Miracles
Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk to those around him! And Jesus gave him back to his mother. Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised G.o.d, saying, aA mighty prophet has risen among us,a and aWe have seen the hand of G.o.d at work today.a Luke 7:15-16
Matthew Arnold concluded the preface to the 1883 edition of his monumental work Literature and Dogma with the bold statement, aMiracles do not happen.a Those more interested in sports than either literature or dogma disagree. They insist that the age of miracles continued to 1969, when the New York Mets won the National League pennant and then went on to win the World Series! Arnold, of course, was serious. The sporting crowd was simply being facetious.
But what are we to say about miracles? Miracles are those events for which, according to Western patterns of thinking, there is no immediate natural explanation. Reverent people do not hesitate to attribute them to divine intervention. They reason that G.o.d, who made the world and who upholds it, is perfectly free and able to intervene in its affairs and workings whenever and however he wishes, in order to further his own purposes. Those who, like Arnold, have determined that a miracle is not about to happena"for whatever reasona"have either dismissed G.o.d as reality or banished him to a position of irrelevance as far as this world and its affairs are concerned.
Scripture speaks regularly of miracles, including some of the most dramatic performed by Jesus, himself. They were certainly acts of compa.s.siona"as was clearly the case in the raising of the bereft widowas only son from the dead (Luke 7:11-17). But there were many bereft widows with dead sons and an abundance of dest.i.tute beggars in Christas time. And he did not raise or heal them all. He was not selective in his compa.s.sion, so apparently he was selective in his demonstrations of power.
Those who are at the opposite end of the scale from Matthew Arnold think that miracles should be normative, that G.o.d should be performing them all the time. Miracles by definition are not normativea"they are extraordinary! Neither are they promised by the Lord to all people whenever they desire or require one. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that those who see a miracle will be led to live in devotion to the Wonder-worker. Many of the people who witnessed the miracles of Jesus demanded to see more but declined to stand by his side at the time of his rejection.
To say that miracles donat happen is to be dogmatic without warrant. To insist that they should be normative is to be expectant without wisdom. To believe that they serve G.o.das purposes in his time is to be reverent and worshipful. Miracles do happena"even after the 1969 Word Series.
August 17
TO READ: Luke 7:18-35
Doubt
Johnas two disciples found Jesus and said to him, aJohn the Baptist sent us to ask, aAre you the Messiah weave been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?aa Luke 7:20
Each year, Time magazine identifies a aPerson of the Year,a usually to a mixed reaction from their readers. For instance, in the year 2000, Time chose George W. Bush, the winner of the controversial and hotly contended 2000 presidential contest. But at the end of 1999, they picked a aPerson of the Centurya: Albert Einstein, the great theoretical physicist whose theory of relativity changed the way we think about the world. Here again the choice did not elicit universal approval, because there was no agreement on the criteria used to make the judgment.
One day, Jesus picked his aman of the millennium.a Jesus said, aI tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than Johna (Luke 7:28). He was speaking of John the Baptist. His point was not to shower accolades on John, but rather to show that aeven the most insignificant person in the Kingdom of G.o.d is greater than he isa (7:28). Jesusa point was that, superb as John was, he lacked the basic experience of the most humble person who had discovered the reality of G.o.das kingdom through faith in Christ.
All this could not, however, detract from the significance of Johnas stature as a man of outstanding ability and integrity. It is interesting to note, therefore, that Jesusa comment came in the context of something in Johnas life which indicated that even he had an Achillesa heel. John had just sent a message to Jesus by way of two disciples, asking, aAre you the Messiah weave been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?a (7:19). John was the one who had pointed to Jesus and boldly declared, aLook! There is the Lamb of G.o.d!a (John 1:36). But now he was having doubts. His Achillesa heel was showing!
