Mary's Faith

December 16th, 2008

Tuesday

My Daily Scripture Readings: Numbers 21:1-22:20; Luke 1:26-56; Psalms 39; Proverbs 10:10

SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:38; Luke 1:45

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."(Luke 1:38)

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished."(Luke 1:45)

OBSERVATION: 'Tis the Season for hustling and bustling this way and that, honking at idiots, who don't know how to drive, as they honk back, thinking the same about you. 'Tis the Season for trying to find that perfect gift for that perfect someone and finding the time to do this in the midst of trying to make an appearance at every party you've been invited to, while trying to tie up all the loose ends at work that need to be done before the Christmas and New Year holidays roll around.

THAT for many people, Christians included, is what Christmas means. It is a time for stress, for spending money, and, of all that and more, the one thing it rarely ever is, unless you are under the age of 15, is the time of rest, or relaxation, and of reflection on the TRUE meaning of Christmas. Sure, there is the odd moment of stillness when the Christmas story is read, but is that moment REALLY enough to remind us why we celebrate this season?

Many people do different things to help them keep the Christmas Season in proper perspective. Some people volunteer in a soup kitchen, others participate in the Angel Tree Project, while others collect and distribute blankets to the Homeless. All of which definitely help to put things into perspective and allow us to truly appreciate what it means to help others, and to experience the pure joy of giving. However, is the act of giving the BEST and ONLY way to emphasize what Christmas means?

I pose this question not to threaten any ideas about giving nor to say that Christmas has nothing to do with the act of exchanging gifts with those we love. After all, God gave us the best gift of all when He gave us His Son. What I find odd, however, is that this "gift" of Jesus was not truly "opened," until the Crucifixion when His Blood cleansed us from our sins. Yet, I don't remember receiving any gifts on Easter Sunday except for chocolate bunnies and colored eggs. Either way, The Gift was actually poured out on Easter Sunday and merely came into existence on Christmas Day.

So, is Christmas about celebrating this Gift or celebrating His Birthday? Is getting together as a family to show how much we appreciate each other enough to get us into the "True Spirit?" Or, do we need to shift our focus in another direction, altogether? I do not truly believe that there is a solid answer to those questions. I do know, however, that if I was asked as a child what Christmas Spirit was, I would say it was the sights, the smells, the smiles, and the anxiety that I felt on Christmas Eve, leading up to the Big Day of opening presents. Today, I get that same joy watching it through my daugther's eyes as she responds to the sights and sounds of Christmas. So, perhaps, THAT is what Christmas Spirit is?

Although there might not be one definite way to answer the question of what Christmas Spirit TRULY is, I was struck, this morning, by the Christmas Story in the first chapter of Luke. For everyone, 2000 years, we get the warm fuzzies when we picture the manger, Baby Jesus in swaddling clothes, Mary and Joseph looking down with pride, the Star of Bethlehem shining down, etc, etc. However, this morning I was struck by the fear that truly surrounded this entire event.

For instance, Mary is approached in the middle of the night by the Angel Gabriel, nine months earlier, telling her that she will be "with child" without ever being "with a man" AND this will occur even before she is married. That would have been scary enough to have to live with that explanation in Today's Society, where the worst Mary might expect to receive is some judgmental glances thrown her way, or people calling her "Crazy Mary" or something of that nature. However, back then, a girl gets put to death by having the townspeople throw stones at her for that kind of behavior. I mean, who, in their right mind, would believe that she was actually a virgin that "just happened" to get pregnant.

Mary MUST have had thoughts that night that her whole life was being changed right before her eyes WITHOUT her consent. Of course, these thoughts might have been overshadowed at the moment by the realization that there was an Angel of the Lord in her room. However, to say that there was enough evidence to create a panic attack, would be an understatement. If not right then, then sometime soon, her fear would turn into questions of How? What will Joseph think? What will the town think? Why me? Why now? And, these questions would most likely turn to moments of anger and frustration against God for doing this to her, feelings that she would have to carry around with her for the next nine months.

Yet, despite ALL the excuses, ALL the justification for horror, for fear, for anxiety to set in, she simply and beautifully says, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said." That's it - nothing more is recorded. Sure, this is a cute Bible story and, I'm sure if Mary did put up an argument, it wouldn't have been recorded, right? Well, Jacob put up an argument in the Old Testament with God - so much so, that he came away from the experience with a limp, and that was recorded. Peter chopped off the ear of a soldier trying to arrest Jesus in the Garden instead of neatly accepting the situation. Then, later, we find the same Peter denying his relationship with Jesus, not one, not two, BUT THREE times, and that is definitely recorded. In fact, the Bible is FULL of HIGHLY EXALTED people making bone-headed mistakes and allowing their human tendencies to shine through and it gets recorded ALL THE TIME. Yet, Mary simply says, "Okay, I am your servant, let is be to me as you have said."

