live within as followers of Jesus.

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The Sermon on the Mount 28

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Jason

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. — Matt. 6:25-34

What is the basis of your life?

you+are+moreThat seems to be the question that undergirds Jesus’ teaching on anxiety and worry here. Jesus addresses our tendency to define ourselves on the basis of our needs: what we eat, what we drink, what we wear. Life is more than these, He says. Pointing to the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, Jesus adamantly states that if God provides for these, He will much more abundantly provide for the humanity that bears His image.

You are more, He says.

Because you are more, you are free to pursue higher and loftier goals. Rather than fixating on base need, Jesus teaches us to aspire for the Kingdom of God. When he says “seek first the kingdom,” He isn’t speaking of chronology. It’s not as if we’re free to pursue material indulgence after we’ve sufficiently sought after God’s Kingdom for a period of time. Instead, Jesus is showing us that our hearts only have capacity for one ultimate priority.

Purity of heart is to will one thing.

And for Jesus, that one thing is the Kingdom of God.

So what is His antidote to the worry and anxiety and stress that so often plagues us?

Seek above all else the Kingdom of God.

Passionately pursue His righteousness with single-minded devotion.

And all of these other things — that which you are more than — will be added unto you by His gracious hand.

This is life in God’s Kingdom reign.

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The Sermon on the Mount 27

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Jason

No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. — Matt. 6:24

GodMoneyTo pledge allegiance to the Kingdom of God is to disavow allegiance to other powers. In particular, Jesus points out the servant / master relationship we too often enter into with our possessions. Assuming an identity as “owner”, we continue to amass physical belongings, bits of junk, really, that we neither need or (in some cases) want. We are drawn to these because of the status they afford us, ascribing a place for us in a culture of commerce and trade.

The trick is this: at what point to we cease to “own” these possessions and at what point do they begin to stake an ownership claim of their own upon our hearts?

This is an important question, one that followers of Jesus (especially those who are globally affluent) should be asking. Here are a few more:

What is stewardship? How do stewardship and discipleship intersect?

What does a healthy, God-honoring relationship to our money look like?

To all of this, Jesus teaches that a house divided is no house at all. As creatures with physical and temporal limitations, we must navigate our way through a world of material dependency: food, clothing, shelter — these are vital to our flesh-and-blood existence. Yet, we maintain that these are simply accoutrements; they are not constitutive of life itself. Instead, we devote ourselves fully and wholly to the Master’s way and provision.

He is our Lord.

To Him alone we pledge allegiance.

Posted in Discipleship, Faith, Jesus, Kingdom Values, Scripture, Sermon on the Mount, Stewardship | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Top Five: February 2014

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Jason

One of the things I’ve challenged myself with for 2014 is to post a “Top Five” each month: five things I’m enjoying right now, be it books, music, movies, etc. If nothing else, it helps me keep the blog current. Here are five things I’m enjoying this month.

