Lessons the disciples missed

Do you think Jesus ever rolled His eyes at the disciples?  Do you think He ever let go of an exasperated sigh?  I know He was equal to and full of the Holy Spirit, and that the Fruit of the Spirit includes patience, but...He was also fully human, and shared in all of our emotions, didn't He?

The 9th chapter of Luke is a case in point.  In the first five verses, He commissioned the Twelve to go out in His name.

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  He told them, "Take nothing for the journey--no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic.  Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town.  If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them." --Luke 9:1-5

Pay attention to the phrases that I have emphasized in the passage above, because the rest of Luke 9 contains contrasting images, where these same disciples seemed to forget the commission that Jesus gave them in verse 1.

God will provide
Starting in verse 10, the disciples came back and reported to Jesus what they had done.  Can you imagine the rejoicing? "Master, we had a revival in our town! There were people in church who hadn't been seen near church in decades.  Folks all over the region have confessed their sins, and they all want to follow You."  I bet each disciple had stories, each more amazing than the last.  And those new converts had told all their friends, so a huge crowd began to gather around them.  As the crowd gathered, Jesus began teaching them.

The disciples began to be concerned.  On the one hand, they were concerned with the welfare of the people who had gathered to listen to Jesus' teaching.  On the other hand, they had forgotten the lesson that Jesus had taught them when he sent them out with nothing.  Remember that Jesus had just told them not to worry about what they would take with them on their journey, or what they would eat, or what they would wear.  They were even told not to take any money with them.  The implied promise was that God would provide for their every need.  Maybe the disciples thought the lesson was that they should rely on the goodness of strangers.  Maybe that was why they had taken inventory, and had found the five small loaves and two fish.

Jesus offered a simple prayer of blessing, and broke off pieces until all 5000 plus people there had been fed. The crowd saw this as a miracle.  Why, even the leftovers pieces were far and away more than what they had started with.  But I think Jesus was using this as a message to His disciples.  Didn't I tell you not to take anything with you? Because I will provide.  Bread and fish? That's nothing compared to what I will do through you after I'm gone.  By my power, the twelve of you will change the world!  With your twelve voices, my Word will spread to the entire world.

We must abide
Skipping down to verse 37, the crowds are back the next day.  One man in the crowd gets Jesus' attention, and begs Him to cast a demon out of the man's son.  "A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him." (verse 39).  This was a pretty severe situation, one that needed divine intervention.  But then the man goes on: "I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not." (verse 40).

Wow.  Earlier, hadn't Jesus given them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure all diseases?  Why couldn't the disciples help this poor boy?  Luke doesn't mention it, but a parallel passage in Matthew chapter 17 gives the answer.  "Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, 'Why couldn't we drive it out?'  He replied, 'Because you have so little faith.' "  When Jesus told them they had power over all demons and diseases, they didn't believe it.  They placed limitations on God.  Before we start jeering at them, consider what we would have done in the same situation.  Wouldn't we be a little limiting ourselves?  If my own experience is that I know I can't be like Jesus in my own power, then what would my expectations be if Jesus told me to go and do the impossible? "I'm sure He will be pleased with my effort.  I am only human, after all.  I can only do what I can do."

This same story is told in greater detail in Mark chapter 9.  In that passage, when the disciples asked why they had failed, Jesus responded, "This kind can only come out by prayer and fasting." (Mark 9:29).  So when Jesus asks us to do the impossible, we must pray with all of our hearts--being so caught up in our prayer that food is the last thing on our mind.  This was the lesson that He intended for His disciples to learn from this episode.  John 15:7 says, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you."  If we live so close to Him that His words are our words, and His will is our will, then when we pray anything in His name, it will happen.

Lay them aside
Jesus knew when He commissioned the disciples that not everyone would welcome them with open arms.  His instructions included what they should do where they were not welcomed.  He told them to leave that town, and to "shake the dust off their feet."  Symbolically, it was showing that the disciples would not have anything to do with those who rejected Christ.  It was not intended as a curse.  Jesus did not call us to a jihad, to wipe out unbelievers in a Crusade.  He just told them to leave, and to leave the consequences to God.  In the parallel passage in Matthew 10, Jesus told them what would happen to the people who die without accepting Him: "I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town." (Matthew 10:15).

