Blog Archives - SHOUT FOR JOY

K is for Kindness

12/30/2016

       When one thinks through the Gospel with kindness in mind we find so many examples in the life of Christ. Early in his ministry he meets a man with an advanced case of leprosy. The man falls to his knees begging to be cleansed. Jesus, moved with pity, touches the poor man and immediately the ugly scars vanish (Matt 8:1-4). An act of kindness. On the outskirts of Nain, Jesus meets a funeral procession on its way to bury the young son of a widow. Moved with compassion, Jesus reaches out and touches the coffin and the dead son comes to life and is returned to his mother’s arms (Luke 7:11-17). An act of kindness. Throughout the entire gospel story we find Jesus, always acting in kindness toward those in need. Even in the extreme agony of the cross, when he sees his mother standing there broken by grief, he looks at her tenderly and says, “Mother dear, John is now your son” (John 19:26). His kindness, even in pain, reveals the inner beauty of who he really is.
       There is only one verse in the New Testament where Jesus describes himself. He invites the weary and burdened to come to him for rest because, as he puts it, “I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matt 11:29). The overall impression one gets about Jesus as we reflect on his life here on earth is that he is kindness incarnate. His life has no rough edges; he treats every situation with tender insight and kindness.
       The world has long honored kindness. The Dalai Lama described his religion very simply as nothing but kindness. Plato encouraged kindness because everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle. However, history has not shown kindness to be the distinctive factor in most relationships. On the national level, war substitutes for kindness; in smaller groups kindness is more often claimed than demonstrated. The norm in most relationships is concern for one’s self.
       Scripture teaches that God himself is the source of all kindness and is available to those who joyfully “surrender” to his loving control. Kindness grows as God’s children decide to take their faith with all seriousness and let a kind God transform us into his likeness. The kindness of God has a tangible existence; it can be heard by the deaf and seen by the blind.

J is for Joyful

12/25/2016

       The little boy was so sad. His father was a soldier and had been off to war for almost a year. The boy remembered those fun times when Dad was there to play with him or just be around. It was Christmas and Mom took the boy to the mall to see Santa Claus. Sitting on Santa’s lap, the boy looked up longingly and told “Santa” that what he wanted most for Christmas was for his Dad to come home. At that point, Santa, with a smile that couldn’t be hidden by those whiskers, slowly began to pull them down and show his face. The little boy suddenly realized that “Santa” was Dad. The hugs were tight, the moment unforgettable. Even those of us watching had to take care of the tear that suddenly appeared on our cheek. No definition of joy was necessary. The little boy and all of us who were watching knew what joy was because right there before our eyes it happened. By definition the ineffable cannot be put into words.
         It is Christmas time and we call it a joyful season. The source of our joy is realizing that behind the temporary costume of time is our eternal Father waiting to reveal himself to his children. In one sense he has been on duty for quite some time but now he is home and about ready to surprise us. Abba Father is the source of true joy. He had a responsibility in the person of his Son to leave heaven and come to battle Satan here on earth. By rising from the dead he proved the incalculable power of love. Now he’s home in heaven and that joyous reunion is about to happen. The whiskers are about to come off. We know it and it fills our heart with joy.
         Shelley wrote “I have drunken deep of joy, and I will taste no other wine tonight.” The redeemed child of God has tasted the deep joy of God’s presence and there is nothing that could ever compare with the profound satisfaction of that wine. On that first Christmas eve the angel announced the good news that was bringing “great joy to all people” (Luke 2:10). Jesus told his disciples that when they found themselves cursed by others for following him they were to “Leap for joy” (Luke 6:23). Joy runs freely through the gospel story. The God of joy became man in Christ Jesus, lived among us to proclaim glad tidings and is now in heaven getting ready for a jubilant return to take his followers to heaven for a joyful eternity. “Santa, take off that mask.