Elizabeth later helps to confirm Mary's faithfulness by saying, "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" Going back to people in the Bible doing immeasureably LESS than we might expect from a "HOLY DEVOUT SAINT" that we grew up with, and believed they never did any wrong, look at Elizabeth's own husband, Zechariah. An angel appeared to him, telling him that his wife was going to have a baby boy. Other than Elizabeth's old age, this seems to have been a much easier message to believe, add to that, the fact that an angel of the Lord was relaying this message. Yet, Zechariah still DID NOT believe and for his doubt, God made him unable to speak until his son was born. For me, it is Zechariah's response that makes Mary's response so much more amazing and inspiring to me today.

APPLICATION: What is the true meaning of Christmas? I don't know if I can say, with 100% assurance, what it IS, but I can say what it is NOT, and that is unbelief or doubt. It also has nothing to do with becoming so stressed out about the Holiday Season that we make ourselves sick. Although I can't say for certain what the true meaning is, I can say that TODAY it means belief in what God says and promises is true AND accepting and claiming these promises for ourselves.

Mary had to have fears, she had to feel the enormous responsibilities of raising God's son. I mean, who wouldn't, right? I have doubts about my own ability to raise my OWN daughter, let alone, the Son of God! Yet, despite her fears and doubts about her own abilities, she accepted and believed that God was with her and that THAT would be ENOUGH.

In other words, she never relied on her own abilities, her own holiness, or her own strength, but, instead, relied entirely on God. Although I'm jumping ahead in the story, she remained steadfast even when she had to flee because the first-borns were being slaughtered throughout the land. Instead of being racked with guilt, she accepted and believed in God's ultimate plan. Even as they were trying to find rooms in Bethlehem and their search was becoming hopeless, she never relied on her own abilities, but just accepted and believed that God was going to take care of them. When they were offered a barn to stay the night, she never complained about the lowly stature of the location, instead, she simply accepted and believed that God knew what He was doing.

PRAYER: Abba Father, help me to have the kind of faith that Mary had. Help me to believe wholeheartedly in Your promises, in Your ability to provide for my needs, and, in your ability to truly satisfy all the desires of my heart. Father, thank You for the hope that I am able to take with me from this story this morning. Thank You for helping me grab hold of this "Christmas Spirt" that is so hard to identify and define. I believe the "Christmas Spirit" can mean many things to many people, but it should ultimately lead a person to desiring more of Christ in their lives. I love You, Father, and thank You for giving me more than I could ever ask for!

Your son,

Jeff

Harvest

December 11th, 2008

Thursday

My Daily Scripture Readings: Numbers 15:17-16:40; Mark 15; Psalms 37:12-29; Proverbs 10:5

SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 10:5

"He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son."(Proverbs 10:5)

OBSERVATION: This Scripture can mean different things to different people, but the underlying theme seems to speak against laziness. I believe that, for me, this morning, this verse is talking about the importance of not turning a blind eye to opportunities to witness to those in need of hope.

For me, the harvest signifies the World where we live, and the crops signify the people we interact with on a daily basis who are lost. Those who "gather the crops" are those Christians who see every interaction, positive or negative, as an opportunity to witness to others and to share the love of God with them.

On the other hand, those that "sleep during harvest" are those Christians who become so overly concerned with their own problems that they not only ignore opportunities to witness to others, but they also dread any interaction with others that may distract them from dealing with their own problems.

APPLICATION: Lately, I have felt overwhelmed at work with everything that needs to get done in just a little over a week's time. Deadlines are fast approaching and as the stress builds up more and more, it seems as if the students and athletes become more and more needy of my services. Lately I have had a heavier dose than normal of students complaining about not wanting to do any work in the classroom or not being able to sit still and pay attention in class. Not to mention, a heavier dose than normal of athletes whining about this, that, or other ailment, or ache, or pain that is keeping them from being able to practice. One of those factors alone can be enough to try one's patience, but adding both of these together, along with the everyday responsibilities that come along with being a teacher/athletic trainer, and it can cause one to seek solace in a quiet place all by oneself, locking everything and everyone on the outside, as a search begins to try and find a back door through which to escape!

