June 26, 2018

What Will You Sacrifice?

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

– Mark 10:21-22

We want to follow Jesus until it costs us something. We want eternal life but we don’t want to make sacrifices on this earth to make that happen. We want a life of faith but we don’t want to make any changes in how we live.

This man wanted to inherit eternal life. He followed the commandments. He assured Jesus he’d done that since he was a child. But he wasn’t willing to give up his possessions, his great wealth, to follow Jesus.

It’s not that there’s anything wrong with material blessings. The challenge comes when we value those things more than Jesus. It’s there that things become idols, whether we realize or acknowledge it or not.

This man wanted to do right, to live a good life, to follow Jesus. He thought he had. It’s as though he was coming to Jesus for reassurance that he was good enough for heaven. He wasn’t.

The sad truth is that none of us are good enough for heaven. We are all sinners. We are all too dirty to kneel before Almighty God. The only way to enter His Presence is to be washed by the blood of Christ. And that, my friends, will always cost us something.

What are you willing to give up for Jesus? Are you willing to tithe 10 percent, whether you think you can afford it or not? Are you willing to trust God with what you need even when you can’t see beyond today?

Are you willing to sacrifice your time and money to go on a mission trip or volunteer at a shelter? Are you willing to give up your well-deserved day off to help an elderly neighbor with yard work he can no longer do and can not afford to hire out? Just how much are you willing to give of yourself to be the hands and feet of Jesus?

We talk good. We point fingers. We write a check. We volunteer when something interests us or when we will benefit from it. But to sacrificially serve Jesus? Well, we’re not so sure about that. But His Word says that we must deny ourselves. We must take up His cross. We must be willing to get dirty, to step out in faith, to help those who aren’t pretty and clean and “worthy.”

Ah, yes. There’s that word. “Worthy.” We want to pick and choose who deserves our help, our money, our time. We forget that Jesus loved everyone equally. We ignore the reality that Jesus frequently welcomed those whom others cast aside.

Jesus calls us all to service. He calls us all to sacrifice. He calls us all to a different life than what is comfortable and of our choosing. The question is: Will you walk away or will you step out in faith? The choice belongs to you.

March 7, 2018

Extend Mercy and Grace

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. – Matthew 23:23

What does it mean to show mercy to someone? My dictionary said it is compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.

What is justice? A concern for justice, peace and genuine respect for people. Also even-handedness with a lack of bias.

What is faithfulness? Constant, loyal, stable and dependable.

Who are you holding a grudge against? Who have you condemned as unworthy?  Who do you avoid as being unworthy?

I’m sure you are doing it all in Christ’s name.

We are to be faithful to the words of Christ – even when it hurts. We are to treat everyone the same – even when someone else appears worthier. We are to show mercy – even when the other person refuses to admit guilt.

It isn’t enough to tithe. Sure, that’s important. It’s also important to attend church, pray daily and study your Bible. But living a life of true faith is so much more than that. It’s about letting go of the ugliness that binds you, not because someone else deserves it but because it’s what Jesus expects of you.

The Pharisees were all about rules. No one could live up to their standards. They were quite proud of themselves and didn’t hesitate to look down on the lesser Jews, the gentiles, all those who weren’t “pure” in the eyes of the law the Pharisees had created.

But that wasn’t what God wanted at all. Sure, He gave us rules and standards to live by. Think about the Ten Commandments. But all that other stuff? It was never about God and living for and worshipping Him.

The Pharisees wanted to place as many obstacles as they could in the path of those who longed to be righteous. They wanted to hold themselves separate and above all the rest of us. We see that today, don’t we? Every time someone doesn’t dress “appropriately” for church. Every time someone doesn’t know the books of the Bible in the correct order. Every time someone admits a less than perfect past.

We are so quick to condemn. We are so confident in our judgements, our words and actions that betray a dark soul. We’re so sure of our own righteousness that we forget it is only by God’s mercy and Jesus’ sacrifice that we can approach His throne at all. None of us are worthy. None of us.

So if you’re on your own pedestal, certain of how “good” you are and how “bad” someone else surely is, get down on level ground with the rest of us. We all need a Savior. We all deserve another chance. Is it easy? Not always. Do it anyway. We all are clothed in mercy that we are meant to extend to others.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

He Judges Me Worthy

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, thank you that I am not like other men -- robbers, evildoers, adulterers -- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

But the tax collector stood at a distance, He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'"

-- Luke 18:10-13

The Pharisee is alive and well in numerous churches across our land. The self-righteous are shouting their own praises as they walk down the aisles to their established seats. Their eyes rest during the sermon. They've heard it all before. They're satisfied with who and what they are and they'll gladly tell you all about it.

I relate so much with the tax collector. No. I'm not a public official or even as accountant. I'm just a sinner trying to live her life as best she can. I fall down and God picks me, brushes me off and sets me on the correct path once again. It's a path He and I have walked numerous times throughout my life. I know I am not worthy of His love. I am forever amazed at His compassion, His forgiveness and His never ending belief that I am worth all the trouble I cause.

I have been a Christian since I fell to my knees as a teenager, lost and alone and ready to call it quits. My struggle with religion has been ongoing. I am put off by the hypocrites and judges who look down on people who have not always lived a "christian" life. I see people who have struggled in the past try to right their wrongs and move forward toward Christ. And I have seen the people who regularly inhabit churches treat them as unwelcome guests and screw-ups who will never be worthy. It was never what Christ intended when He hung from the cross.

My insecurity fuels my anger. I am deemed unworthy to teach a class or lead a discussion. My great sin? I wasn't raised in church. I read my Bible and pray many times a day. I study alone and with others. I seek knowledge and God's will in all things. I am humbled by all I do not know.

I have at times felt like the child who gets shoved aside so that the adults can have their say. One woman, a long-time Sunday school teacher, is quick to offer correction and guidance on anyone else's comments. She patted herself on the back one Sunday. She'd finally read the Bible from cover to cover. She had passed her 70th birthday. I am amazed and appalled yet she didn't see the hypocrisy in teaching a book she'd never read. She felt justified in seeing herself as above others because she'd spent almost every Sunday morning of her life in church.

I can't go back. I will never be the adult who grew up attending church. I didn't learn all the little songs with hand movements and I didn't memorize all those verses. But I am an adult who loves the Lord with all her heart. I fully understand what He has done for me and what He continues to do for me. I will never be worthy. Ever. I know that. But I also know He sees my heart, He knows where I've been and where I'm trying to go. He has reached out His hands, grabbed my own and pulled me into His embrace. I am loved. He judges me as worthy and that's all I will ever need.