I is for Inspirational

12/22/2016

When we say that the Good News is inspirational we mean that the message motivates us to become all that we are in Christ. It addresses us in whatever mood we may be and encourages us on our path toward Christ-likeness. To be inspired by scripture is to experience the work of the Spirit as he brightens our day with his presence and power. A good secular book can inspire if its message leads to a better understanding and personal appreciation of its basic point. The Good News is engaged in the same process but now it is the Holy Spirit who does the inspiring, who brings it all to life. One has to do with the human spirit, created in the image of God, and the other with the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God. One is natural, the other supernatural.
         Having said that, one might ask what are the inspirational highlights of the gospel story? Each person will have been personally moved by various truths but they will all gather around one essential theme – God’s matchless love displayed in the gift of his Son. How has God inspired you today? I can only speak for myself but I’m sure your experience over the years as well would include what impresses me at the moment. First and foremost, that God really does exist and that his promise of eternal fellowship is true. From both logic and personal acquaintance I can assert that God is. And this God who is has promised that we will share the incomparable delight of being together forever – that means it will never stop, never! If that prospect is true, and it is, does anything else matter?
         The Good News also inspires me in that it helps me understand that throughout the past 95 years God has been directing me through a myriad of experiences, some joyful others difficult, to become who I am in Him. As a wise parent, he has blessed me with the joys of life as well as those difficulties that help me grow spiritually. I didn’t deserve the loving companionship of a devoted wife or the difficulties connected with a career that led from junior professor to president of a university. But he has been right here by my side, encouraging me to enjoy all the wonderfully good things of life and learn from every mistake I’ve made.
         So I thank him for the inspiration of who he is and for how he has stayed by my side. Beyond that, he inspires me right now to live in such a way that through me others might be inspired in their growth into Christian maturity. He “hears my heartbeat” and responds; there is no greater source of inspiration

H is for Honorable

12/18/2016

         What does it mean to honor someone? The dictionary will tell you that to honor is “to hold in high respect, to revere.” In one sense it is the recognition of and conformity to that which is held to be of superior worth. We honor our flag when we stand as it passes. We honor age by granting certain privileges. The gospels speak of “places of honor” at banquets where religious leaders loved to sit. However, when we speak of honoring God we mean more than courteous regard; we mean worship. Context determines the nature of our act of honor.
         In the gospels, honor is used most frequently of proper respect for and appreciation of one’s father and mother (Matt. 15:4, 19:19; Mark 7:10, 10:19; Luke 18:20). The honoring of one’s parents is the first of the commandments with a promise: Exodus 20:12 says, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
         But what does it mean on a practical level to honor one’s parents? While the question almost answers itself in families living out biblical principles day by day, but it is less clear when a parent has not fulfilled the accepted requirements of the role. For instance, how would one honor a father so addicted to some moral practice that children are left with a mother only or in some cases with no one. I believe God put man and women together as the way to propagate the human race but also to provide stability for society that allows it to function safely. The family is not an accident but part of a divine plan. Should society ignore God’s intent, it will only be a matter of time until chaos of every kind appears.
         To honor God is to respect at the highest level who he is as sovereign Creator of all and what he has done to keep his own family intact by sending his Son to pay the price of their sin. In a world of conflicting morals, the role of honoring God has become confused. When society teaches that the days of holding to the active presence of a righteous God and the existence of unchangeable absolutes are on their way out, the role of honor and its place is being fatal undermined. Without honor at that level the future grows dim. However, such pessimism is out of place in the life of the believer. God has not and will not lose the struggle against evil. He created us for eternal fellowship and he is not about to give up. In fact, there are segments of today’s society where the nature of life is giving scientific and other intellectual leaders reason to reconsider such things as the sanctity of marriage, the necessary limitations of human thought and the very nature of life itself. Yes, God’s bright tomorrow may be rising. It will, of course, as every believer knows.

