Monthly Archives: January 2017

HIGH FENCES, ROUGH EDGES AND UNKNOWN ANGELS

“Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up” (Romans 15:2).

If you grew up in the golden age of television, you will remember Lucy and Ricky. The Ricardo’s ‘I Love Lucy’ neighbors were the Mertzes, the friendly ever-present landlords who became so close to the couple that they served as godparents to Little Ricky when he was born. Chances are if you know this series, you will also recall the Mitchells and their rambunctious son Dennis (‘The Menace’) who frequently caused havoc for the Wilsons who lived next door. Another slightly less visible Wilson lived adjacent to the Taylor family in the 1990’s ‘Home Improvement’ series. The mostly unseen neighbor peered over the fence and frequently became the go-to guy for solving the Taylors’ problems with his engaging conversation. Over the years, the concept of neighbors played has been an important theme. As Mr. Rogers entered the house, he put on his sneakers and cardigan sweater while he sang “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” to many generations of children, making us all feel that neighboring was the right thing to do.

These days, we often don’t know or want to know our neighbors. If we are lucky enough to have a yard, a good fence often keeps us from stating the obvious: “unless we extend an invitation – you stay on your side and we’ll remain on ours.” In his poem, Mending Wall, Robert Frost writes of two neighbor farmers who join hands in the Spring to rebuild the stone wall between their properties. The one neighbor, who serves as the poem’s narrator, contemplates the need for the wall since there are no animals to be restrained by its created barrier. At one point he questions why it was even put there in the first place. He says, “Before I built a wall I’d ask to know…what I was walling in or walling out.” But his neighbor hangs on to his father’s words of wisdom which simply stated were, “Good fences make good neighbors.”

Jesus was once asked what was His most important instruction. His reply was, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31). There are days when the first of these is much easier to fulfill than the other. I have lived in the same house for several decades, and during that period the ownership of the house next door has turned over many times. The current occupants were once described by another neighbor as “a little rough around the edges.” Even though that description sums up their conduct fairly well, I have always tried to be kind and respectful – you know, neighborly. A few months ago, I responded to the doorbell to see one of them standing there. They wanted to make me aware they would be going away for a few days and just asked that I keep an eye on their house. It reaffirmed who we need to be. The Apostle Paul said: “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10).

Jesus told the Parable of the Good Samaritan because He was prompted by the question, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). Merely put, He responded that our neighbor could be anyone who needs us. A good neighborhood watch program might say it is those who live on our block or in our apartment building. The Reverend Bobby Schuller once phrased it this way: “Don’t discredit what you have to give to a hurting world. Be aware of the needs of the people in the fifteen feet of space around you. They are there. Have listening ears and meet the needs of people who are hurting. And we’re all hurting. Be the kind of person that is always available to shine the light.” You will find that if you practice this technique, the better neighbor you will become and the more blessings you will receive. So even though they may be a little rough around the edges – “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:1-2). While building that fence might be a wise idea, we don’t want to build it so high that we miss the cry of one who may need us.

REFLECTION: Who do you define as your neighbor? Are you attentive to the needs of those around you? How might adopting and extending the ‘fifteen feet rule’ improve your vision of ministry to those whom you may not envision to be your neighbor?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., FEBRUARY 4, 2017.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.

GREATNESS

“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty.            Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom.        We adore you as the one who is over all things.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)

As the orderly and peaceful transfer of power takes place in America at least once every eight years, we are reminded that greatness is defined not by the person who ascends to the Presidency but rather by the leadership of a nation founded on the principle of freedom. In 2016 – the man who would become President ran on the theme “Making America Great Again” frequently emphasizing what he personally would be able to do for our nation. He did this at the same time as the sitting President of the opposing party campaigned that not voting for his candidate would be a “personal insult” to his legacy. Author of inspiration William Arthur Ward once said, “Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.” Unfortunately, most persons who rise to this position claim that they understand with absolute clarity what ails the nation and how to go about repairing it. However, in politics – humility and well-intended acts of service are often superseded by arrogance and divisiveness in order that ‘a means to an end’ is established.