Why is it, I wonder, that during my most stressful days when I am sitting in my office trying to get work done, that the students pick THAT MOMENT to form a continuous parade of complaints, interruptions, etc that flood through my training room and office for seemingly hours on end? For instance, I will be sitting down when first, one student, then two, and, sometimes, even three or four students will filter into my office for no other reason than to talk my ear off. Even though I try to send them a message that I am busy by continuing to work, they just continue to talk, causing me to look up, every now and again, to answer questions that might be directed at me.

I sometimes can handle this little game of distraction, because, eventually, the students filter out, but lately, there always seems to be that one student, who will remain in my office doing one of two things, both of which are extremely distracting, not to mention, a bit unnerving. They will either continue to talk incessantly, telling me story after story, during which, they have to see that I couldn't care less at that moment. More unsettling than that, is when the student just sits there, not saying a word, staring right at me and refusing to leave my office. There have even been times that my wife has called and, short of telling the student to take a hike, they just continue to watch my every move. My wife has always told me that I bring this type of behavior on myself because I don't tell students to leave me alone. There is probably some truth to that, but the times that I have done this, the students think I am joking, and getting them to leave becomes much harder because then they make it their mission to annoy the Holy Hell out of me. At that point, I have to either deal with it, or show them I am serious by losing my cool and yelling at the students, which is something I try to avoid as much as possible.

This same thing happened to me a couple of days ago. I was trying to have a moment to myself to relax, eat my lunch/dinner, and to just regroup after a stressful day of classes before I had to go into the gym to work that night's girls basketball game. Instead of achieving this time alone, which is what I felt I needed AND deserved, I continued to have kids constantly coming and going, needing one thing or another, or just wanting to hang out in my office. And, of course, I had that one guy who simply sat staring at me. By the time I got home that night, I just wanted nothing more than to be left alone. Being a husband to an expectant wife and a father of a three year old, being left alone is usually never an option because I either have my daughter demanding all of my attention, or my wife wanting to tell me how her day was because she finally has a grown up to talk to after spending the past three hours with my daughter. That night was no different.

The underlying theme that day-what places the day in proper perspective-was my selfishness throughout. As I said before, I have been feeling overwhelmed lately by everything that I need to get done. Yet, on that day, I was trying to push everyone away so that I could relax-not so I could get work done. In other words, whenever I found a second to myself, I was sitting among the mess of the papers in my office, playing games on my computer like solitaire. Ironically enough, if I WAS being productive with my time, I would not have been standing or sitting in one place but moving this way and that, trying to complete different tasks. And, because I would have been moving around so much, students would not have had the chance to sit in my office and talk my ear off. I also would not have given any student the opportunity to sit and stare at me.

Instead, due to my selfish behavior, I tried to push everyone away. I had no patience for the girl that came in complaining of having knee pain after waking up in the morning and needing me to look at her. It was the same girl that came in the day before complaining of her ankle being sore before practice, AND the SAME girl that I saw skipping down the halls and running all around the gym with her friends during PE earlier in the day. Not only did I have no patience for anyone but myself, I went home frustrated and upset because I got absolutely nothing done and only managed to fall further behind at work.

My final act at work that day was to deal with an athlete that I knew was being overly emotional and dramatic about an injury that she received to her knee in the very last minute of the game. HOWEVER, with all the carrying on she was doing, crying and screaming and such, she attracted a crowd, and it was all I could do to calm everyone down, including her, and talk them out of calling 911. EVERYONE but myself, KNEW she broke her leg, tore a significant ligament in her knee, or something along that line. When the coach asked me what I thought, I simply told him that he would not like my answer because it would have been filled with sarcasm. And, what do you know? The next day I get the word that there was no fracture, and the doctor gave a very non-descript tag of "sprained knee" to the diagnosis. Oh, and she was able to walk and move about without too much trouble the next day, as well. But, what do I know, really?

Okay, so I say all that to say this - two days ago, despite any justification I have have had for acting the way I did, I was in my own world. I disdained any and all conversations with the students, seeing them as mere distractions and annoyances. Because of this, I did not look at that student sitting in my office as an opportunity to witness or shine some hope or light into their day. For all I know, that student may have been calling out for help, having nowhere to go after school for one reason or another, and, seeing my office as the only safe place to be, decided to just sit and stare. And, all I cared about was being able to finish my game of solitaire in peace.

