Slaughtered yet Loved

Psalms 44:20‭-‬23

If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
would not God discover this?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!

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

On first glance, this Psalm appears to be a simple cry for help. The psalmist is clearly in the depths of despair, feeling abandoned by God. There is a familiar pattern we see in many of the laments. The structure of the poem breaks down like this:

A recounting of God's past faithfulness (v. 1-8)
An accusation of God's present rejection (v. 9-22)
A plea for God's future deliverance (v. 23-26)

Granted, no painful crisis is simple, and pleading for God's intervention is not all that simple either. We are reminded again of the importance of remembering God's real intervening actions in times past. We are reminded that great men and women of faith had times of real doubting and even voiced honest accusations in prayer to God. God can handle our honesty, and that is often the path of reflection that reconnects us to our merciful Savior in the midst of deep pain. He empathizes with our weakness and temptations because he too bore them in Christ.

But compared to other Psalms, this does not appear to break new ground or reveal anything new about who God is or what he has accomplished. That is, until you recognize how this Psalm is quoted by Paul in Romans 8. Let's focus there for a moment:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

"For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35‭-‬39)

This passage in Romans is one of the richest promises in all of Scripture. The assurance and permanence of the love of Christ is described with absolute certainty, no matter the circumstance. And here we find that the more we grasp the depths of Psalm 44, the more rich and relieving this promise becomes.

That must have been Paul's intention. His Jewish audience should have been familiar with this painful Psalm and the emotions it would invoke. And despite the sense of rejection the persecuted Roman Christians felt, God had not fallen asleep or forgotten his precious children. Nothing, absolutely nothing in all creation, could separate them from the love of God now fully revealed in the finished work of Christ.

Lord, help me to bring my crisis to you in honest prayer. I am weak and short-sighted. Help me to see and believe that you remain faithful even in this hard time. And I know this is true because you have offered your Son who has conquered death and now lives in me. All I have and all I will ever need is found in you:

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

The Upsidedown Kingdom

John 18:36‭-‬38

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."  Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."  Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him."

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

The Creator has been put in chains. Our Maker has been betrayed by his closest friends. The King of the universe stands humiliated before the governors of men. Moments before, he was describing the glory he shared with the Father before the world began. Now, he is condemned by a kangaroo court and rejected by a crowd who preferred a known murderer. What does he say in his defense?

My kingdom is not of this world.

As we have seen time and again, the Gospels portray a Savior who is not what we expected. From his humble birth by an unwed teenager, to his obscure upbringing in Nazareth, to his ministry of parables and dining with sinners -- this is not the Davidic Messiah that they were hoping for.

John 18 brings this upsidedown narrative to its climax. Clearly Peter thought that striking the high priest's servant with a sword was fitting with Jesus' mission. The disciples had lived through decades of government oppression, unable to worship and govern themselves freely. Other zealots and insurrectionists had come and gone, offering a rebel's hope against the monolithic Roman empire. And Jesus had proven his supernatural power before their very eyes. Surely he would turn that power against the injustice of Rome and free Israel once and for all!

But this hope was false and it shows how our biases can deceive us, even when the truth is explained over and over.

No, the kingdom of Jesus would not come through violent force, but through a humble sacrifice. Our Darwinian intuition, that might makes right, had blinded us to the beauty of a better way. What we really needed, more than a political Savior, was the forgiveness and new heart that only a resurrected Jesus could offer. Our sights were set too low -- why would Jesus defeat one Roman ruler when he had the power to destroy death itself for all time and open up eternal life to any one who believes in him?

What does this mean for us today? Even for those who know and love this upsidedown gospel message, are we quick to put our trust in political promises? Or even more likely, do we forget to turn the other cheek, and instead hold a grudge or take revenge on others in small subtle ways? Each day we are offered choices between the way of the Cross and the way of the world. If our King was willing to swallow his pride and take a hit for us, surely we should expect to do the same. He even promised it would be so.

Lord, give me grace today to be more like Jesus. Help me to love even my enemies who are right now working to hurt and ruin me. Let me be a faithful citizen of that kingdom which is not of this world.

When Jesus Prays for Us

John 17:1‭-‬5

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,  since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.  And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.  And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

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

John 17 is called the High Priestly Prayer, and that will only matter to you if you have a deep appreciation for what a priest is meant to be. As the book of Hebrews repeatedly claims, Jesus took the role of priest and did so in a way far superior to the earthly priests of Israel. He not only intercedes for us before a holy God, but does so in a way that is perfect and permanent. He is also unlike the human priests in that he did not offer an imperfect lamb -- he offered the perfect gift of himself to atone for our sins completely.