It’s a mistake to allow the world to define greatness. It is not about rank and status. It’s not about how powerful we become, how rich we are or whether we have some notable achievement in politics or sports. “I’m the greatest” was a famous line of the late world heavyweight boxing champ, Muhammad Ali. His biographer Thomas Hauser, author of Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times, reflected on the champ following his death in 2016: “We attended a tribute to Muhammad at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. I made some opening remarks and referred to an incident that had occurred years earlier when Ali took a flight from Washington to New York. As the flight crew readied for take-off, an attendant instructed, ‘Mr. Ali; please buckle your seatbelt.’ ‘Superman don’t need no seatbelt,’ Ali informed her. ‘Mr. Ali,’ the flight attendant said sweetly. ‘Superman don’t need no plane.’ Ali fastened his seatbelt.”

Following a miracle where Jesus healed a boy possessed by an evil spirit, the crowd marveled at all He had done. The disciples told Him that they tried to stop a man driving out demons in His name because he was not one of ‘the chosen’ –  meanwhile arguing who would be the greatest among them. “Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest” (Luke 9:37-50). Jesus seemed to be telling the disciples that our authority comes from God, not because we are a member of a select group. Later, Luke tells of another greatness dispute among the disciples following ‘The Last Supper.’  Jesus responds: “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27). Christ’s message to the disciples and to us was that if we want to be great in God’s kingdom, we must learn to be the servant of all.

Martin Luther King once stated, “Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” It is unfortunate that jockeying for position and establishing our legacy in a desire for greatness often diminishes servanthood.  In his inaugural address on January 20, 2017, President Donald J. Trump uttered these words: “At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction that a nation exists to serve its citizens.” In that regard, those who strive for greatness should stand up less to demonstrate their power and learn to fall on their knees more as they seek God’s direction. When we begin to do that as a nation, then we will have attained a true understanding of what greatness truly is.

REFLECTION: What is the biggest obstacle you face as you seek to be a faithful servant of Christ?  Where do you draw the line between a healthy self-esteem and pride? How do you face the struggle over the forces of this world and give in to the Spirit who lives within you (1 John 4:4)?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., JANUARY 28, 2017.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.

EXCESS BAGGAGE

“Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” (Psalm 55:22)

I recall a time when I was checking my luggage at an airport before going to the gate.  As I placed my bag on the scale, the associate told me that it exceeded the weight limit by several pounds. I was also informed that if I decided to check the bag as it was, I would have to pay a fee. When I inquired what the fee would be, I was shocked at the amount.  Not wishing to delay all those who were in line behind me, I asked if there were any other options. The attendant looked at me as if she wanted to say, “Duh…..”  Then she stated the obvious: “Sir I suggest that you simply remove a few items from the bag you are checking and place them in your carry on.”  I did so quickly, and I was “good to go.”  I do remember thinking at the time that this was stupid, because I would be taking the same amount of weight on the plane.  But I did not express my objection. If transferring some of the weight relieved the burden of the extra fee, then all parties would be satisfied.

It’s that time of year when we can feel overwhelmed as though we are personally carrying excess baggage. The beginning of the year presents us with new goals which we have set to challenge ourselves or, even worse, have been established for us by someone else. It’s a time when we realize that we have lived in excess over the holidays. Now we have the additional pounds to lose or the extra fees to pay on our credit cards. Or maybe both. Routine obligations which have been postponed because of the season are now back on our schedule. In addition, we may have been with family or friends we haven’t seen in a while. This often reignites old arguments or perhaps connects us with extra responsibilities or concerns. These burdens present themselves in the dullest of the seasons when the weather is gloomy and summer vacation seems a long way off.  So we take a deep sigh, and like I did with my overloaded luggage – we take a quick assessment of just what our options might be to relieve some of the burdens at hand.

Enter Jesus, saying:   “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Here, Jesus drew a distinct contrast between the Pharisees and Himself. In His time, these religious leaders had established lists of spiritual duties to keep the Jewish people from breaking God’s laws. The lists were long and burdensome, often too extensive to be kept even by the religious leaders themselves. Jesus uses the symbol of a yoke to demonstrate how he will help us carry our burdens. In Jesus day and for centuries thereafter, a wooden yoke would often be utilized to join two animals together. The result was that their combined strength could pull a load that would have been difficult for one animal to move alone. Unlike the requirements imposed by the Pharisees Jesus states that His burden on us is light. He asks us simply to believe and trust in Him.  He carries the burden that we were meant to carry all the way to the cross where His perfect obedience and righteousness are exchanged for our sin.

