 |
 |
Devotions Archive
Archive:
1999
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
2023
|
2024
Who to follow now?Thursday, April 7, 2011
John 5:39-40 (from The Message)
"You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. And here I am, standing right before you, and you're aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want."
At first Jesus doesn't show on their radar. He didn't come up through the ranks. Then he's baptized by John and gets a little notice. Then he changes water into wine. Then he starts talking. Now Jesus is troubling. He can be trivialized, perhaps - just a trouble-maker, making trouble in their synagogue when they are collecting the profits, making trouble in their schools with his new ideas, making trouble in their homes as children want to follow him, making trouble in all the social/religious structures that provide stability and consistency and ... eternal life? What are the leaders trying to protect anyway? What's so great that they have to protect it and preserve it and keep it pure? The legacy of Moses and the Fathers? The law? Jesus isn't coming after that. He's after something else, something ugly, something that smells like privilege, and power, and greed. Even then, Jesus mostly just models the opposite. He chooses poverty and ministers to the weak and unaccepted. Blessed are the meek. Why kill the guy? For years, now (2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009*), I've written devotions on this day of Lent about a verse that comes a little later in the text: Jesus said, "How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek praise that comes from the only God" (John 5:44)? So much anger they feel, and then self-righteousness. Jesus seems to know why they are caught in this: because they are afraid of each other. Their security and strength and POWER comes from the fear they can inspire in others. Oh, wow, yuck, that's just not what God wants them to learn from him or each other or anywhere. But they do. And then mask it in the praises they pay, big fish in far too small a pond, to each other. Jesus has a better way, and it's free, and it's forever, and it's for me and for you and for everybody. And everybody wins. Say yes. Say yes. Say yes. In praising you, Jesus, I find you. And the Father. And the Holy Spirit. Any more names? God inhabits praise. You are right here, right now, as I turn my eyes up and praise you and say OK. Sweet Jesus, let me sing my heart out. And then give it away. * to check out these years-ago-thoughts, go to this link: http://christiancounselingservice.com/archive_search.php?keywords=john+5 |
Jesus wept. Actually, he wept when Lazarus died, but I imagine him weeping now, too. So sad. He has everything to give, and these folks won't accept it. Somehow they are continually getting caught up in looking at each other instead of God.