"Light of the World"

When I think back to my childhood, I remember many times when my mother turned on the light. There were times when I was afraid of the dark, and she turned on the light to make the darkness flee. Then she got a broom and chased all the monsters out of my closet so that I’d feel safe. The light that she brought meant security. Then on birthdays, when Mom lit candles on cakes, the light that she brought meant celebration. Often after bedtime, I’d be huddling under my blankets with my own little flashlight, reading a book when I was supposed to be sleeping. When she’d come into the room and switch on the ceiling light, it would reveal not just what I’d been up to, but also that I’d been trying to hide it. In this case, the light that she turned on meant the discovery of sin, and subsequent judgment. In these three cases, Mom was the bringer of light. In today’s scripture, Jesus reveals Himself not just as the bringer of light, but as The Light of the World.

In John 8:12, Jesus was in the Temple. “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.’”[i] What does He mean by this? The Temple itself was called The Light of the World, in part because of a huge candelabra that stood as its central lamp.[ii] Constructed with seven branches emerging from a trunk at the middle, the lamps at the ends of the branches made the metal bush to burn like the image of God that spoke to Moses in the wilderness. When Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” He was saying, “I am the burning bush. I am the voice that spoke to Moses, and I am the light that still shines.”

The seven branches of the candlestick represent the seven spirits of God (Revelation 4:5), and the seven festivals in the Jewish Calendar. The Messiah is said to be the fulfillment of the feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. John 7:2 says this took place during the Feast of Tabernacles, which is represented by the central lamp in the candlestick—higher than the others. Many Bible scholars believe Jesus was born at the Feast of Tabernacles, rather than on Christmas, a holiday of later invention. In some respects, this would mean that Jesus was looking at the lamp and saying, “Look—my birthday candles!”[iii]

Jesus came to shine light on people’s darkness. He is the candle and the lamp stand all rolled into one! John 1:4-5 says, “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” Like my mom bringing light, Jesus’ light casts out spiritual darkness. Sometimes that light means security and peace. Other times, it means celebration, and still other times, it illuminates sin in our lives, highlighting our need to repent. The difference is that while my mom turned on the light, Jesus said that He is the light.

So, how can we understand Jesus as the Light of the World? Imagine the sun burning in the sky, with the sun’s rays shining down on the earth. There’s no difference between the sun itself and the sun’s rays—they’re made up of the same stuff. The sun is the source of the light, and the rays are the light. This is the same as God the Father, who is the Source, shining the Christ light down upon us. There’s no difference in essence between the Father and Christ, but Jesus is that beam of God, shone down upon the earth. If the Father is like the sun in the sky, and Jesus is the light, then the Holy Spirit would be like the act of seeing. Seeing happens when that light interacts with the human eye. In the same way, the Holy Spirit acts when the light of Christ is received in our souls. The Holy Spirit makes God a verb, causing us to respond to the action of God.

This is why Jesus said, “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is (Matthew 6:22-23)!” This “eye” is symbolic of the soul. When your soul is healthy, the whole body is filled with the Light of the World. But when your soul is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. Some people think they have light—like me using my own little flashlight to read. But using that pen light was actually still relative darkness—just a dim glow that was actually an act of rebellion against bedtime. When we think we have light but are still in rebellion, our souls are in darkness indeed. Instead of darkness, Jesus wants us to open our souls that we might have the light of life. Jesus doesn’t judge—but sheds light on our lives to let our own deeds show themselves for what they are. Then, He calls us to choose the light over our own relative darkness.

After we choose that light, God wants us to pass it on. In Luke 11:33, Jesus said, “No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.” Parents pass it on to children, who pass it on to the next generation. Believers share it with people in darkness, who come to the light and turn on the light for others. I pray that you, too, will become a bringer of the Light of the World.

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[i] All scripture quotations taken from the NLT.

[ii] http://www.bible-light.com/BLON/STAR_V30-1_1998-02/feb98a52.htm.  March 24, 2017.

[iii] http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/jesus-is-the-meaning-behind-the-menorah/.  March 27, 2017.

