The loving eye and the bridle

𝗣𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝟯𝟮:𝟴-𝟵 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗼; 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘆𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗗𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

David came to his senses in Psalm 32 and opened his life to God, confessing sin and receiving forgiveness. When he had remained silent (vv 3-4) it had physical consequences – pain and exhaustion. But when he allowed God’s voice and conviction to come into his soul, he received pardon and regained God’s protection over his life. The famous “You are my hiding place” lyrics (v 7) are among the greatest statements in the Word of God about the shelter provided to the penitent.

The above verses are written as God’s words to David, and all readers. Whatever sin was confessed and forgiven is forgotten and God shows the way forward. It is his instruction that leads – and never into more iniquity. His advice and direction come from a motive of pure love and never manipulative self-advancement (God is quite secure as Lord over the universe).

Yet, obstinance is always a possible reaction from the human heart. Whether it stems from unbelief in God’s love and goodness or a desire to plot one’s own course, it reduces the person being directed to the mentality and willfulness of a brute animal. Even as humankind understands the need for means of controlling horses and mules, the rebellion of heart against God who grants the dignity of free will is held up as a right. And a right it is, but not without consequence.

Instruction is only good if it is imported as direction. Otherwise, it sits only as a varying opinion, and there is no shortage of those on the earth. Do I believe there is a God? Yes. Do I believe God’s instruction is a better teacher than my own wayward heart? Yes.

The walk is treacherous still, for the motives of people creep in, some even portending to speak for God – and others who really do speak for God in my life. The “loving eye” is key for me to see. God is for my good, not my control or frustration. May I see and walk with that knowledge. Amen.

Logs and specks

Luke 6:42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

Fault-finding putdown artists are actors (hypocrites), says Jesus.  They have no intention of facing up to their own shortcomings, but only delight in point those out in others.  There is a preadolescent mindset that begins with the discovery that demeaning others makes one feel powerful and superior.  It’s a lie, says the Lord, for it leaves out the most important ingredient of all – humility.

Motives are cleansed by allowing God to convict and correct.  The trouble is that fault-finders cannot distinguish conviction and condemnation.  They count on condemnation disqualifying and eliminating others, so they cannot allow any scrutiny to be applied to their hearts or lives.  No, says Jesus, “first take the log out of your own eye” – let the truth penetrate your life, be forgiven and freed, THEN you will understand conviction and freedom for others.  At that point, when you remove THEIR speck, it will be out of love and desire for their best.

The teaching does NOT negate care to remove other’s specks.  My own log – however huge and ugly – does not make me unable to help others with their (albeit smaller) issues.

If I am in the business of the putdown of others, I then need to ask about my own state before God.  I can trust this – it’s a leading indicator of my own need for conviction, forgiveness, cleansing/healing and freedom.  If and when my motives are pure – that is, I am no hypocrite but instead fully acknowledge my own imperfection and struggles – I can love people enough to confront them with things they may not see in themselves.  For it’s no mistake the analogy involves the organ through which we see – we cannot see through a speck.

I rejoice in the freedom God gives me and all his children.  It never comes without struggle and the first person’s struggle I deal with is my own.  And then there is victory for us all!

The reward of the cheerful heart

𝟮 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟵:𝟲-𝟳 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: 𝗪𝗵𝗼𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗽 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗽 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆. 𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿.

Paul was collecting an offering for the Jerusalem church, the spiritual “mother church”. There was a bad famine in Israel and people were starving. From the more affluent Gentile believers, Paul issued a pointed and passionate challenge – Give generously and you will see reward in your life. Period.

While the call is not to abandon reason in one’s giving, it absolutely entails taking reason off the throne of heart and adopting compassion that opens the wallet or makes available the resource.

To be sure, there is wisdom to know that the appeal has integrity and the funds and resources will actually go where the gatherer says (e.g. gifts to poor nations routinely go through corrupt regimes and leaders, with little or nothing getting to the needy). And giving that enables destructive behavior is not what this passage describes.

I’m challenged to name the ways generosity is threatened, because truly these do overrule the appeal in myself and others if we let them:

𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. I don’t want to give good money after bad. Put more vividly, will I give to an ungrateful, snarling grouse whose hunger (in my exalted opinion) is self-inflicted? I should know that if I do not, my own ungrateful, snarling soul will remain bereft of the promised reward. I do not have the equipment to gauge the outcome in the life of the recipient. Those who receive don’t need to earn generosity.

𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. I (or someone else) want(s) to look generous as an ulterior motive. Or, giving only to people and causes that align with my political sensibilities. Donations to causes are FINE, but not to be confused with generosity. The reward for that is far from certain and dubious from the outset.

𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. No, the freedom to give or not give is implicit in the process. There is no inherent punishment for withholding, though a miserly heart does get its own dark “reward”. But appeals that project attitudes and pronounce dire consequences to raise funds carry an element of sales ploys.

𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵. For sure there is reward promised in scripture, and experienced in the action itself. But if that payback becomes the motive for giving, it puts the giver in a seat only God can fill. Despite the current popular and pervasive teaching, we do not name our reward in substance or detail of its delivery. Our lives become blessable through giving, no more.

It is stunning what giving does in heavenly accounting books:

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘀 𝟭𝟵:𝟭𝟳 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗗, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲.

… and there is certainly enough promise and fulfillment to make us the “cheerful giver” that God loves.

Of slap happy tyrants

𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝟭𝟴:𝟮𝟮 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, “𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁?”

…. and …

𝟮𝟵-𝟯𝟬 𝗦𝗼 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱, “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗻?” “𝗜𝗳 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹,” 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱, “𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂.”

Responding to accusatory questions about his ministry, Jesus asked “Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.” (v 21). That was considered impudent and disrespectful towards the high priest Caiaphas, for which he was struck by those around him. Yet, as the Jewish leaders turned him over to Pilate, Rome’s authority over them, they felt very free to answer his question with their own arrogance. There was a clear, ongoing conciliatory placation of the people of Israel by Pilate; it was in his interest to maintain civil calm and good relations with the nation of Israel.

This afforded the chief priest and his henchmen the opportunity to push Pilate around. There was no love lost between the two layers of power and authority. The Jews hated the Roman occupation and the occupiers themselves. And vice versa, to be sure.

It is a clear sign of a despot in power that demands compliant respect and abuses those who it believes fails to tow the line. In that regard, even asking honest questions that interrupt the human -ordained rush to “justice” – is seen as rebellion. And the attitude towards authorities above despots – whether human or divine – is lip service to protocol formalities with an underlying acrimony to anyone or anything that would presume to hold power over the tyrant.

This is a direct mirror of the posture of Satan in Isaiah 14:

𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗮𝗵 𝟭𝟰:𝟭𝟯 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁, “𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻; 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱…”

That is, the Jewish leadership longed to rule over all the world and thought themselves worthy of that rule. The ultimate riddle was that they crucified the only One who was worthy of that rule, out of spite and rivalry.

Where is my despotism? Where do I presume to know it all and see it all? Where do I practice Joe Walsh’s lyrics:

𝑌𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢, ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡. 𝑁𝑜 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡

… where I should be advancing those below me and supporting those above me (vs. merely passing a test)?

There is no authority above Jesus Christ; every earthly tyrant will one can concede that. And Jesus rules with love and mercy, which are the delightful enforcers of his reign. Let me live in love knowing that His kingdom is not of this world.

Tyrannical spiritual pride

Luke 18:12-14 ‘I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me, a sinner!’ tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The book of Psalms has songs that proclaim the blamelessness of the singer, making a direct link between his purity and the blessing of God. And it is true, lives that are free from iniquity are “blessable” in the sense that there is favor with God and a lack of encumbrances in keeping bad behavior going and/or covering it up.

The praying Pharisee in Luke 18 undoubtedly had a habit of such confession, and his self-aggrandizing testimony of his observance of points of Mosaic Law was undoubtedly accurate in fact. But it was tyrannically proud.

In those Psalms, there were real enemies, often those who were actively out to take the life of the psalmist. Those adversaries were uniformly proud and oppressive towards others. It was in righteous defiance that those songs proclaimed God’s favor on the pursued one. It was NEVER done in a way to accentuate the shame of those seeking God with lesser righteousness in their lives.

The tax collector stood “far off” – in his penitence keeping distance from the altar and the righteous ones who claimed it as their own. He readily admitted his sin, in utter brokenness and hiding nothing. He asked for God’s mercy – and received it. To add to the psalmist’s ingredients for a blessed life – the broken and contrite heart God that will not despise (Psalm 51:17).

Corporate worship and prayer where people are focused on other people robs the congregation of the power of voices raised together and corrupts the offering itself with foolish human rivalries and criticisms. One who takes continual notice of those with whom one worships offers nothing to God. And, as Jesus said, that person goes home unjustified, for there is broken relationship and unfinished business with the Lord.

