Sweet Words from Maine

Shalom

There is something calming about strolling through simple, precise vignettes of rock and sand, beautiful flowering trees and ornamental shrubs, meandering streams and murmuring waterfalls, and fish pools interspersed with reflective spaces containing old pots, bowls, lanterns or religious symbols. These natural and symbolic elements invoke a sense of orderliness and serenity, of antiquity and continuity, of a time warp connecting us with the past and the world in which we were made to dwell.

We all seek peace, not only freedom from external conflict but also relief from disordered minds overwhelmed and frustrated by an unruly world and sensitive spirits. The search for inner quietness and personal meaning are timeless. Historical characters like Israel’s King Solomon or fictional men like Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha went on life long searches for some enduring solution for their restlessness and dissatisfaction. Similarly, our search for respite from inner tension may lead to, among other things, dysfunctional behaviors, self-fulfillment endeavors, prescribed or illicit substances, counselling, and meditative techniques. We are in search of “shalom.”

The Jewish greeting “shalom” expresses much more than the thoughtless signaling of a peace sign or a superficial “good morning”. “Shalom” calls for the blessing of a whole and perfect life, of inner peace integrated with outer prosperity, of a life of harmony, health, safety, and tranquility. The origin of such peace is Jehovah-shalom (a Hebrew name for God).

Both the Old and New Testaments confirm God as the source of peace and love and comfort and hope. (Philippians 4:6) (11 Corinthians 1:3) (1 John 4:8,16)(Romans 15:13) Isaiah prophesized that Israel’s Messiah would be Immanuel, meaning God with us, and that He would be the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6) The name Immanuel and the idea that he would be the source of human peace were seamlessly connected to Jesus. (Matthew 1:23) (Luke 2:14) On the very night Jesus was born ,he was announced with God’s blessing of “ on earth, peace among men.” That peace would not be national or territorial or external peace but both a peace with God and an inner peace of God, a peace Christ mediated by taking the condemnation of sin which causes the spiritual breach between God and us and by bringing peace that “transcends understanding” to those who trust Him. (Philippians 4:7)

Christ dispensed “shalom” everywhere he went and to everyone he touched, even to lepers, the “untouchables”. Meeting Jesus is transformative and empowering. He healed and opened up an entirely new life to the crippled man at the pool of Siloam and did not condemn the adulterous woman whom the religious leaders were ready to stone. He forgave, exhorted, and empowered her to live a life of wholeness, to go and sin no more. And the wild, naked incontrollable, demon possessed man living in the tombs was found sitting clothed and in his right mind after he met Jesus.

Jesus restores people to wholeness. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 147:3) For that reason, he can be trusted to bring calmness to our brokenness, to our unruly thoughts and behaviors, and to the confusion brought by cultural influences. However, understanding how to live the Gospel is a life long process because Gospel-living is often counterintuitive and daunting. The New Testament letter to the Colossians delineates it this way:

“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:8-15 (ESV)

Putting off and putting on! That is “Shalom”! That is the process empowered by the “peace of Christ.” And that is God’s wish for us.

Shalom, my friend.

On Guard!

These geese are alert and on alert! As a defensive maneuver, they have stationed themselves to observe all points of the compass and seem to be “circling the wagons”, a tactic used by early pioneers to corral their oxen or horses at night and to protect themselves as they travelled West on the Oregon Trail.

We all attempt to protect ourselves from potential danger whether that is physical harm, toxic relationships, or situations that rob us of peace and joy. But danger always lurks because we are limited and flawed. Sometimes we are undiscerning or at the mercy of others who are also limited and flawed!

“We do what we do because we want what we want.” We batter natural weaknesses and understand what the Apostle Paul meant when he said he was prone to do what he really didn’t want to do! Sometimes his willfulness countermanded his sense of rightness. But more than that we have to deal with a chaotic, confused, disoriented world whose values are thin, relative, and transitory. It is easy to find oneself caught in the ditch of moral dilemmas.