"Above and Below"

Lynn Malone shares the following about how…

we seem to live in two different worlds, the rich and the poor. A striking example is shared by Brett Blair, a pastor in the Kentucky Annual Conference. Blair shared that some years ago before the death of Mother Theresa, a television special depicted the grim human conditions that were a part of her daily life. It showed all the horror of the slums of Calcutta and her love for these destitute people. The producer interviewed her as she made her rounds in that dreadful place. Throughout the program commercials interrupted the flow of the discussion. Here is the sequence of the topics and commercials: lepers (bikinis for sale); mass starvation (designer jeans); agonizing poverty (fur coats); abandoned babies (ice cream sundaes) the dying (diamond watches).  The irony was so apparent. Two different worlds were on display--the world of the poor and the world of the affluent.[i]

            In the same way that this world seems to be divided between the rich and poor, the Bible makes it clear that there are two realms: above and below.  Psalm 103:11 says, “For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.”  Isaiah 55:9 says, “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”  Unfortunately this has led to a lot of artistic depictions of heaven being in the clouds, or even in outer space.  Rather than thinking of heaven as another place far away in the clouds, Jesus revolutionizes spiritual thinking by declaring, “the Kingdom of Heaven is near (Matthew 3:2; 4:17).”  So while Jesus uses the language of “above and below,” we know that this locational language is merely symbolic for two planes of existence.

            Ephesians 4:9[ii] says, “Notice that it says ‘he ascended.’ This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.”  When John 1:14 says, “So the Word became human and made his home among us,” it literally depicts Jesus moving from the heavenly, spiritual kingdom, to the earthly realm.  Not only is heaven where Jesus came from, but Jesus makes a place for us there.  In John 14:1-4, Jesus says to His disciples:

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am...”

            But while Jesus promises Heaven to those who believe in Him, He says something else to those who don’t.  In John 8:21, 23-24, Jesus says, “You cannot come where I am going… You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.” 

            Jesus said that there are two worlds—above and below.  The way to enter eternal life (the upper world, the heavenly realm) is to trust the love and grace of God that Christ demonstrates by His life, and by His death.  Through the cross, Jesus was literally suspended between heaven and earth—bridging the gap between the Lord above and the people below.  In John 8:28, Jesus says, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I am he.”  Yes, it was when Jesus was lifted up that the Roman centurion declared, “This man truly was the Son of God (Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39)!” 

This declaration of faith is the beginning of salvation, the first step toward a transformation that results in a heavenly mind and eternal life.  In Romans 8:5-6, Paul says, “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.  So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”  Being saved is more than just getting a ticket to heaven.  It’s allowing yourself to be controlled by the Holy Spirit so that you can say as Jesus does, “I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me... For I always do what pleases him (John 8:28-29).”

I love the story by J.M. Barrie of Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn’t grow up—who had a form of everlasting youth or eternal life.  He flies into the Darling’s nursery window to make friends and invite Wendy, Michael and John to adventure with him.  Teaching them to fly, he tells them, “All you need is faith and trust, and a little bit of pixie dust.”  Learning to fly as he does, they follow him to Neverland by following “the second star to the right, and straight on ‘til morning.”  There, they join the Lost Boys who have been saved by Pan, and together they meet mermaids, engage with Indians, and battle buccaneers.  Peter Pan is a Christlike character who reminds us that if we have faith and trust, we too can fly.  We can change our place of residence, becoming people of another world, joining those who were lost but now are found.  Following Christ, we can live without fear of loss or defeat.  In fact, we can even stare death in the face and say as Pan did and say, “To die will be an awfully big adventure!”

Jesus’ message to believers and unbelievers is clear:  Those who place their trust in Him may go where He goes.  They become people of the heavenly realm, of everlasting life.  You activate this salvation by faith that leads to a new way of thinking.  Through this new way of Christ, let us learn to fly, remembering that “letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

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[i] Malone, Lynn.  June 13, 2005.  https://www.sermoncentral.com/illustrations/sermon-illustration-lynn-malone-movies-/-videos-21028.  March 30, 2017.

[ii] All scripture quotations are taken from the NLT.

"Condemning or Condoning"

            Years ago, I had the privilege of baptizing a young man in prison.  Once I was talking with him, and he was expressing his sorrow for the thing he had done.  I told him, “Most of us have at some point in time done things that we could have gone to jail for.  Then I told him of some things I did as a teenager.  The only difference between him and me is that he got caught, and I never did.  Every one of us have messed up in our lives--it's just that some of us get into more trouble for it than others.  Jesus offers forgiveness for all.  In today’s scripture we see that Jesus is not soft on sin, but He is big on grace!

