On Being Simple Enough

Matthew 18:1-7 PHILLIPS It was at this time that the disciples came to Jesus with the question, “Who is really greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?”  2-4 Jesus called a little child to his side and set him on his feet in the middle of them all. “Believe me,” he said, “unless you change your whole outlook and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. It is the man who can be as humble as this little child who is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.  5-7 “Anyone who welcomes one child like this for my sake is welcoming me. But if anyone leads astray one of these little children who believe in me he would be better off thrown into the depths of the sea with a mill-stone hung round his neck! Alas for the world with its pitfalls! In the nature of things there must be pitfalls. yet alas for the man who is responsible for them!

Observation

Jesus’ disciples must have been taken aback by this answer.  One only has to read the book of Leviticus to know that Jewish religious practice was complicated and exacting; over the years between Abraham and Jesus, legalistic interpretations of The Law by generations of religious leaders added rules and practices that made it even more difficult for anyone to understand or comply.  This complex religious structure meant to create human rankings in God’s sight based on performance and heritage – essentially:

(1) high ranking – the religious elite (privileged experts) who specialized in the study, practice and enforcement of the myriad rules and practices of the complex religious structure, standing as God’s judges of religious acceptability and performance (such as the Chief Priest and the Sadducees and Pharisees of the Sanhedrin);

(2) lower ranking – those with a heart to honor God, who did their best but who, feeling the heavy burden and impossibility of full compliance with the rules and required practices, relied on the judgment of those higher ranking to determine the appropriate sacrifice for the infraction and appropriate method of offering it to receive forgiveness.  This included sincere ones who did their best to recite all the prayers and follow the rules, however imperfectly, without hope of truly pleasing God; and

(3) lowest ranking – those who gave up trying to comply because it was just too complicated or they believed they were too much of a stench in God’s nostrils (e.g., lepers, prostitutes, etc.). 

With this teaching, Jesus is turning His disciples’ understanding on its head, offering a completely counter cultural and seemingly heretical teaching.   “Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom.”  What Jesus taught required the disciples to abandon the past understanding of the Abrahamic covenant (based on centuries of added religious traditions, rules and teaching).  He shattered the idea of a God too holy to approach and in its place asked then to embrace a new covenant of a Father full of redemptive grace offering a personal relationship with God through Jesus the Messiah. Mind boggling when I think of what courage, conviction, persecution, and personal cost it must have required for them to make this choice …. 

Impact on Me

I am a simple person. This teaching of Jesus resonates with my personal understanding of and experience with the heart of our God to embrace and provide eternal life for whosoever will come.  Certainly, there are tenets of faith that are true, eternal and immutable that guide us in following, loving, and serving God well.  Thankfully, through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, we have access to repentance which leads to redemption, rescue, and restoration when we either fall into sin or become another’s pitfall in sin.  However, despite wanting to keep my relationship with God simple, just as in the time of Jesus, I can become intimidated by the acceptable rules and practices of my culture or the larger religious community, judging myself as inadequate or guilty in God’s sight because I am not performing up to a standard set by men or my own perfectionism. 

When I do this, I am presuming to set the rules for the limits of God’s grace and my relationship Him, creating my own standards for what is acceptable, denying the completeness of the work of the Cross, and doubting that the love and grace of Father God is sufficient for me – essentially, recreating God into an idol made by my hands in my lesser image, by my expectations, controlling the relationship by what I will allow him to be for me.  Who do I think I am?!  Am I so foolish?!  Why would I ever doubt the sufficiency of the Cross, the love and grace of Father God?!   I find that I fall into this trap when I see myself as the ruler of my own fate (god of my own life?) – adult, experienced, learned, “wise in my own eyes” – and begin to hold my performance up for comparison to another’s.  May I always remember that I do not serve a performance-based God.

Devotion

Father God, full of mercy and love, Redeemer, I worship You.  I want to come as a child to You again, in Christ full of the wonder of You and Your Love, completely submitted to Your care, often sitting at Your feet, a frequent requester of Your wisdom, and willing to trust You to be all I need.   By Your Holy Spirit, search me for every barrier of complication, every standard that does not honor Your grace, love, and sacrifice, every offensive presumption, every sinful way; I come heartbroken to repent of all these and ask that You would forgive me and lead me in becoming more childlike, more dependent, more trusting in my relationship with You.  Because I know You love me past all understanding, I know that You hear me and will work in me to make it so. I commit to seek to please only You. In Jesus’ name, I pray.