Well, apparently the disciples heard the reference to Sodom and Gomorrah loud and clear, and completely missed the true message.  Luke 9:51-56 tells the story of Jesus steadfastly going to Jerusalem, where He knew He would be arrested and crucified.  He sent some disciples ahead into a Samaritan town, but when the Samaritans found out they were headed to Jerusalem, the townspeople refused to welcome them. James and John, whom Jesus had nicknamed "the Sons of Thunder" asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" (Luke 9:54).  Jesus stopped and rebuked them (verse 55), and they went to another town to make preparations for the Passover (verse 56).

Sometimes when we want to share the Gospel, that message is rejected.  You may want to share with your family and friends.  In every other area, that friend or family member may share your likes and dislikes, your hopes and dreams, your politics or philosophy of life.  But when you try to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them, they may reject that message--they may even reject you.  The lesson that Jesus wanted to share with His disciples, and with you today, is that sometimes you just have to walk away.  If that person lives long enough, perhaps they will get another chance to hear about Jesus and accept Him as Savior and Lord.  But you don't know that; it is out of your control.  It is not up to us to judge them, to send them to hell.  God is calling them to Himself.  If they do not respond to His invitation to Heaven, then they are choosing to spend eternity separated from Him.  It is not His will that any should perish, so we should continue to pray for that person.  But we cannot make them believe.  And it is not our job to judge them.  We can only love them, like God loves us.

I heard a message on the radio this week about our adoption into God's family.  The speaker was an adopted father himself.  He said he would go beyond telling his adopted son that he loved him; he would always add the words, "forever and always."  His point was to let his son know that under no circumstances would he ever disown the child he chose--no matter what that child did or said.  This father would love the child even when he was unlovely.  How much more does our Father in heaven love us?  How much love did the Son of God show by laying down His life when we were at our most sinful?

Tend the garden you're in

When God created man and woman, the first task he gave them was to tend the beautiful garden he had created for them.  So gardening, or farming, is in fact the "oldest profession." (I don't know how that phrase got perverted--but I digress.)  Imagine God's delight in showing Adam how to turn up the rich soil, and to plant the tiny seeds, and to see to it they got just the right amount of sunlight and water to grow into beautiful plants.  The colorful and fragrant flowers.  The tall trees whose shade shielded them from the sun, and whose fruit was good for food, and whose leaves were good for healing.  Yes: sickness may have been a result of the fall, but Adam could have cut himself while tilling the ground, or he may have had sore muscles at the end of the day; God may have taken delight in showing Adam how to make a poultice from leaves and mud, or how certain leaves could be consumed for their anti-inflammatory properties.

Everything God wanted us to have was available.  Everything a man needs--food (for provision), shelter (for protection), and work (for productivity)--was right there. Everything a woman needs--God (for comfort), a family (for companionship), and a stable home life (for commitment).  Right there, in the garden He had placed them in.  His first command was to tend it.

Want to see how we are made in the image of God?  Isaiah 5:7 says, "The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of His delight."  Even after the Fall, His purpose is to tend to our needs.

Discontentment comes from not tending our garden.  Let me show you what I mean.  Each of us has been given a number of tasks to accomplish in life.  You may be married, and need to tend to your mate and cultivate that relationship.  You may have children, and need to raise them to be fruitful and productive.  You may be a missionary, in a sense, and be tasked with spreading the Gospel--"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow." (1 Corinthians 3:6).  You may have a career, or at least a job that pays your bills.  If you treat each task as a garden to be tended, you will be much more content and satisfied.  You will be blessed beyond measure.

Unfortunately, sin creeps in and starts to corrupt and decay.  Neglect of your garden allows the fruit to rot on the vine.  Weeds creep in.  Suddenly, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, and you begin to covet someone else's garden.  The words you speak begin to be caustic and cutting, poisoning the garden rather than fertilizing it.  This could happen in your job, making you miserable at work.  It could happen at home, making you want to be somewhere else.  You may wander into a watering hole, where you can complain loudly and obnoxiously to the bartender, or you may seek to trample in somebody else's garden.

