Luke the Historian

Luke 3:23, 24

Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph...

...............

Chapter 3 is another introduction of sorts - an intro to the adult life and ministry of Jesus. There are several verses here which fit the theme verse we discussed in chapter one - that Luke is writing for the purpose of instilling certainty in his readers. This chapter fulfills this purpose in at least two ways:

1. Historical Markers. Verses 1-3 provide incredible detail about the specific time in which these events took place, making Luke's narrative a clear example of historical biography rather than dramatic fiction. The naming of specific rulers and leaders would have been the most accurate way to date events, and scholars today have relied on these markers in dating the events and when they were recorded. Luke's extensive genealogy in this chapter presents yet another common time marker from this era - the family tree. This would have been included by Luke mainly to place Jesus in space-time history, as opposed to promoting a sense of legend or myth.

2. Journalistic Style. Continuing the tone of an essentially journalistic account from chapters 1 and 2, Luke describes the early events of John the Baptist in a matter-of-fact literal manner. The events are recorded with concrete imagery and verbatim dialogue, apparently collected in eyewitness accounts and organized by Luke in a straightforward chronological fashion. C. S. Lewis commented likewise that the writing style of the Gospels in no way resemble typical first century legend writings:

"I have been reading poems, romances, vision-literature, legends, myths all my life. I know what they are like. I know that not one of them is like this. Of this text there are only two possible views. Either this is reportage -- Or else, some unknown writer without known predecessors or successors, suddenly anticipated the whole technique of modern, novelistic, realistic narrative. If it is untrue, it must be narrative of that kind. The reader who doesn't see this has simply not learned to read." (from Christian Reflections)

What is the purpose of these markers, genealogies, and literal stylings? Why does it matter that we have certainty about the times, places, and historical reality of these events? Why not just believe what you choose to believe? Well, contrary to popular notions today, the primitive world of the ancient Near-East had a firm grip on the difference between reality and fantasy. In fact, one could argue that the modern world's acceptance of pure subjective truth and individualized "blind faith" is quite a step backward from the simple statement of facts found in the Gospel narrative. What brings hope - real grounded hope - is the certainty that my Creator actually showed up in human history and intervened on my behalf, bearing the death that I deserved, and rising bodily from the dead to demonstrate his love and the promise of resurrection for all who trust in Him. This is good news indeed.

Get Blessed!

Psalm 24:3-5

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

...............

Who doesn't want a little blessing their life? You may have met folks who respond to greetings by saying "I'm blessed, how are you doing?" There is something universally pleasant about feeling blessed - feeling like the sun is shining just for you, like Someone has had favor on you today.

Verse 5 promises blessing, and that should make us stop and consider what this blessing is all about and what we have to do to get it.

The word "blessed" just means "happy." When Jesus taught the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, he was describing what the truly happy man is like, and there are some parallels to this psalm that are worth noting.

For one, the blessed person is someone who is pure in heart. That is no easy task actually, and you know it if you've tried it. Sins of the heart are the deepest and hardest to uproot. Hidden sins of hatred and lust, for example, are singled out by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount as being the root of murder and adultery - in fact they are the heinous equivalent of those outward sins. Paul also singles out the inner sin of covetousness as being particularly impossible to escape due to universal human depravity (Romans 7). We are in fact at war within ourselves, even those who have the indwelling Spirit of God within them. To be pure in heart is a tall order.

Another similarity I see with the beatitudes is the emphasis on humility as the gateway to a relationship with God. Jesus said "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." The psalm reminds us that the earth is the Lord's, and yet we too are promised this inheritance if we humble ourselves before him and live a life knowing that he owns the world and the fullness thereof. This is ironic to the modern mind - we are truly happy and will inherit the whole world if we live in selfless humility.

Another point to consider: since verse 5 fits the pattern of parallelism found throughout Hebrew poetry, the words "blessing" and "righteousness" appear to be set as equivalent here. To the Christian's ears this is no surprise - the happiest gift he has received is the righteousness that comes not from works but that which is the gift of God received by humble faith. To be right with God - to have final peace with Him and be welcomed on his "holy hill" - is to experience the deepest and most lasting joy. It is an eternal joy. And it causes us to say...

"I am blessed."