In contrast to two days ago, yesterday I was in my office for just a short time, due to me leaving early on account of having no games to work. Even though I did not have a lot of time to work, I concentrated on using what time I did to be productive and get some work done. I still had the same amount of students shuffling in and out, taking up my time, but I actually made it a point to take time to talk and interact with them. In the end, by the time I left my office, I actually found that I had more energy, I felt better about myself AND I was able to get a lot work done. ALL IN ALL, I was able to rediscover why I enjoy working with high school students. Oh, and that same girl came in with, no joke, a sore neck this time. I told her to put heat on it and I actually learned what her name was. She may not be cut out physically or mentally to be an athlete, but she was fun to talk to, if nothing else.

PRAYER: Abba Father, thank You for this time that I decidedto spend with You. Your Scripture speaks loud and clear to me this morning. Help me, Father, to remember to"gather crops" and not to "sleep during the harvest". Help me to also remember that whenever I try to live my day according to what I WANT TO DO, rather than looking towards the needs of others, I usually end up unfulfilled, unsatisfied, and frustrated. Thank You for helping me to recapture the TRUE reason why I chose the profession that I did. I love You, Father, and I long to "gather crops" for You!

Your son,

Jeff

Just Believe

August 28th, 2008

Thursday

My Daily Scripture Reading: Leviticus 11-12; Mark 5:21-43; Psalms 26; Proverbs 6:16-19

KEY SCRIPTURE: Mark 5:36

"Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe"

OBSERVATION: It is interesting to me that with all the verses I read this morning, the one that catches my eye is probably one of the simplest verses in the Bible, next to "Jesus wept." It is a simple verse with a fundamental truth - "Just Believe." Christian fashion has made a market with the "Fear Not" slogan that plays off of the secular "No Fear" brand of clothes. I wonder if they should not do the same with "Just Believe It!" to play off of Nike's "Just Do It!"

Whatever the case may be, I was attracted to this verse by the two stories that immediately preceded it and immediately followed it. In the first story, a woman touches the hem of Jesus' robe, believing that all she needed to do to be healed was to touch Him. It was this strong belief of hers that caused her to act in such a way, and, it was this strong belief that healed her. In fact, Jesus even tells her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you."

The second story, which immediately follows Mark 5:36, is the story of Jarius, the synagogue ruler and his sick daughter. The significant aspect of this story is that unless he obeyed Jesus' command from verse 36 to "just believe," this story never takes place. I always assumed that Jarius really did not have a difficult time believing-after all, he was with Jesus, and if Jesus, Himself, says to believe, than you believe-end of story. Yet, a couple of verses before that paints a little different scene for me this morning that I have overlooked before.

First, there is this synagogue ruler, who is a rather important figure in that society-he might even be a proud figure most of the time. However, his love for his daughter and the distress that has come from watching his daughter get sick, has caused him to seek desperate measures. Because of his position and the pride that usually goes along with such a person, I seriously doubt that his first option was to seek out Jesus. In fact, as a synagogue ruler, he was probably risking his reputation, his career, and, perhaps, his very life to make a publc appeal to Jesus. So, it is in this mode of desperation that he brings his concern to Jesus.

I imagine that he wanted to gain Jesus' attention, to take Him by the arm, and to lead him, dragging Him if he had to, back to his daughter's bed. Being father to a little girl myself, I know I would have done the same. "No interruptions, Jesus, stay focused, let's go! In fact, why don't we run to my house?" And, being a synagogue ruler, I bet he really wasn't made to wait around very often. Yet, here was Jesus, slowly pressing through the crowd, making His way to Jarius' house, when he stops because someone touched him.

I can picture a chaotic scene. One in which the attention of the group is turned toward this woman, who touched the hem of Jesus' robe, and Jesus' ensuing conversation with this woman. I can almost see the anguish in Jarius' face as he looks in frustration at the scene that is delaying the trip to his house to help save this little girl. I have seen that anguish many times, on many mothers' faces, when their son or daughter are hurt and in pain, and they nervously await the arrival of an ambulance or other emergency medical vehicle-their present form of salvation and relief. Then, while Jarius is in this present mind-set, some men from his household, whom he, no doubt, trusts, approaches Jarius with the news that his worst fears have been realized-his daughter has died, and the news is delivered while Jesus is STILL speaking to the woman.