Although our spirits may be oppressed and endangered by vain people and their philosophies, by untruths, and by prevalent, misguided, distorted images and unhealthy practices, they have not been left completely unprotected and vulnerable. Our soul safety is predicated on God’s integrity. “The name of Jehovah is a strong tower; The righteous run into it and are safe”. (Proverbs 18:10)

The King of Syria had become so annoyed with the prophet Elisha that he secretly took a “great army” at night and surrounded the city where Elisha was staying in an attempt to seize him.^“When Elisha’s servant went out the next morning, he saw the “army with horses and chariots …all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (Elisha) said, ‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So, the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:11-16)

God cares about His people even when they cannot see Him and fearfully cry out, “Alas. What shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:17) He created us and knows we are but fragile, broken, dust covered spirits who through faith have been granted great hope and safety because of the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus. He knows the number of hairs on our heads. King David asked “Wither can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139)

The Old and New Testaments affirm that faith is an active commitment to a relationship with God. The Psalmist sang, “You hold me up, and I shall be safe/ And shall have respect unto thy statutes continually. “ ^“Let integrity and uprightness preserve me/ For I wait for thee.” (Psalm 25:21) (Psalm 119:117). Faith is neither a passive intellectual state nor is it dependent upon circumstances. It is the kind of confidence modeled by Christ in His darkest hour, “Not my will but Yours be done.”

There is nothing passive about our faith journey. Scripture tells us to “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it… (Proverbs 4:23-27) Christ reiterated those same thoughts as he cautioned his disciples “… out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23)

Spiritual safety requires discipline and focus. “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” (Proverbs 4:23-27) That is a tall order for this age where social media and celebrity worship constantly entice one to superficiality and spirit oppression. The Book of Hebrews tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus.(Hebrews 12:2) The Philippians were advised to think about “true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable” things. Because there is a spiritual battle for souls, the Ephesians were exhorted to put on God’s protective armor of truth, faith, salvation, the Gospel, righteousness, and prayer. (Philippians 4:8) (Ephesians 6:11-19)

We are free to choose whether we will live inside or outside the circle of God’s blessings and protection. Living within that circle requires intentionality and mindful vigilance to guard hearts from destructive ploys of the enemy of our souls. God always provides the means to combat or escape. It is our duty to be “on guard.” As the Psalmist rejoiced: “Thou art my hiding-place; Thou wilt preserve me from trouble; Thou wilt compass me about with songs of deliverance.” (Psalm 32:7)

Oh, What About Those Neighbors?

The Neighbor Over the Hill, Lubec, Maine

Robert Frost’s poem “Mending Wall “ deals with the difficulties of neighborliness. Frost and his neighbor had different philosophies about the stone wall separating his orchard from his neighbor’s pine grove, but Frost pointed out how unnecessary the fence was, “My apple trees will never get across/And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.” Despite Frost’s further observation that even nature didn’t like the wall (“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,/That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,/And spills the upper boulders in the sun”), his neighbor insisted that “Good fences make good neighbors“, a mantra his father taught him. (“He will not go behind his father’s saying,…” /“And he likes having thought of it so well / He says again, ‘Good fences make good neighbors…’ )

In a Freudian world, adherence to that maxim is more about protecting a fearful, insecure, bruised spirit than about maintaining boundary lines. (“He moves in darkness as it seems to me, Not of woods only and the shade of trees.” “Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top/ In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed..”) In some ways, Frost’s neighbor is reminiscent of Bette Midler’s “The Rose”, a popular early 80’s song about romantic love, which poetically addressed the hesitancies and fears of opening up one’s heart to another, of a “heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance”; of a dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance”; or of those who won’t take because they “cannot give”; or of the “soul afraid of dying that never learns to live.”

Relationships can be tricky! As Midler sang, “Some say, Love. It is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed.” We are flawed and wound each other, but healthy relationships are what we want most in life. That requires effort but also may require some “fencing”, discerning the extent that we will allow others into our lives, in order to protect us from the harm we can do to ourselves or each other and for maintaining personal integrity. Some influences and associations pull us away from cherished values, break up good relationships, or violate our consciences.

Christian thought about neighborliness is an elevated but risky view. Loving your enemies! Praying for those who abuse you! Turning the other cheek? Going that “extra mile”? After Jesus had said that the moral Law contained two principles (loving God with one’s whole being and loving one’s neighbor as oneself), someone asked him to define “neighbor.” He responded with the “Great Samaritan” parable, which illustrated that a neighbor is any human of any creed or race within our scope of influence who has a need we can help meet. Neighborliness is an act of the will to treat others with care and kindness and compassion, to put aside self-interest for the benefit of another. Jesus did more than teach that. He did it! He lay down his life for mankind so that we could have peace with God and each other. Scripture tell us that he has broken down the walls that separate humans from each other. There is equality at the foot of the cross. (Ephesians 2:14 (NLT2)

In “The Question of God,” a wonderfully written and thoroughly researched book comparing and contrasting the spiritual journey’s of Sigmund Freud and C. S. Lewis, Dr. Armand Nicholi Jr., a Harvard psychiatrist quoted Lewis, as saying, “There are no ordinary people…” He said that no one ever talks to “a mere mortal…it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, exploit…..your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.” What a dignified, encouraging view of humanity and its potential for redemption!