  1. American Idol. AMERICAN IDOL: Logo 2009. CR: FOXSunny and I watched AI for several seasons but gave it up a couple of years ago. When we heard that Harry Connick, Jr. was slated to join the judges’ panel this season, we decided to give it another shot. And we love it! The production seems much fresher, with more emphasis on the contestants’ back stories which creates a really compelling narrative. And Connick is just great – funny, incisive, and it seems as if he really has the contestants’ best interests in mind. Right now, AI is just about the only show we all watch together as a family.
  2. Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn. Heir-to-the-Empire2I guess I’m really into Star Wars fiction right now. I know that makes me sound like a geeky fanboy, but after binging on so much reading for school these past few years, I’m making up for lost time by indulging some fiction books I’ve not had time to read yet. Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy kickstarted the whole SW fiction fad nearly 20 years ago and he perfectly captures the feel and characters of the original trilogy series. My copy includes margin notes by Zahn that help enlighten the reader as to his artistic decisions; I only wish I could find similar copies of the next two volumes in the trilogy. All of this only whets my appetite for Episode VII, set to release next May. Yes, I am a nerd.
  3. Running. Popularity-of-running-shoesAs I reach the completion of a major academic milestone, I’m already planning my next major goal: running a marathon by the time I turn 40. (For those of you keeping score, I’m currently 37.) You should know that I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. I’ve never been an avid runner, at least not when it comes to this kind of disciplined endeavor. I’ve never even run a 5K. But I’m the type of person that needs to have goals that I’m always working toward and the more ambitious, the better. So I’m setting out to run a 5K sometime soon, working my way up to a half-marathon next year and a full the year after that. We’ll see how it goes; I’ve already logged 9 miles this month. If nothing else, I figure this will be a good way to get in shape. Which leads me to the next item on the list…
  4. Kings of Leon. kol-cas-usaI’ve been searching for some good workout music for my running sessions and I’ve received a lot of good suggestions from my friends. But this month, I’ve been running to a lot of Kings of Leon and, I have to say, it makes for a pretty awesome workout playlist. I’m mainly listening to their last two albums, Mechanical Bull (released last fall) and Come Around Sundown (put out in 2010). Honestly, I had forgotten how good Sundown was…there are about 6 or 7 songs on here that are solid gold (The End, Pyro, Mary, Mi Amigo, and Back Down South, to name a few). And Mechanical Bull continues to grow on me. Great vibe, great sound. Mix in a little Black Keys and you have a great workout set.
  5. Spring baseball season.
    The division-champion Minor 8 Royals!

    The division-champion Minor 8 Royals!

    There are few things in life I enjoy more than coaching my son’s baseball teams. Counting fall and spring baseball seasons, I think this spring will be my 8th season coaching. I have the privilege of coaching with some of the best guys I know and the kids are just fantastic. I played a lot of baseball in my days as a kid, but nothing compares to coaching — seeing these boys improve as they start believing in themselves and finding success on the ball field. We’re set to begin practice in another week or two — this time with an eye toward a full schedule of “kid pitching” for the first time! Joshua is so excited and I can’t wait to get out there on the field with him. There’s nothing like it.

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Turbulence

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Jason

I spent part of last week in Honduras spending some time with the men and women of Mission Upreach, a church planting organization in western Honduras. I missed most of the subzero temps here in the Southeast and the ice-storm-craziness that came with it. However, I did NOT miss out on the craziness at the Atlanta airport caused by the storm, specifically the 1,000+ flights that were cancelled due to the inclement weather. But that’s another story. I was slightly inconvenienced; nothing more. I know many others had their travel plans significantly altered by the storm, so I’m thankful.

I did have a pretty crazy experience on my return flight, though. About 30-45 minutes outside of Atlanta, we hit a pretty good sized pocket of turbulence. In my flying experience, you might have a minor bump or two when you hit some turbulence, nothing more. This was different. First of all, this pocket of turbulence was way more than “a minor bump or two.” A couple of times, I actually came up out of my seat. Seriously. And I’m not just talking about a little rough spot that lasts 5-10 seconds. I’m talking about a good 90 seconds of shaking, dipping, bouncing around. Ordinarily, I don’t get too scared by situations like this. In fact, I sort of find them amusing. I usually think to myself, “Ah, no big deal, we’ll pull out of it here in a second.” But after a minute or more, I began to seriously wonder if we’d make it out alive!

When we hit the first pocket of turbulence, this lady behind me let out a scream of surprise. After the second bump — one that lifted me out of my seat and caused us to feel like we were in a freefall for a couple of seconds — she starts screaming at the top of her lungs. Honestly, I couldn’t tell if she was scared or if she was having a baby. I looked out of the corner of my eye to see her clawing at the plane window, like a cat pawing at a ball of yarn or something. It was nuts. Other people started murmuring, semi-yelling, calling out, “What’s going on?” and “Shut up!” Another couple of bumps and I honestly heard someone yell, “We’re going to die!” I don’t think he was joking, but I can’t be sure.

