IN LIKE A LION, OUT LIKE A LAMB

  

I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. (Rev. 5: 4-7)

Welcome to the final day of March. It has been a lion of a winter, but now it is slipping away like a lamb. You can almost hear hearts melting along with the snow all over campus.

When the metaphors of “lion” and “lamb” are applied to the month of March, they are intended to describe extreme opposites. The same applies to the Savior whom we are following to the cross during this season of Lent. He is proclaimed to be a Lion, but he adopts the role of a Lamb. The Lion symbolizes majestic kingship and authority; not only is the Lamb weak and fragile: this particular Lamb looks as if it had been slain. The contrast between the two could not be more stark.

How do we worship a Lion-Lamb? Do we have to choose one or the other? The Catholic writer G. K. Chesterton writes in his classic work Orthodoxy, “Christianity got over the difficulty of combining furious opposites, by keeping them both, and keeping them both furious.” In other words, we may not choose.

So how do we follow a Lion-Lamb during Lent? Perhaps Scriptures like these can guide us:

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13: 3-5)

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth (Isaiah 42: 1-4a).

The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes (Rev. 7.17).

Two works of art can help you respond to this wondrous reality. Ponder the mural behind the stairway between the library and the front reception desk; it combines the Lion-Lamb metaphor with several other rich biblical metaphors. Or sing along with Graham Kendrick’s great composition, “The Servant King” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VeQrWmvCms .

This is our God, the Servant King; He calls us now to follow Him To bring our lives as a daily offering of worship to the Servant King

40 Days of Lent: Day 27

Luke 16:  1-15 -

As Jesus continues his journey to the cross, he teaches what many consider to be his most confusing parable.  

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

16 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. ² So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

³ “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— ⁴ I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

⁵ “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

⁶ “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’

⁷ “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’

“‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.

“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

⁸ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. ⁹ I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

¹⁰ “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. ¹¹ So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? ¹² And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

¹³ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. ¹⁵ He said to them,“You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

The above passages deal with the heart. It is not just about what we do, but why we do it. First, the issue is our relationship with money and things. Without explaining the paradoxical intricacies of the parable, suffice it to say that it is summarized in verses 10-12 in clear, unmistakable language.  Are we honest?  Are we trustworthy? Do we make an idol out of money or the things that money would represent? Do we value the wrong things?

40 Days of Lent: Day 26

 Luke 15

Today's reading is the entirety of Luke 15.  The chapter is divided up between today's and yesterday's devotions.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

These three parables, of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost sons can perhaps be summarized by the words of Jesus, Himself, later in this book as he states "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (19:10) 

That is at the heart of the New Testament.  God is on a mission. It was this that steered Jesus inevitably toward the cross.  Seeking and saving lost people is His passion and His priority. Do we believe this?  Do we allow His stated priority to infiltrate our thinking and our our practices? Does it affect our thinking toward people that we might think are outside of the Circle of Grace?  Does the state of lost people concern us, let alone bother us? Do we have the attitude of the elder brother which is every bit as far from the heart of his father as that of his younger brother previously? In using three separate but related stories to drive the point home, Jesus is underlining its importance.

40 Days of Lent: Day 25

 Luke 15: 11-31

The Parable of the Lost Son

¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

The Father had two lost sons. The first was the wayward son who had strayed far from home and had lost everything. The other was the compliant son who had served his father out of duty and whose heart was far from him. Jesus told this story to and for the benefit of the religious people in his midst who despised the people who had responded to Jesus. 

This calls us to pray – for our own hearts:  if our hearts are wandering, that they will return Home.  If we are serving out of duty and not out of gratitude, that our hearts will change.  If we judge and despise others, that our hearts will soften.

That we will have His heart towards the lost.

40 Days of Lent - Day 24

The Cost of Being a Disciple - Luke 14:  25-34 -- RP

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:  “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.  And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?  For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you,  saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?  If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.  In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

When it comes to reflecting on this passage, it is hard to better the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his classic The Cost of Discipleship. Consider these excerpts:

The cross is laid on every Christian.

The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world

. … we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with His death—we give over our lives to death. …

When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die. …

death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man [or nature] at his call. Jesus’ summons to the rich young man was calling him to die, because only the man who is dead to his own will can follow Christ. In fact, every command of Jesus is a call to die, with all our affections and lusts. But we do not want to die…

40 Days of Lent - Day 23

Luke 14:  1-5 -- SH

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body.  Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”  But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.

Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” And they had nothing to say.

Do you see the contrasts here?  One Sabbath healing sandwiched between two questions; both questions are met with stony silence, the air thick with tension and even malevolence.  

