Distractions From His Presence

A friend cried out, “Why can’t I stay in His presence?  I’m looking straight at Jesus and something earthly jerks me away, and I can’t get back to Him.  Why?”  Her distress filled the room like blood in a furrow.

Why are we so easily distracted?  Holy men run to mountains to find focus, and often remain isolated the entirety of their lives.  Her cries sounded like she would one day follow them.

However, this was not how Jesus used His alone time.  A couple hours on the mountain side, and He returned refreshed enough to walk on water.  Even the chaos of little children did not bother Him.  He wanted them to play at His feet, climb His arms, and hug His neck.  They were the Kingdom of Heaven.

Children are the key.  They hold tight when they are freighted or sad.  Then some toy distracts them.  They wander off without a thought.  Occasionally, they look back to make sure the adult is still there, still watching.  A smile and the child beams.  They run back for another hug.

The problem is we grow out of thinking like a child.  We reject this basic need.  Adults fend for themselves.  We long for love but do not look for security in a hug.  We learn the shame of guilt and believe God feels insulted by our negligence.  How can God love us if we cannot stay focused?  Then, we place ourselves into a pit of condemnation.

We cry with eyes closed.  We hear our own screams echoing off walls we have built.  Adults rationalize aloneness as punishment, our normality.  We glimpse heaven through the bars of our prison.

Yet, here is the reality.  Our Daddy is still there.  We simply forget to look.  He can penetrate and destroy any wall, even mental ones.  The sooner we stop panicking the quicker we feel His presence.

I told my friend the “trick” I often use (that is, when I remember).  I sing with the cherubim.  It does not matter what I sing or if I hit the right notes.  I just need to remember that cherubim enjoy their existence.  They sing joy.  They dance close to Him.  Their “Holy; holy; holy,” song is filled with giggles and laughter.  When I sing along, I cannot help but hug my Daddy.

This world holds distractions.  God knows.  He made it that way.  However, we should not let distractions rule us.  Relax.  Look for Daddy.  Take a deep breath of His air.  Did He teach me anything by that distraction?  Was there something I needed to see or pray about?  Did I learn to keep one eye on Him?

He is our security.  Run to His voice.  Feel His hug.

What Will It Take?

Taxes were not the most interesting thing that happened April 15.  Doug Hughes landed a gyrocopter on the US Capitol lawn.

The Secret Service was befuddled.  The media came out in droves.  The clip was aired throughout the day.  But, in a day or two the novelty became old news.

Doug started planning this stunt 2 ½ years before.  Immediately, an anonymous “friend” reported him.  A Secret Service man came to his house with a local deputy, at 1 o'clock in the morning, to interrogate the potential terrorist.  Doug was quite happy to answer all questions.  Two days later, that agent showed up unannounced at the Post Office, where Doug worked, to ask his co-workers questions.

Then nothing.  He was not arrested.  He did not loose his government job.  Why?  Everyone believed he was too sane or too timid to carry out such a crazy stunt.  Even he wondered if he had the guts.  It meant loosing his freedom, his job, and his family.  It was possible that he might loose his life, just to make a point.

Because nothing happened, Doug continued to plan his mission.  He chose the gyrocopter as a metaphor.  They are nonthreatening and you can see right through them.  He wanted everyone to know he was not a terrorist.  He decked his gyrocopter out with cameras and sound, live fed to a website.  At the beginning of April, he wrote his local newspaper explaining his mission and emphasizing the nonviolent aspect of his protest.

Again, nothing.  It was just too crazy.

When he lifted off, a few people in his hometown watched.  They waited to see if he would chicken out and turn around.  The media finally called the Secret Service, who referred them to a public information officer, who put them on hold. 

Only pedestrians noticed when Doug flew into the “no fly zone.”  No homeland-protection jet swooped in.  No ground-to-air missiles marked him as a target.  He flew over the tourists and protesters and landed gently in the large grassy lawn.