Somewhere amid the pandemonium, I also heard people calling out to Jesus. Someone just a row or two back started audibly praying, “Jesus, save us. Jesus, please save us.” I heard another guy further back praying, “Lord, please just put your hands underneath this plane and guide us home. We need you, Lord.” It was all such a surreal experience. The sense of fear was absolutely palpable, but even in the chaos, it was strangely comforting to hear people calling out to Jesus.

Of course, in a matter of minutes, the turbulence was over. As soon as we leveled back out, the passengers erupted in a round of applause. We did the same thing when we landed.

I don’t pretend to know how God works. Who am I to say that He didn’t put His hands underneath our plane to guide it home. But what I found most interesting about the whole experience was the overt way many of us turned to Jesus in the face of uncertainty. Nobody seemed too troubled by these politically incorrect prayers “in the name of Jesus.” I’m also reminded of the old adage: Many want a Savior. Far fewer want a Lord.

However, it happened, I’m thankful to have made it safely home. And I’m thankful for the promise of God, who says He will never leave us nor forsake us.

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Do Not Be Overrighteous

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Jason

I was reading through Ecclesiastes tonight and I came across this passage:

In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: a righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise – why destroy yourself?

Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool – why die before your time?

It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.

— Ecclesiastes 7:15-18

Now, it’s fairly easy to understand the whole “don’t be overwicked” thing. That’s sort of a given, right?

But what are we to do with “do not be overrighteous?”

I always thought “righteousness” was something we couldn’t get enough of. I didn’t even know it was possible to be “overrighteous.”

I don’t think the writer is advocating a lack of morality. I think he’s denouncing legalism — the false belief that righteousness can be achieved through slavish devotion to a moral code. One whose identity is solely bound to the “righteousness” and “wisdom” of his own actions deceives himself. Such self-deception is tantamount to destruction (v16), which is the way in which a righteous man perishes in his righteousness.

Righteousness — or right standing before God — is from God, a gift revealed through faith (Romans 1:17). I believe faith involves an act of the human will — it is not something that “happens to us” but rather it is something that “happens in us.” But I also believe faith is actuated through obedience. Faith in God should always lead to greater obedience and, presumably, greater righteousness being manifest in our lives. And yet, the Preacher in Ecclesiastes stakes out a position that reminds us of the dangers of thinking too highly of our own righteous works. Elsewhere he writes:

There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. — Eccl. 7:20

With this safeguard in place, I don’t think we’ll be accused of being “overrighteous” anytime soon.

Posted in Devotional, Faith, God, Hard Sayings, Kingdom Values, Obedience, Scripture, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Boys

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Jason

I’m feeling reflective tonight here in Tennessee. Tomorrow I’ll deliver the eulogy for Don Shates, Sunny’s grandfather. This was a strong man, a man full of life and laughter. But he was also a man of sorrows: Don outlived both of his sons and his only grandson. All of this has me counting my blessings tonight. I’m thankful for my boys and I’m mindful of the legacy of faith that they’ve inherited from both sides of their family. The last few months have been a little hard on them; they’ve said goodbye to several of their role models and now they’re asking questions about how long I’ll live. But in this season of grief, we’ve also made some great memories. Here’s a pic we snapped a few weeks ago when we hiked Laurel Falls in Gatlinburg. I love these boys.

20140120-185836.jpg

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Top Five: January 2014

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Jason

I wanted to take more time to write here on the blog in 2014. Of course, here we are halfway through January and this is my first post of the year!

One of the things I thought I’d do is post a “Top Five” each month: five things I’m enjoying right now, be it books, music, movies, etc. If nothing else, it helps me keep the blog current. Here are five things I’m enjoying this month.