My first marriage failed after four years.  I did not tend my garden at home, and it died of neglect.  Not only that, but I did not learn from my mistakes, because when I married my current wife, I continued my bad habits.  I did not heed the warning of Proverbs 5:15, "Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well."  Eventually, she had enough and she threw me out.  I was banished from my own home, "set outside the camp" due to my uncleanness.  For the second time in my life, I had a failed marriage.  But by God's mercy, I grew.  By God's grace, we reconciled.  When we remarried each other, I was seeking help from a professional Christian counselor.  At one session, I remember the counselor telling me, "Blynn, your marriage is like a garden.  You need to spend a lot of time and effort tending it.  The word 'husband' is from the same root word as 'husbandman', or one who tends to a vine.  If you want to enjoy the sweet fruit of your relationship, you must build a wall around it, and protect it from intruders.  This could be your friends or your family--anyone who offers to help, but instead ends up criticizing your garden.  If you don't maintain that wall of protection, somebody can come and tromp through your garden, damaging the vines you so tenderly planted and so lovingly nurture."  I'll never forget that advice.  Song of Solomon 4:12 says, "You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain."

The point is this: God has assigned you a garden, maybe more than one.  It may be your job.  Do not have the attitude of, "My boss doesn't know what she is talking about".  There is an old truism, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." It is true of your employer.  If the only words you speak about your work situation are complaints, then that is all you see.  When you start looking for faults, you will find them.  Complaining won't make the situation any better; it's like pouring kerosene on the ground and then complaining that the grass died.

The same is true with your relationships.  Your children will not be encouraged if you always find fault with them.  Your marriage could be a deep well of cool and cleansing water if you don't constantly throw mud at it.  And complaining to a friend about your spouse's shortcomings invites that friend to come knock down your fence, your wall of protection and tromp all over your garden.  I speak to myself here, as well.

I have recently taken a new job.  I love it.  The people are nice, the facility is wonderful, and I feel valued.  My prayer is that when the "honeymoon period" is over, I will still find ways to love my job.  My wife frequently reminds me that I am not the center of anybody's universe.  "You need them; they do not need you," she says.  And it is true.  God puts us in situations for His glory.  How can He be glorified if I bring sin into the garden He has given me to tend?  Adam discovered the consequences of that--he was banished from Eden forever.

But by the grace of God, we will one day be witness to a New Heaven and a New Earth.  We will tend the New Garden with glorified bodies.  He will one day restore what was lost through sin. "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4).  Even now, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

Wow. That's deep!

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. --Psalm 46:4

Most readers would assume that the "city of God" mentioned by the psalmist would refer to Jerusalem, where the Temple had been built.  But Jerusalem does not have a river.  Skeptics might use this as proof that the Bible has no basis in fact.  But according to the study notes at the bottom of my Bible edition, the "river", like that spoken of in Psalm 36:8, is a metaphor for the continual outpouring of the sustaining and refreshing blessings of God, which make the city of God like the Garden of Eden.

There is a message of Hope and Peace and Blessing and Grace in the Bible, if you know where to look.  Many people see only messages of judgment in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament.  And where there is no active judgement, many people are bored with their study of Scripture.  I confess that has been my experience over the past few months while I have been trying to read through the book of Ezekiel.  The first 24 chapters prophesy against the nation of Israel.  Ezekiel predicts that the Temple will be destroyed, but that God will be revealed to the nations.  The middle part of Ezekiel, starting in chapter 25, prophesies that judgments will befall the nations other than Israel, and that God Himself will be known through these judgments.  The third section of the book, starting in chapter 33, promises that God will ultimately be known through the restoration and spiritual renewal of Israel, the people of God.

As I have said, the last few chapters leading up to the end of Ezekiel get pretty boring--a Man shows Ezekiel the dimensions of the Temple of God.  Chapters and chapters of dimensions and measurements to the east and to the north and to the west and to the south.  It's enough to put an architect to sleep.  But then we get to chapter 47, and something special happens.  I hope that you will stay with me, because this is pretty exciting stuff.

When I was in high school and went to youth camps, we would sing choruses designed to excite and promote heavenly thoughts.  One of them went like this:

I've got a river of life flowing out of me!
Makes the lame to walk, and the blind to see.
Opens prison doors, sets the captives free!
I've got a river of life flowing out of me!

Spring up, O well, within my soul!
Spring up, O well, and make me whole!
Spring up, O well, and give to me
That life abundantly. 

 It was a rousing song, and the young singers were encouraged to add sound effects ("Gush-gush" after "Spring up, O well"), and with the sound effects, hand motions.  It was a very inter-active song.  It would make us think of heaven, where God lives; and think of Jesus, who healed the lame and blind; and think of our hearts as God's dwelling place.