G is for graciousness

12/14/2016

When we speak of a gracious person we normally envision a polite and courteous individual who is pleasantly considerate of others. The noun in Greek (charis) is regularly understood as “unmerited favor.” Gracious people are attentive to the needs of others, amiable in their relationships, and benign in character. Jesus was a gracious and gentle man but without some of the contemporary nuances that have gotten attached to the word. There was no weakness of any sort in the graciousness of our Lord.
The essence of the term has to do with its selfless orientation toward others. The gracious person is one who relates to others in ways that benefit not himself but them. Like Jesus’ consistent teaching about relationships, graciousness has the wellbeing of the other in mind. Of course it can be faked but in the process it becomes deceptively wicked. The smile on the face of the tormenter reveals the opposite of graciousness.
Consider Jesus as he moves through those three years of public ministry. Remember that day on the shores of Lake Galilee when he was ministering to the needy and a man with a speech impediment was brought to him for help. The text says that Jesus “took the man away from the crowd so the two of them could be alone” (Luke 7:33). There must have been something special about this case and I think that Jesus was concerned lest the man’s gibberish draw undue attention. He was gracious in his concern for the one so afflicted.
Later in his ministry Jesus finds himself in the home of his dear friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Martha was busy preparing something to eat for the occasion and Mary sat at Jesus’ feet taking in all that he was saying. In comes Martha in a fit accusing their guest of not caring that her sister was negligent in helping her. An awkward moment, but Jesus graciously broke the silence saying, “Martha, dear Martha . . . “ Everything is okay; your sister made a good choice. Jesus was concerned to relieve Martha of the embarrassing situation she had just created. It was a gracious thing to do (Luke 10:38ff).
In certain circumstances graciousness may show itself by a reserve to take what might be considered the justifiable reaction. When the Jewish leaders brought Jesus to Pilate accusing him of misleading their people, Jesus “remained silent” (Matt 27:12). When Pilate repeated the charge, much to his surprise, Jesus “made no response” (v. 13). In view of the fact that there were some 72,000 angels (“twelve legions”) that his Father would send should he ask, his restraint was an act of “unmerited favor.” It was sheer grace that the entire Roman guard along with the Jewish accusers weren’t suddenly annihilated.
The grand old story of redemption from start to finish, from the Garden of Eden to the Garden of Gethsemane, is an incredible demonstration of the grace of God. He rewards us repentant sinners by cancelling our debt and giving us what we could never deserve. Our God is a gracious God!

F is for Forgiveness

12/10/2016

When Jesus arrived at the place of execution, the Roman soldiers offered him some wine mixed with Myrrh. He took a sip, but found it too bitter to drink. Then they placed him on a wooden cross, nailed his hands and feet to it and raised it upright. Hung between heaven and earth, the Son of God gave his life as a ransom for our sin. I believe he was looking down on the battle-hardened soldiers who were dividing up his clothing when he prayed, “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” What a remarkable act of forgiving love!
Forgiveness is the decision not to repay, the willingness not to seek revenge. Some might regard it as a weakness, but Gandhi was correct when he said, “Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.” That Jesus – in pain from the scourging, the long trek to Calvary, and being nailed to the cross – was able to muster the strength to ask God to forgive his tormenters is beyond comprehension. Apart from supernatural strengthening, to undergo such an ordeal would have been impossible.
It is obvious that to live as Christ lived we must be willing to forgive those who have belligerently blocked our path in some way. That there can be no exceptions is clear from the fact that Jesus forgave in the most radical situation – he forgave his executioners. He even acted like a defense lawyer and stated the grounds on which the guards could be forgiven. Earlier he had taught his followers that being forgiven depends on one’s willingness to forgive. The critical words are, “If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15)
Forgiveness is a power that changes the life of the forgiver. It frees the one who embraces it and puts it into practice. No longer do they have to be concerned about paying back the offender. Revenge demands that we give full attention to getting even and that concern robs us of our only irreplaceable treasure – time. And while we are spending precious time trying to figure how to get even, our supposed offender goes scot-free. That’s a bad tradeoff! Sin has a way of destroying the one who sins. In a similar way, forgiveness blesses the one who forgives. Once we get our minds off ourselves, it is easy to see that actions, good or bad, undoubtedly benefit or harm the doer more than the recipient. Who can deny the continuing pleasure of practicing random acts of kindness! While forgiveness is specific rather than random, it certainly brightens the day of the giver as well as the recipient.