So, what does this prayer tell us about the priestly role of Jesus? And what does this matter in our own lives?

First, in this prayer, we are given a rare glimpse into the intimacy between Jesus and his Father. The Gospels have so far described Jesus' prayer life from the outside, but here we get an emotional peak behind the curtain. We are given an idea of what else Jesus was thinking and feeling in Gethsemane, just hours before his trial and execution. Jesus twice refers to his relationship with the Father existing before the world began, confirming again his divine nature. So, we are seeing Jesus' divinity, his special relationship with the Father, and all in the context of him facing the ultimate sacrifice. We see a man deeply concerned for his friends who are about to face many fears and threats of there own. We see the heart of Jesus toward his Father and toward us his followers. This is the only kind of priest we can put our hope in.

Second, we are shown some of the specific things which Jesus prays for, which include some incredible life-changing promises for you and I. These include eternal life, which he says consists primarily of knowing the Father and Son personally. He prays for his friends, for their protection in the face of a hateful world. He prays that they would be sanctified in the truth, set apart to know and proclaim the good news. He prays for those who would believe through their preaching, including us reading this today centuries later. He prays for our unity, and the means of that unity -- that we would know the love that is shared between the Father and Son.

This last part of the prayer is worth focusing on, because it is requested as if it were already guaranteed:

Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.  I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them." (John 17:24‭-‬26)

What initially sounds like a prayer request ends up sounding like a guarantee. Jesus desires us to be with him, to see his glory that has existed from all eternity. And he promises to continue making this glory known to us. What a promise! And what does it mean to know his glory? It means experiencing the love which the Father has for his precious son. It means having Jesus himself in us, the object of God's eternal affection.

What could possibly matter more to our daily life? What fear, what anxiety, what disappointment could possibly stand up in the face of such a phenomenal promise that is ours today? Christ in us, the hope of glory! Consider the great exchange Jesus has made with us. He is our priest and our sacrifice, and in his place we now stand -- forgiven, accepted into God's family, filled with his power and presence, and promised an inheritance we didn't deserve.

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 Cor. 5:21)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Talk to Yourself

Psalms 42:9‭-‬11

I say to God, my rock:
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?"
As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
"Where is your God?"
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

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

Psalms 42 and 43 together form one song with a repeating refrain. This is one of the few Hebrew poems with a chorus, making it suddenly familiar and similar to our modern pop songs and worship ballads. What makes it a little different than most Christian worship songs is that the psalmist is talking to himself. Rather than addressing God directly or even addressing fellow believers, he is talking to himself. And since he repeats it three times, it's worth focusing on this verse as the key phrase in the passage:

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Notice there is a question and an answer. This reflects the turmoil the psalmist is experiencing within himself. The surrounding verses include reference to feeling desperate for God's help, thirsty for God, aching for relief. Verse 8 describes a man so oppressed by enemies that he goes around mourning, wondering why God has abandoned him. But the chorus turns the question from God to himself. It is a turning point, a step away from despair and toward resolution. And the resolution is an effort of faith:

Hope in God for I shall again praise him.

I call this an effort of faith because believing in the midst of trials can be a real effort. Some circumstances can be so loud that they drown out other voices. His enemies are asking "where is your God?" And he is tempted to ask himself that as well. But, notice that the psalmist instead chooses to remember times past when he felt closer to God and enjoyed his blessing (verse 4). This is part of the effort to fight despair and believe in God's goodness. When we recall better days, we can hope for future blessings with more confidence.

For another example of this practice of talking to yourself, consider Lamentations, where Jeremiah was facing terrible trials of his own:

But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
(Lam. 3:21‭-‬23)

So, talk to yourself. Instead of just listening to your surroundings or your own doubts, fire back with the objective truth of the gospel. Once you've voiced your fears to God, go a step further and choose to remember the truth of God's goodness and preach it to yourself. This is more than the power of positive thinking. This is exercising real choice in what you think about and applying the truth to your own heart when you need it most. Call him your Rock, your salvation, your God. Sing along with the saints the words that your heart desperately needs to hear.

Here's another example from the hymnal to keep you talking to yourself:

Arise, my soul, arise,
shake off your guilty fears:
the bleeding Sacrifice
in my behalf appears:
before the throne my Surety stands,
before the throne my Surety stands,
my name is written on his hands.