Perhaps the reason for Johnas doubts was to be found in his personal experience. He knew that one of the evidences of Messiahas arrival would be that he would aproclaim that captives will be releaseda (Luke 4:18). But John was languishing in a prison cella"from which he was never released! Jesusa response was that there was plenty of evidence that he was fulfilling Isaiahas Messianic prophecy (Luke 7:22; see Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus had referred to this prophecy at the beginning of his ministry (Luke 4:18-19). But even though he specifically told John about his miraclesa"athe blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poora (7:22), in keeping with Johnas predicament he made no mention of the captives being released!
Jesus had no easy answers for Johnas personal hardship, just enough evidence for Johnas faith to be strong. But even though it wasnat strong at that time, Jesus still thought he was the greatest! Even great men are allowed their weaknessesa"including having doubts!
August 18
TO READ: Luke 7:36-50
Logic and Love
I tell you, her sinsa"and they are manya"have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.
Luke 7:47
Love can be quite illogical. It has its own set of rules that are more emotional than rational. And logic can be decidedly unloving. Built on major and minor premises and arriving at incontrovertible conclusions, logic can easily lose sight of human beings and their needs.
Take as an example the dinner party at Simon the Phariseeas house where Jesus was the guest of honor. A woman of unsavory reputation (an aimmoral woman,a Luke 7:37), unwelcome in such company, joined the party (as custom allowed) and embarra.s.sed the guests by weeping over Jesusa feet as he reclined at the table, anointing his feet with expensive perfume, and kissing and drying them with her hair.
This was where Simonas logic took over.
Major premisea"Real prophets have nothing to do with sinful women.
Minor premisea"Jesus is allowing this woman to toucha"and caress!a"him.
Conclusiona"aThis proves that Jesus is no propheta (7:39).
The obvious pa.s.sion in the womanas behavior, her unrestrained expression of adoration and respect, and her heartfelt tears of sorrow and joya"all these left Simon the Pharisee cold. Logic triumphed over love in his heart.
Jesus, with the benefit of laser insight, read Simonas mind and aanswered his thoughtsa (7:40)a"much to Simonas chagrin. Subtly and masterfully, Jesus got Simon to agree that, in a case where one person is forgiven much and another little, it is not unusual to find that the one forgiven most is most appreciative. Simonas logical mind could handle that with ease! But what he couldnat handle was the application Jesus made. Jesus pointed out to Simon that the womanas behavior, which Simon found so distasteful, was in fact much more appropriate than the cold, heartless awelcomeaa"lacking even common courtesiesa"that Jesus had received from Simon (7:43-46).
But Jesus was not commenting on social gracesa"or even on their lack. He was speaking about the issue of love. Jesus saw the difference between Simonas behavior and the womanas as a matter of love, and a special kind of love at that! It is the love that comes from the knowledge of forgiveness. Simon knew nothing of thisa"because he recognized nothing of his own need. His logic no doubt kept him insulated from guilt and, therefore, isolated from grace. But the woman, who was neither insulated from guilt nor isolated from grace, relied only on her experience of forgiveness. Overwhelmed with grat.i.tude, she showed her love. Extravagantly, beautifully, and illogically!
Men donat need to aget in touch with their feminine sidea to experience and express Christas love. They just need to think logically about Jesus and his grace and let their reciprocal love show. To their surprise, they might find their expressions of love defying their masculine logic!
August 19
TO READ: Luke 8:1-15
Productive Listening
[Jesusa] disciples asked him what the story meant. He replied, aYou have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of G.o.d. But I am using these stories to conceal everything about it from outsiders, so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: aThey see what I do, but they donat really see; they hear what I say, but they donat understand.aa Luke 8:9-10
A preacher once told a group of students that he had so much to tell them that he didnat know where to begin. In saying so, he committed a fundamental error! This became apparent when a smart young listener suggested, aWell, begin near the end.a People need no encouragement to score points off preachers! It is all too easy to charge preachers with going on too long, or with curing peopleas insomnia. And some of the good-humored teasing is sometimes not too far from the truth!
But what about listeners who donat play their part in the communication exercise? Effective communication requires hearing as well as speaking, apprehending as well as articulating.
