The Journey

An Eye for an Eye? The Whole World Would go Blind!#SOTM2013

Well, today we ventured into another deep hole of wonder.  I'm not sure what's going on here in this one, but I'm certain Jesus is trying to develop a new way of thinking about the Kingdom of God.  

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ ³⁹ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. ⁴¹ If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:38-42

I'm not sure if you've had a chance to see how controversial this work is.  Jesus is asking those interested in the Kingdom to stop senseless retaliation, and look at the way to make peace.  This section has been used in the non-violent resistance camps since the civil rights movement of the 60's, showing that you can give someone what they want, and still make them out to look like the bad guy.  

For example, when He says, "If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles," the west sees this as humble giving to someone in need.  A Jewish citizen of Jesus' day would have interpreted that section as when the Roman army would ask an innocent Jewish bystander to carry his equipment, by law, the citizen was required to carry it a mile.  But if the citizen would carry it a step beyond a mile, the law would actually force the Roman soldier to pay for a crime.  

In other words, Jesus isn't talking about taking up a humble "poor me" attitude. He's actually asking the followers of God's kingdom to be counter cultural and give the oppressor the opportunity to do right.  Show them how the shackles of injustice work by taking their own line of thinking to the edge of their own understanding of right and wrong!

This morning in the barn there were several who thought this was absolutely crazy, but hey; so did the people of Jesus day.  We're in good company when we investigate the historiography of the Bible along with the sermons.  To just read it might lead one to think Christians are just simple, stupid, senseless people; but actually, we are called to bring the salt and light to the world.  

There's a LOT more to come.  Up next, LOVE YOUR ENEMY??  This ain't your momma's lesson anymore.

Divorce. It's a Touchy Topic Today with Christians #SOTM2013

I wasn't really looking forward to this morning's sermon on the mount overview.  It's one thing to talk about lofty goals of loving your enemy, or working through lust, but when you start talking divorce in our culture today, everyone has a play.  

This morning, the KIVU staff were incredibly gracious.  We started with Matthew 5:31, “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³² But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

So, what's the deal here?
Is Jesus carving out exceptions to the rule of marriage based on sexual immorality?
On the surface, it seems confusing that Jesus might give any exception for divorce, but we started working through the ideas one at a time.

I think when we survey this divorce section of the sermon on the mount we have to be careful.  The culture of Jesus' time was that married women were property, released from their bond of commitment by a certificate.  So to try and give any rights to a woman here would be outside the intention the scripture was written.  

So what is Jesus saying to the men?
If you go back to Deuteronomy, Moses told the people about certificates of divorce and the ways to release a woman from here duty.  But here, it's almost like Jesus is evoking a spirit of mischief.  He's telling the people they can make this contract of marriage, and then in the section just following he evokes this spirit of integrity.  “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ ³⁴ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶ And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷ All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

I can't imagine a place where Jesus calls it ok to divorce through this line of thinking.  Which calls us to another pivotal question, "So what about our culture today?"  The current statistic is somewhere around 60% of marriages end in divorce.  As I talk with my marriage counselor friends, the Christian community is high on that percentage if not exactly the same.  So what gives?

What is the purpose of divorce?
Why should our culture adopt divorce?
And how can the Christian community support it?

I realize everyone has a reason for divorce.  Abuse, adultery, just down right inconsistency with who we thought we were marrying; but in the end; the Christian community is supposed to be the salt and light of the world.  The divorce idea stands in direct opposition to God's dim shadow of metaphor when referring to  marriage, especially when He calls our relationship with Him like a bride and bride groom.  

I think we've allowed our culture to run rampant on our excuses, and those who wish to follow the message and teaching of Jesus need to think very carefully about the impact of divorce on their own salt and light to the world.  

I'm not saying anyone who is divorced is going to hell.
I'm not saying anyone who is going through a divorce is out of bounds from God's plan.
This is not a message of condemnation, but rather; a look into the heart of God's perfect way for us to live out the difference between what the world thinks is right, and what God thinks is right.  

What do you think? 

Adultery, Lust, Marriage, What a Command! #SOTM2013

This morning we started to talk through the section of Jesus' sermon concerning Lust.  It starts like this, 

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. Matthew 5:27-30

It was a vibrant discussion as the guys confessed there probably wouldn't be any men walking around with hands or eyes.  We laughed at first, and then it got serious.  

This whole idea of marriage, adultery, lust, and sexuality is prime conversation in our culture today.  The number of men working through serious sexual addiction is profound.  With the onslaught of Pornography, there seems to be a feeling where people feel trapped in their addiction with no way out.  It's as if there is a dragon being sent to steal the joy of sexuality God created.  

I recently read a parable that begins to tell the story well of what it feels like to be trapped in this sin.  

"The Prince and the Dragon - A Parable"

There was once a great and noble King whose land was terrorized by a wicked and crafty dragon. Like a massive bird of prey, the scaly beast delighted in ravaging villages with his fiery breath. Hapless victims ran from their burning homes, only to be snatched into the dragon's jaws or talons. Those devoured instantly were deemed more fortunate than those carried back to the dragon's lair to be devoured at his leisure.