Neighborliness is not about proximity. Our neighbors may exist beyond touch or sight or sound. They are not just in the house down the path or half hidden over the hilltop. They reside in mansions and ghettos, in cities and bayous, in Appalachia and Beverly Hills, in the mountains and the deserts and refugee camps and wherever our scope of influence reaches whether it is to the educated or illiterate, to the bejeweled or those in rags.

What an I to do with my neighbor? Jesus, our greatest Neighbor, said to go into all the world with the Good News of God’s love. Whether in person, by some action, by a contribution, or by prayer, we can reach across borders and oceans to neighbors in the remotest, darkest recesses of our planet. Love has no boundaries! Whenever and wherever God’s love is experienced, others needs will be recognized, and the caring for one’s neighbors will implicitly and explicitly accompany it .

What’s the Beef?

What does God want from us? Does He have a beef with our religious practices? He may! He answered that question when He spoke these thoughts to the nation of Israel:

“I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens.
For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine.
If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats?
Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” (Psalm 50:5-15 (NLT2)

God has “no complaint” with religious acts and traditions (sacrifices or burnt offerings) when used as proper worship symbols. However, if these become rote, religious duty or are used for feel good, self-righteous performance, they are meaningless. And if they are elevated to be the object of worship itself or become substitutes for sincere obedience and true gratitude, they are totally unacceptable. God said, “I do not need” them any more than I need more cattle!

Humanity is deeply indebted to God for His patient care. “God is love”. The historical narrative of God’s relationship with Israel demonstrates His immense compassion for Israel and for us. In spite of their abuse, neglect, and rejection, God repeatedly, patiently, graciously and mercifully forgave Israel as they repentantly turned back to him. He has given His heart to humanity with a love which is desperate, extreme and immeasurably vast. (Romans 8:28,38-39). Christ’s “sacrifice for us is the undeniable proof of that profound “agape” love. He “loved us to the end” by paying the gruesome, ultimate price for our redemption, bearing our sins upon the cross, and enabling our broken spirits to reconcile with God. (John 13:1)

Sincere gratitude and its resultant obedience to what is best are the “sacrifices” which demonstrate that we love Him. The author of Hebrews speaks of “sacrifices of praise to God” which include “the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name” , doing “good “ and sharing ” what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” These are the marks of genuine worship.

God wants our hearts! Our lives of repentance and trust! Our love!

Trapped?

These lobster buoys appear trapped and remind us that, at some point, most of us hit the proverbial wall from which there is no apparent exit, no obvious way back or forward. We long for the apparent unobtainable. Sometimes that is reality, but often it’s perception that ensnares us. We may believe ourselves captive to the helplessness and hopelessness of poverty, lack of education, abuse, addiction, financial distress, hatred , prejudice and bias, injustice, failure, or the consequences of bad decisions and behaviors or moral failures, or some ethical dilemma. We may be trapped in painful, dysfunctional bodies or caught up in a world-view that lacks meaning and promises only a “dead end” ahead.

However, our biggest dilemma is spiritual and universal. We are all imprisioned or enslaved by our natural inclinations and desires which are not always pure or good and which result in selfish behaviors that range from rude to abhorrent. We have no capability or possibility of transformation without help.

Failing the ultimate ethic of loving God and our neighbors as we should becomes the basis for the Biblical doctrines of sin, of spiritual deadness and lostness, and of our need for redemption. Lostness is all inclusive. Nobody escapes it. We need a rescuer, a redeemer , an advocate to extract us and to reconcile us to Holy God. That is why God gave us Christ, who through his purity and righteousness could pay for our sin. In his humanity, he experienced life’s struggles, its sadness, pain, and temptations, yet he did so with joy and purpose and has a unique empathy for our weaknesses and needs. Christ does not condemn but empowers. So, then we can “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16) He bids us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)

Christ is for us, not against us. Once he said,“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” (Luke 4:16-19 (NLT2) He also said that he had come “to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 9:10) And he promised that those who believed in him would “not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 11:25)

We do not have to live entrapped by bitterness, anger, depression and hopelessness. Faith brings meaning and hope and frees us from anxious living, self loathing, fear of dying and eternal condemnation. We can live forever free… He said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

One of God’s names is Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider. He is the ultimate source of wholeness and joy and all that is good and meaningful. He is faithful, trustworthy and the One in whom we can be confident, the God of hope. (Romans 15:13) We are never outside of his deep love and care for us. His grace lifts us up and forward.

