Is God Good?

Psalm 27:5

For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

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

Will God protect us when we pray for shelter?

Will God heal my child if she becomes threatened by some terminal illness?

If I'm not guaranteed protection in this life, then why pray for it in the first place?

These questions have been on my mind recently. Lately I've seen several people I care about deeply going through painful trials. Dear friends have lost loved ones. In one case there is the added grief and questions associated with losing someone who was most likely not a believer. I have also been a shoulder to another friend who is suffering great physical pain and whose wife was just diagnosed with cancer. In tears, he asked me point-blank, "Why is God letting this happen?"

Why? For what good purpose do we endure such unbearable pain in this life? How can God be called "good" in any real sense when he stands by and let's us suffer?

These questions are often heartfelt and genuine expressions of our real human experience. But they also reveal certain assumptions about how we view the world. When I ask "why?" am I motivated by a desire to know God more deeply? Or, am I looking for a reason to doubt his goodness? Am I perhaps revealing an assumption that I know better than God in regards to what is good for me? Am I revealing a basic assumption about what I think I deserve in this life? Am I forgetting my place in this cosmos?

Each person must answer these questions for themselves. But there are some themes in Scripture that help us see the bigger picture and how God's definition of "good" may be slightly different than our own.

1. There are levels or degrees of "good."

If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. (Philippians 1:22-26)

In this passage, Paul strangely welcomes death, which we normally (and rightly) think of as something sad and unfortunate. Even here, Paul accepts that it is good and vital that he remain and minister longer in this life. But for the Christian, in another sense, it is also "good" to die and be finally and perfectly reunited with our Maker-Redeemer. There are levels of good, and at times they may compete or contradict each other. The implication for us: God may have a "good" purpose in our suffering that is yet unknown, and may in fact remain unknown until we see his face in Heaven.

2. An event may be both "good" and "evil."

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will... (Ephesians 1:11)

If all things work according God's purpose, then it is tempting to blame God for evil and suffering. However, the Bible clearly does not allow us to blame him for evil (Deut. 32:4, Hab. 1:13, James 1:13). So, in order to understand how God's sovereignty and goodness co-exist, theologians speak of "compatibilism," which means that God can be sovereign over events that are both good and evil, often at the same time, but in different ways - i.e. Joseph's suffering which ultimately resulted in the good deliverance of Egypt and Israel from a horrible famine; and of course, Jesus' heinous execution which resulted in eternal salvation for those who trust in him (Gen. 50:20, Acts 2:23). This topic could be drawn out to fill many books, but for our purpose here, I mention it as a biblical position that allows many apparently evil events the possibility of some corresponding "good" value, even if that goodness is mysterious and hidden in the providence of almighty God.

3. "Good" is defined as what makes us more like Jesus.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28, 29)

Verse 28 is an amazing promise that has undergirded many believers in the midst of painful trials. But if we miss verse 29, then we may find ourselves disappointed by the type of "good" that God works into our lives through pain and suffering. Verse 29 clarifies that this "good" is really defined as becoming more like Jesus - being conformed to the image of Christ. If we lose sight of the blessedness of this conforming purpose, our disappointment in God will lead us to doubt his goodness, which is a tragic misunderstanding indeed.

4. "Good" may ultimately be delayed.

Hebrews 11 tells us about scores of God's people who lived by faith and are honored for their trust in God's promises. However, verse 39 plainly tells us that these men did not see the promises fulfilled in their own lifetimes. This is the reality of delayed "good:"

And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:39, 40)

So why pray for help if God is mainly after our conformity to Christ and may delay our deliverance until the next life? As I've thought through this, I come back again and again to the refrains of the Psalms, which so often lament life's trials and cry out for God's intervention and deliverance. Psalm 27 is no exception. But if "good" is defined by conformity to Christ, and is often delayed, how can we pray and expect the protection and healing we so desperately crave? My answer is to keep on praying desperately, knowing that God is truly good, and that he does in fact promise ultimate protection for his beloved children, even if that protection is finally delayed all the way to the next life in Heaven. Even if my only hope in this fallen world is of a very distant glimpse of eternal life, I will keep my eyes fixed on that glimpse and endure to the end, knowing that his goodness will be proved in time and will be sweeter than any version of "good" I could have ever imagined. If that means a life filled with crosses, at least I know that at the end of this life there will also be an empty tomb and an eternal resurrection. So, this will be my prayer, my meditation, and my hope:

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:13, 14 ESV)

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Luke 10:30-37

Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.  So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.  He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.  And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'  Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"  He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."

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

Interpreting parables is a notoriously difficult task. This parable in particular has been the victim of various allegorical interpretations over the course of church history which seek to find one-to-one correspondence for each and every character in the story. Such a method of interpretation requires far too much conjecture to be considered even close to the author's intent. Alternatively, there are four main principles for interpreting parables that should be employed, which I am here borrowing from Robert Stein's An Introduction to the Parables.

1. Seek the one main point of the parable.  Stein observes quite rightly that Jesus tended to reveal the main points of his parables in the opening and concluding remarks that frame the story. In this case, the story is framed by two questions (1) who is my neighbor? and (2) which of the three proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among robbers? So, it is fair to say that the main point of the parable is related to the nature of neighborly love.

2. Seek to understand the historical context in which the parable was uttered. Since Jesus' parables are filled with gritty tangible imagery that is rooted in first century Palestinian culture, it is imperative that we try to gain some insight into what these images might have meant to their original audience. In this parable, the Samaritan was not the benevolent person we think of today, but rather a fiercely hated religious minority. As evidenced in Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well in John 4, Jews normally had no dealings with Samaritans. By seeing this context, we can grasp the shocking aspect of this parable, which makes us question our fundamental assumptions about what God requires of us in relation to our neighbor.