  1. High Violet, the stellar 2010 album from The National

    High Violet, the stellar 2010 album from The National

    The National. I’ve been listening to a ton of The National lately, especially their last two albums. I wrote about their latest album, Trouble Will Find Me, in my Best Albums of 2013 post last month and rated it one of my favorites of the year. Coupled with 2010’s High Violet, these indie faves have put together a nice mid-career run of sonically rich and lyrically arresting albums. Their layered sounds make for perfect winter listening (particularly while driving) and Tom Beringer’s poetry is equal parts puzzling and evocative. The knock on them has long been that their albums require multiple listens before they really start to “gel” for the listener. But that’s not a criticism; it simply underscores the depth of their music. I could seriously listen to “Bloodbuzz Ohio” and “Fake Empire” on a continuous loop and not get tired. If you’ve never listened to The National, go stream some of their stuff on Spotify. You’ll be glad you did.

  2. Kenobi, a Star Wars "western"

    Kenobi, a Star Wars “western”

    Kenobi by John Jackson Miller. I grew up as a huge fan of the original trilogy and I’ve enjoyed introducing my children to the Star Wars saga over the last few years. But I’ve missed out on much of the canonical fiction that was written by Timothy Zahn and others that carries the original narrative forward. I picked up a copy of Heir to the Empire over the holidays and I was about to dive into it when I came across this title. Miller has penned a story to correspond to Kenobi’s years in hiding on Tatooine between Episodes III and IV. What is unique about this book is the fact that Miller envisioned it as a western, with Kenobi doing his best mysterious stranger, Pale Rider impersonation as he comes to the aid of the local hydration farmers who are persistently threatened by A’Yaark, the last of a line of great Tusken warriors. This may not go down as the greatest Star Wars fiction, but it’s been a fun read after a summer and fall devoted to school reading.

  3. Candy Crush. Good grief.

    Candy Crush. Good grief.

    Candy Crush. This game. I can thank Sunny for this addiction. I’d heard about Candy Crush for a while, mostly through the ubiquitous Facebook requests I’d receive from people. I never understood…until I started playing a few weeks ago. Now I can see why people are so addicted to this game. It’s my favorite mindless time-killer these days. I was actually feeling pretty good about myself and my Level 39 achievement…until I heard that a friend of mine has made it to level 160! I’m not sure I have the patience to make it that far!

  4. My guitar.
    guitar

    Playing my Dad’s old guitar

    A few years ago, Sunny surprised me with a great gift on Father’s Day: she had my Dad’s old guitar completely refurbished for me. I couldn’t take it up like I wanted to at the time; I had too many other things going on. But this week, I’ve been able to sit down and play a bit and it’s been a ton of fun. I’m still pretty raw and my fingers are really sore – especially as I continue typing this entry! But it’s been great playing and singing with the kids and Sunny the past few nights. So far, my favorite song to play is Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” No telling how many times that song has been played on this guitar.

  5. My boy Peyton

    My boy Peyton

    The NFL Playoffs. Around our house, we always get into the NFL Playoffs. This year, we’re completely pro-Peyton since our Titans didn’t make the playoffs. Truthfully, we’ll probably be rooting for either Manning or Brady in the Super Bowl, whoever happens to win on Sunday. I’d love to see Peyton win another ring and push his playoff record above .500. If he is able to win another championship, he could really assert himself in the conversation as the greatest QB of all-time. It should be fun!

Posted in Blogging, Books, Games, Music, Sports, Sunny, What I'm Loving | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

2013: Looking Back

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Jason

As I write this, there is exactly one hour remaining in 2013. I guess it’s human nature to look back and reflect on the year that has passed. To be honest, I’m glad to see this year draw to a close. It’s been a hard year. In February we were jolted by the unexpected death of Sunny’s brother, Roger. In July, we lost Sunny’s father, Alan, after a lengthy battle with ALS. To say we’ve been grieving this year would be an understatement. Loss is always difficult, but there’s nothing quite like the death of a family member. I suppose we’ve been even more aware of these losses these past few weeks as we’ve gone through our first holiday without them. We can look back to our Christmas pictures from last year and there’s Roger and Alan together.

This year, only a void.

But this has also been a year of unexpected blessing. Sunny and her entire family have shown such strength in the midst of these trying circumstances. They have honored these beloved men by faithfully holding to the promises of God, promises of resurrection and restoration. Anytime you learn those lessons, you have to count that as a blessing.