Jesus addressed this issue forthrightly. He explained that he had decided to teach in parablesa"simple stories with profound meaningsa"precisely because of the different ways listeners respond to what is being said (Luke 8:9-10). A parable can be heard at a very superficial level, without any moral or spiritual significance being discerned or applied. A parable can also have a life-transforming impact on the hearer if the lesson is taken seriously. So the issue becomes not the effectiveness of the speaker, but the attentiveness of the hearer!
The ill.u.s.tration of the sower sowing seed was masterful. All Jesusa hearers were familiar with the process of scattering seed because they were farmers. In Jesusa story, some of the seed fell on the path, some into shallow soil, some among thorns, and some in rich soil. This certainly matched the listenersa own experience of sowing. They all knew that some of the seed would respond in a very superficial, shallow manner and amount to nothing, while some of it would bear a rich, fruitful harvest. But Jesusa real point was lost on some of them. His point was that the same is true of his hearers! aGood soil,a he told his disciples privately, arepresents honest, good-hearted people who hear G.o.das message, cling to it, and steadily produce a huge harvesta (8:15).
Productive hearing requires two things. First, it requires the right heart att.i.tude: a positive approach and a serious intent to apply the truth honestly. Second, it requires a willingness to work for the long haul on what is being said, not just for a moment or two. Thereas an element of aclinginga to the truth of the message, and there must be a asteadya or consistent application of what is heard. This way, huge harvests of blessing abound in the hearts of hearers.
Much has been written on the subject of effective speaking, but little is said on the role of attentive hearing. No doubt preachers in pulpits need to sharpen their skills. But people in pews need to focus their concentration, too.
August 20
TO READ: Psalm 91
Shadow of the Almighty
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1
In two of her books, Through Gates of Splendor and The Shadow of the Almighty, Elisabeth Elliot tells the story of five American missionaries, including her husband, Jim, who were martyred in the jungles of Equador in 1956. The t.i.tle of the second book was clearly taken from Psalm 91, which the five young men took very seriously as they embarked on the hazardous task of making contact with the primitive Auca people. After a number of promising contacts with the Indians through an ingenious method of lowering buckets of gifts from a plane tightly circling over the village, the men landed on a strip of sand on a jungle riverbank and awaited the arrival of their new afriends.a But the missionaries were cruelly murdered and their bodies left in the muddy waters of the river.
Whatever natural fears the young men may have had, they were undoubtedly allayed by the words, aDo not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor fear the dangers of the day, nor dread the plague that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at middaya (Ps. 91:5-6). Whatever reservations they may have entertained, they presumably took great comfort in the words aIf you make the Lord your refuge, and you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer youa (91:9-10). And yet the reality is that these trusting young men were speared to death within days of their arrival in Auca territory.
We donat know how much warninga"if anya"the missionaries had of the impending attack, but they had hung their hearts over the words, aThe Lord says, aI will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue them and honor themaa (91:14-15). The obvious question on the minds of many at the time of the tragedya"and in succeeding yearsa"was, aWhat went wrong?a Did G.o.das promises not stand up under the weight of trust put in him? Did G.o.d renege on his commitment to the safety of his young servants? Had they misread or misinterpreted the Scriptures? And the answer, although hard to find, is surely that the Lord did arescue thema from their earthly pain and ahonor thema in his immediate presence. Ever since their deaths, theyave enjoyed his promise to asatisfy them with a long lifeaa"as long as eternitya"aand give them [his] salvationa (91:15-16). Truly they found arest in the shadow of the Almightya (91:1).
Faith takes the long viewa"G.o.das shadow is a long shadow.
August 21
TO READ: Judges 7:1-22
Valuable but Expendable
It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the one hundred men with him reached the outer edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the horns and broke their clay jars. Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands and shouted, aA sword for the LORD and for Gideon!a Judges 7:19-20
Christianity is full of paradoxes. We die to live, we are humbled to be exalted, the first shall be last, and the expendable are the valuable. Paradoxes!