The king led his sons and knights in many valiant battles against the serpent. Riding alone in the forest, one of the King's sons heard his name purred soft and low. Lost in thoughts of restlessness and loneliness in his father's house, the young prince thought for a moment that he was hearing things. He felt a strange hesitation in his heart. Again, his name was called. In the shadows of the ferns and trees, curled among the boulders, lay the dragon.

The heavy-lidded eyes of the creature fastened ablaze on the prince, and the reptilian mouth stretched into a seductive smile. "Don't be alarmed," said the dragon, as gray wisps of smoke rose lazily from his nostrils. "I am not what your father thinks of me." "What are you, then?" demanded the prince, instinctively drawing his sword as he pulled in the reigns to keep his frightened horse from bolting. "I am more than what you've been told, my prince," said the dragon unashamedly. "I am delight; I am pleasure." The prince answered nothing.

He was at once fascinated and somehow afraid of this beautiful creature. Noticing his hesitation, the serpent cried, "Ride on my back and you will experience what few can only imagine. What no King has yet experienced! Come now...believe me, I have no harmful intentions. Truly, I seek only a friend - someone to share my flights with me. I am lonely. You understand loneliness. Have you never dreamed of flying, my prince? Never longed to soar in the clouds? Never longed to take what isn't yours?"

The prince felt intoxicated. Was it the smoke that seemed to curl its way toward him with every word? Or was it the words themselves? Visions of soaring high above the forested hills of his father's kingdom drew the prince hesitantly from his horse. And the dragon was stunning - captivatingly beautiful. The prince had never seen emerald so green as the dragon's coat. As he marveled at its strange beauty, his curiosity brought him closer. Knowingly, the dragon unfurled one great webbed wing brilliantly adorned in gemstones stolen from some kingdom past.

The dragon delighted in stolen treasure. "Come, my prince. Come ride with me." In one fateful decision, the prince sheathed his sword and placed his hands and feet on the brilliant stones, climbing atop the emerald staircase to the serpent's back. The dragon rose immediately to its feet. The prince had been deceived of its size, for now it seemed far more powerful and immense than many horses.

The creature snapped its great wings twice launching them both into the sky. The prince's apprehension melted into exhilaration as he felt the awesome rule of the wind beneath him and the fragrant breeze on his face.... From then on, he met the dragon often, but secretly, for how could he tell his father or brothers or the knights that he had befriended the kingdom's greatest enemy? The serpent taught the Prince many wicked things.

At first, he was revolted and ashamed by them. But more and more he found himself obsessed, even captivated by his newfound secret. Quickly, the prince began to feel separate - from everyone. The kingdom's concerns were no longer his. Even when he wasn't stealing away secretly to be with the dragon, he spent less time with those he loved.

More and more, he spent his time alone or with the creature. The skin on the prince's legs began to callous from gripping the dragon's ridged back. His hands grew rough and hardened. He began wearing gloves to hide the malady. After many nights of riding he discovered scales growing on the backs of his hands as well. With dread he realized his fate were he to continue, and so he resolved to return no more to the dragon.

But, after a fortnight, he again sought out the dragon, having been tortured with desire. And so, in this way, it transpired many times over. No matter what the determination, the prince eventually found himself pulled back, as if by the cords of an invisible web. The dragon's charms, so gentle in the beginning, now held the prince more tightly than he had the will to resist. Silently, patiently, the serpent waited...always waited. One cold, moonless night their excursion became a foray against a sleeping village.

Torching the thatched roofs with fiery blasts from his nostrils, the dragon roared with delight when the terrified victims fled from their burning homes. Swooping in, the serpent belched again, and flames engulfed a cluster of screaming villagers. The prince closed his eyes tightly in an attempt to shut out the horror and the carnage, but he could not.

Sometimes, he even allowed himself to feel the old thrill. Then, in bitter remorse, his heart sinking in shame, he tried to hide himself. But the flames of the burning village lighted on his face. In the predawn hours, when the prince crept back from his dragon trysts, the road outside his father's castle usually remained empty. But not tonight. Terrified refugees streamed into the protective walls of the castle.

The prince attempted to slip through the crowd to close himself in his chambers, but some of the survivors stared and pointed toward him. "He was there," one woman cried out, "I saw him on the dragon's back!" Others nodded their heads in riotous agreement. Some only stared in disbelief and growing recognition.

Horrified, the prince saw that his father, the King, was in the courtyard holding a bloodstained and seemingly dead child in his arms; his face mirrored the agony of the child's mother. He looked up at the angry cries, and his eyes found the prince's. The son fled, hoping to escape into the night, but the guards apprehended him as if he were a common thief. They brought him to the great hall where his father sat solemnly on his throne. People on every side railed against the prince.