           

In John 8:1-11 we find Jesus teaching in the Temple.  Sometime during the night, the scribes and Pharisees had caught a woman in the act of adultery. In front of the crowds they brought her to Jesus.  “’Teacher,’ they said to Jesus, ‘this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say (vv. 4-5)?’”[i]  This put Jesus in quite an uncomfortable position.  Jesus always taught about the grace and forgiveness of God, while the Pharisees and scribes always taught about God’s vengeance and anger.  In truth, the Bible talks about both of these things.  Sin does anger God.  But God also desires to show mercy.  So which of these two things should he show today?  If Jesus showed too much mercy, the Pharisees would say he was violating the law which called for her execution.  But if he gave her swift justice without mercy, he would violate his own teachings of grace.  What would he say?  Jesus wanted to show that He’s not soft on sin, but He is big on grace.

I know what I would have said, if I had been there: “Where’s the guy?”  I mean, think about it—in order to catch the woman IN THE ACT of adultery, she would have had to be WITH somebody, right?  So why had they dragged her away to put her to death, and let the man go?  Pharisees prided themselves on their law-keeping, yet the verse they quoted in Deuteronomy 22:22 says, “If a man is discovered committing adultery, both he and the woman must die. In this way, you will purge Israel of such evil.” Could it be that the man was one of the Pharisees? 

Well, I wasn’t there to challenge this, and that’s not what Jesus said.  Instead, he carefully considered the binary choice they had presented to him: Should he condemn her to death or condone her sin?  Often, when people want to trap you, they will present you with a binary choice.  Often, when the devil wants to put you in a tough spot, he will make it seem like there are only two options.  You may be in that same situation, when it comes to your temptation to judge others.  You may feel like you have a choice between condoning or condemning.  But Jesus listened to the Holy Spirit, presented a third option that neither condoned her sin, but didn’t condemn her either.

Without saying a word, he bent down and began writing in the dirt.  What was he writing?  Everybody gathered around to see.  Now the Bible doesn’t tell us what Jesus wrote, but it does give us the effect of what Jesus wrote and said.  See, Jesus had divine insight, and had access to God’s all-seeing eye.  One preacher I heard suggested that Jesus was writing the names of all the girlfriends of the Pharisees—those names they didn’t want their wives to know.  Then Jesus stood up and told them that they should keep the Law of Moses, which said that the woman should be stoned.  (In this way he protected his integrity by maintaining the Law.)  But, he added a word of mercy.  “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.”  The Bible says that the scribes and Pharisees left one at a time, beginning with the oldest first.  Why did the oldest leave first?  They had probably had more time to sin, and had more of a list being written on the ground.  Jesus had defeated those who tried to trap him, and saved the life of a girl who had been caught in her sin.

            Today I ask you, which character in this story do you most identify with?  Do you see yourself in the role of this woman, who had been caught in the very act of her sin?  All of us at some time or another are guilty of breaking God's law.  Some have committed this same sin that she committed.  Others are guilty of different crimes.  But all of us stand before God tainted with the stain of sin.  When the devil accuses us, we are ashamed and want to hide our faces.  But Jesus is the one who does not condemn.  He always forgives those who turn to him for mercy.

            Or maybe you identify the most with the pharisees and scribes in this story.  Maybe you've caught someone in the act of committing a crime or a sin against you.  Has someone you know betrayed you and now you want justice done?  Then you need to learn the lesson of this story:  There's a difference between justice and vengeance.  God is a god of justice.  And with God, being merciful is always better than being just.  You see, Jesus is not soft on sin, but He is big on grace!

            Or it could be that Jesus’ predicament reminds you of a situation you are in today.  Maybe people go to you whenever big decisions need to be made.  Maybe you sometimes feel trapped between what people think you should do, and what God wants you to do.  If that's the case, then you need to pray that like Jesus, you might be given the wisdom of God to handle all the challenge of calling sin “sin” on the one hand, and yet reserving condemnation on the other hand, trusting that God is God and you are not.