What was his cause?  Nonpartisan campaign finance reform.  He was sick of the government being run by the highest bidder.  Doug simply wanted to be heard.  To his landing gear, he strapped two boxes filled with stamped letters addressed to every state representative.  These might actually get to the elected officials instead of sitting in a subordinates filing cabinet.

Most people agree change is needed.  There are several plans available.  Yet nothing happens.  Why?  Simple.  The people responsible to implement reform are those who benefit from the status quo.

Is he crazy?  Let me pose the question a little differently.  Is doing an extreme stunt, just to be heard, crazy?

For example, look at the biblical prophets.  Were their extreme stunts crazy?  Isaiah wandered around naked for three years.  Jeremiah wore a cattle yoke.  Hosea deliberately married a prostitute who did not want to be his wife.  Ezekiel ate a scroll, cut his hair with a sword, dug a hole through a wall, and staged mock battles against a clay city as he lay on the ground for over a year.  They said God instructed them to act out of the ordinary.  Isn’t that crazy? 

Yet, they all had a point, and those points were not crazy.  These men desperately tried to get the people’s attention.  They physically demonstrated the consequences of evil.  Even when civil law does not condemn, we should know when actions are not right, not ethical, and not good.  Without that knowledge, civilization self-destructs and hostile nations prevail.  Like Doug, the prophets had to take a stand.  They were willing to forfeit comfort, freedom, and often their lives to emphasize their point.  Yet today, even preachers debate their sanity. 

Before the flight of Doug Hughes disappears from our collective conscious, will anyone listen?  Will this crazy stunt change our complacency toward sin?

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 7 of 7 – Eternal Life

Mark 10:17-31 [Matthew 19:16-30; Luke 10:25-37, 18:18-30]

The young rich man spent his life perfecting his religious duties.  However, he understood the Greek concept of eternal life, not the Hebrew.  He thought he needed to earn the reward for his soul.  His devotion to religion distorted his understanding of God and hardened his heart.

Eternal life was, and is, an inheritance.  We accept it or deny it, but we cannot buy eternity.  According to Jesus, believers “enter life” as we start to live in God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness (Matthew 19:17; Luke 10:28; John 5:24, 8:51).  Our spirit dies when we do not follow His ways (Ezekiel 18:31; Romans 8:6).  Our daily choices determine the outcome at death (Matthew 10:42; Mark 9:41).  Small responses outweigh cultural theology and are much more important than grandiose gestures.

At the end of the discourse, Jesus resumed His thoughts on the man who walked away.  He said, “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (NIV)  Jesus used the word “many” not “all.”  He did not contrast a saved or condemned condition.  Those who esteem themselves on earth may barely make it into heaven.  But “barely” is accepted.  We are not the judge.

Wealth is not evil.  Contempt for those with wealth is covetous.  Contempt for those without wealth is conceit.  Contempt impedes love.  God judges the heart.

**Does my religion encourage me to let God soften and mold my heart?  Does my religion neglect to teach me how to live a righteous life?  Does it build confidence in the acceptance of God?  Do I trust God to secure my future?

[Lessons from Holiness Parables, by Jo Helen Cox, a work in progress.]

Also in this series:

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 1 of 7

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 2 of 7 – Good Teacher

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 3 of 7 – Son of Man’s Response

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 4 of 7 – Broken Commandments

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 5 of 7 – A Task of Poverty?

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 6 of 7 – The Task to Follow

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 6 of 7 – The Task to Follow

Mark 10:17-31 [Matthew 19:16-30; Luke 10:25-37, 18:18-30]

The apostles’ concern prompted Jesus to add a promise.  Leaving ones “normal life” to follow Him would be repaid with great interest.

How God repays such a dept is his prerogative and quite individual.  Such a gain could be monetary and manifest on this side of death.  However, so could persecution.  Instead of leisure, followers could get a death sentence.  Comfort was not promised.  However, the man’s treasure would have been secured in heaven before he wondered off with the rabbi.

Following Jesus never decreed eternal life.  Judas Iscariot followed Jesus, learned alongside the other disciples, and heard the promised rewards.  Yet, Judas remained selfish.  What we do outwardly might hide the person we really are.  Too often, great preachers do not live up to their words.  Even the most pious priest can hate his brother.  God knows the heart.