Later in Psalm 32, David will reiterate this connection between blessing and righteousness. I will close with Paul's reference to this passage in Romans 4, which puts it specifically in the context of the righteousness granted to us through faith in Jesus:

"And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin."
(Romans 4:5-8 ESV)

Parenting the Messiah

Luke 2:52

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

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The first two chapters of Luke provide some details about the birth and childhood of Jesus that were left out of Matthew's account: the foretelling and birth of John the Baptist, the songs of Zechariah and Mary, the blessings of Simeon and Anna, and the story of the 12 year old Jesus talking with the leaders in the Temple in Jerusalem. What struck me about these passages is what they reveal about Mary and Joseph as parents:

1. Jesus' parents offered him to the Lord. The custom of presenting your firstborn son at the Temple stretches back at least as far as the story of Hannah, who presented her son Samuel to the Lord at birth. Samuel went on to faithfully serve as a prophet in the time of King Saul and King David, revealing how pivotal a role his mother played in "lending" him to the Lord. The practical application for parents today: humbly offer your children to the Lord's purposes, for this will set a foundation for a lifetime of Christlikeness. Our children ultimately belong to God, not to us.

2. Jesus' parents earned his respect and submission. Verse 51 is amazing to think about - Jesus was submissive to his parents. But, this submission was earned by Mary and Joseph, not enforced or demanded. When they realize their son was missing, and find him in the Temple, Jesus receives a scolding. He responds with what may not appear to be a very submissive answer: "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49 ESV) But again, we must remember that our children are the Lord's first and ours second. Jesus was insisting on the primacy of his relationship to his Father in heaven and the business of serving him first. I would say that this passage, along with the several references to Mary treasuring things In her heart, actually speak to the fundamental care Jesus received from his parents, which in turn earned his trust and respect, rather then demanding it.

3. Jesus' parents contributed to a balanced, comprehensive vision of maturity. The final verse is such an easy to remember summary of the parenting mission. Wisdom, stature, favor with God, and favor with man. These goals encompass the dreams of every godly parent: intellectual maturity, physical care, spiritual growth as God's child, and social/emotional maturity in relation to other people. It's hard to think of a better parenting mission statement, and we have ample evidence that Jesus' parents were pivotal in the achievement of these goals, however imperfect they were as parents.

I pray for the humility, compassion, and balanced vision exemplified in this passage. May God have mercy to grant my children wisdom, stature, and favor with Him and others. Amen.

Truth: Personal and Propositional

Luke 1:1-4

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

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We have seen already how the different narratives of Jesus's life have slightly different emphases. Matthew focused on Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and archetypes. Mark was a fast paced chronicle of Jesus as the tragic but vindicated King of Israel. Now we come to Luke's account, and fortunately, we are given a clear thesis at the very beginning: Luke is writing to give us certainty. Certainty about the events and teachings of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

Why would his audience need certainty? Some skeptics have assumed that Luke wrote many years after the life of Jesus, thinking that his audience must have been uncertain because they were far removed from the events. But we know from Matthew and Mark that even those who were present at those events couldn't believe their eyes! So, what really causes this uncertainty in the hearts of those who hear about Jesus? This sounds like a good time to discuss epistemology.

epis·te·mol·o·gy\i-ˌpis-tə-ˈmä-lə-jē\
noun: the study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge especially with reference to its limits and validity

The grounds, limits, and validity of knowledge. How do we know what we know? There have been people asking this question throughout history.

In the modern world knowledge has been violently severed into two forms: objective and subjective. Before the Enlightenment, truth was a unity and its source was ultimately the God who gave us the capacity for knowledge. Then, the Enlightenment and its philosophical descendants proclaimed that the existence of deity could not be empirically proven, and therefore had no validity. But when Neitzche declared that "God is dead," most people inherently understood that real meaning and purpose in life no longer had any objective basis. So, man faced the chasm of objectively proven meaninglessness and took a leap of faith by willfully claiming that man had meaning anyway! This was the thesis of the existentialists, and unfortunately many Christians bought it, because they too had given up on objective truth-claims. The miracles of Jesus, including the resurrection, had to be redefined as essentially symbolic - full of powerful meaning but ultimately not rooted in objective truth. It did not take many years for this remaining shred of subjective meaning to be itself discarded by a generation who knew it amounted to groundless wishful thinking.

And so, here we are in the modern world, where truth is only what can be empirically verified, and faith is at best relegated to the category of subjective wishful thinking.

But Luke claims to provide certainty. He will labor in the next 24 chapters to provide an orderly, thoroughly researched, eyewitness account of the miraculous life of this 1st century Palestinian prophet. There is ample evidence, inside and outside the Bible, that these events were recorded accurately and copied faithfully by generations of Christians throughout early church history. But I'd like to spend the remaining space demonstrating that the Bible defines truth as both objective and subjective, and in fact does not see any contradiction between the two.