I’ve also been blessed to see my children grow in their faith this year. The questions they ask are sometimes difficult, even for me to answer. But they’re also asking the kinds of questions that let me know their faith is becoming their own. I’ve already resolved myself to the fact that my children will think about and practice their faith much differently than I do; and watching that come to fruition right before my eyes is something special. Lots of people are fearful about the future; I’m not one of those people. I’m excited about what God is doing to express His Kingdom through this next generation of disciples.

The lessons we’ve learned in 2013 will not be soon forgotten. As we shift into 2014, I’m praying for the year of the Lord’s favor. I’m praying that we’ll come to know Jesus more fully and more tangibly in the next 12 months. And I’m praying that our grief becomes a springboard toward greater faith, hope, and love.

Happy New Year

Posted in Disappointment, Faith, Family, General | 4 Comments

Things I Want To Remember, Vol. 24 (The Christmas Edition)

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Jason

Over the years, I’ve used this blog as a repository for the crazy things my kids say and do, knowing that there’s no way I’ll be able to remember all of this stuff on my own. The last few days we’ve been able to enjoy a ton of family time, which means there’s been plenty of new stuff for my “Things I Want to Remember” list. Here are some of the highlights:

  • IMG_1214Joshua has been wanting a BB gun for about a year or more. Sunny and I finally decided that this Christmas was the perfect time. The box kinda gave it away — he guessed what it was as soon as he saw it “under” the tree! But no matter; it was the first gift he ripped into on Christmas morning and by that afternoon we were out in the yard testing it out on a cardboard “orc” target we’d created. We even dug out my old BB gun that I got from my parents about 30 years ago. I put a few BBs in and shot it a few times….and nothing happened. But after a couple of “warm up” shots, it worked just fine. We had a couple of hours of fun killing orcs and learning about gun safety. It was awesome.
  • The reason we chose to shoot at orcs? Christmas break also marked the first time for my kids to see the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’ve been wanting to introduce them to LOTR for a year or so, but we thought Jackson was too young until recently. Over the last few days, we’ve made our way through all three films and I’m once again reminded of what an epic storyline Tolkien created. Joshua’s favorite is Legolas; Jackson vacillates between Frodo and an elf warrior; and Abby Kate pretends to be Arwen. For the last few years, I’ve had to answer all sorts of Star Wars mythology questions; now we’ve moved on to Tolkien, which I know very little about. I just know these movies are awesome and it’s been a blast watching them with my kids.
  • One of the things Abby Kate has been asking for all year is a guitar. At first we hoped it was just a fad, but she stuck to her guns all year long. Luckily, a good friend was willing to help us pick one out that would be “just right” for little fingers as we learn how to play. A few days before Christmas, our friends stopped by and surprised her with this special gift. The grin on her face was about a mile wide! Of course, her brothers have already “untuned” the guitar (that didn’t take long), so we know there will be plenty of things like this we’ll have to learn along the way. But I’m thinking about signing both of us up for guitar lessons; I think that’d be a really fun thing for us to do together.
  • Jackson has especially enjoyed the whole “Santa” thing this year. Part of Santa’s routine around here is dispatching an elf — Ollie — to come to our house the day after Thanksgiving. Ollie appears every morning in crazy places throughout the house, but thankfully he’s not one of those mischievous elves. Each morning, Jackson rips through the house to be the first one to spot Ollie. He left him a few notes this year, things to pass on to Santa. They were sweet notes, asking not just for presents for himself but being sure to mention a few things his brother and sister wanted as well. Jack also wanted us to be sure to have enough milk and cookies out for Santa and he gave his mother and me strict orders not to stay up too late…he didn’t want us to scare off the big guy as he made his way down the chimney!
  • This year we made it a point to see more Christmas lights than ever before. That led us to Tinsel Trail in Huntsville; Horseshoe Bend near Grissom; the Botanical Gardens; and the Opryland Hotel. Lots of fun family memories!
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