Walking with God provides opportunities that a standard life does not.  It can bring humility to deny selfishness and love humanity.  Outward piety softens and becomes empathetic, a greater chance to recognize and change our ways.  In community, we share God’s lessons that bring us to sanctification (holiness).  God molds our heart. 

**Does my religion teach me to follow the rigid traditions of men?  Do I justify sin to satisfy self?  Do I “walk the walk” but never recognize God standing beside me?

To be continued…

[Lessons from Holiness Parables, by Jo Helen Cox, a work in progress.]

Also in this series:

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 1 of 7

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 2 of 7 – Good Teacher

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 3 of 7 – Son of Man’s Response

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 4 of 7 – Broken Commandments

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 5 of 7 – A Task of Poverty?

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 7 of 7 – Eternal Life

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 5 of 7 – A Task of Poverty?

Mark 10:17-31 [Matthew 19:16-30; Luke 10:25-37, 18:18-30]

The encounter shocked the apostles as much as the rich man, particularly after Jesus said wealth made reaching the kingdom difficult.  Their society, like ours, believed those who possessed the luxury of time (wealth), and dedicated that time to performing holy acts (piety), attained God’s affection.  If that was not true, how could anyone be saved?

Many religions teach that good things in life come from God.  All bad things show His displeasure or His neglect.  Therefore, those with wealth come to believe they deserve God’s blessings because of status.  Often with wealth comes self-reliance and self-indulgence.  However, arrogance and pride are human traits.  They are not limited to the wealthy or the educated.  

Poverty does not make a person holy any more than prosperity confirms God’s love.  He judges the heart.  He wants us to deal with the situations life presents and to help others along the way.  This passage does not impose poverty as a way to attain immorality.  Jesus said generosity stores up treasure in heaven.  Generosity accumulates.  It makes us richer than any amount of gold.

Having wealth was not the issue.  In Matthew 19:26 and Mark 10:27, Jesus declared God made reaching Him simple: we cannot, God does the impossible.  Did you catch that?  Before Jesus died, He told us that God saves, always did, and always will.  What He wants to do is live with us.  Our role is to love Him enough to trust His promises and obey His simple rules.  Those two things let God make us holy enough to live in heaven.

**Does my religion instill guilt to make me comply?  Does my religion promise blessings to pry money from my hands?  Does my religion claim God loves one group more than others?  Can I see the value of generosity?  Do I trust God to love me?

To be continued…

[Lessons from Holiness Parables, by Jo Helen Cox, a work in progress.]

Also in this series:

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 1 of 7

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 2 of 7 – Good Teacher

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 3 of 7 – Son of Man’s Response

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 4 of 7 – Broken Commandments

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 6 of 7 – The Task to Follow

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 7 of 7 – Eternal Life

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 4 of 7 – Broken Commandments

Mark 10:17-31 [Matthew 19:16-30; Luke 10:25-37, 18:18-30]

The rich man trusted his own abilities to reach sanctification.  He wholeheartedly believed he followed the commandments flawlessly and was capable of something distinctive.  Most religions believe “works” make diligent people holy.  However, this was the sin of Korah, who rebelled by presuming superiority trumped submission (Numbers 16).  Our God is a jealous God who will not accept arrogance in place of obedience.

In Matthew 19:16-17, the man asks Jesus for a good thing that assures him a place in heaven.  Jesus’ reply is one of surprise.  All he needed was to keep the commandments.  However, the man did not trust God to keep things simple for everyone, including himself.  So, lack of trust means he did not love God completely (Deuteronomy 6:5).