On Departing Hollow Pathways

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Phillips  For, if a man is in Christ, he becomes a new person altogether—the past is finished and gone, everything has become fresh and new. All this is God’s doing, for He has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ; and He has made us agents of the reconciliation. God was in Christ personally reconciling the world to Himself—not counting their sins against them—and has commissioned us with the message of reconciliation. We are now Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were appealing direct to you through us. As His personal representatives we say, “Make your peace with God.” For God caused Christ, who Himself knew nothing of sin, actually to be sin for our sakes, so that in Christ we might be made good with the goodness of God.

“Environment, nurture, wounds, relationships, choices, and experience—all of these leave their mark on us. Over time, our responses become habits, habits become patterns, and patterns begin to feel less like something we do and more like simply who we are. The deeper these “hollow pathways,” the less we even notice we are walking in them. That may be the most dangerous thing about the old self: from the inside, these “hollow pathways” can feel perfectly normal. We need a life other than our own to expose them—a different Spirit, a different standard, a different way of being human. And this is precisely what Christ gives us: not merely a better pattern to imitate, but His own life within us.”  Mark Slomka, my pastor for life, from his Merely Human Blog

Observation

We humans are a messy bunch.  We are imprinted with the experiences of our pasts – good and bad.  Our families can be nurturing or wounding or both.  The struggles – emotional, physical, spiritual – that mark our lives can establish strong character or undermine us.  “Over time, our responses become habits, habits become patterns, and patterns begin to feel less like something we do and more like simply who we are… That may be the most dangerous thing about the old self: from the inside, these “hollow pathways” can feel perfectly normal.” 

This is our legacy from Adam and Eve choosing to make themselves the gods of the knowledge of good and evil.  Humans are much to swayed by pride, inconsistent and wobbly in sense, perspective and understanding, to be any good at it.  In Christ, we have an opportunity to reconcile their mistake.  We can bypass the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and, through reconciliation provided by the Cross and continued submission to the work of the Holy Spirit in us, reestablish and sustain the relationship our God intended at the beginning.  “For, if a man is in Christ, he becomes a new person altogether—the past is finished and gone, everything has become fresh and new. All this is God’s doing, for He has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ…”  What an extraordinary price to pay for relationship with us!

Impact on Me

The quote above is from a very wise pastor that God gifted into my life.  One of the gifts he exercised so well was challenging me to examine and evaluate the “hollow pathways” of my life.  He challenged me to be made new in Christ, to live above the circumstances of my past (temporary and temporal) by pursuing and embracing the eternal and holy.   He was an example to me of a merely human person in active pursuit of the fullness of the relationship Christ died to provide.  I provided a link to his blog above.

“For God caused Christ, who Himself knew nothing of sin, actually to be sin for our sakes, so that in Christ we might be made good with the goodness of God.”  This is my goal.  To allow this mere human (emotionally wobbly and flawed) to be overcome, overwhelmed and overflow with the goodness of God, with the mercy and grace of Christ, with the anointing of His Holy Spirit.  This is what Jesus died for me (and us) to be.  It is up to me to allow Holy Spirit to do the work to make  it happen.

Devotion

Father God, Creator, Redeemer, Lover of My Soul, You are worthy of all worship and praise.  I stand in awe of Your love for us, the value You place upon a relationship with us, the lengths to which You are willing to go to pursue and woo us.  I want to be surrendered to Your Holy Spirit so completely that You can dwell in me and I will be completely at rest in You.  I know that this will require sacrifice – forgiving/letting go of my past wounds, laying down my rights and expectations, being willing to be a fool for Your purposes and so much more.  Help me to remember when the choice comes that this is departing my hollow pathways to journey with You.  Make it so, in Jesus’ name.

On Being a Good Citizen

Romans 13:1-3 MSG Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it’s God’s order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you’re irresponsible to the state, then you’re irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you’re trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear.

3-5 Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you’ll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage. But if you’re breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren’t there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order, and he uses them to do it. That’s why you must live responsibly—not just to avoid punishment but also because it’s the right way to live.

6-7 That’s also why you pay taxes—so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders.

1 Timothy 2:1-3 MSG The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.

Observation

“Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it’s God’s order.  So, live responsibly as a citizen.“  This was written to Christians in Rome, a pagan culture ruled by leaders who viewed Christians as rebels and a threat to the state.  Christians experienced persecution, imprisonment and even martyrdom.  Paul is directing this church to be in the world but not of it, peacefully, patiently, consistently increasing the contrast between other religions and faith in Jesus Christ.  Be first citizens of Heaven who demonstrate obedience, submission to authority and living a peaceful life so to model a better way of living in faith, even to the point of death. 

“Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation.”   Timothy was also leading a congregation living under Roman rule, an economy based in strongly entrenched idol worship, and discrimination in business and social acceptance.  However, again Paul is asking us to look past the outward obstacles to emphasize the basis of the evangelism Jesus modeled for us – be willing to be a sacrifice in whatever way is required of you, look past the outward to contend for the salvation of the soul, love your enemy, be a living example of what a life in Christ provides (Romans 12).     

Impact On Me

“Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders.” I have lived a long time in this United States of America.  I have had times when I agreed with the federal/state/local elected or appointed officials and times when I have not.  Apparently, that is not the basis for how I am to respond to current rulers. I am to respect and pray for them whether I agree with them or not.  

I know that there will be no perfect government until all government is on the shoulders of Jesus. Paul did not say pray for those with whom you agree and rebel against those with whom you do not.  He reminds me that:   (1) God is sovereign; (2) I am first a citizen of Heaven; (3) I have been given to the USA as an ambassador of Heaven; (4) As an ambassador, I am to represent my country, its interests, and its ruler in a way that brings truth, peace, salvation, redemption, restoration and unity.   

“That’s why you must live responsibly—not just to avoid punishment but also because it’s the right way to live.”   So, it is my responsibility as a follower of Christ to pray for those who rule over me, to be a good and dutiful citizen without compromising my faith, to rely on my King to provide for and guide me in the right way to live regardless of how that is received in the secular culture around me, to never abandon mercy for judgment, to be willing to be misunderstood or persecuted so that Holy Spirit can accomplish His will and purpose, to pray for wise and Godly leadership at all levels while I strive to be in the world but not of it. 

Devotion

Father God, You are the One True God, Creator of the Universe, the Most High God, the Alpha and Omega, the All-Knowing One.  You have always been sovereign, always in control, always the One Who sets up kings and takes them down, always the One Who sees the whole picture of eternity, always the One Who is faithful to Your plan to redeem Your creation.  In these verses, Paul is telling me to put all my trust in You, all my responses rooted in Your Word, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of what I may face, regardless of the chaos that is happening around me.  Like David, I can lament away, crying out against injustice, as long as I get to the “but God…”, recognizing the You alone see all, know all, and are the One Who has all things working together for good for those who love and serve You.  May I be fully submitted and obedient, especially when I don’t understand and things don’t make sense.  Make it so in Jesus’ name.

On Earth As It Is In Heaven


Matthew 6:9-15 Phillips  Pray then like this—‘Our Heavenly Father, may Your name be honoured; May Your kingdom come, and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day the bread we need, Forgive us what we owe to You, as we have also forgiven those who owe anything to us. Keep us clear of temptation, and save us from evil’.”  14-15 “For if you forgive other people their failures, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you will not forgive other people, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you your failures.”

Colossians 3:12-14 Phillips  As, therefore, God’s picked representatives of the new humanity, purified and beloved of God himself, be merciful in action, kindly in heart, humble in mind. Accept life, and be most patient and tolerant with one another, always ready to forgive if you have a difference with anyone. Forgive as freely as the Lord has forgiven you. And, above everything else, be truly loving, for love is the golden chain of all the virtues.

Observation

I note that the importance, even necessity, of walking in forgiveness keeps coming up in the Gospels.  We pray the Lord’s prayer but neglect to include the next 2 verses.  In the Lord’s prayer, we ask to be forgiven as we have forgiven others.  Verses 14-15 give us the consequences for being unforgiving.  We will get what we give.  Our Father has been amazingly merciful, generous and charitable in forgiving us.  He asks only that we imitate Him with others who may or may not deserve the same grace and mercy.  This is the journey He has called us to undertake.

However, this is not always the easiest road to travel.  Unforgiveness is more than a rock in the road; it can be the unstable and crumbling cliffs alongside the road that will bury your soul in bitterness, anger, hatred, revenge.  Jesus told us that this world would have trouble.  He also told us that He has overcome the world – if we will abide in Him and walk with Him, obeying His word.  He did not guarantee that serving Heaven would be easy or that people would understand or accept what we do in His name for love.  He promised to go with us wherever the journey takes us and be with us whatever comes.