Year Around Gardening and Earth Day

Perhaps the reason so many of us enjoy gardening is because God planted a very “good” garden “eastward in Eden” and turned its stewardship over to humanity ! (Genesis 1:10-12; 2:8,9,15; 3:18)

April 22^nd has been observed as “Earth Day” in the United States since 1970. Although long standing, conflicting ideas about humanity’s responsibility for the environment vary (from a “Who cares?” attitude, or a utilitarian approach in which resources are garnered and used for profit and prosperity, to environmental worship) the resultant slowdown in human and economic activity during this pandemic has demonstrated that human actions cause measurable changes in the quality of our air and water.

Regardless of how one views the Biblical narrative of creation, it is much more than an ancient story. It holds profound implications about human stewardship of the earth. Detailed discussion is far beyond the scope of this little blog, but a few basic points might generate some thinking on this subject:

1.God is creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1) 2. God pronounced His creation to be “very good.”(Genesis 1:31) 3.Creation declares God’s nature and magnifies His glory (Psalm 19:1;Psalm 97:6;Romans 2:18) 2:18) 4.Creation belongs to God alone. Humans are only travelers walking through time under God’s authority. (Psalm90:10)(Ps24:1) 5.God created man to share God’s character and to display His glory, and He appointed man to care for creation and to have dominion over it (Genesis 2:8,9,15,19-20; 3:18) (Psalm 24) 6. Because man corrupted the goodness and power and image given Him, he has a broken, fallen relationship with God and lives in a world corrupted by sin, disease and disaster. (Genesis 3:6-23) 7. In spite of humanity’s rebellion, God loves mankind so much that He provided a means of redemption, reconciliation, and spiritual renewal for man and for ultimate restoration of all of creation. (John 3:16)(1 John 4:9-11) (Romans 8:20-23)

If God values the world and the people in it that much, shouldn’t we also? Although solutions to earth’s sustainability and livability may be complex and complicated by selfishness, pride, politics, corruption, physical confrontations, geographical and geological boundaries, prejudices, and spiritual warfare, a sincere love for God and caring attentiveness to what He has given us and to those with whom we share this planet would be a great start toward preserving life and fulfilling the mandate of the moral Law. People of faith should have a stewardship perspective that goes far beyond religious tradition and ritual. Christ spoke forthrightly to religious leaders about their hypocrisy because they were overemphasizing trivial matters and not paying attention to the “weightier matters.” …for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. (Matthew 23:23)

Notable in Christ’s list of “weighty matters” “left undone” is faith. Genuine faith carries a message, an obligation and an action of love which require a conscious, compassionate, intentional awareness and understanding of people’s needs and a willingness to address the root cause of their needs whether environmental, physical, emotional, or spiritual. It means not only sharing the crucial “Good News” of salvation to all peoples as Christ commanded his disciples to do but also means making this world sustainable and livable for all by ministering with mercy and justice and love and generosity all the time to everyone.

No Escaping Love!

“The earth is the Lord’s… and all who live within it.” (Psalm 24:1) (1 Corinthians 10:26)

Scripture is clear that the Universe is God’s. He is its Designer, Creator and Redeemer. Because evil has broken into our world through mankind’s fallen, sinful nature, God’s love for humanity may not always seem evident to us. However, even those who do not believe in God are beneficiaries of His common grace because everything “good” in this life comes from Him! (James 1:17) Furthermore, both the Old and New Testaments confidently assure people of faith that God’s grace is very personal and that wherever they go they are never outside the circle of God’s thoughts and love.