            You know, those Pharisees who so readily quoted from Deuteronomy 22:22 would have done well to read the whole chapter.  They were quick to practice the law of condemnation, but Jesus was following God’s commands by practicing a higher law—the law of mercy.  Verses 1-4 talk about the responsibility of a person who finds a wandering sheep or ox or goat that belongs to his neighbor.  Maybe the animal has even collapsed on the road.  The law of mercy says it’s your responsibility not to ignore that poor animal’s plight, but to take it under your protection and return it to its master.  If God could care so much for a wandering beast, how much more does God care for an erring man or woman!  Instead of condemning this woman, Jesus took her under his protection, showed her mercy, and restored her to God.  Jesus did this not because he is soft on sin, but because he is big on grace!

            Life constantly provides opportunities for failure and for success.  Sometimes life presents you with temptations that you choose to follow to their sinful outcomes.  Jesus speaks the same words he spoke to the woman who was caught in the act of adultery:  "Neither do I [condemn you].  Go, and sin no more (John 8:11)."  He doesn’t condemn; He doesn’t condone.  Instead, He chooses to atone—and that act of divine mercy makes all the difference.

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[i] All scripture quotations taken from the NLT.

"Joy in the Morning"

In one of his lighter moments, Benjamin Franklin penned his own epitaph. He didn't profess to be a born-again Christian, but it seems he must have been influenced by Paul's teaching of the resurrection of the body. Here's what he wrote: The Body of B. Franklin, Printer Like the Cover of an old Book Its contents torn out, And stript of its Lettering and Guilding, Lies here, Food for Worms, But the Work shall not be wholly lost: For it will, as he believ'd, Appear once more In a new & more perfect Edition, Corrected and amended by the Author. 

What Benjamin Franklin knew from Paul’s teaching, King David knew from the Spirit of God who spoke to his soul.  Though death may be powerful, it will not win in the end. Death is defeated by life everlasting.  This is the promise of Easter!  This week, as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, let’s take a look at the words of David, who predicted the victory that we know as the empty tomb.  In Psalm 30, David writes in words that you might imagine came from Jesus Himself, post-resurrection.  In verses 1-3, he says:

I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up,And have not let my enemies rejoice over me.O Lord my God,I cried to You for help, and You healed me.O Lord, You have brought up my soul from [the netherworldl;You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit. 

In terms of his own life, David is speaking in metaphor, but Jesus is the fulfilment of these prophetic words.  This healing after death, this rescue from the grave—this is the blessing of resurrection.  And God promises this to each of us who place our trust in Jesus.  Colossians 1:18 calls Jesus the “firstborn from the dead,” offering the hope that believers may also share in this resurrection.  1 Corinthians 15 describes our perishable bodies, rising as imperishable from the grave.  1 Thessalonians 4 talks about the dead in Christ rising from their graves at the return of Christ.  

The resurrection is some of the greatest news that can ever be told.  But for David, the good news was not just something at a distant time.  He knew he could live the victory of the resurrection today.  In Psalm 30:4-5, 10-12, David exults:

Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones,
And give thanks to His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning…
“Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me;
O Lord, be my helper.”
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
 That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

You may be going through a time of weeping—much like the disciples experienced after Jesus’ crucifixion and burial.  You can take heart, knowing that weeping is temporary but joy is on the way. The things that are burdening you will one day be lifted.  Defeat will be defeated and the grave will be gone.  This is the promise of resurrection—this is the power of Christ!  Let’s live in that promise and power, as in the words of the poem by Annie Johnson Flint:

Some of us stay at the cross,
some of us wait at the tomb,
Quickened and raised with Christ
yet lingering still in the gloom.
Some of us 'bide at the Passover feast
with Pentecost all unknown,
The triumphs of grace in the heavenly place
that our Lord has made His own.
If the Christ who died had stopped at the cross,
His work had been incomplete.
If the Christ who was buried had stayed in the tomb,
He had only known defeat,
But the way of the cross never stops at the cross
and the way of the tomb leads on
To victorious grace in the heavenly place
where the risen Lord has gone.

