Scripture records Jesus saying, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." (Matthew 23:37) What a heart-breaking verse this is.
It follows on the heels of 36 verses which expose the dangers of Pharisaism, and the "eight woes" which Jesus ascribes to the hypocritical behavior of this sect of men who profess to be the religious elite, but do things such as "tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but . . .are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger." (v. 4) They "devour widows' houses, and for a pretense . . . make long prayers." (v. 14) They neglect "the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness." (v. 23)
Today, the spirit of the Pharisees is alive and well within our governing bodies. For those who would protest that politicians cannot be compared to the religious leaders Jesus confronted, I would like to agree with you, but the problem is a great number of them have presented themselves as heroes of Christianity and have gone so far as to call into question the loyalty and patriotism of those who do not wear their religion on their sleeves.
Throughout the land, we see politicians who are prime examples of "don't do as I do, do as I say," who are not willing to make sacrifices while at the same time they expect the most vulnerable among us to sacrifice all. Anyone is certainly free to agree with the way current budget shortfalls are being handled, but I will warn of this: If we allow our "rulers" to go forward with their plans, the Body of Christ had better be prepared to handle a wave of homelessness, hunger, poverty and despair the likes of which have not been seen since the Great Depression.
We had better thoroughly think through what our country will be like if we allow our elected officials to continue on the path they've proposed. I know what Jesus meant when he longed to gather the children to him and let them be comforted by his love, but the Pharisees were unwilling.The days ahead can be our greatest opportunity ever to demonstrate what the Good News means; I pray we are ready.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Contentment, Not Apathy
Last week, after my comments on the importance of contentment, a friend of mine pointed out that dissatisfied people are the ones who change the world, and I absolutely agree. However, I think it's entirely possible to be content on a personal level while being an agitator for positive change. Many of those we call heroes in scripture would certainly fit that description, Jesus included.
Contentment regarding what we cannot change is not the same as being satisfied with leaving well enough alone when it comes to matters of injustice and evil. Personal peace stems from the ability to process what is beyond our control and still continue to lead a productive, balanced life, to be well and whole, not stressed, to find comfort and meaning in the midst of life's difficulties. While I believe this is the very heart of what it means to be a Christian, I also think inner contentment should be the impetus for a life of service.
Jesus gave two great commandments: to love God with every fiber of our being and to love others as we love ourselves. I don't know if it is possible to fully love others as we love ourselves without first being content. If we live in a constant state of agitation, never satisfied with what we have, always wishing our personal circumstances could be better, wanting more possessions and greater wealth, that is not love, it is loathing. An existence at that superficial level leads only to selfishness, not to a selfless life of love.
Once we find contentment, we realize peace which passes understanding is a goal worth attaining. Then, we are in a position to help others find that same peace, and therein lies the difference between contentment and apathy in a believer's life. We first must find joy ourselves, then we are to care so deeply about others, we want them to experience the same blessings we have.
While great injustices have been imposed through misguided religious reasoning over the centuries, many social wrongs have also been righted through movements initiated by the Church or at least propelled by believers. We should not be satisfied with a status quo which favors greed and offhandedly dismisses the downtrodden; our own contentment is not an excuse to sit idly by while others are suffering.
Contentment regarding what we cannot change is not the same as being satisfied with leaving well enough alone when it comes to matters of injustice and evil. Personal peace stems from the ability to process what is beyond our control and still continue to lead a productive, balanced life, to be well and whole, not stressed, to find comfort and meaning in the midst of life's difficulties. While I believe this is the very heart of what it means to be a Christian, I also think inner contentment should be the impetus for a life of service.
Jesus gave two great commandments: to love God with every fiber of our being and to love others as we love ourselves. I don't know if it is possible to fully love others as we love ourselves without first being content. If we live in a constant state of agitation, never satisfied with what we have, always wishing our personal circumstances could be better, wanting more possessions and greater wealth, that is not love, it is loathing. An existence at that superficial level leads only to selfishness, not to a selfless life of love.
Once we find contentment, we realize peace which passes understanding is a goal worth attaining. Then, we are in a position to help others find that same peace, and therein lies the difference between contentment and apathy in a believer's life. We first must find joy ourselves, then we are to care so deeply about others, we want them to experience the same blessings we have.
While great injustices have been imposed through misguided religious reasoning over the centuries, many social wrongs have also been righted through movements initiated by the Church or at least propelled by believers. We should not be satisfied with a status quo which favors greed and offhandedly dismisses the downtrodden; our own contentment is not an excuse to sit idly by while others are suffering.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Contentment
It would appear we're finally getting a break from winter weather, even though the first day of spring is still over a month away, and we all know it's possible there might be a few last blasts of cold before warm weather sets in. Some may know, because I have mentioned it before, I enjoy winter. More accurately, I enjoy every season, including winter, but cold, dreariness is just about my favorite condition of the atmosphere, even though it hasn't always been that way.
One winter, when I was very young, perhaps two or three, I became quite sick. By the time the doctor was called, and he arrived at our house (yes, a house call, I am that old), pneumonia had set in. My father used to say, "You almost didn't make it." Every winter after that, until I was probably at least in sixth or seventh grade, I would be sick and have a horrible cough which lasted nearly the whole season. Whether or not that condition was actually related to the bout with pneumonia, my mother always claimed it was. I didn't look forward to winter because I hated that cough; there didn't seem to be anything to be done, and I usually missed school several times a year because of illness. So, I realized recently I haven't always enjoyed winter, but at some point, that changed. Maybe at some subconscious level, I'm just glad to be alive.