Objective Truth. Three passages come to mind. In order, these speak to the objective basis of God's Word, the historicity of the physical resurrection of the Jesus, and the offer of objective assurance of salvation in Christ:

1. And if you say in your heart, 'How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?'— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:21, 22 ESV)

2. Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:12-19 ESV)

3. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13 ESV)

Subjective Truth. But God's truth is more comprehensive than mere empirical proofs. Scripture emphatically asserts that Truth is both propositional and personal. In fact, Truth is a Person:

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:6, 7 ESV)

Jesus is the Truth. By saying this, Jesus claims that epistemic validity does not lie solely in empirically ascertained knowledge. There is an equally valid kind of knowledge that is personal and relational at its core. Reason and revelation are both valid and should be respected equally because they both find their source in God.

The Gospel of Luke will go on to boldly lay claim to both our minds and our hearts, for truly God has called us to love him with both, as whole people submitting our whole lives to his good Lordship. May we find strength and comfort in this uncertain world from the certainty of the gospel and the God who is both the source and embodiment of Truth. Amen.

I Will Fear No Evil

Psalm 23:4

Even though I walk 
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

...............

I will fear no evil.

When a passage of scripture becomes so familiar, so recognizable, that it fails to impact the reader with the full weight of its meaning ... it helps to get small.

I will fear no evil.

By singling out one phrase, the weight of meaning begins to return. I have not been able to shake these five words all week. So, I'd like to meditate further on this phrase by considering WHERE and HOW we can fear no evil.

Where?
Walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
Matthew Henry's commentary on this passage takes pains to draw out meaning from each word in this statement: walking, through, valley, shadow, death. By doing so, I was reminded that being under the care of my good Shepherd means that I will keep walking and make it through, no matter how deep or long the valley may be. I also know that valleys are places of fruitfulness, so that my difficulties in life will indeed produce some reward. It is also important to note that this encounter with death is a mere shadow - thanks to the promise of eternal life given in Christ and his finished work.

But we should not merely make light of our trials, for they are indeed a heavy burden. So, how can I truly walk through and have no fear?

How?
For you are with me
There are few truths more precious. To know Immanuel is to know "God with us" and there is no other philosophy or religion in the world that dares make the shocking claim that God is both infinite and personal, transcendent and incarnate, creator and humble redeemer. This is no mystical experience of God either. It is the claim that God walked among us in the flesh, in space-time real human history. He was with us, and he continues to dwell with the believer by His Spirit.

But why does this lead me to not fear ANY evil? I mean, life is filled with many fearful things: physical sickness, emotional stress and deep depression, fragile relationships, financial risk, natural disaster, crimes and injustices against self and loved ones (Our fears for our loved ones are perhaps the most sacred to us).

But this passage says we can live without fear of evil, because God is with us. Specifically, the psalmist points to his rod and his staff - further elements of the shepherd metaphor, symbolizing God's protection and direction. Enemies will be destroyed, even when they appear on your doorstep! Answers to prayer will be granted, even if the silence lasts for decades! He promises real protection and direction for his precious children and this brings a comfort so deep that all fear is subsumed.

How can I live in this? Preach it to myself everyday. Call it to mind. Rest in it. Respond to it. Bank on it in my decisions, great and small. If I know God has laid some purpose on my heart - some good deed or plan - how could I let fear get in the way when I know that God is with me!? If God is for us, who can be against us, Paul asked.

I will walk in this way. I will fear no evil - because of the comfort of God's personal protection and direction, and because I know that he is with me. Amen.

Confronted with Eternity

Mark 16:8

And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

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If the events leading up to Mark 16 were not scary enough, here we find the women who came to care for Jesus' lifeless body coming face to face with angelic beings declaring an utterly surprising message. And apparently a terrifying message.

What could be so terrifying about the resurrection of your hero who you thought was dead? Why would Jesus' best friends not be thrilled, but instead refused to believe the news these women shared with them? (16:11 & 13). Wasn't this good news?

I submit that most people will indeed react in fear and unbelief when they are confronted with news of someone coming back to life after death - and not the modern notion of skeptical rational unbelief. I mean willful frightened loudly-proclaimed "no, this cannot be happening!" kind of unbelief.

If we are honest with ourselves, the idea of an afterlife may be more frightening than a simple ceasing-to-exist. Critics of Christianity often tell us that Heaven is wishful thinking - a product of our fear of death. But if you ask them how they feel about death they are often quite comfortable with a quiet sign-off after a full length of pleasant years. In fact, I think that most of us would naturally prefer the privacy of final sleep over the mysterious and revealing prospect of waking up in a new world - especially a world that belonged to Someone else.