Let me leave reputation, testimony and self-consciousness aside and edify the poor in spirit; indeed being poor in spirit myself, that we might together find ourselves in the presence of God.

Mountains, valleys, crooked and rough places

Luke 3:4-6: … The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

John the Baptist quoted Isaiah 40:3-5 and applied it to his ministry of repentance. Topologically, it reads like one is preparing a landing strip for a large aircraft. Or a railroad bed through the mountains. But John was speaking about preparing hearts to see the salvation of the Lord. So, the valleys and mountains, crooked and rough places pertain to the state of the souls of people. This is profound.

What is a valley of the soul then? A depressed, downtrodden area of shame and abandonment? It would make sense, yes. And a mountain? A proud, too-lofty peak that lords a person over others and even authority. Crooked and rough places are variants of sinful behavior, perhaps known to the person with excuses and justifications such that they were never confronted before.

Repentance takes no prisoners. Sin dies and a person has nothing else to lean on but forgiveness.

But it’s vital to remember that this repentance was in preparation of One who would set captives free. That is, though people may well seek to have sins erased, it is only the work of the Savior that truly frees. Forgiveness and freedom are granted separately, and freedom is of course, a far more hard-fought entity.

It is God’s will that humankind be free from sin, not just forgiven for it. Like it or not, that is a progressive move in the lives of his children. For humankind is deeply bound, realizing it or not.

What, then are my valleys, mountains, crooked and rough places? May the Holy Spirit convict. And how will I be set free, not just forgiven? By God’s grace, accountability and learning to walk a different path, even in my thought life and my words. That God will do it is sure – I’ve seen it for years. Freedom is glorious and worth every step taken to walk in.

Amen.

Danger of a soul’s drifting

Psalm 51:4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

From the beginning of the account of David’s tryst with Bathsheba there was abuse of power – “In the spring time when kings go to war”  (but David did not, instead sending his army without him).  He summoned Bathsheba into his bed, schemed and conspired to cover up his actions and finally had Joab arrange for Uriah’s death on the battlefield so he could lie about whose baby Bathsheba would bear.  In short, David sinned against a LOT of people.

Psalm 51 was written after David’s sins were spelled out publicly by Nathan the prophet.  The song was his confessing lament, and he spells out his sorrow and profound sinfulness (i.e. “from birth”).  The verse above points to the core of the matter though – “Against you, you only” – when it was against many others as well.

The notion is that all sin flows from sin against God.  A soul’s intents, when yielding to the blessed and bountiful purposes of God, will by nature run from sin.  David would go to war with his army, would look away from Bathsheba and would confess sins rather than covering them up.  That didn’t happen, says David, because of rebellion against God.  All the years of seeing God’s faithfulness, deliverance and goodness displayed vividly in remote and desolate places, seemingly were for naught.  When the right temptation came, David took the bait and fell.

Inasmuch as Psalm 51 provides a warning, I can see the eternal value of paying attention to all God would say and direct me toward in life.  If I never listen and drink in the Word, I will by necessity see my faith erode and begin opening up to my most attractive form of iniquity – something the Bible calls “the sin that so easily entangles” (Hebrews 12:1).   For that which attracts me is that which fills a space made for God and his purposes.  There is purity and there is right motive.

In David’s song, there is a recollection of a dry spiritual time in his life.  Blessed beyond all counting, he ceased to seek God like he did earlier.  He let his guard down.

Let that not happen to me, or to us.

Little man in a tree

Luke 19:9-10 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus was a traitor.  In the occupied nation of Israel, he chose to work for the enemy, the occupying force, exacting taxes from his countrymen.  The people hated tax collectors like him, and from his testimony, he was hardly upright even in siding with the Romans.  He ripped people off.

When Jesus came to his neighborhood, Zacchaeus climbed a tree to get a view of the prophet as he passed.  He did not call out to Jesus, but Jesus called out to him, singling him out for a home visit (yes, Dr. Jesus makes house calls).  We don’t have the conversation recorded between them but if one questions the art and need for compassionate, confidential confrontation and counsel (hey look, 4 C’s) in ministry just know Jesus did it regularly.

As a result, Zacchaeus emerged from it promising to repay anything he had stolen times four (that would be good interest on one’s money) and to give half of his possessions to the poor.  He became thumbs up to the rich young ruler’s thumbs down (see Luke 18:18ff) regarding surrendering his goods to follow Jesus. 