"Forsaken"

What is the most forsaken you’ve ever felt?  I know—that’s not very fair of me to begin this article by calling forth such difficult memories.  But some questions must be asked.  So what it is?  Maybe you were on the playground or in high school and all your friends abandoned you, believing whatever lies some jealous kid decided to tell.  Or was it when a parent moved away or a spouse told you they wanted a divorce?  How must it feel for a soldier on a battlefield, when he falls behind and realizes that his buddies aren’t coming back to get him?  How about when your friends at church tell you they’ll back you that important business meeting—and then they don’t show up?  Did you put in a lifetime of work for one company, only to have your devotion repaid by being laid off just before retirement?  Have you cried, “How could you leave me?” over your spouse’s grave?  It’s not very nice of me to bring such painful feeling to the surface, especially at the very beginning—but it’s important to understand that everyone has felt forsaken at some point.  Sometimes that feeling of abandonment is justified and sometimes it’s not—but whether the rejection is real or imagined, it shakes you to the core.

Jesus knew times of rejection and abandonment as well.  When his teachings were too hard, the crowds left him.  When He wouldn’t become what they wanted Him to be, they forsook him.  He was arrested, and his disciples fled.  Crowds that once shouted “Hosanna” now screamed, “Crucify Him!”  On Golgotha, physical torment was amplified by the taunts of former supporters.  From a position of outstretched agony, the only words Jesus could formulate to express his feeling of utter abandonment were the words of David, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me (Psalm 22:1 // Matthew 27:46)?”   Jesus drew comfort from the knowledge that even in this kind of agony, He was not alone.  Somebody had felt that way before.  In your times of agony, you too can know that you are not alone.  Even Jesus felt this way.

Perhaps some of David’s symptoms of despair seem familiar to you.  In Psalm 22:2, he feels like God isn’t listening.  He can get no rest.  Verse 6 shows his self-esteem taking a hit: “But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people.”  Verses 14-15 describe how this feeling even results in physical pain: “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me.  My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You lay me in the dust of death.”  David feels this way because his friends and supporters have abandoned him, and because he is surrounded by enemies.  “All who see me sneer at me,” he says in verse 7.  Speaking of his enemies he says, “Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They open wide their mouth at me, as a ravening and a roaring lion (vv. 12-13).”  Again, he says, “For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet.  I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots (vv. 16-18).”

These chilling words remind us so much of the crucifixion that it is no wonder David’s psalm comes to Jesus’ mind when He is on the cross.  Perhaps it is even prophetic of the Lord’s  suffering.  One thing it says is that if you’re feeling this way, you’re in good company.  Even David and Jesus Himself could feel forsaken during times of suffering.  At some point, we all feel abandoned by a loved one.  And yes, when we’re honest we must admit that at some point we feel abandoned by God.  These feelings are normal.  They don’t mean you have truly been abandoned.  Just as God will not turn away from those who call on Him, God neither rejected David nor abandoned His Son.  The feeling is real—but false.  2 Timothy 2:13 says that even “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”  When Christ is in us, it’s impossible for God to abandon us, because He can’t reject Himself.

So what do you do when you feel this way?  First, Charles Spurgeon recommends that, like David and Jesus, you should “cling to God with both hands.”  They did not just cry out to God once, but said, “My God, my God!”  Hold on as tightly as you can, and don’t let go.  Second, even in your abandonment, give praise to God.  In Psalm 22:3, David says, “Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.”  This tiny word “yet” means “even though I’m suffering so much” I’m going to recognize Your holiness.  Praise and worship are weapons that defeat the power of the enemy who seeks to kill us with despair. Then, remember God’s faithfulness in the past.  Verses 4-5 say, “In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed.”  Finally, imagine a better future and commit yourself to it.  In verse 22, David says, “I will tell of Your name to my brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.”  This moment doesn’t have to defeat you. God has something better in store.  Even Jesus on the cross could look forward to the resurrection—and that’s what sustained Him.

What’s the most forsaken you’ve ever felt?  Maybe you felt that way—and the moment has passed.  You’ve moved on from it, gotten some perspective, and gotten some healing.  But maybe that moment of greatest forsakenness is right now.  Remember that God will bring you through this, to the other side of glorious resurrection.  Walk in the strength of Deuteronomy 31:6, which says, "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."