The Source of the River

In the Old Testament, many thought of the Temple at Jerusalem as being the place where God lived.  People would come from all over to offer their sacrifices there.  That is where the "River of Life" originated from, in their minds.  Ezekiel 47:1-2 shares that imagery.

The Man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was flowing from the south side.

"The Man" may have been an angelic messenger, or He may have been a foretelling of Christ Himself, who brought about the fulfillment of the blessing of Salvation for all of mankind.  This, then, is the source of the river.  In Ezekiel's vision, it came from the Mercy Seat of God, right next to the altar in the Temple.  That Temple may be in heaven, or it may be in the New Jerusalem, where God sets up the center of government for Christ's thousand year reign after His glorious return.

The Scope of the River

The prophet continues his description of the vision in Ezekiel 47:3-6:

As the Man went eastward with a measuring line in His hand, He measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep.  He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep.  He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was up to the waist.  He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in--a river that no one could cross.  He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?"

We see that the further downstream we go, the deeper the water gets.  This doesn't happen in nature--without any tributaries or run-off (snow melt, rain, etc.), a stream that begins as a trickle does not grow into a river as wide and deep as this.  But it does happen with God's blessings of grace, mercy, and provision.  The more we trust in Him, the greater the blessing.  We also see that there are four measures, which correspond to the four seasons of life.  In youth, we are content to splash around in the shallows--our blessings are brought primarily by others (parents, teachers, care-givers).  In young adulthood, we may desire something deeper, but cannot fathom anything more than knee deep--we desire our independence, but do not trust ourselves to the richer blessings that seem daunting and overwhelming.  In our middle-age, we desire again to  immerse ourselves in the blessing, but must keep our hands and heads above water so as to attend to our work--raising families, earning a living, amassing our fortunes.  But in maturity (physical as well as spiritual), we are more willing to risk delving into God's blessing, going in over our heads to soak up all that he has in store for us.

A thousand cubits is about a half a mile.  As we walk with God, there is more resistance the further we go. But the further we wade out into God's river of grace, the deeper we find His grace to be, and the more of ourselves He can cover.  We dare not stop in our journey; neither can we reverse course and climb out of the water.  We are called to navigate life's waters, and we truly need His grace to cover us.

The Salvation of the River

Once the prophet's spiritual Guide had made His point about how long and how deep and how wide the river of blessing was, He had one more lesson to show, in Ezekiel 47:7-9:

Then He led me back to the bank of the river.  When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river.  He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region, and goes down into the Arabah (the Jordan Valley), where it enters the Sea (the Dead Sea).  When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh.  Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows.  There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows, everything will live.

The contemporaries of Ezekiel, who originally read this book, would have known the Jordan river and the Dead Sea.  They would have known that the Arabah was a waterless, desert region.  They would have known that no one fishes in the Dead Sea, because all of the water that flows into it has nowhere to go; it does not have any outlets other than evaporation into the dry desert air.  As it evaporates, it leaves minerals such as salt, which leaves the water useless for drinking or for sustaining life.  But the promise of the blessing is that when the river flows from the Mercy Seat of God, then the banks of the river teem with life--"Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river.  Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail.  Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them.  Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." (Ezekiel 47:12).  When the water from this river accumulates into the Sea, it does not lay stinky and stagnant; instead, it will be teeming with life.  "Fishermen will stand along the shore",  it says in verse 10, "and the fish will be of many kinds."

The fact that this lowest (1300 feet below sea level) and saltiest (25% by volume) body of water in the world  should sustain such an abundance of life indicates the wonderful renewing power of this river of grace.  Revelation 22:1-3 shows the culmination of this promise: "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.  On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.  And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be any curse."  We will no longer be under the curse of sin; no longer will disease and death overpower us.  This is the promise that Jesus made to the woman at the Samaritan well:  living water, that will not run dry; water that, when drunk, will not leave one thirsty again, ever.

This is the grace that is available to us--the grace that bridges the chasm between God and man; the grace that provides a living sacrifice for us, to redeem us before God.  The source of this grace now lives in us; the scope of grace's power is available through us; and the salvation of this grace is available to us.  Will you join us along the banks of this river of life?  Or will you continue in your march toward death?

Come on in, the Water's fine!