My God is reconciled;
his pard'ning voice I hear;
he owns me for his child,
I can no longer fear;
with confidence I now draw nigh,
with confidence I now draw nigh,
and "Father, Abba, Father!" cry.

(Charles Wesley 1742)

Why Did He Leave?

John 16:5‭-‬7

But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.  Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

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

Christians believe some pretty strange things. The most peculiar is also the most important to us: that God the creator became a man. And not just any man at any time, but a particular Jewish carpenter in first century Palestine. And that he not only lived a life of truth and love and holiness, but that he was actually God. And not only that he was God, but that he died a sacrificial death and then defeated death itself by rising again. We believe all this.

And yet sometimes the hardest thing to believe is that he did all this and then chose to leave! He didn't stick around. It seems like believing and following him would be much easier if he was physically here to lead us and protect us.

Of course, we know that the disciples saw Jesus in person and still had many doubts and fears. Even here in John 16, they were very confused by Jesus' teaching. "A little while? We won't see him for a little while? What's that mean?" So belief is hard even when Jesus is standing right in front of you. Remember John 6? Most of his followers gave up and walked away, even when the miracle maker was right in front of them.

So we come to chapter 16 and we find that Jesus warned his friends that he would be leaving and he even explains why. He tells them that it's actually better that he leave. Why? So that instead of seeing Jesus, they could receive the spirit of God into their very selves. Jesus makes some incredible promises about the benefits of this indwelling presence of God's Spirit. Here are just a few:

1. Conviction of sin. The hatred of sin that we so desperately need must come from within.

2. Conviction of righteousness.  Likewise, the love for holiness must also come from within.

3. Conviction of judgment. Specifically judgment on the ruler of this world, which comes through his spirit-filled people.

4. Timely reminders of truth. Notably, Jesus says there are things we should know, but we cannot bear to hear them until the time is right and we are ready. Lifelong learning directly from the Spirit within us.

5. Answered prayer. A new kind of access to God and assurance of answers comes only when he himself lives within us.

6. Joy and peace. When God himself lives in you, you experience his joy and his contented peace, even in the face of the most difficult circumstances. And those trials are promised in this passage as well.

And there are countless other benefits which explain why Jesus left and why the Spirit had to come. One more passage comes to mind, which reveals that this indwelling experience of God was no afterthought, but was in fact the plan of redemption all along. Lord, help us to treasure this incredible privilege of knowing you so truly and intimately.

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:31‭-‬34)

Fruit from God, Fruit for God

John 15:5‭-‬8

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

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

What makes a fruit different than a vegetable? Fruit is what a plant produces. A vegetable is itself a plant or a root. Fruit is vibrant, sweet, living. Vegetables are starchy, dense, filling. It is no mistake that we call a lazy person a "couch potato" or someone who "vegetates," while we associate being "fruitful" with every manner of productivity. One is associated with life. The other associated with death. (You're welcome to all those veggie-haters out there!)

In John 15, Jesus uses yet another earthy metaphor to once again define who he is and who we are called to be, and this time it revolves around fruit.

Jesus tells us that he himself is like a vine, and that we are the branches. In John's typical style, the logic of the passage is not linear, but spirals back and forth, revolving around a central idea. The references to Jesus and to us his followers are intertwined, much like the Vine and branches he describes. With each spiral we get more clarity on what is meant, until finally the meaning is laid bare towards the end.

I am the Vine, you are the branches.

Abide in me, and I in you.

Apart from me you can do nothing.

Abide in my words, and I will abide in you.

My command is love, and you will prove you are mine by this love.

The greatest love is to die for a friend.

You are no longer servants.

I have called you friends.

It takes some mental energy to tie all these thoughts together, but it is very important that we do. Each thought hangs on the one that precedes. Pull one out, and the reality fades away. For example, we might agree that love is important. But if we do not begin with Jesus and our abiding connection to him and his word, we will quickly miss the uniqueness of the love that is required here. Not just any love will do. It must be a love that gives, a love that is like fruit emanating from the connecting vine. The personal connection to the living God must exist, for this is a kind of love that cannot be mustered or even imagined apart from his direct involvement.

I've included the passage from Genesis 1, because it occurs to me that this is not a new idea that Jesus is offering. He is simply restating God's good design which was there in the beginning. Humans are made in God's image, uniquely crafted to reflect God's nature. And that nature is to overflow in giving and creating.