"An Article About Nothing"

There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playing in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his teammates on the one hand, and distract the Milwaukee batters on the other. As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi tried to distract him by saying, "Henry, you're holding the bat wrong. You're supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark." Aaron didn't say anything, but when the next pitch came he hit it into the left-field bleachers. After rounding the bases and tagging up at home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, "I didn't come up here to read."[i]

In this story, Hank Aaron focused on the things that mattered in the game, rather than allowing himself to be distracted. Distractions can pull us away from the most important things, and get our eyes on less important things. When we allow ourselves to get distracted, nothing happens. Even if God is trying to do something, when we set our eyes on the wrong things, the result can be nothing at all happening in the Kingdom of God. In John 7:25-52 we read a story in which nothing happens. This may seem strange to read a story where nothing takes place—generally in stories things, you know, happen. The reason nothing happens in this story is because people allow themselves to be distracted from what really matters.

The story begins in verses 25-31 with Jesus teaching the crowds. I suppose you could say that’s something, but the problem is that they get so distracted they get nothing out of it. Jesus is trying to teach, but all they can do is debate with each other. Rather than listening to what He’s saying, they sidetrack one another. So nothing good comes out of it, but nothing bad happens either. Something bad happening—well, at least that would be something. But nothing happens instead. Jesus’ enemies try to arrest him, but they can’t lay their hands on him because His time has not yet come. So nothing good happens in the story, but nothing bad happens, either.

Then, in verses 32-36, the religious leaders hear that Jesus is teaching so again they send officers to arrest Jesus. Astonishingly, nothing more is mentioned of the arrest after Jesus begins talking with them about his plans to go where they can’t find him. They don’t understand what he’s talking about, and, as if by some Jedi mind trick, they leave without fulfilling the task they were sent to accomplish. They go back to the leaders and repeat Jesus’ words, and the religious leaders don’t understand it either. Instead, they simply debate with themselves about what Jesus means. So again, nothing happens.

The next day (verses 37-43), Jesus is handing out some major spiritual teaching, but nobody seems to understand what He’s talking about when He says He will give them living water to drink. Instead, they again begin debating with one another about whether Jesus comes from the right or wrong side of the tracks. So nothing happens. Then, temple guards again try to arrest Jesus but return emptyhanded (verses 44-49). So this is a story about nothing happening. And for this reason, this is an article about nothing.

The fact is, NOTHING can be a very dangerous thing. NOTHING is stagnant and meaningless. NOTHING is what the earth was before it was anything—formless and void. My friends, many churches are terrible danger of NOTHING happening. Just like in the gospel story, Jesus’ word continues to be proclaimed but instead of hearing and applying the truth to their lives, the people get sidetracked by debating things that just don’t matter. Whether the issues are about church politics, theological secondary issues, or getting involved in areas that the church has no business in at all, people get distracted and miss the main point. Jesus is calling out the whole time you’re debating, and Christians just aren’t listening. Instead of making a difference in the Kingdom of God, churches are declining because they can’t see things eye to eye, because of internal bickering or just apathy. NOTHING is happening in churches today, and because of the nothing, souls that might be saved are being swept away.

In the children’s movie, The Neverending Story, the mystical world of Fantasia is threatened by The Nothing. Rockbiter describes it, saying, “Near my home there used to be a beautiful lake, but then it was gone.” Tiny asks him, “Did the lake dry up?” Rockbiter replies, “No, it just wasn't there anymore. Nothing was there anymore. Not even a dried up lake.” Tiny asks, “A hole ?” Rockbiter says, “No, a hole would be something. Nah, it was nothing. And it got bigger and bigger. First there was no lake anymore and then finally, no rocks.” The rest of the movie is a quest to learn how to stop The Nothing. At the climax of the film, our hero Atreyu asks the werewolf G’mork, “But why is Fantasia dying, then?” G’mork answers, “Because people have begun to lose their hopes and forget their dreams. So The Nothing grows stronger!” Atreyu asks, “What Is The Nothing?” The villain replies, “It’s the emptiness that’s left. It is like a despair, destroying this world … People who have no hopes are easy to control, and whoever has the control has the power.”