Those looking on scoffed at the idea of Jesus visiting the short man, calling him a “sinner” due to his occupation and practice.  They were right.  Yet, Jesus’ statement that salvation had come to his house (a pun really because Jesus’ name means “Salvation”) and that he too was a son of Abraham advances a proposition that no one, NO ONE is excluded or shunned from saving grace.  His statement that He came to save the lost goes perfectly with his initiating street-to-tree contact with Zacchaeus from the outset.  It was intentional and absolutely consistent with His purpose.

Who do I exclude, calling names and placing him or her outside grace?  I’m dead wrong when I do that, because Jesus calls such a person out of their perch and into love.  What group does culture or political tribe say is untouchable by grace?  Dead wrong again, that group is the target and early recipients of grace.

How can we (and I) change from an individual who came into Christ as a beggar for mercy turn into a judge and/or soldier keeping people out of our bunker and inner circle?  We have no basis for exclusive pride, but only thanksgiving, because:

Romans 5:8 … God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

There are neither gradients nor varieties of sin in that verse because without Christ, we are Zacchaeus up in a tree.

When pretense is deadly

Acts 13:11  Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, had conspired to sell some land, give part of the proceeds to the cause of Jesus and keep some of it for themselves.  But their story was that they were giving the entire sum, which was a lie.

First Ananias, then Sapphira, testified before Peter that they had given the entire amount.  He pronounced judgment on each of them, for they had “not lied just to human beings but to God.”  They each instantly fell down dead.

This is a seemingly radical departure from a ministry and movement that featured so much healing and blessing.  If you lie you die?  How could it be?

There was and is a practice of toy religion – human doings and sayings that supposedly win the approval and appeasement of God.  It’s commercial – you say a few prescribed words, perhaps 1000 times to really be impressive, and you get the blessing.  You pretend to be “all in” and are actually only partly “in”.

It’s very clear from the context that the pretense (or acting – hypocrisy) was the problem here – Ananias and Sapphira likely thought everyone pretended just like they had under the Law of Moses.  Not now.  Doing things just for show turned out to be fatal for them, and the fear of that being exposed “seized the whole church”.  Following Christ was not to be a sideshow to the real event – personal, secret life.

Let me know this – they could have kept part of the money and told the truth about it and not undergone the judgment.  It was about being honest.  Turning greed into generosity is discipleship that often takes time, but turning what is fake into what is real needs to be called out right away, and in this case at the expense of the lives of this couple.

So where am I pretending?  How and where do I give only lip service to the things of God, giving part and saying it’s all (or even making that allusion), boasting (even in subtlety) or doing anything that lacks integrity?  Do I sin? It’s with no pride that I say “yes”.  Do I lie about my shortcomings?  Well, I won’t say I advertise them, but let me be quick to confess them to any and all who ask.

Let grace define me – not just receiving it but being open that I need it.  Every single day.

The unwarranted wail of the obedient

Luke 15:30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

It’s a parable, a story with made-up characters.  But because Jesus told it, our minds and souls immediately plug real people into the roles, because they are always archetypes of human beings in our lives.  We know people like that.

These words were spoken by the older son of the Prodigal Son, the younger brother who demanded his inheritance money before his father died and then wasted it on wild living.  He had come back, ready to be a slave and not a son, but his father would have none of that.  He was restored to sonship immediately upon his return with great fanfare and celebration.

The older son bitterly resented his brother, in fact refused to call him his brother – “this son of yours” intentionally skirts the fact that they are brothers.  Even if the father had not disowned the younger brother, his older sibling had.

The resentment of those who have remained faithful to a role, relationship or life calling while others have strayed and then returned is founded in envy.  This son wanted to be celebrated by his father and felt he had deserved it by virtue of faithfulness.  His father replied that he could celebrate any time, but that his brother’s return was life from the dead, so they MUST celebrate.

Where do I fail to rejoice with those who rejoice?  To probe my soul –  where is my reticence (my reserve) hiding real resentment?

The root of the anger by the older brother is a feeling of being unappreciated.  Let me recall seeing it in myself – it takes selective inventory of work done, counting every scar, personal cost and crippling fatigue that plagues all hard work.  And arguably we NEED to be validated and celebrated from time to time as we NEED to know and chronicle how our gifts and competencies are developing.  And there’s nothing wrong with having needs.

But if I feel injustice when someone else is celebrated, I need to get over myself.  Because they have needs as well.  The younger brother needed to have his decision to come back validated and joyfully underscored.  He had himself been victimized by those who loved his money but couldn’t care less about him, but at this point he had returned to those who loved him.  Except for his older brother.

Don’t be a resentful sibling when the stray returns.  Just don’t – it hurts you.