Heaven

What do you think of when you think of Heaven?  Yeah, me too.  I think of a place where every dream has come true, every worry has been erased, where everything I wanted out of life but never got, is.  I get to shed 30 years, 20 kilos and I get to eat my favourite foods and not get fat, see my deceased pets,  and see all those people that went before me that I miss so much.

But, it’s recently become apparent to me that I might have the wrong idea about Heaven.  Heaven is a place for spiritial beings, and to be there, I need a being guided by my spiritual self, not my carnal self. That calls into question the need to have everything I've ever wanted but didn't have on Earth.

Heaven is where God lives, and is a place absolutely drenched in His perfect love.  Perfect, selfless love, as demonstrated by Jesus on the cross.  And, Heaven is filled with angels and saints, beings that were created to and learned to love God as He should be loved, as He seeks to be loved, and to love others in that same way.

Jesus said there were two commandments and that everything else hangs on these: love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love others as you love yourself.  Jesus made this clear because that’s what He is like, and that is what the place He lives is like.  And, if we are to go to Heaven, we must learn to do these two things, because that’s life in Heaven in a nutshell.  If we don’t want to do that here, why would we want to go to Heaven anyway?

It’s not that we suddenly change and these desires magically go away, it’s that when we truly grasp His love in the light of our salvation and what He did to secure it, seeing Fluffy and having a guilt-free burger and seeing Grandma again just won’t be as important.  It will be pleasant, joyous, to be sure, but it will be more the icing on the cake.  But, if the only reason you want to go to Heaven is to have all of your fleshly desires fulfilled continually, you really won’t like it once you get there.  You can't live on icing alone.

Heaven is where God lives and I get to be with Him forever. And, that’s enough for anyone.

Submission

If there is one Bible verse guaranteed to be disliked by at least 50% of the population it’s Ephesians 5:22 “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord”. Is Paul the biggest sexist of the first century?  Well, not really.  If you look just before this verse, at Ephesians 5:21, you find “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” So, guys, you’re not off the hook in this submission thing.

This would probably be a good point to talk about the word submission and what it means.  In military terms, to submit is to put yourself under the command of your superior officer. A private will do what his commander in the battle wants him to do, as battles are won with teamwork, and doing your own thing can get you and your whole platoon killed. In our daily lives, we submit to our superiors: bosses, coaches, traffic cops, even in checkout queues, because doing so brings order, and order is the cornerstone of civilization.

But, how does this work in marriage?  Does this imply a hierarchy within marriage, with the man as the leader?  And, if so, can a woman trust the man to be the “superior officer”?  Lack of understanding in the meaning and nature of submission within a marriage has caused enmity between man and woman and has reaped untold heartache through the ages.

Paul addresses the idea of submission as well as the nature of submission between married couples in the context of the Ephesian church.  The key to his explanation is in understanding what he means by submission. The best definition I’ve heard for submission in the context of Ephesians is “to come up from underneath to support”. With this meaning, it becomes easier to understand that submission is not the giving away of liberty or power, but rather something that naturally happens when you love someone. Indeed, if we go just a bit further in Ephesians 5, starting at verse 25, we read that the man must love his wife just as Jesus loves His church.  Ladies, if you think you got the raw deal by being told to submit, the man got the far harder job: look at what Jesus did to show He loves His church!

If a man loves his wife as he should, then the wife need not fear that submission will lead to her degradation or having to do something that is not in line with the will of God, for Jesus would not love His church in this way.

So, if submission means loving your husband/wife as you love yourself, then why did God make the distinction (woman: submit, man: love)? It has to do with the different natures and motivations of men and women. As He pronounces the curse on Adam and Eve for the disobedience of eating the forbidden fruit, God defines the post-fall characteristics of man and woman in Genesis 3:16 “To the woman he said "…Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."”  In Ephesians 5:33, Paul further explains this, when,  in speaking to the man, he says:  “However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Btw: this distinction provides yet another scripture that defends marriage as being between a woman and a man.

Man’s basic need from woman is respect (to rule over). The woman submitting to the man fulfills this need.  Likewise, a woman wants to know she is loved (her desire for her husband), and man’s love for her fulfills this. Both get what they need by submitting one to the other, in the context of love.

Within the beauty of this formula is the secret principle that can heal any broken marriage.  All you need is for one to play the part ordained by God, and the nature of the other will draw them in. When a man feels respected, he is drawn into love for the woman, and when the woman feels loved, her respect for the man naturally flows.  But, if you are looking for someone to start the process, remember that Jesus first loved the church:  “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The man is given Jesus’s part in the equation, and the leadership role, for a reason.