The rich man loved his station more than the people who lived in the streets.  Was he discourteous to the deaf, blind, or aged?  Did he bestow favoritism to friends, but perverted justice to others?  Did he use dishonest business practices?  Did the word “neighbor” exclude all but friends?  (Leviticus 19:13-15, 18)

Did he covet anyone’s power, wealth, or status?  Did he hold grudges and hatred in his heart?  Did he murder a rival’s reputation, one little cut at a time?  (Exodus 20:17; Leviticus 19:17-18; Deuteronomy 5:21, 7:25)

Did he expect servants and foreigners to work on the Sabbath?  Did he presume poor women always became prostitutes?  Did he show respect to rich elders only?  (Exodus 20:10; Leviticus 19:29, 32-35; Deuteronomy 5:14)

Outwardly pious, inwardly stubborn.  If the man attempted the task given, he might have learned to see the flaws in himself.

**Does my religion hold me to the “letter of the law” with a legal hierarchy that rejects some “rules” as insignificant?  Does my religion teach me to disrespect, ridicule, or reject any group of humans?  Do I follow habitual tradition without the depth of applied ethics?  Do I know how to love my enemies?

To be continued…

[Lessons from Holiness Parables, by Jo Helen Cox, a work in progress.]

Also in this series:

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 1 of 7

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 2 of 7 – Good Teacher

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 3 of 7 – Son of Man’s Response

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 5 of 7 – A Task of Poverty?

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 6 of 7 – The Task to Follow

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 7 of 7 – Eternal Life

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 3 of 7 – Son of Man’s Response

Mark 10:17-31 [Matthew 19:16-30; Luke 10:25-37, 18:18-30]

From the moment the rich man asked his question, Jesus saw him for who he was: outwardly pious, inwardly conceited.

This man trusted the “fear of God” instilled by culture not from experience, and he presumed himself righteous.  Like the majority of man-made gods, the man viewed his deity as far away in heaven, reachable by only the most dedicated.  Because of this, the man did not trust God’s goodness to keep promises.  In Deuteronomy 30:11-14, Moses told the people that obeying was not a difficult (ritualistic) or a hidden (esoteric) task.  The Word lay within their reach and in their heart.  A child could follow His rules.

The description of the people of Ezekiel 8 is outwardly pious, inwardly insolent.  The incorporation of other gods into the Temple gave God reason to condemn Jerusalem to destruction.  We look at this chapter and say the text lists the examples backwards.  How could waving a branch be worse then open or hidden idol worship?  Bowing to the east does seem trivial in comparison.

Accepting another culture’s description of God dilutes understanding of who He is.  If God was like “all the others,” He was not paying close attention.  Therefore, secret sins were acceptable, as long as they stayed secret.  The people of Jerusalem viewed incorporating outside religious beliefs as insignificant as long as the leaders met the national traditions.

As bad as the abominations seemed, they paled in comparison to what God considered the worst sins.  No one held their friends accountable.  The leaders were deceitful.  They taught injustice, not faithfulness.  Oppression and violence were common inside Jerusalem.  Self-centered reasoning justified wickedness.  The majority of the population no longer knew the difference between good and evil.  Because of this, they no longer worshiped God as singular.  He was simply one among many, significant only because their city held His Temple.  The people dismissed loyalty, by adding one trivial custom at a time.

And, the leaders held themselves above it all, religiously pious, outwardly clean.  Jesus saw similar sins in the religious elite of His day.  He knew their actions dictated the same outcome.  Like Ezekiel, Jesus grieved for the city that would soon die.

**Whom do I follow?  Does my religion require dependence on traditions and rituals instead of listening to God?  Do I trivialize the addition of beliefs and rituals that do not respect my neighbors or esteem the One God only?  Is my God one among many?

To be continued…

[Lessons from Holiness Parables, by Jo Helen Cox, a work in progress.]

Also in this series:

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 1 of 7

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 2 of 7 – Good Teacher

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 4 of 7 – Broken Commandments

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 5 of 7 – A Task of Poverty?

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 6 of 7 – The Task to Follow

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 7 of 7 – Eternal Life

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 2 of 7 – Good Teacher

Mark 10:17-31 [Matthew 19:16-30; Luke 10:25-37, 18:18-30]

God created humans inherently good, but we blind ourselves to goodness by justifying evil.  We mask sin with religious piety.  Jesus illustrated this problem by emphasizing the word “good.”