Impact on Me

“May Your kingdom come, and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  There is no unforgiveness in Heaven, no grudges, no sickness, no sorrow, no pain.  In submitting to Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I became a citizen of Heaven assigned to the location in which I live and have influence.  I am called to represent Heaven and all it has to offer, to invite others to transfer their allegiance from the things of this world, and to commit to live by, support and defend Heaven’s values. 

“Forgive as freely as the Lord has forgiven you.”  This is about anyone (and everyone).  On the Cross, Jesus asked the Father to forgive “them” for they did not understand what they were doing.  For me, “them” encompasses the religious leaders who plotted His murder, the crowds that yelled “crucify”, and the Romans who mocked, whipped and nailed Him to the Cross.  Yet, Jesus came to die for them and all who would follow.  So, “them” for me must include those who mock, insult, disrespect and otherwise crucify me.  I am not there yet, but I truly want to get there, where love overflows and freely forgives the hurt, the pride, the “what about my rights!”, the need to even the score.  Satan can only hurt me where I give him a foothold.  Free and abundant forgiveness removes that one.

Devotion

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God of Mercy and Grace, Redeemer, Light to my path, I stand in awe of You.  What depth, width, height of love You expressed by the Cross which opened the gates of Heaven for us all.  I want to walk out my life in that kind of love, freely forgiving as I have been forgiven.  Stop me when my soulish pride wants to be unforgiving.  I want to be an instrument in Your Hand to bring redemption, not carving out a foothold in myself or another for the devil to take advantage.  May my life bring glory to You in all I do.  I ask it all in the name of Jesus.  Make it so.

On God’s Plan May Not Make Sense


Joshua 5:13-15 MSG And then this, while Joshua was there near Jericho: He looked up and saw right in front of him a man standing, holding his drawn sword. Joshua stepped up to him and said, “Whose side are you on—ours or our enemies’?” 14 He said, “Neither. I’m commander of God’s army. I’ve just arrived.” Joshua fell, face to the ground, and worshiped. He asked, “What orders does my Master have for his servant?” 15 God’s army commander ordered Joshua, “Take your sandals off your feet. The place you are standing is holy.”  Joshua did it.

Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG  Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.  Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.

Observation

I believe this commander was Jesus.  He allowed Joshua to fall down and worship Him, something an angel would not do, and Jesus is identified as the commander of God’s army in Revelation (Revelation 19:9-16 NIV).  Regardless, any meeting with any angel must have been a jarring, overwhelming experience since the glory of God accompanied them (Luke 2:8-10).  This man must have exuded the appearance, confidence and awesome presence of a truly mighty warrior for Joshua to accept his self-identification as the commander of God’s army. 

Joshua asks, “Whose side are you on—ours or our enemies’?”  When the man says, “Neither,” he is making Joshua aware that there is a third side to choose.  “What orders does my Master have for his servant?”  Joshua abandoned his battle plans, took the third side – God’s side – and did not hesitate to submit his authority to God’s commander.  He had seen enough of the ways of God in Egypt, in the wilderness and crossing over Jordan to adopt God’s plan without hesitation.  I am sure he did not understand how marching around the city would bring the walls down.  Nevertheless, the battle plan for Jericho was going to be fought with the weapons of obedience, faith, and submission to the same God who brought them out of Egypt and through the wilderness.

Impact on Me

How often do I only see or consider two sides – my side and the opposing one?  How often do I assume that God is on my side rather than ensuring that I am on His?  How often do I launch into battle without presenting my plans to God to see if they sync with His?  Jesus consistently shocked His disciples by challenging the religious and cultural status quo.  Do I need a big scary angel to stand in my way to stop me from going it on my own?  Am I willing to submit to a plan that doesn’t make sense to me?  Which of us would come up with a salvation battle plan that starred a meek and humble man untrained in war, a troublemaker rejected by the accepted religious authorities, a crucified Savior? 

 “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.”  In my experience, choosing God’s side is not always easy, comfortable, safe or logical.  I had to learn the hard way that I was not always going to understand or be my version of successful or even be liked in my faithfulness.  At the very least, my pride will have to die in submitting to Jesus as Lord.  I want to be like Joshua at this moment and like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when the time comes to choose sides.

Devotion

Almighty, All-Wise, Merciful God, Your battle plan for redeeming humankind may not make sense to me but I choose Your side, Your plan, Your weapons.  Train me to recognize how to use love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, humility, kindness and all Your other virtues as weapons to fight Your battles for the souls You desire to save.  Change my definition of success to align with Yours.  May I clearly hear and quickly obey Your commands on each and every battlefield where You send me.  I ask it all in the name of Jesus.  Make it so.