This plan for marriages puts the focus on each of us to play our roles, and not worry about the other playing theirs. This negates the “blame game”; within this plan, there are no “irreconcilable differences”. We take our eyes off what the other one is doing and put them on Jesus, and following Him. 

Obedience to God brings marital harmony.  And it all starts with submission: one to another, and both to God.

What do you want me to do for you?

The story of Bartimeus in the gospel of Mark (chapter 10, verses 46 through 52) is a beautiful tale of the faith of man and the grace of God.  But one part puzzled me is in verse 51: “And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Rabbi, let me recover my sight."”

It seems a bit odd for Jesus to ask Bartimeus what he wanted, it seems obvious.  But, Jesus knew, and wanted to make sure that Bartimeus knew, that he was facing a choice when he encountered Jesus. It seems a simple choice, when we have a problem, to ask to be healed by someone who has the power to do that.  But, the choice for Bartimeus wasn’t quite that simple.

Every choice, especially a choice involving Jesus, has consequences (Jesus goes into this in great detail in Luke 14 27-33).  For Jesus to restore Bartimeus’s sight has an obvious benefit, but regaining his sight meant that he would, in effect, lose his job.  He could no longer beg for a living, he would have to find another (and almost certainly, a more physically demanding) line of work.  This may have also been true of Bartimeus’s relatives, as they may have been supported by his begging.  And, after the initial rejoicing, how long would it be when the attention he received after regaining his sight was gone, and he was just another guy. He used to get a lot of attention and sympathy when he was blind.

Jesus asks each of us that same question.  He starts with what He has done for us: saved us, taken away our sins, died on a cross for us.  Once we accept that, accept Him, and became aware of who we are and how far our behaviour is from what He desires it to be.  It’s at this point He asks us "What do you want me to do for you?".  And, on the surface, the answer seems obvious: “Heal me, Lord”, for just as Jesus had the power to restore sight, He also has the power to restore and reform our lives. But like, with Bartimeus, there are consequences. There are parts of our lives that are in conflict with Him, but we have grown comfortable with and have grown to like.  Choosing Jesus, choosing life and light, illuminates and identifies our areas of darkness, which can be quite confronting. But, if we want Him, we must throw off the old life just as Bartimeus throws off his cloak as he makes his way to Jesus.

This is why Jesus asks the question.  We need to consider the consequences carefully before answering, but we cannot let the consequences stop us from asking for His help, because our lives will always be so much better when He heals them.

Captain Kirk and the Gospel of John

Being an avid Star Trek fan, I saw Star Trek Into Darkness twice over last weekend.  Not to give away too much, but in the middle of the movie, the good captain discovers that he is actually fighting two enemies, and believes that to save his ship and crew, he will need to side with one of the enemies against the other.  Spock, as you would imagine, questions the logic of this course of action.  This leads to one of the memoral lines of the movie. Kirk says: "I don't know what I am supposed to do, I only know what I can do". 

At the end of John's gospel, Peter finds himself in Kirk's shoes.  He had an idea of how the kingdom of God should be (now, with Jesus in power, and without Jesus crucified), only to have Jesus say "get behind me, Satan" (Mark 8:27-33). He thought he was the loyalist of the apostles, only to have Jesus tell him that he would deny Him three times (John 13:38) and to have that come true (John 18:25-27).  Then, Jesus was crucified, dead, gone, and Peter's view of ther kingdom died with Him.  But, then, He rose again and Peter saw this for himself (John 20:2-9). Talk about not knowing what to do next!

This is where John picks up the story in John 21. Peter doesn't know what he's supposed to do, but he knows what he can do, so, he decides to go back to Galilee and go back to fishing (John 21:3).  Then, in a plot twist that any Hollywood writer would envy, Jesus re-creates the moment that Peter first chose to follow Him (John 21:5-11, compare to Luke 5:4-7).  He then asks Peter to reaffirm his love for Him three times (because he had denied Him three times) and gently puts Peter's feet back on path by reinstating the original mission He had given Peter ("feed My lambs, feed My sheep), and gives him a glimpse of what he would encounter on this mission (which wasn't pleasant).  Peter then does what many of us would do, he looks at John and says "what about this guy"?   Jesus then defines for Peter and for all of us what He wants from us (John 21:22): "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!"

So often we're looking at what the other guy is doing or not doing for the Lord, instead of what we've been called to do.  What about those other denominations?  What about all those hypocrites over at my church?  What about that tribesman in Africa who's never heard of Jesus?  What about the Jews or the Muslims?  Jesus's reply to us is "What is that to YOU?  YOU follow me!"

It is God's place to correct those who are wrong and to insure that the gospel is heard by everyone, it is our job to follow him.  When we don't know what we're supposed to do, that is the one thing we always can do.