"Banish him!" he heard one of his own brothers cry out violently. "Burn him alive!" other voices shouted. "Let him burn the way he burned our children and our homes!" As the King arose from his throne, bloodstains shone darkly on his royal robes, and the crowd fell silent in expectation of his decree. The prince, who could not bear to look into his father's face, stared down at the flagstone floor. "Take off your gloves and your tunic," the King commanded.

Was his shame not already enough? The prince had hoped for a quick death without further humiliation. Now, he resigned himself to his fate. He obeyed slowly, agonizingly, dreading to have his metamorphosis uncovered before the kingdom. Sounds of revulsion rippled through the crowd, and parents covered their children's eyes at the sight of the prince's thick, scaled skin and the ridge now growing upward along his spine. Horrible! He was...could it be? The thought was so ghastly many turned away in disgust.

But the King strode toward his son. The prince steeled himself. He fully expected a back-handed blow even though he had never been struck so by his father. Instead, his father pulled him to himself, embraced him, holding him tightly...and wept.

In shocked disbelief, the prince buried his face against his father's shoulder in a way he hadn't done for too long. Tears began to burn down his scorched cheeks. "Do you wish to be freed from the dragon, my son?" The prince answered in despair, "Father, I've wished it so many times! But there remains no hope for me." "Not alone," said the King. "You cannot win against the serpent alone."

"I am no longer your son! I am half beast," sobbed the prince bitterly. He began to convulse in such cruel remorse that even the villagers pitied him. But his father replied, "My blood still runs in your veins.

My nobility has always been stamped deep within your soul." With his face still hidden tearfully in his father's embrace, the prince heard the King instruct the crowd, "The dragon is crafty. Some fall victim to his wiles, for he is a great deceiver. Some fall to his violence for he has only wickedness in his heart. There will be mercy for all who wish to be freed! Who else among you has ridden the dragon?"

The prince lifted his head to see someone emerge from the crowd. To his amazement, he recognized an older brother, one who had been lauded throughout the kingdom for his onslaughts against the dragon in battle and for his many good deeds.

Others came. Some came still smelling of the smoke and sweat from the carnage in the village. Some came weeping. Others hung their heads in shame. 

The King embraced them all. "This is our most powerful weapon against the dragon," he announced.

"Truth. No more hidden flights. Alone we cannot resist him." 

This dragon must be defeated, but we can not win alone.  
May we be people who can live in the spirit of Jesus' ultimate fulfillment of the law, rather than the rules of the law.
May we see the dim shadow of God's intent of marriage shroud around our own lives. 

 

 

Teaching #SOTM2013, Are you angry at your brother?

This morning we tackled an interesting section of the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus begins, 

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angrywith a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’  is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

²⁵ “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

The Conversation was Incredible.  

Basically we concluded Jesus was aiming to connect the spirit of the law with the hard boundaries already set in Jewish Culture.  It's one thing to say "I murder," but quite another to say the spirit of anger that drew me to murder is inside each one of us. 

Most people won't become murderers, but all people have a hint of angry at their core.  We are, after all, ALL human.  

So the importance of understanding how much weight God puts on traveling through life reconciling with each other can't be overstated.  Even if you're worshipping at the alter, Jesus asks us to go and make sure everything is right with those people around us.  

By the end, I asked each one to name someone in their life they needed to reconcile with, and the testimonies were EMOTIONAL.  Anger, Bitterness, Hurt, all flowed this morning from our small group, and I witnessd Freedom begin to pour over the souls of the students we were working with.  

What a sacred privelage to teach, train, and live out the message of Jesus!

Today, I start teaching 100 students how to Love Aggressively and Humbly begin to form solid foundations to their faith.  I welcome any and all PRAYER!!

#SOTM2013: The Fulfillment of the Law

This morning we kicked back into our Sermon on the Mount series with the staff here at KIVU. We finished last week with the Salt and Light analogy, and today was the first time we read where Jesus started to address the "religious" leaders of the day. 

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:17-20

The significance of this set up couldn't be more overstated.  Jesus begins to draw in the religious-ness of the day as He begins to outline some of the parts of faith setting apart the Kingdom of God from the World. 

One of the staff members this morning used a metaphor of God who used the law to put a cast on humanity.  He set up the rules and boundaries so we knew right from wrong.  He delivered the righteousness of faith through Moses and the Prophets of old.  And now Jesus is about to show the importance of living righteous without the boundaries of the cast.  It's the difference in living by the law or living by the spirit of the law. 

Intuitively it seems as though the spirit of the law might be an easier way to live.  Images of freedom and deciding what the core of faith can be in your own heart drive us to develop systems of belief whereby Jesus morphs into this hippie walking through a squishy life. 

But nothing could be further from the truth. 

The spirit of the law requires dedication and devotion to understanding the heart of God.  The law is easy.  Check the box and you know where you stand.  The Spirit of the law is much more difficult to learn how to live by.  We have to be in constant communication with the overall philosophy of God's worldview to understand the essence of the life He wants us to live. 

It was a POWERFUL morning, and we spent a significant amount of time praying to understand how God came to fulfill the giving of the law to us here on the planet.