Month: April 2017

Last week, during Palm/Passion Sunday, abandonment was considered in relation to cast off like the guy on the airplane. But Jesus was totally abandoned just a few days after being welcomed with waving palms. What happened? If you believe, what happened was the beginning of the mystery of faith. Part one was that Christ died. Now we discover in the story of the empty tomb that Christ has risen. He lives! But have you ever consider the story in John 20 and how the writer appears to blow his own trumpet. Verse two references the other guy, whom Jesus loved. Verse 3 again refers to the other guy running with Peter to the empty tomb. Then verse 4 gets a bit over the top where the other guy out runs Peter to the tomb. I find this passage fascinating in that the other guy seemed to be on an ego trip. Perhaps, the other guy told his version to his advantage. I do not know nor anyone else I suspect knows why this passage was written this way. All I know is that the real other guy in this story was a woman. I don’t get it. A women in a man’s world got it. Mary Magdalene was first to discover the empty tomb. She then told John (the other guy) and Peter who came running. What happened next? Well the two guys saw an empty tomb, got upset, then went back to where they were staying. (verse 10) Why would they just leave like that? I guess that is what guys do. Perhaps, their faith and compassion did not equal Mary’s. The story may have been different had it been totally up to the men. It took a woman in a man’s world. Believe me she was certainly in a man’s world especially back in ancient times. Mary was grieving and stayed to reveal the second part of the mystery of faith. Christ had risen! The tomb was not empty instead she found Jesus. She then left to spread the good news. (verse 18)

If Mary can spread the good news in a male dominated world approximately 2000 years ago, what is our excuse for not sharing? Every day should be Easter. We all have a mission to share the second part of the mystery of faith so that all of those who will believe will have victory when He returns. Happy Easter to all.

T

 

By definition, abandoned means having been deserted or cast off. That definition means a lot if you are the one being deserted or cast off. The rest of us are spectators to the event of abandonment. Just yesterday, I saw a man being dragged off a plane just because he was randomly chosen by the airline to reduce the number of seats filled on the plane. What is sad by this event is that there were so many better options to choose but the authorities chose the most gruesome and graphic option to remove the passenger. By the way, I will not mention the airline but it begins with a “U” and ends with a “d”. Perhaps the best description should be “U” are really “Dumb”. How many people will change their flight plans to avoid this airline in the future?! I am sure that many will remember this event long after the person has been well compensated for his troubles but that is beside the point as the damage has been done. At least this man will live to tell the story of how he was cast off and deserted.

There are events in history that does not end with a mere dragging in humiliation off of a plane. One event that we remember every year is the total abandonment of a complete innocent person who was so misunderstood by an ignorant crowd of people saying “Crucify” him. He entered Jerusalem with shouts of acclamation and waving palms in the air only to be hung on a cross just a few days later. Unlike the man drugged off the plane in humiliation, this man was drugged into a mock court, accused of insulting God, labeled king of the Jews, severely tortured, nailed on a cross and left to die. He was truly abandoned by all. We can say not by me but history proves otherwise when crowds become a mob. (Read Matthew 26 and 27 for the whole story)

The mystery of faith is three parts. One part is that Christ has died. I am writing this message after my Palm Sunday service but today is when we celebrate “Passover”. Jesus knew the significance of this day in the history of Israel and the Jewish community and he knew that he would be betrayed and abandoned. This Thursday is called Maundy Thursday which commemorates the last Supper of Jesus Christ. (Read John 13 for more.) This Friday is called Good Friday. In my opinion, hardly a good day at all as this is the day Jesus was totally abandoned by everyone but just a few. He was crucified and sealed in a tomb which was guarded day and night to prevent further deception of what the authorities thought as one great big hoax. BOY WERE THEY WRONG! The second part of the mystery of faith will be revealed this Sunday so stay tuned for the rest of the story.

T

 

There are many ways of defining stability in various sources such as the “property of a body when disturbed from equilibrium to develop forces that will restore the original condition.” That is one definition. Here is another to be “steadfast; constant; as of character or purpose” I like both of these definitions but how about an example of two chairs. One only has 2 legs for support and the other has a third or even a fourth for support. I believe we go through life being unstable as if sitting on a two legged chair where we have to constantly battle within our bodies to keep upright. We can do it but it is so much effort when all we need is more support. A 2 legged chair reminds me of being selfish or self centered where a more supported chair reminds me of our inter-dependence to be in an attitude that comes from the Spirit that leads us to life and peace. (Romans 8:6)

I believe we all have a purpose for our existence. I also believe that we can go through life struggling to “do it our way” or we can be at peace to do it “His way”. It is our choice. We can sit on that 2 legged chair and fight stability within our bodies and soul or we can choose a more stable approach in life by asking for more divine support. There was a US Army medic in WWII that ask for support to save injured soldiers left to die during the battle of Okinawa. He had a choice. Leave the battle or ask God for guidance to save just one more soldier from sure death. At least 75 of those soldiers owed their lives to this one person who’s choice is forever documented in history. I will let you search for the movie and facts of this moment in history. I call this a modern miracle of faith. Likewise, Jesus chose to turn back to the most certain path to a quick demise when he saw an opportunity to perform a miracle of resurrection. (John 11)

I believe we all can live more stable lives to reach our ultimate purpose in this world so we can look forward to the world to come.

T