I am sorry for those who must work out in the cold, and I know some people need sunshine or they become depressed, but for most of us, to like winter or not is a choice. I invite you to consider the end result of always wishing for spring to arrive. Those who struggle with winter and live to be 80, for example, will have spent 20 years looking ahead, longing for something different and not enjoying the moment.
Some of my friends may be tired of my "Pollyanna attitude" regarding cold weather, but I will continue to confess my love of winter (while trying not to be too annoying). I'm not trying to scold anyone; I realize excessive snow and ice cause difficulities, and now, with the thaw, we have deep mud around our place, but I believe it is our duty, our calling as believers, to find contentment regardless of our circumstances. Though I am still learning, my desire is to be content in every area of life, because contentment is a basic tenet of all religions, and those who live a contented life, provide a powerful witness to the rest of the world.
One winter, when I was very young, perhaps two or three, I became quite sick. By the time the doctor was called, and he arrived at our house (yes, a house call, I am that old), pneumonia had set in. My father used to say, "You almost didn't make it." Every winter after that, until I was probably at least in sixth or seventh grade, I would be sick and have a horrible cough which lasted nearly the whole season. Whether or not that condition was actually related to the bout with pneumonia, my mother always claimed it was. I didn't look forward to winter because I hated that cough; there didn't seem to be anything to be done, and I usually missed school several times a year because of illness. So, I realized recently I haven't always enjoyed winter, but at some point, that changed. Maybe at some subconscious level, I'm just glad to be alive.
I am sorry for those who must work out in the cold, and I know some people need sunshine or they become depressed, but for most of us, to like winter or not is a choice. I invite you to consider the end result of always wishing for spring to arrive. Those who struggle with winter and live to be 80, for example, will have spent 20 years looking ahead, longing for something different and not enjoying the moment.
Some of my friends may be tired of my "Pollyanna attitude" regarding cold weather, but I will continue to confess my love of winter (while trying not to be too annoying). I'm not trying to scold anyone; I realize excessive snow and ice cause difficulities, and now, with the thaw, we have deep mud around our place, but I believe it is our duty, our calling as believers, to find contentment regardless of our circumstances. Though I am still learning, my desire is to be content in every area of life, because contentment is a basic tenet of all religions, and those who live a contented life, provide a powerful witness to the rest of the world.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
What God Treasures
A couple of weeks ago I read something which has had me pondering joy, what it means to God and what it means to me. From "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:
"Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Does everything in my life fill His heart with gladness, or do I constantly complain because things don't seem to be going my way? A person who has forgotten what God treasures will not be filled with joy. It is wonderful to remember that Jesus Christ has needs which we can meet. . . .How much kindness have I shown Him in the past week? Has my life been a good reflection on His reputation?"
There is much to be gleaned from those thoughts, but what stood out for me was, if we have forgotten what God treasures, we will not be filled with joy. We know God hates "Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers." (Proverbs 6:17-19) We can discover by reading the Word that God also does not appreciate greed, envy, gossip, worry and complaining, among other things. Where these things abound, joy will be in short supply.
So, what does God treasure? Us. He has declared us to be "His people, a treasured possession . . ." (see Deuteronomy 26:18) That the God of the universe, who is filled with light and love, cherishes and adores us should be the best news we could ever hear. It should fill us with such joy we don't have room in our lives or enough spare time to fret and find fault with others. Because another lesson to be learned here is we should treasure what God treasures; we should treasure one another. Rather than think the worst of other people, instead of creating strife, we can rise to a higher place, a place where love, kindness and joy are in abundance in spite of our differences.
You've probably heard the joke that everyone brings joy to others: some us of when we enter a room and some of us when we leave it. Let's remember what God treasures, and bring the joy in with us.
"Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Does everything in my life fill His heart with gladness, or do I constantly complain because things don't seem to be going my way? A person who has forgotten what God treasures will not be filled with joy. It is wonderful to remember that Jesus Christ has needs which we can meet. . . .How much kindness have I shown Him in the past week? Has my life been a good reflection on His reputation?"
There is much to be gleaned from those thoughts, but what stood out for me was, if we have forgotten what God treasures, we will not be filled with joy. We know God hates "Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers." (Proverbs 6:17-19) We can discover by reading the Word that God also does not appreciate greed, envy, gossip, worry and complaining, among other things. Where these things abound, joy will be in short supply.
So, what does God treasure? Us. He has declared us to be "His people, a treasured possession . . ." (see Deuteronomy 26:18) That the God of the universe, who is filled with light and love, cherishes and adores us should be the best news we could ever hear. It should fill us with such joy we don't have room in our lives or enough spare time to fret and find fault with others. Because another lesson to be learned here is we should treasure what God treasures; we should treasure one another. Rather than think the worst of other people, instead of creating strife, we can rise to a higher place, a place where love, kindness and joy are in abundance in spite of our differences.
You've probably heard the joke that everyone brings joy to others: some us of when we enter a room and some of us when we leave it. Let's remember what God treasures, and bring the joy in with us.
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