The Apostle Paul explained it this way: “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus never promised that He would remove all the difficulties of our lives. But He did promise that if we followed Him, He would provide the rest and forgiveness we need to face our life’s challenges.  In that way, we do not bear our burdens alone. As with my luggage, the weight is still there but the load has been shifted. So as the song says, just “Give Them All to Jesus” – your “shattered dreams, wounded hearts, broken toys” (Phil Johnson and Bob Benson). When we become yoked with Jesus, the excess baggage we have been trying to carry alone will become oh so much lighter.

REFLECTION: What are the burdens you are facing or have been trying to carry for a long time? How might you begin to partner with Jesus to lessen your load? If you know someone who seems to be carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, would you be able to use Jesus’ example of the yoke as a demonstration of His love for each of us?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., JANUARY 21, 2017.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.

THE HUMAN FACTOR

“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”  (Hebrews 10:25)

I recently watched the movie Sully. The 2016 film followed the January, 2009 emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River orchestrated by pilots Captain Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles. The flight which had just taken off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport struck a flock of birds, disabling both engines after just three minutes in the air. All 155 passengers and crew survived with only minor injuries, creating a highly-publicized event referred to as “The Miracle on the Hudson.” What was not significantly emphasized at the time was the subsequent investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board which became the focus of the movie. The investigation centered on several computerized simulations demonstrating that the plane could have landed safely without engines at either of two nearby airports. Sully argued that these simulations were unrealistic because they contained pre-programmed knowledge allowing for immediate reaction to the emergency and not providing any time for real life decision-making. Once additional time was added for these ‘human factor’ considerations, the Board concluded the Sully acted responsibly thus saving the lives of everyone aboard.

In this movie, as with many situations, the age-old question of knowledge vs wisdom comes into play. Alfred Lloyd Tennyson once stated that “Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.” Computers will only give us the information for which they were programmed, once defined by the expression “garbage in, garbage out.” Likewise, the automated digital assistant ‘Siri’ and the voice control system known as ‘Alexa’ can provide all sorts of data to you simply for the asking. They are knowledgeable, and their statistics and facts will often enable the immediate gratification required. However, they lack wisdom and most of all – the warmth of humankind.  Alexa can’t hold our hand, give us a hug, or wipe our tears when we are sad. Rightfully so, but should it concern us that there seems to be a trend in our society to move away from personal interactions in order that our needs might be satisfied more expeditiously?

Since we are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and He calls us into fellowship with Him (1 Corinthians 1:9), we should be cautious about the depersonalization of our lives permeating many aspects of our culture. Not that long ago, it was commonplace to patronize the stores of the local merchants. There you chatted with storeowners who lived in your town and were vested in the community. While you shopped or walked from store to store – you would have a good chance of running into people you knew, perhaps engaging in good conversation.  Soon those stores became replaced by larger retailers which located in the suburbs, but even there were workers who continued to provide some level of human interaction. Now it has become easier to do our shopping online. Soon drones will be able to deliver our package in thirty minutes or less. Do we really need most of what we order that quickly? What do we sacrifice in the process of gaining this convenience? When we absent the human factor from more and more of our interactions, we can’t help but also move a little further from God.

God’s Word provides wise counsel in this regard.  The Apostle Paul said, “When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours” (Romans 1:11-12). One might argue that encouragement can come via a text or a tweet. While that may be so, there are limitations. Jesus Himself stated: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). The gathering is being devalued as the human factor becomes less and less. In the early days of the church – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). These days our devotion is to our hand-held devices, rationalizing that when we lack information they will make us wise. James would refute that message as he tells us – “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you” (James 1:5). What a novel idea!

REFLECTION: As you look back over recent months and years, consider ways that you have become less interactive with others.  Have you restricted your own knowledge base while becoming more reliant on electronic devices? How might you grow through more involvement with others and God’s Word?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., JANUARY 14, 2017.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.