As Jesus gradually comes closer to Jerusalem, the contrast between his freely-shared shalom and anxious rigidity of the religious leaders becomes starker and deeper, challenging us to discern what impulses beat inside our own hearts as we walk with him to the cross.  

40 Days of Lent: Day 22

Day 22 - Luke 13:  34-35 -- SH

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

We often speak of "God's wrath" concerning those who reject him, and easily overlook a deeper reality that lives in his heart:  profound motherly sorrow that longs, even aches, for her children to embrace the offer to come home to the place of protection.  

Did you notice how Jesus' lament here anticipates both Palm Sunday and Good Friday?  

But even as he anticipates his death, his heart is not shaped by fear or anger or blame.  

Just deep, groaning sadness.  "Amazing love, how can it be, that you my Lord should die for me."  

40 Days of Lent: Day 21

Day 21 - Luke 13:  31-33 -- SH

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

The Pharisees pretend to be concerned about Jesus' safety.  In reality, it's more likely that Herod asked them to scare Jesus away.  Herod had already killed John the Baptist, and was not eager to also kill the most popular rabbi in Galilee.  

Jesus sees through Herod, calling him a sly fox.  Yes, he is leaving Galilee, but not because he is afraid of Herod.  He knows his mission, and he will persist in it.  He is not driven by fear; he is driven by his call.

But Jesus also knows that Herod will get what he wants:  Herod doesn't have the courage to deal with Jesus, but Jerusalem will do it for him.  Quite a contrast between courage and cowardice. 

Our Redemption

Allow me to share something that connects with the theme of Holy Week. When Karen and I attended a retreat for bereaved parents last spring, I was given the following scripture to comment on for the Sunday morning gathering.

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31,32

I have found that as part of a somewhat invisible community of grief that many of the questions that emerge from our soul connect to God’s purposes. First the big question. Why? Then, why my loved one? And possibly, Why me? It takes focus not to use the circumstances to define the person and character of God. Why did this happen? Is He against us? Paul frames the discussion with an “if”. “If” God is for us… How do we know if He is? How do we know what He is like?

As I approach this passage, I now have a new name for God. It is not merely a title. It captures my mind and my heart. In sharing it with several dozen of my fellow mourners, it struck a chord…

It is “He who did not spare His own Son”.

To this reader, this is even more compelling than “The God who is Love” (as wonderful as that might be).

·   It is “He who did not spare what is closest to His heart”.

·   It is “He who loves without measure”.

·   It is “He who loves sacrificially” .

·   It is “He who holds nothing back”.

·   It is “He who has nothing else to prove, nor needs to… “

So, when I ask the question “How could God allow… whatever…?”, I plug the following into the question instead. How could The God Who spared not His own Son allow…? In other words, in that very phrase I recognize that God is multidimensional and mysterious. He is not easily boxed into any philosophical equation relating to His character.

When I slow down and actually gaze into those words as a window into His eternal being, I encounter its weight and its beauty.

Everything else in this text is contingent upon the FACT, the truth, that God is actually “He who did not spare His own Son”. This is not merely a fact amongst facts. It is the Fact upon which all other facts depend and defer. It is that which makes sense of The Cross, and indeed of life itself.

 

40 Days of Lent: Day 20

Luke 13:  20-21

 

“What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast what a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

In seminary I experimented with making bread. I learned quickly that although seemingly insignificant, yeast is indispensable if I did not want my bread to taste and look like a brick. 

Seemingly insignificant, but actually very powerful because yeast has a permeating quality.

The disciples had this power, but didn’t really get it until after Pentecost.

We have this power too.  Where ever you are placed, now or later (this summer or upon graduation), you have a permeating quality. We are not the bread makers, but do not underestimate the implications of our participation in the mix. 

40 Days of Lent: Day 19

 Luke 13:  7-10

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

In my lifetime I have heard very possible technique declared as the way to earn God's favour:  you've got to pray like this, or have faith like that, or lay out this fleece, or perform that sacrificial act.  Do the right thing in the right way and God will deliver.

This crippled woman does nothing except go to the synagogue to worship.  Nothing else at all.  

As Jesus continues his journey to the cross, he also goes to worship and he notices her.  After calling her to the front, he commits the publicly scandalous act of touching a woman he does not know in a gender-segregated place of worship, and she is set free.  

"His eye is on the sparrow, I know he watches me."  That's enough.

40 Days of Lent: Day 18

 Luke 13:  6-9

 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Next week in chapel, 2013 graduate Lawren Woudenberg will describe for us how he wasted his years at Redeemer in terms of spiritual growth and fruitfulness, and will encourage us to learn from his poor decision-making.