Guard your hearts and minds

The Bible often speaks of the heart and the mind in tandem.  There appears to be more than just a physical connection.  Psalm 26:2 says, "Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind."  In Matthew 22:37, Jesus proclaimed that the greatest commandment was to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."  The Apostle Paul spoke of prayer as a means to avoid worry when he said in Philippians 4:7, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

So, if there is such a close correlation between the heart and the mind, how does one keep from losing one or both?  Friedrich Nietzsche said, "One ought to hold on to one's heart; for if one lets it go, one soon loses control of the head too."  Of course, Nietzsche was making light of love as an emotion; he was saying that if you fall in love (lose your heart), you will also lose your mind.  But in the biblical sense, losing heart is more akin to becoming dismayed or depressed, losing one's motivation.  Hebrews 12:3 says, "Consider Him (Jesus) who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."  Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem entitled "If", which is often reduced to this one line: If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs...you'll be a man, my son.  Having seen many men who have lost their minds, I would disagree with the poem's premise.  Isaiah 26:3 says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You."

Therefore, I believe that key to keeping your heart and mind from being lost or broken lies in a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Please note that I am not talking about clinical depression--taking anti-depressant medication is not a sin.  I am talking about losing hope.  And in this vein, the Bible is very clear.

Ephesians 6 speaks of the "Armor of God".  The first line of defense against the spiritual enemy is the Belt of Truth (Ephesians 6:14).  Do not listen to Satan's lies, for you are a child of God.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

To keep from losing hope, remember what you know in your mind and trust in your heart.  God is sovereign--that's the Truth.  Jesus Christ is God's Son, who died a sacrificial death on our behalf and who was raised on the third day by God' power--that's the truth.  Jesus ascended into heaven, but He sent the Holy Spirit as our Comforter, to indwell us until Christ's triumphant return to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords--that's the truth.

The second piece of armor Paul talks about in Ephesians 6 is specifically meant to guard the heart.  It is the Breastplate of Righteousness. (Ephesians 6:14(b)).  This cannot be confused with self-righteousness.  We may be on the side of the right and good, but we are mere sinners saved by grace.  The Bible says that our righteousness is as filthy rags.  But if we truly seek the righteousness of God, He promised to meet all our other needs.  Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  What other things? In context, Jesus spoke of peripheral things, like clothes and food and drink.  We may think of them as basic human necessities.  Evolutionists theorize about early Man being motivated by finding food and shelter, for without these things our species would have died out.  In contrast, Jesus speaks about the most important thing being our identification as members of a spiritual Kingdom, led by a Righteous God.  Instead of taking a humanistic or evolutionary world view, Jesus reminded us that we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).

The final piece of armor that Paul spoke of was specifically meant to protect the head.  It is the Helmet of Salvation (Ephesians 6:17).  This was perhaps the last piece of armor that a soldier would don when preparing for battle.  Does it mean that the head is the lead important part of the body? Of course not!  The head holds the mind and thoughts of a person.  It is at least as important as the heart.  A man can live without an arm or a leg; he can live without one kidney or a lung.  But a man cannot live without a heart and a head.  So protecting the head is fundamental to physical life.  Similarly, the knowledge of Salvation is fundamental to   our spiritual life.  Not only is the helmet fundamental, it is a means of identification.  The colors worn on the helmet helped the soldier recognize who was the enemy and who was an ally.  If you find yourself battling a certain sin or situation in your life, it is helpful to seek out like-minded Christians who can help you to fight the good fight.  And finally, Paul reminds us that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual beings set on destruction of our faith, because he equates the Helmet of Salvation with the Sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God--Ephesians 6:17).  If you are identified as a Christian by taking on that mind-set, then it is best to be armed with Scripture that you can use to ward off satanic advances.  Remember the temptation of Jesus, when Satan came at Him three times? In all three instances, Jesus used Scripture to answer Satan's lies.

Romans 10:9-10 is a bed-rock scripture for salvation, but it also equates the heart and mind in our spiritual battle.

 "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

Both the heart and head are necessary for life; both the heart and head are necessary for salvation.  The heart is the center of belief, trust and faith. The head is more than a vehicle for the mouth; in this scripture, the mouth reveals what the mind knows is true.  This is the essence of confession.  This is the cornerstone of our faith.

If you are in a position where you are about to lose heart, or if you begin questioning what you believe to be true, then pray to God the Father.  It is vital that we establish a relationship with God, and that we maintain it daily.  Each day we must pray that God will protect our minds with the knowledge of His salvation; each day we must pray that God will protect our hearts with His righteousness.  If we concentrate on advancing His kingdom and knowing His righteousness, all of our other "peripheral" needs will also be met.