The idea of being fruitful and multiplying should conjure images of rainforests, oceans teeming with life, and yes, bustling cities and thriving rural communities. The earth is brimming over with life and energy and ideas and plans being executed day after day.

And you and I are being called to participate in this global multiplication of new life. We are called to be more than consumers. Rather than spend our days taking from others, we should be drawing inspiration directly from a relationship with God and then spilling out his love into the world that so desperately needs to see Him.

Lord, convince me once again that I am made to bear fruit for you and so glorify you the ultimate Creator. Let me drink daily from your life-giving word, remembering the love you gave by dying for your friends. Let the fruit come directly from you and let it be all for you as well.

Faith Like Abraham

Romans 4:18-5:1

In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Let's work backwards in the passage and see how Abraham is an example of faith for us today.

Romans 5:1 tells us we have peace with God through Jesus. We know that our sin and selfishness have separated us from God. And furthermore, because God is holy and just, we deserve to be treated as enemies of God. So how do we obtain this peace? The verse says it is through being justified by faith.

The "therefore" in 5:1 is referring to the entirety of Romans 1-4. The first four chapters of Romans explain why faith is more effective than works at making us right (or "justified") with God. In summary, the human race has proven by our behavior that we have exchanged the glory of God for idols. Both the religious and non-religious alike. We all fall short. We have all gone astray. But something changed in human history when Jesus came:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (Romans 3:21-24 ESV)

This is all setting the stage for chapter 4, where Paul backtracks to the story of Abraham to prove that faith is more effective than works and more glorifying to God. He points out several key points:

- That Abraham's faith was "credited to him as righteousness." (4:1-3)

- That it is more blessed to receive a gift than to receive wages for work. (4:4-8)

- That the blessing of being declared righteous by faith occurred before Abraham was circumcised, so it is clearly not dependent on Jewish ritual. (4:9-12)

- That this righteousness by faith is available to the gentiles, who are true children of Abraham if they share the kind of faith he had. (4:13-17)

- That Abraham modeled faith by trusting God's promise that he would father a child and many more descendants. (4:18-19)

And then to this incredible statement in verse 20-22:

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:20-22 ESV)

First of all, I am struck by how Abraham is here honored for his unwavering certainty, but if you read the story in Genesis, he did not seen very certain at all. He actually goofed up and wavered on this very topic, taking Hagar and fathering Ishmael. There were many ramifications for this error for generations to come. But Paul honors him for his faith. That gives me huge encouragement that, through the eyes of grace, I too will be remembered for my faith and not my sins.

Second, notice the object of faith: the promise of God. We must remember that our faith may sometimes be weak, but it is the strength of the object that really matters. My car is approaching 200k miles and likes to stall when it idles. It is not a strong object of my faith. But I still trust it everyday with my life! How much more should we trust God, who calls things into existence out of nothing and can give life to the dead?

Third, notice that Abraham's faith needed to grow, and the way faith grows is by giving glory to God. Even if our knowledge of God is small and our faith weak, we can grow by exercising that faith. Take it out for a test drive. Practice thinking about what God has promised. Practice banking on that promise. Practice acting on it. And it will grow stronger, because you are testing the strength of the object of your faith and actually experiencing its trustworthiness. If a man pushes a wheelbarrow across a tightrope, you might trust he can do it. But what if he asks you to jump in?

Finally, acting on your certainty of God's promise gives him glory and makes him look good to others. It is important that we practice trusting and obeying even when it doesn't make sense immediately. God will at times call you to obey in ways that are not intuitive, not convenient, that interrupt your plans, that may even feel foolish or hurt your pride. But trusting him in those moments makes God look good and wise. And you are displaying your humble dependence on him.

Now remember, Abraham is our example. So we know that obeying when it's hard may lead to us making mistakes along the way. And that's okay! The point is not getting every decision perfect. The point is to display faith like Abraham and try again until you get it right.

Towards the end of his life, Abraham faced such a test. He offered up his son. An act of obedience that made no sense. But over the decades of walking with God, Abraham had tested God over and over and found He was right every time. So he was prepared to do the hard thing. And he is now honored for that act. And it turned out to be a symbol of God offering up his own Son for our sakes.

Verse 22 says this is why his faith was counted as righteousness. It's not just any kind of faith that makes you righteous. It's a particular kind of faith in a particular God, with particular trustworthy attributes, who gave particular promises that cannot fail.