Gideon and his men must have been the biggest underdogs in military history when they set out to do battle with the Midianites. Overwhelmingly outnumbered and under-armed, they had been whittled down to three hundred men, and their a.r.s.enal consisted of pots holding torches and a sword apiece. Thus equipped, they surrounded the camp of the Midianites in the dead of night. On command they smashed the clay jars to the ground. The silence was shattered; the night sky was flooded with light. The Midianites in panic began attacking one another, and when the survivors fled, Gideonas army finished them off with their swords.
The apostle Paul was apparently referring to this event when he explained his approach to his work as an apostle. He explained that, G.o.d had commanded light to shine at Creation, just as he had shone the knowledge of Christ into Paulas heart. aBut,a he said, athis precious treasurea"this light and power that now shine within usa"is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodiesa (2 Cor. 4:7). As long as the clay jar of his physical body was intact, the light would not shine out. But if the jar cracks and breaks, then the light shines through. Paul saw himself as expendable in the service of the Master. He was not interested in painting the outside of his life or even fixing the cracks. His interest was in letting the glory of G.o.d shine through his humble life. If the way he handled affliction glorified G.o.d, he would welcome afflictions. If the way he responded to pressures demonstrated the power of G.o.d, then let the pressures continue.
Brave words indeed! It is the man who regards himself as expendable who is ultimately valuable. A man who will not stoop to care for a dirty child keeps his pride intact and his soul impoverished. But the man who spends his vacation money on the support of an orphan, or invests his television time at a rescue mission, or pa.s.ses up a promotion so he can be involved in his church, may find some wear and tear on his finances and his leisure time. But he will know fullness of joy in his heart. Itas the broken pots that let the light shinea"the intact ones simply sit prettily in their own darkness.
August 22
TO READ: Judges 9:1-21
l.u.s.t for Power
aThen all the trees finally turned to the thornbush and said, aCome, you be our king!a And the thornbush replied, aIf you truly want to make me your king, come and take shelter in my shade. If not, let fire come out from me and devour the cedars of Lebanon.aa Judges 9:14-15
A wise man once said, aPower corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.a But the power that corrupts has an appeal. Men still seek it, because they feel they can enjoy the freedom that power brings without suffering the corrupting bondage it imposes.
G.o.d tried to warn his people of this danger. They listened with tin ears. Israel was called to be a theocracya"they were to live under divine rule. But for a theocracy to work, the people must honor the Lord and walk in his ways. The children of Israel had no intention of living this way. They looked longingly at the surrounding monarchies and longed for a similar system. So they asked their hero, Gideon, to accept the role of king, but he declined and said, aI will not rule over you, nor will my son. The Lord will rule over youa (8:23).
When Gideon died, his son Abimelech had no such compunctions. He wanted to rule, so he set about establishing his power base. First he went to Shechem, the home of his mother, Gideonas concubine. There he played the ethnic card, telling his relatives that, because he was their aflesh and blood,a they could expect a better deal from him than from any of his seventy half-brothers, who he implied were looking for a chance to take over. The result was that he won their support, collected their money, and hired some mercenaries. Then he murdered all his half-brothers. Nice guy! Thus he dealt with any possible oppositiona"or so he thought. But one brother, Jotham, escaped. Jotham courageously appeared on a rock overlooking Shechem and loudly proclaimed a parable about a useless bramble becoming king. The message was abundantly clear: Jothamas useless half-brother was offering what he could not give, but he would stop at nothing to get power!
The desire for a degree of power over our own lives is understandable. But power over other people is often involved, because if others control us we are not in control. This is where the problems arise. In the human heart, a legitimate desire for freedom from oppression can quickly become a l.u.s.t for power over others. Then anything goes. The depths to which the human soul can then plunge are unfathomable. The n.o.ble themes of the French Revolutiona"alibert, galit, fraternitaa"quickly degenerated into a bloodbath. Those who were freed from oppression mercilessly oppressed the opposition. Thereas only one sure way to handle the l.u.s.t for power, and Gideon said it: aThe Lord will rule over you!a
August 23