Today, the church is threatened by The Nothing. In the same way that Jesus’ audience got distracted so much that NOTHING happened, we have become experts at turning our attention to things that just don’t matter. We’ve forgotten how to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, how to love God with all our hearts, how to care for the suffering and needy and oppressed. Instead we’ve become preoccupied with arguing over side-issues like worship styles, mingling politics with faith, and deciding who’s in and who’s out. All the while, The Nothing has been sweeping through, and the Church is dying like Fantasia. Christians have begun to lose their hopes and forget their dreams. They live to sustain the past rather than find the future. The emptiness is all that’s left. It’s like a despair that the Church is in, like a black hole where souls are lost. The Church is going to need the same thing that Fantasia needed if it’s going to be saved—a little imagination and hope. In Matthew 13:16, Jesus says, “…Blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.” Not everyone’s eyes are open to see what God would reveal, and not all ears are open to hear God’s voice. Distraction allows The Nothing to sweep through and take the Church. But when we watch and listen with creative imagination, God will do amazing things among us.

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[i] Nehemiah, Learning to Lead, J.M. Boice, Revell, 1990, p. 38.  http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/d/distraction.htm.  February 24, 2017.

"Beneath the Surface"

French author Jules Verne (1828-1905) is often called one of the creators of science fiction. He is known for many works, but his most famous are Around the World in 80 Days, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. These fantastic journeys have different characters and plot lines, but they are all about the same thing: seeing the world from a different point of view. One novel has the hero traveling the globe in a balloon, getting a bird’s eye view. Another gives the picture of a subterranean world where dinosaurs still live, complete with an immense fresh water sea and lit by electrically charged gas at the ceiling of the giant cavern. The last lets you travel in a submarine beneath the surface of the waves, to see giant squids and other amazing creatures. Jules Verne seems to have a fascination with seeing the world from a different perspective. Perhaps that’s what we all need—the ability to see beneath the surface to understand life in a different way.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ disciples have a hard time seeing his ministry from a perspective that’s different from the world’s expectations. John 7:2-5[i] says:

…Soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

Like so many who have bought into the commercialism and consumerism of ministry, Jesus’ disciples would have him get famous to make a million bucks with his preaching. Maybe today they’d advise him to have his teeth whitened, and buy him Italian tailored suits to complete the image. I mean, who doesn’t want to be seen with a successful celebrity—that’s a heck of a lot better than a homeless wandering preacher! But Jesus isn’t interested in becoming a superstar. He’s far more concerned with telling the truth to a world that’s lost in sin and killing each other with hatred. I wonder—are you able to see beneath the commercialized religion of celebrity preachers? Are you able to go deeper than that, to a gospel that shakes the world to its core? To some, it isn’t the gospel unless it’s glitz and glamor. To Jesus, the gospel is about Truth.

In verses 10-13, the people debate about Jesus’ true identity—but they can’t see beneath the surface to who He really is:

But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view. The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.

Some people think of Jesus as good moral teacher, but assert that He is not God. C.S. Lewis said that Jesus is either “a lunatic, a liar, or Lord.” In Mere Christianity, Lewis writes:

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice.[ii]

In verses 14-24, Jesus decides to go to the festival after all, and begins to teach. He is aware that many are offended because He healed a man on the Sabbath. To some, it isn’t the gospel unless it follows all the rules and regulations of their religious understanding. But defends Himself saying:

“I did one miracle on the Sabbath, and you were amazed. But you work on the Sabbath, too, when you obey Moses’ law of circumcision. (Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with the patriarchs, long before the law of Moses.) For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”

Jesus encourages people to “look beneath the surface,” to not get so fixed on legalism that they are unable to see the bigger picture. If you are able to look beneath the surface, you will understand correctly, but as long as you keep a surface-level understanding of religion, you’ll miss out on what God is really doing through Jesus. Jules Verne would suggest you get a different perspective—a bird’s eye view from a balloon, or maybe a subterranean journey. From a spiritual perspective, this advice means to dig deep into the things of God. Allow the Spirit to help you see things as God sees, rather than through the murky lens of human tradition. As you look beneath the surface, I pray as the apostle Paul did:

…that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is (Ephesians 3:16-18).

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[i] Scripture quotations taken from the NLT.

[ii] Lewis, C.S., Mere Christianity, London: Collins, 1952, pp. 54–56. (In all editions, this is Bk. II, Ch. 3, "The Shocking Alternative.")