Questions for application:

1. Name one of God's promises. (Any promise)
2. Name a time that you really trusted one of God's promises and it made an impact on your life or your decisions.
3. What can you do this week to help your faith in God's promises grow stronger?

Repaying Evil with Good

Psalm 41:9-10

Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 
But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,
and raise me up, that I may repay them!

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

At first glance, Psalm 41 appears to endorse revenge - you hurt me, now I will hurt you. Many of the psalms lament the injustice of bloodthirsty men and include prayers for God to bring relief and repay the evildoer. In this case, the evildoer is a said to be a close friend of the psalmist, adding further insult to injury. The writer is clearly asking for God's help so that he can repay his betrayer. So, what makes this different than the typical Tarantino movie? Is the Bible allowing or even encouraging revenge?

First, we should remember that the Psalms are poetry. And while that doesn't mean we can reinterpret them however we want, it does mean they are often very honest and personal in nature. Not everything uttered by the psalmist is necessarily an example for us to follow, since he too is a sinner struggling with faith in the midst of great trials. With some statements, we should mimic the honesty before God, but also mimic the overcoming of doubts, fears, and hate with patient faith in the One who will act on our behalf.

Second, this particular verse is actually referenced much later by Jesus himself, during the last supper.  Jesus gives us a bigger picture and a clearer example to follow when it comes to betrayal and revenge:

And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.  For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." (Mark 14:17-21)

When faced with betrayal by one of his closest friends, Jesus conveyed the psalmist's honesty and emotion. He stated that this man whom he trusted will indeed see vengeance. But that revenge doesn't come with an immediate show of force from Jesus, though he had every right and the power to do so. No, Jesus held his peace, accepted the will of God, and trusted that God would bring the vindication he so powerfully desired. Rather than draw his sword, he washed his disciples' feet, wore the crown of thorns, and hung on the cross, while praying for those who killed him. What a display of trust in the justice of God!

Thirdly, and similarly, the early church gave specific instruction on the topic of revenge, apparently because it was a common temptation we all would face:

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21)

Do we see how this does not contradict what we read in the psalms? Both parts of the Bible are actually conveying the same truth: vengeance belongs to God. After we make our honest prayers for God to bring justice, we must trust God completely. Then, we must overcome evil with good and even be willing to bless our enemies rather than curse them. That is the fullest expression of trust in God's timing and justice. And that act of trust may even turn that enemy into a friend.

The psalmist takes the desire for revenge and redirects it to God in honest and emotional prayer. The Savior modeled for us the patience and trust we will need to overcome evil with good. And the early church fleshed out these truths in direct application in the midst of injustice and trials.

Lord, see the injustice that we face each day, especially in cities and nations where your Word is forbidden and your name is dishonored. Look upon your children who are victims of violence and persecution. Have mercy and bring justice, for your glory and for the good of those you love. For only you have the wisdom and patience to respond to evil and overcome it with good. Fill us with that same spirit as we face today's temptations to take revenge into our own hands.

The Way, The Truth, & The Life

John 14:6-7

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.”

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Verse six is easily the most familiar verse in this chapter. It is the clearest statement of the exclusivity of the Christian faith - that there is only one path to know the true and living God. In the 1st century then, and in the 21st century now, this statement continues to shock and confound. How could a poor Palestinian man claim to be himself the only way to God? This is ludicrous! How could millions of people believe this?

The short answer is: the empty tomb and the witnesses thereof. The only way that such a ludicrous claim could be justified is if it was true and proven true by the public defeat of death itself. There are many arguments I could dive into to defend this narrow belief - the sacrificial martyrdom of the disciples, the journalistic quality of the four Gospel accounts, the simple beauty of the God-made-flesh offer of reconciliation. And I strongly encourage you to research further, for these questions are worth far more time than this space affords.

But, what I want to meditate on here is to take this verse a step further than the question of exclusivity. There are three obvious questions that are begged from this verse:

1. The Way, to what?
2. The Truth, about what?
3. The Life, how?

The first question might be the easiest to answer, since the verse itself explains: no one comes to the Father except through me. The goal of this way is to get to the Father. Likewise, verses 2-5 preface this statement by describing the Father's "house" where Jesus is going to prepare a place for us.

So, beyond the topic of exclusivity, where is this "way" taking us and why do I want to go there? Simply put, the end goal of this "way" is reconciliation with our Maker and entrance into his presence, with no more sin separating us - this will be the fulfillment of our hearts' deepest need. The idols we have craved will pale in comparison to the vision of glory that awaits us. And Jesus himself is the way to this reunion, because he is in the Father and the Father is in him, as the chapter goes on to say.