Very likely, one of the common sayings of the day was “Only God is good.”  However, Greek philosophy had intertwined with that statement to superimpose “perfection” ideologies.  How could the living God, perfect in all things, interact with dirty dusty humans?  Impossible, but there He stood.  In Mark 10:18, Jesus asks why the man called Him “good.”  If He was good, but only God was good, then Jesus was God.  No one heard the “absurdity” of that correlation.

Instead of merciful, the people saw God as an angry taskmaster.  Only perfect people could please such a deity.  Those deemed “less perfect” could not compete.  Such a God did not take care of the poor, the crippled, or the ill, so it was all right for the “blessed” to abuse them too.  Following a list of rules became more important then walking in God’s love.

In Matthew 19:21, Jesus implied the man could become “perfect.”  All he needed to do was change his identity.  However, it would be much simpler if the man simply followed God’s commandments.  The two produced exactly the same thing: humility.

**Does my religion trivialize goodness while it places perfection on a pedestal?  Do I follow a list of commandments to attain perfection or to appear clean?  Is my God so “perfect” He could not care about the small details?  Am I willing to change?

To be continued…

[Lessons from Holiness Parables, by Jo Helen Cox, a work in progress.]

Also in this series:

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 1 of 7

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 3 of 7 – Son of Man’s Response

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 4 of 7 – Broken Commandments

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 5 of 7 – A Task of Poverty?

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 6 of 7 – The Task to Follow

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 7 of 7 – Eternal Life

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 1 of 7

Mark 10:17-31 [Matthew 19:16-30; Luke 10:25-37, 18:18-30]

The rich young man sought out the rabbi who performed wondrous healings and confounded the best teachers.  Excitement filled his racing heart, so he ran and fell to his knees.  Of all the rabbis, this one probably knew the great secrets.  With the greatest respect, he called the rabbi “good.”  Only then did he ask his succinct and well-rehearsed question in anticipation of a profound answer.

“What good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?”

This question seems legitimate, thoughtful, and desirous of pleasing God.  What special act overcomes daily sins and prompts God to write a name into the scroll of life?

Yet, to such a straightforward question, Jesus provided an unusual answer.  Instead of simply answering, or even discussing the theologies associated with the afterlife, Jesus challenged the man’s use of the word “good.”  He actually sounded angry, possibly offended.  Then, just as abruptly, Jesus told this highly religious man to obey God’s commandments.

The man was stunned.  The Torah of Moses held several versions of the commandments (Exodus 20; Exodus 34; Leviticus 19; Deuteronomy 5).  This concerned the intellectual elite.  Pleasing God required a hierarchy of duties, followed precisely in order of importance.  The prophet must know which God preferred the most.

Jesus quoted a few commandments from the middle of Exodus 20.

Confused, the man replied that he mastered these commands in his childhood.  They presented too easy a goal; anyone could follow such rules.  He wanted a duty to elevate his status, a task worthy of paradise, something God could not ignore.  The man believed he was ready for the next step.

He desired a “holy grail” quest, so Jesus gave him one.  Sell everything.  Give the money to the poor.  Follow Jesus.

This task was simple, but it was impossible for that particular man.  The mission mandated complete commitment.  It rejected the honor and status attributed by wealth.  He would no longer mingle with people he considered admirable, people who debated the authenticity of Jesus.

Lack of comfort, lack of servants, and lack of baths were normal.  Unclean people surrounded and touched the prophet/rabbi.  The prophet/rabbi touched them back.  From the man’s youth, he had dedicated himself to remaining religiously clean, spotless, and pure.  Jesus’ followers were not.  The man judged such humiliation unacceptable, repulsively impossible for someone of his station.

Bewildered sadness fell upon the man as he walked away.

To be continued…

[Lessons from Holiness Parables, by Jo Helen Cox, a work in progress.]

Also in this series:

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 2 of 7 – Good Teacher

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 3 of 7 – Son of Man’s Response

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 4 of 7 – Broken Commandments

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 5 of 7 – A Task of Poverty?

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 6 of 7 – The Task to Follow

The Rich Man’s Question – Part 7 of 7 – Eternal Life