The Psalmist’s sang, “O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.
You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—
but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.” (Psalm 139:1-12 (NLT2)

And there was no doubt in the Apostle Paul’s mind about God’s goodwill toward us when he asserted “… that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 ESV)

There is no escaping God’s love for this ” world”, a convincing fact that becomes evident when we consider the life and sacrificial work of Christ on our behalf. (John 3:16)

“Raging against the Dying of the Light” or Confidently “Going into the Good Night?” Thoughts from Dylan Thomas and Jesus…

Watching his beloved father become weakened by age and illness, Dylan Thomas lamented that “ Old age should burn and rave at close of day ” and wrote the untitled poem with the well known quote “ Do not go gentle into that good night.” In that poem, he observed the end-of- life ruminations of different people-types. “Wise men” realized that their wisdom had had no major impact (“had forked no lightning”). “Good men” perceived that “their frail deeds” might have had effect in different and better circumstance. “Wild men” had sung “the sun in flight” and regretfully learned “too late” that their time had been spent frivolously, that they had “grieved (the sun) on its way. And then, “grave men” realized in their last moments that their lives could have been brighter and gayer! His poem identifies our regretful inability to recognize purpose and find ultimate meaning or to leave some final, lasting contribution or legacy. So, he urges one to “Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” to struggle against becoming lost in the shuffle from life to death.

At some point, we begin to realize how transitory life is, that we have invested our lives in many ineffective efforts and lost purposes, and that, although raging against dying might encourage us to live differently, few of us will achieve anything of lasting historical significance. Those thoughts need not be depressing! Is it really important that we leave traces of ourselves on this orb? Our worldviews are significant for how we answer that question as we struggle for meaning in the material, emotional, and spiritual aspect of our lives. Is life about us and what we want, or is it about who we are meant to be?

Christ said the “work” which God recognizes and accepts is^“…, that you believe on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:29). He taught us that our lives are not about “gaining the world” but about soul-work, about being “rich toward God” and laying up “treasure in heaven.”(Matthew 6:19-21).

The prophet Micah helps us understand God’s heart and the difference between religiosity and faith pleasing to God. “Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:6-8 (ESV)

Being “rich” toward God is not performance or practicing ritual or tradition but is possessing a repentant heart, vibrant and passionate with the passions of God. Christ told us the way to that relationship is through belief (John3). He taught us the attitudes of faith in the Beatitudes (merciful, peaceful, humble, repentant seekers of righteousness) (Matthew 5) He showed us that the practice of faith is fulfilling the moral law by loving God with all our being and our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-38) True faith is rendered from a heart that is tender toward God and humanity.

Lived in that light, we will pass on a God-purposed legacy of values, works, purposes, and hope and can confidently “ go into that good night” knowing ” that (God) rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) Life continues. Its treasures are not left behind but lie ahead!

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)

Blood, Sweat and Tears

The idiom “blood, sweat and tears” is usually associated with hard work and not with poultry! That saying has often been attributed to Winston Church in his address to the UK in 1940 and was also the name of a 1960’s brass-jazz-rock group. But the term predates Mr. Churchill and rock bands. It was used in the early 1800’s by Christmas Evans, a Welch preacher, in a sermon referring to Christ’s passion.

Although beautiful in a strange way, hens are not high on my list of wonderous creatures or favorite birds unless it is a culinary list. Most likely, this bias is due to my early experience with cleaning out our hen house! However, Scripture elevates a mother hen’s care and protection of her chicks as an appealing simile of Jesus’ great compassion, love and desire to protect the peace of the holy city of Jerusalem and its chosen but rebellious, oppositional people. Looking at the city, he once lamented,

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! “(Luke 13:31-35 (ESV)

On Palm Sunday, the Christian community annually commemorates Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It initiates a week of remembering the mixture of madness and miracles, hatred and love, and grief and joy surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. His sadness over Jerusalem was very evident during his final return to the Holy City. He wept while others celebrated him!

As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” …….And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! ” (Luke 19:35-45)

The crowd sang Hosanna’s, but Jesus’ heart was heavy. He knew the fickleness of human hearts, the upcoming betrayals, and the the agony ahead. Nonetheless, his angst was not for himself. His distress was not because of personal rejection but was for the lostness of his people and the consequences of their rejection of God’s peace and protection! He had come to Israel to offer them restoration to the glory which God had chosen for them. He had come to his own, but they had not received him .(John 1:11) He was sad. He wept for them but was not bitter for himself.

On the night of his betrayal, Jesus agonized in prayer. He was apprehensive but not from fear of dying a gruesome death. Luke tells us, ^“And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:41-45 (ESV) His terrible anguish was because “he who knew no sin (would become) sin for us.” (11 Corinthians 5:21). His distress was about the awfulness, the heinousness of humanity’s sin and about the guilt and shame he would have to bear to redeem mankind. It was about the terrifying consequence of separation from his Father, who would turn his face from him and the terrible, wickedness he would carry. He would lose the awareness of his ever present Father’s presence! Life without God is hell. His sorrow was about the spiritual hell he would personally endure. But there was no other way to give mankind redemption! So, in agonizing sweat, he submitted in total obedience and commitment to the purposes of His Father.