The second question is not as obvious, but it too is answered in this chapter. For Jesus to call himself the Truth, he must embody the truth itself. This should remind us of John 1, where Jesus is referred to as the Word, the "Logos." He is claiming to be the message of God in the flesh. And what does God want to tell us? What is this truth we need to hear and believe?

The message is that God has come to be near to us, so that we can then be brought home to him.

Verses 23-24 further elaborate, stating that the word, the commandment, that Jesus gives us will be our guide on the path to restored unity with the Father:

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

The third question is closely connected to the last: what is this Life that Jesus offers? We know from John's theme verse that he wrote this whole book so that we might know that Jesus is the Christ and that we might have "life in his name" (20:31). We also know that Jesus offers a "new birth" after hearing his conversation with Nicodemus in chapter 3. So, what is the nature of this new life? Why should I want it?

Again, the context provides the answer. Jesus is here comforting his disciples, who are starting to realize that their leader is leaving them soon. He tells them that he will not leave them as orphans - that he will send a Helper. And here we start to understand what is meant by the Life that he offers.

Jesus is promising that his very spirit will live inside of us!

We may be familiar with this idea, but have you really just stopped and thought about that? The life that I could not find or create for myself, Jesus is offering to put into me. And not just any life, but his very own perfect, loving, God-glorifying life. This includes reminding us of his own message, the truth of his words resounding in our hearts (v 26). And this includes comforting us with his very real presence when we feel abandoned, never again to be orphans as we so deeply fear.

The Way home to be with our Father.

The Truth that is a message of love embodied in Jesus.

The Life that is fueled by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus offers these to us in his very nature. When we get lost, he himself becomes our way home. When we doubt, he himself reminds us of the true message of God's heart. And when we feel dead to the world, his Spirit within us makes us truly alive!

By This All Men Will Know

John 13:12-17, 35

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you?  You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.  Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

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There has truly been no greater teacher. Having walked a hard road and now facing the hardest trial of his life, Jesus spent a last night together with his closest friends. Knowing he would be betrayed by one of these friends, he bends down to wash their feet. And, as if this tangible act of love was not enough, he explains what he is doing in some of the clearest words imaginable.

"Do you understand?" He cares not only that his words and deeds are true, but also that we are getting it. He is going to any lengths to get the message across. I love you. Now go and share my love.

"I have given you an example." A truly great teacher will give examples. Not just catchy illustrations, but personal testimony of how God's truth and grace are active in their life. A great teacher shows you. But the implication is that the learner is willing to watch, willing to get close enough to the teacher to be led firsthand. We must know him closely in order to live like he did.

There is also an implication here that we should be actively pursuing mentoring relationships with fellow believers. By seeing how an older brother or sister has applied their faith to real life situations, and hearing their specific advice for our own situations, we will drink deeply of the most potent source of strength available. Don't hesitate - find a mentor!

"If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." Zing! It hurts to realize when your knowledge of truth far outweighs the examples in your life where you are living it out. But Jesus didn't just guilt us into walking in fear of our own hypocrisy! He promised we would be more blessed (happy) if we put our knowledge of his love into practice regularly, rather than sit on it and let it fester unused. Hide it under a bushel? NO!

"By this all people will know." True knowledge occurs in both the heart and the mind. We hear propositional truth and give mental assent. But we must also know the One who is the Truth and let his love touch and shape our hearts. And other people will see the truth only when both realities are present. If they only get preached at, that is a half truth. If they only get physical care, that is also a half truth. Jesus displayed both and people will know we follow him by doing likewise.

I pray that we can take active steps to seek wise mentors, that we seek the personal guidance of the great Teacher himself, and then take active steps to love one another today. Grab the towel. Wash someone's feet today. Pursue what Schaeffer called the "final apologetic":

“Yet, without true Christians loving one another, Christ says the world cannot be expected to listen, even when we give proper answers. Let us be careful, indeed, to spend a lifetime studying to give honest answers. For years the orthodox, evangelical church has done this very poorly. So it is well to spend time learning to answer the questions of men who are about us. But after we have done our best to communicate to a lost world, still we must never forget that the final apologetic which Jesus gives is the observable love of true Christians for true Christians.”

Francis Schaffer, The Great Evangelical Disaster, pgs. 164-165