E is for Empathy

12/6/2016

I wonder what one word you would choose to describe Jesus if you were asked first to sit down and read through the entire gospel story? I suspect that for many in our generation it would be empathetic, a relatively recent term (from about 1930) expressing “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” It goes beyond sympathy (“sorrow for the misfortune of another”) and describes the sharing of the emotions, thoughts, or attitudes of others. One might say that empathy is a sort of psychological self-forgetfulness that allows a person to experience the feelings of another. The following moments in the life of Jesus – and there are many more – show him to be highly empathetic.
         One day some people gathered around Jesus with their children so he could lay his hands on the little ones and pray for them. The disciples felt that activity like that would be beneath Jesus so they chided the anxious parents. I can see Jesus looking out with empathy at the children, gathering them in his arms, laying his hands on them and blessing them. He didn’t simply observe their faces, bright with expectation, but became one with them in their delight (Matt. 19;Mark 10; Luke 18).
         Shortly after that, Jesus learned that his friend Lazarus had become ill. So, with his disciples in tow he started out toward the town of Bethany. When he was a mile or so out of town he was told that Lazarus had died. Martha, the older sister, had hurried out to meet Jesus and somehow gotten involved in a theological discussion with him, but when Mary arrived it was quite different. Jesus was visibly distressed and "burst into tears" (John 11:35). His response wasn’t merely a show of sympathy for the death of a friend but genuine involvement in Mary’s sorrow for the loss of her brother. A strong sense of empathy made him one with her in the loss of a dear brother and friend.
         The other illustration of the empathy of Jesus was when on the cross he saw his mother Mary standing there with John his disciple by her side. In spite of his own pain – and that was beyond description – he became one with his mother in her agony. To comfort her in her distress and provide for her needs, Jesus looked down with love and said, “Mother, dear mother, John is now your son,” and to John, “Dear friend, take my mother Mary as your own.” (John19:26).
Since empathy is emotional involvement in the thoughts and feelings of another, who could deny that throughout his ministry here on earth Jesus continually demonstrated in his relationships what it means to be empathetic.

D is for determination

12/2/2016

         In the western world, determination is normally considered the crucial quality for success. Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it this way, “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” Without determination you will never become what you hope to be. Following a concert, the famous Russian pianist, Igor Stravinsky, having heard the adulatory remark, “I’d give my life to play like that,” responded, “I did.” There is no question but that to perform like a master requires the determination of the master. The determination of Jesus Christ to be the man intended by his Father is clearly seen throughout the gospel story.
         Early in the ministry of Jesus, Mark records a typical busy day (1:16-34). After challenging some men to follow him as disciples, he went to a synagogue in Capernaum where he taught and drove out a demon. Then it was off to the house of Simon and Andrew where he healed their mother-in-law of a serious fever. That evening the sick and demon-possessed came and he healed them. It had been a vey full day, but early the next morning he left the house to find a solitary place to pray. When the disciples found him and told him that everybody was looking for him, he responded, “I must preach the good news about the kingdom of God in other towns as well. That is why God sent me” (v. 38). Jesus was determined to do what his Father had sent him to do even though opportunities to help and heal requested his attention. Healing was something he did more than something he came to do.
         The last period of his ministry was approaching, so Jesus ”set out for Jerusalem determined to carry out his role” (Luke 9:51). En route he entered a Samaritan village but the people wouldn’t welcome him because “it was clear to them that he was determined to go to Jerusalem” (v. 53). He had “set his face” (ESV) to go to Jerusalem and that was perfectly clear to those who saw him. Determined to carry through his role as a sacrificial offering for the sins of man.
         In that excruciating night in Gethsemane when deep distress rolled over Jesus like a great wave, he called out to God. As his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood, he prayed, “Dear Father, there is nothing you cannot do; take this cup of suffering away from me – yet may it be your will that is done, not mine” (Mark 14:36). Such determination to fulfill a destiny is impossible for us fathom. It is the ultimate test of character. It bids us to ask again why we are here and do we in some say display a determination to fulfill our purpose that reflects that of our Lord?