Sin is so awful that it requires the most extreme solution. “… without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”(Hebrews 9:22) At his last Passover supper, Christ called to remembrance the importance of blood when the Angel of death swept over Egypt sparing only the first born where blood was on the lintel. While presenting the symbolic cup of wine, he said, “…this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:28) The following day, Jesus shed his blood as he was brutally and cruelly abused and tortured in his travail for us- from beatings and lashings, from a crown of thorns, from nails impaling his hands to the cross, and from a sword that pierced his side. With love and grace, Jesus did that arduous work to attain forgiveness and righteousness for us. He made the way for us into the Kingdom because we cannot do it on our own. ^“To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins.”(Acts 10:43)

Truly, Jesus showed the depth of his passion for us and for our redemption through his tears, sweat, and blood.

What is Your View?

Long view of the Acadia Mountains from East Blue Hill, Maine

It is interesting how our perceptions of places, events, or ideas depend on our interests and the angles from which we look. There are many influencers on how we view life, ranging from family and social environments and cultural mores to the values we learn in our schools and churches and synagogues. These either haunt us or help us through life. Sometimes, we find reason to depart from them , but more commonly we tend to adhere to familiar, comfortable ideas and standards of behavior. Often, we just want “truth” to match up to what we want it to be and do not critically think through our beliefs. One of the characters in Richard Paul Evan’s novel, The Noel Letters, makes the statement that ”…you will discover that most people don’t want truth. They want confirmation.”

We all have opinions about truth, which means we have opinions about God. We may not have given Him much consideration, but our philosophy of life either includes or excludes Him. Secular humanism is a non-religious worldview in which humans determine the nature of truth and set individual values. This contrasts with the Christian worldview in which reality centers around God, who is the source of life and morality and to whom humans are responsible. That reality is expressed through the person, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who claimed to be Truth, God’s revelation to us.

Obviously these opposing views of reality treat certain facts and ideas from different perspectives and engender different philosophic outcomes. Unfortunately, hardcore advocates endeavor to confirm and justify their stances while fiercely discrediting contrasting views. That results in intellectual snobbery clashing with an intolerance for the folly of human wisdom even though scientific revelations and Scriptural revelations are not at odds with each other. It is what we have chosen to do with facts that has become adversarial. For example, even though the debate about the origins of man is contentious, science and Scripture both agree that humanity appears late in the development of the “animal kingdom” and is the crowning development or creation among living creatures. Beliefs on origins are essentially a matter of faith! The deal breaker is God and beliefs around whether life can be properly understood apart from Him or only with Him. This leads to questions about Jesus!

Each year as Christians prepare to celebrate Holy Week and Jesus’ bodily Resurrection, questions about Jesus are resurrected as well and vary from whether he actually existed to whether he is reality! Controversy always surrounded him. The crowds who heard him teach or saw his miracles had different takeaways; even the twelve disciples initially had different perspectives on who Jesus was. Some of us believe he was a good man who was a worthy, brilliant, Eastern teacher and philosopher and nothing more; others believe he is the living Savior of the world.

The important question is how each of us views him? Is he the delusional blasphemer and charlatan that the religious leaders of his day wanted to see? Or is he the redeemer that his followers believed and for whom they were persecuted and killed as they lived and proclaimed their faith. Did they create a delusion and then die for a lie? Do we agree with the Apostle Peter when he confessed to him, “Thou art the Christ”? Or do we reject him as an imposter as Judas did and value the material world more? Is Jesus some Christian myth, or does he have pertinence to your life and mine?

Our answers will lie in our view of humanity and whether we believe mankind can save itself through self improvement and doing good or whether we believe the experientially obvious fact that man’s nature is so broken that redemption is possible only if it comes from an external source.

If Jesus is not who he said he was, if he is not the resurrected Christ, then as the Apostle Paul said, Christians “… are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:12-19) If he is who he said he was, then our soul’s eternal destiny depends on what he did for us on the cross, on God’s mercy and grace and transforming power of love and forgiveness.

Who is this man Jesus? He invites us to consider him when he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear. He who has eyes to see, let him see.” We really must decide.

We all have a view? What is yours?