Much like the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus seems to have been too late to help. His timing was not good enough to save Jarius' daughter. Because Jesus dawdled, He took too long, showing His lack of concern with his aloofness towards Jarius' desperate need for action NOW. I can imagine that Jarius was crushed with the news of his daughter's demise and now is ready to turn his despair into a blind rage against Jesus-after all, if He would have been quicker to the scene, Jesus could have saved her. Translation: Jesus is the reason his daughter is dead!

It is in that exact moment, a moment that found Jarius flooded with anxiety, despair, anguish, anger, an overall emotional wreck, who is being distracted by his men as they are telling him to "give up, it's too late," that Jesus tells Jarius, "Don't be afraid, just believe." I have been in much less dire circumstances, when money has been tight and I am filling up with anxiety and despair when my wife, meaning well, has told me to not be afraid and to "just believe," and I know my reaction to her statement is less than pleasant. With that in mind, I can only imagine what Jarius wanted to tell Jesus.

Instead, Jarius was able to block out all distractions, all emotions, and focus in on Jesus. I believe it was in that moment when his desperation vanished and an attitude of complete faith in the Man standing before him, took over. I believe that Jarius, in his moment of hopelessness, looked into the eyes of Jesus and saw hope-not only for his daughter, but for himself, as well. In fact, it could also be that Jesus was calling him to go beyond simply believing that Jesus could save his daughter, but that Jesus could save his very soul as well. AND, it was in that moment, that Jarius believed.

APPLICATION: I believe that this story is calling me to a deeper belief than I sometimes am willing to display. I believe that Jesus intentionally delayed His arrival to Jarius' home. If He had gone straight there, Jarius may never have been affected as greatly as he was, by being made to wait. Before today, I always thought this was a story about Jesus raising a girl from the dead, and so, having an impact on that girl's life. Any delay there may have been was in order that enough time would elapse to allow for the girl to die so that Jesus could perform this miracle. Yet, today, I feel I clearly see that the story is about the change that took place in Jarius, this synagogue ruler.

Events transpired which affected his ability to focus, to think straight, to, ultimately, become distracted. And, it was in the midst of this distraction, that God tested this man's faith. In other words, it wasn't made easy for him. Jesus did not present Himself to Jarius as a simple servant, ready to do to the bidding of anyone who asks. I can bet that Jarius was used to people doing things for him in just such a fashion. I do not believe that Jesus waited and took His time so that He could perform an even greater "trick" of raising someone from death to life. In fact, that seems to go against his very nature. Sure, if He would have arrived sooner, He would simply have touched the girl and healed her without the dramatic effect of raising her to life. The story might have had a smaller affect on us, BUT it still would have been consistent with Jesus' nature.

HOWEVER, if He would have rushed to Jarius' aid, Jarius would have viewed Jesus as nothing more than a physician with unique healing powers. Not to mention, Jesus would have been nothing more that one more person who rushed to Jarius' aid whenever he asked. The fact that someone would have had an encounter with Jesus, had Jesus arrived to the scene earlier, and NOT been affected, goes AGAINST Jesus' nature!

With that being said, what does this mean for me? Well, the one thing that screams out at me this morning is that question of why am I surprised when I am made to wait for answers during times of stress and anxiety? How often, during those moments when nothing seems to be going my way, either financially or from a physical health standpoint, do I cry out, "Why me?!" All the while, ignoring ALL the times things worked out for the good.

Our lives are very much like Jarius' journey with Him. We live away from His presence for awhile, doing our own things, handling our own problems, and going about our own business. We always "believe" in Him; we know He is there IF we need that "quick fix" or "super power" to fly in and save the day, but, most of the time, we simply leave Him in peace. And then, when that moment arrives, when we are desperate for a solution, for deliverance from a bad situation, we call out to Him-expecting that He will proceed directly to our side to help us. Our belief takes us THAT far, just like it did for Jarius. Yet, He is not our personal genie in the lamp, if you will. He delays sometimes, or, at least, in our eyes, He delays. However, in His eyes, He has perfect timing. He causes us to wait, forcing us to take a step back, and then He tells us, in the midst of our storm, to not be afraid, but to JUST BELIEVE.

I believe that more could be learned from studying the actions of the woman who touched the garment of Jesus. With her, there was no hesitation to her belief-she knew that all she had to do was reach out and touch Him. She didn't care who saw. She didn't look away when Jesus asked who touched Him. She simply believed in the healing power of her Lord and Savior. Many people touched Him that day, but I think that she was the only one who had the type of faith that Jesus was calling Jarius to that day-the type of faith that I feel He is calling me to today.

THE END