Believing the Promise

Christmas time is upon us, and one of the characters that takes on a starring role in the story of the nativity is Mary.  Much has been said and conjectured about Mary over the years, but the truth is, within the Bible, we know very little about her.  Yet the one thing that God made sure we all know about her is that she believed the promise of God.  In Luke 1:45, just before Mary begins what some have called the only New Testament psalm, a wonderful prayer we know as the Magnificat today, her cousin, Elizabeth says:

"Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord"

Mary heard probably the most incredible story from an angel, and had to be wondering if it was real.  But, in a moment, she decided that it was, that this was God's word, and that He had made a promise to her.  And, she acted.  She said yes.  And in that moment, I believe God made sure she knew what yes would mean:  she could lose the man she was betrothed to, she would endure a lifetime of snickering about her and the parentage of her Son, and, ulitmately, she would see her beloved Son die on a cross. She said yes.

Today, God has promised much to us.  That if we believe in his Son, we will be saved.  That He will never leave nor forske us.  That He is the author and the finisher of our faith.  That all things will work together for good if we believe and are called to His purpose.  And, it is our turn to say yes or no.  Let Mary be our shining example of the glory of saying yes to God, and behold that smile on a mother's face, in the middle of a stable, holding her Son, the savior of the world.

Doubt

Toward the end of the gospel of Matthew, there is this verse that really hit me today.  It's Matthew 28:17, and it reads:

"When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted"

This verse occurs after almost all of the story of Jesus: His miraculous birth that fulfills over 300 Old Testament prophesies, His many miracles, the testimonies of the centurion with the sick servant, the paralytic on the bed, the ruler, the woman with the haemmorrhage, numerous blind men, His disciples, Mary Magdalen, Lazarus, Zacchaeus, and many others.  It follows the story of His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and his crucifixion there less than a week later.  And, it follows the earth-shaking news of His resurrection.  I cannot fathom someone being with Jesus for three years, hearing Him speak, seeing His miracles, seeing the unjustness and brutality of His death and then seeing Him alive again, doubting. 

Today, we read all of this, as we have it at our disposal in print, in every language, on the internet and even as apps on our smartphones.  Yet, all of this exposure seems to desensitise us to the wonder of the story.  Probably more accurately, if you don't doubt, but believe, there are demands on your life because of that belief.  Some people find the fruits of belief to be liberating and obeying Jesus's commands to love God and to love one another as He loves us as natural.  But, a lot of others find any change from their life, however liberating, to be unthinkable. 

I don't think it's really about doubt.  If you have read or heard the scriptures, and the Holy Spirit has opened your eyes and heart to the good news that is there, there really is no going back.  But, going forward is hard and takes commitment, and that's where the wheels get bogged in the sand.  Instead of praying for the strength to go forward, we admire our glimpses in the rear-view mirror, much as the children of Israel looked back and missed the onions and garlic of Egypt... forgetting the slavery.

Doubt is the mortal enemy of belief.  I know I deal with doubt, but not real doubt, the doubt that makes my sinful life convenient.  That kind of doubt is really shackles around your hands, and Jesus died to break you free of that.

Don't doubt, just believe.  And live like you believe. I will try, and I will ask Him to help me.  I can't be a Titus 2 man unless I do.

The Hope of Easter

On one of our morning gabfests on TV on Friday, they did a story detailing the amount of money spent on chocolate and alcoholic beverages over the Easter Holiday.  The host then stated "well, that's what Easter is about". 

Well, no, it's not.  Easter is about something that had never happened before, and hasn't happened since: a man came back from the dead.  And, not just death, but probably the most violent form of death ever known to man.

But, it's not the death we celebrate on Easter, but the life.  We celebrate Jesus, the way, the truth and the life.  We celebrate our life, the fact that we can live it now as our maker intended, free from sin and in fellowship with Him.  We celebrate hope.

Some people celebrated hope in November of 2008, when Barack Obama was elected president of the United States, but four years later, he hasn't brought hope to fruition.  But the Man we celebrate this Sunday does bring true hope.  Only He can.  The fact that He rose from the dead means that we can, too.  It means in Him is life and if we believe and walk with Him, we'll always have life.

Jesus's resurrection is final proof that there is more to this life than just what we see, what we experience, have, eat and drink.  And, yeah, it's a celebration, and so there will be eating and drinking going on, but it's not about the chokkies and grog.  It's more than that, and I feel truly sorry for that host and others like him because they will get full and drunk, and tomorrow, they will wake up right where they were, in hopelessness, with Jesus right behind them, saying "come".  He stands there in your life, fresh from the grave, alive in a way we can't comprehend, and He says to us "come".  This is the true hope of Easter.

Happy Easter to you.  He is risen, Alleluia!