He is the fig tree in the parable.  He has been graciously blessed by the patience of Jesus, and has now become the farmer committed to digging around and fertilizing our soil.  

Where are you in this parable?

40 Days of Lent - Day 17

Luke 13:  1-5 -- SH

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Thousands of believers wished they could have asked Jesus that perennial knotty question, "why do bad things happen to'good' people?"  The conversation quoted above is the closest Scripture comes to that conversation (along with John 9: 1-5), and -- surprise, surprise -- Jesus dodges the question.  He simply asserts that personal tragedy is not a consequence of personal sin, and then declares that everyone is called to repent.

Right there he expresses two profound LENTEN truths:  we are mortals, unable to comprehend the deepest questions of life.  But there's something far more important than comprehension:  a daily living into repentance.  

That's at the heart of walking with Jesus to the cross.  

40 Days of Lent: Day 16

Luke 12:  48

“But the servant who did not know (the master's will), and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been untrusted with much, much more will be asked."   

It is interesting that in this parable we see the relationship between knowledge and responsibility.

 As we take up our cross this lent, our cross is going to be appropriate to what we have been entrusted with. What have you been entrusted with?  Take a minute to reflect on this  stewardship.

“Lord might we as a community be faithful and wise with what you have entrusted to us.”

40 Days of Lent- Day 15

Day 15 - Luke 12:  29-31 -- MdV

“And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”

Study plans, summer plans, course plans, 5-year plans - this lent we will do a lot of planning. How do we “set our hearts” on seeking 1st the Kingdom in this context?

“You have a plan that is good and are determined to provide and care for my daily needs (DAY 10 - Lk 11:5-8). Lord you know where I have set my heart in faithfulness and where I have set my heart on fruitless striving.  You know my tendency to persistently plan towards what I want (regardless of what I am willing to admit to myself or others). I trust you to reset plans and activities where appropriate. I am open. Release me to be in sync with your Kingdom."

40 Days of Lent: Day 14

 Luke 12:22; Luke 14: 28

“Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear” (Lk 12:22).

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” (Luke 14: 28)

Jesus tells us not to worry, and then later he calls people to look to the future with wise concern and careful examination.  

Some questions that come to my mind when I read Lk 12:22 and Lk 14:28 beside each other are:

Are there kinds of worry that are inevitable, even permissible? If so, what’s the difference between them? 

When I look to the future what is the difference between exercising wise concern and exercising unhealthy worry?

I often don’t know when I am worrying, because I am too busy worrying. I want to know when I am off track in my discipleship journey. When I am in a state of worry are there any red flags that tend to show up in my heart, my body, my family and my  friendships that can serve to point me towards repentance and refreshment? 

What questions do these two verses evoke in you?

Eyes Wide Shut

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him” (Luke 10: 30-34).

“I’m too busy doing God’s work for God to do His work in me” (attributed to Bill Hybels).  

Sometimes “religion” can be the enemy of “faith.”  Sometimes, but we need to be careful when we try to understand this.  (Many of you are familiar with Jefferson Bethke who spoke on campus last fall and became famous with his “spoken word” on the “Jesus vs. religion” theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY )

What’s the difference between religion and faith?

True faith opens our eyes to see the heart of God, and this seeing leads to a surrendered life shaped by the Father’s heartbeat.  

Religion is the necessary and crucial effort to give shape to that heartbeat, shape that includes doctrines, lifestyle guidelines, and community structures (like churches and Christian universities).  Religion is a servant that supports the surrendered life of faith.

But sometimes religious practices become masters that enslave instead of servants that liberate.  True faith opens our eyes to see the world as our Father sees it.  When religion acts as a master, it blinds us, so that we walk with “eyes wide shut.”  

That’s what happened to the priest and the Levite in the well-known Good Samaritan parable.  They were important people who carried on crucial religious duties.  They knew that if they touched a dead body, the law would disqualify them from carrying out their responsibilities until they had carried out complex cleansing rituals.  They didn’t know if the man on the road was dead or alive, but finding out would require touching him, and that was too risky.  So they gave him a wide berth.  

They walked with eyes wide shut, blinded because they idolized religious practice.  

Last night at Church in the Box Jane Sinden reflected on some of the blind spots in her life that she came to recognize and repented of:  athletic performance, physical appearance, clothing, and more.  Her testimony reminded us that not only religious practices can serve as blinding idols in our lives, but many others things can as well.  

Lent is a good time for self-examination:   invite the Lord to reveal your blind spots to you, just as David did:  “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.   See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:  23-24).