It may very well be that the final judgment of God - his reckoning for all the injustices of human history - is what these early disciples were coming face to face with. They had heard and discussed the reality of eternity, but to be confronted by a man who transcended space and time and brought eternity to their doorstep - that was terrifying.

So, what changed their hearts and gave them faith? Mark doesn't give an easy answer. Even if you take verses 9-20 as original to Mark or his contemporaries, the general thrust of the chapter is fear, not faith. From chapter 1, Mark never hesitated to be critical of Jesus' doubtful and confused followers, even in these concluding remarks. (This also adds a level of authenticity to the book, since undermining the reputation of early church leaders would have been a disservice to the strength of the movement.)

In conclusion, I think that we can find a strange hope in this story for us today. When I am confronted by death and the One who holds the keys to eternity, I can take comfort in this company of fearful followers. Ultimately, the story was not about them (or us). It was about the One who overcame death and offered salvation for any who follow him. It is up to us now to share this terrifying and life changing message with the world, so that they too can be confronted with eternity and find hope in the One who can welcome them in:

"And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:15, 16 ESV)

King or Fool?

Mark 15:37-39

And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

................

We began our journey through the Gospel of Mark with the clear and simple proclamation: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). We have traced the life of Jesus in quick broad strokes, seeing his teaching and healing ministry, his rejection by religious leaders, and especially Mark's emphasis on the kingdom of God. This kingdom was taught in parables, perpetually misunderstood even by Jesus' closest followers, and eventually proved so radically different than expected that Jesus is left alone to face his executioners.

In chapter 15, we see our king finally crowned and hailed and recognized by the crowds and the Roman authorities - but all in mockery. The governor, Pilate, hears the charges and is amazed at Jesus' confident silence. He asks if he is truly the king of the Jews, to which Jesus says, "You have said so." We know from the John's account that this conversation also included Jesus describing his kingdom as "not of this world" (18:36). The arc of this story has gone from announcing the kingdom of God, through dozens of stories and lessons about its true nature, to finally this climactic conversation with the Roman authority. And the world is about find out what kind of king Jesus really is.

This king was condemned by a crowd who cried out "Crucify him!" This king was beaten ruthlessly and mocked by the Roman guard. This king was led out of town and hung by nails to be slowly tortured to death over a 6 hour timeframe. This king watched men haggle over his clothes while gasping for his last breaths. This king continued to be mocked while he hung there in utter humiliation.

"So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also reviled him." (Mark 15:31, 32 ESV)

I am struck by how matter-of-fact this chapter is. There is very little theological abstract material here. Just the brute reality of a jail cell, a braided lash, a crown of thorns, a rough-hewn cross of wood, and a few metal spikes. The jeers of the religious leaders are amazingly petty and trite, much like their hardened hearts. The most profound statement in the chapter comes from an unlikely theologian - the centurion.

"Truly this man was the Son of God!"

Whether this soldier had known of Jesus' teaching and healing, or whether he simply marveled at the tearing of the temple curtain, here we have a simple proclamation of faith from a witness of Christ's death. Nothing could be more miraculous than the seed of faith emerging from the rough soil of the human heart, especially among the close thorns and rocky soil of such mockery and punishment. The kingdom of this man must be madness! Not to this soldier. He believed. He believed this was the Son of God!

We are called to this kind of faith. Faith to believe in a humiliated king who reigns over a foolish kingdom. But when the beauty of this kingdom captures your heart and imagination, you will find its foolishness incomparable to its riches and glory. When the story of this sacrificial hero who came to lay down his life for an undeserving world finally grips your heart, you will bear that humiliation and take up your own cross with pride, because you know that it is truly the Son of God whom you serve.

But none of that would matter without what happens next...

Forsaken by God

Psalm 22:1, 2, 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest...

...I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.

...............

My God, my God...why have you forsaken me?

Alone.
Abandoned.
Unheard.
Unremembered.
Forsaken.

Today we resort to curse words as a cheap substitute for honest reflection. When I feel abandoned by God due to some horrible circumstance, do I really dig deep and share my darkest fears and complaints with God or anyone?

Am I willing to be this brutally honest?
Like David?
Like Jesus?

And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him....And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:24, 25, 34)

Have I ever felt this separation from my Father and wept from the crushing weight of it? Or can this only be felt by one who has treasured God in a profoundly intimate way, like this second person of the Trinity, who had enjoyed perfect fellowship with his Father stretching back through all eternity past?

He bore this sorrow so that I would not have to.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13, 14)

He was not only cursed for us, he traded our sin for his righteousness.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)

He not only took our curse and our sin, but he bore our sorrows and gave us peace with God by being crushed on our behalf.

Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4, 5 ESV)

Words fail.

But Psalm 22 gives us an example of how prayer can lead us out of this pit of despair and toward faith in the God who can redeem us out of every hopeless situation.

Honesty.

It starts with honest reflection on where we are and how it feels (22:1-2, 6-8, 12-18). God can handle our honesty, and the model of many of the lament psalms urges us to be real with Him.
Recollection. Then we must recall - call to mind - what we know is true about God and how he has proven trustworthy in the past (22:3-5, 9-11).

Notice how honesty and recollection were interwoven in this psalm, swinging back and forth, showing how this recollection is really a vicious battle of the mind. Choosing the truth may take time and effort, but it will be worth it for what it produces - faith.

Faith.

To finally emerge from the battle of the mind with a simple cry for help is itself an act of faith (22:19-21). And once there is a wedge of faith, the door to seeing God at work opens wide and leads to praise.

Praise.

The cry for help will eventually be met with an answer from God, who is utterly faithful to his children, though not always in the ways or times that we expect (22:22-31).

Notice that this praise is cooperate and invitational. David, and ultimately Jesus, emerged from their darkest hour filled with contagious praise for the faithful God who restored them. They cannot help but call others to join in celebrating.

I will close by quoting the other New Testament passage that refers to this Psalm. Hebrews tells us that Jesus went to the cross and emerged from the empty tomb in order to be our worship leader - he alone can lead us to the throne room of our Father and represent us in song and adoration. Let us call to mind the eternal chorus that awaits us in heaven, especially when we feel utterly forsaken and alone:

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying,

"I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise."

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:10-12, 14-18 ESV)

Shame Exchanged

Mark 14:3, 70-72

And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head....

And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean." But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know this man of whom you speak." And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he broke down and wept.

...............

We will finally be unashamed in our love for our Savior when we realize how little we have to lose in ourselves and how much we have to gain in Him. The verses quoted above put two of Jesus' followers in stark contrast: one was a woman of no reputation, adoring the man who had looked past all of her shame and called her a daughter of God; the other was Jesus' best friend, who had proudly advertised his willingness to die for the cause, but ended up calling down curses on himself in denial of ever knowing this man. One put herself beneath Jesus; the other thought this denounced prophet was beneath himself.

Mark 14 takes us on a tour of how humanity finally responds when the truth about Jesus emerges. He was not the triumphal king they expected. He was not willing to fight back against the Roman oppressors and take the throne by force. He was instead arrested, unjustly accused, defamed, humiliated, spit upon, beaten, mocked, and condemned to death.

When our heroes fail, we quickly become fair-weather fans. The disciples foreshadow their waning devotion by sleeping through a midnight prayer meeting at the hour of greatest need. Then they flee openly when the going gets tough. Mark includes a seemingly random verse about a young man fleeing naked (v 51-52), but this may be merely to accentuate the depth of our shame when confronted with the foolishness of Jesus and the true nature of his kingdom. We would rather go naked than be associated with this apparently failed messiah.

The story of human shame starts in Genesis. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they realized they were naked and hid themselves from their Maker. After God confronted them, he made clothes for them from animal skins - a foreshadowing of the bloodshed that would be the price for humanity's corruption from that point onward. Throughout the story of God's fallen people, clothes would be a symbol of God's grace in response to human shame. Ezekiel 16 is but one graphic description of God's heart to restore his shameful bride to a place of honor, complete with new clothes of purity, righteousness, and grace. Ultimately, it is the book of Revelation that casts a vision of our final renewal and the robes of righteousness that await us in eternity.

But the robes only await those who realize their shame and trade it in for a heart that gives glory to our suffering savior. Like the harlot who ignored those who reproached her, we must bring our offering of faith and give our lives to Him before a watching world, no matter how foolish it may appear to them. Otherwise we will respond to this mocked and denounced prophet like Peter and curse ourselves for ever knowing him. Which path will we choose?

Lord, I pray for more faith. Give me faith that gives you glory, not because of any good in me, but because you took all of my shame upon yourself and in exchange gave me the robes of righteousness that restore my relationship with my Maker. Let me pour out words and actions of praise that point to the One who made this exchange for me and, by his grace alone, was not ashamed to call me his child. Amen.