3. Seek to understand how the Evangelist interpreted the parable. This is somewhat easier to discern when there are multiple versions of a parable recorded in the synoptic Gospels. In this case, we can still put this parable in the context of the Evangelist's broader themes. Stein points out that this parable fits at least two of Luke's overall themes: (1) the love of God toward the outcasts of society, and (2) the call for the generous use of our possessions. The good Samaritan is exemplary in showing love for his religious and ethnic enemy and for showing great generosity without any expectation of reciprocity. These themes are fundamental to the uniquely unconditional grace of God displayed in the life and death of Jesus.

4. Seek what God is saying to us today through the parable. The immediate application for us today must be to include even our enemies in the definition of "neighbor" and act lovingly at every opportunity. Who is the Samaritan for us today and how specifically can we love like he did? I will conclude the way Stein does in his chapter on the matter:

"For whom should we especially prove to be a neighbor? Is it our cranky next-door neighbor? Is it the starving child in a far off land whose name we do not know? Is it the person next door who just lost a job? Or is it...? Until the parable speaks to us on this level, we shall never know what it is teaching."

Counting the Cost

Luke 9:23-26
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And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.  For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?  For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." 

...............
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There is a cost to following Jesus, and the cost is your life.
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This chapter provides several examples of disciples who were not paying the cost and following Jesus as they should. They were:

-Being ruled by doubt rather than trusting the power of God to heal and provide (v. 13 & 30).
-Claiming greatness and exclusivity for yourself rather than child-like gratitude and grace toward others (v. 46-56).
-Putting any earthly priority ahead of the demands of God's kingdom (v. 47-52).
-Having merely the right answers without a willingness to obey at any cost (v. 20).
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Verses 23-26 give the core summary statement of the chapter and elaborate on what real discipleship looks like: Christ crucified. Jesus showed us in his life and death what obedience to God was all about. It looks like:

-denying yourself on a daily basis,
-looking to the needs of others,
-being sensitive to the leadership of the Spirit,
-being willing to lose what is most dear to you for his sake,
-setting your face on the calling he has for you,
-never being ashamed of him or his words
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This chapter leaves me shuddering, knowing how often I have failed to honor my God and king who has given so much for me. But Jesus does not tell us to lose our lives and deny ourselves as an end in itself. This is not mere asceticism. This is about gaining something greater than anything the world can offer. It is the man who loses his small petty life of empty pleasures who will ultimately be welcomed by God when he comes with his angels to judge the world. You must lose this life in order to save your eternal soul. And that is a prize well worth the cost, even a daily cost of putting off the old desires and putting on the likeness of Christ (Col. 3:1-17).
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Lord, have mercy to grant me new eyes to see the things I crave and covet in this world are so small and petty compared to the greatness of knowing you and living for you each day. Help me to believe that by laying down my life for others, I will find true joy, if not in this life, then most definitely in the New Heavens and New Earth. Help me to believe like Paul:
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"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:7-11)

Christian Well-Being

Psalm 25:11-13

For your name's sake, O Lord,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Who is the man who fears the Lord?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.

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

I work for a well-being company. This company is more widely known simply as a health insurance company. But we have also been re-branding ourselves as fundamentally working towards the physical, emotional, and (yes) even the spiritual well-being of our members. We have begun to offer incentive programs that add extra benefits to members who eat healthier, exercise more, and otherwise make good lifestyle choices.

I applaud these efforts, but I have had to also ask myself what true "well-being" is all about. Is it all about minimizing pain and maximizing happiness? Four servings of vegetables + 40 minutes of cardiovascular exercise + 20 minutes of silent meditation + a solid 401k account = a lifetime of peace? Is it that simple? Then why does true joy seem so rare today? The recipe for the peace of the human soul must be more than this.

I think the missing ingredient is much deeper than these things and hardens back to what mankind lost at the beginning of history: peace with our Maker.

Psalm 26 speaks to this reality when it defines true well-being as rooted in our relationship to God. But this relationship cannot be manufactured by some 5-step program or regimen of good deeds. The psalm elaborates by saying this relationship must involve our forgiveness, our humility, and our obedience.

The absolute necessity of having our guilt removed is spoken of in countless places in the Bible. Romans 5:1-2 is especially relevant here as it connects our justification with our restored peace with God:

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

The demand for our humility is illustrated in another passage with absolute clarity as well:

"But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'" (James 4:6)

And the idea that our well-being is contingent on our obedience to God is alluded to in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20:

"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'"

So, how can I achieve a deep sense of well-being and peace that I can then carry with me through the ups and downs of every day life? It must start with a longing to restore our relationship with the One who made us for Himself. This will take forgiveness, humility, and a new life of obedience to our wise and holy Teacher. The psalmist knew this. If we want to ask God for this kind of well-being, why not start right here by making these words the cry of our own hearts:

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
(Psalm 25:4-7)

Disaster, Demons, and Death

Luke 8:24-25

And they went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?"

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

Just in case there was any question as to Jesus' infinite power, Luke here provides a triumvirate of evidences to illustrate that Jesus is nothing less than omnipotent.

Disaster. When Jesus calmed the stormy sea, the appropriate reaction seems to be utter amazement. The disciples marveled that this man who walked among them could control nature merely with his words. This was no magic trick. The Maker of the sea and wind was standing here in the flesh, as if he had stepped right out of the Genesis creation story. Jesus was and is completely sovereign over nature.

Demons. But he is also sovereign over an unseen spiritual world. Verses 26-39 describe one of the most bizarre conversations ever recorded. Jesus approaches what we would consider a raving lunatic and proceeds to speak with a Legion of demons that are oppressing him. And it is not Jesus who shudders, but the demons who plead for mercy and try to bargain for a less horrible fate. Jesus was and is completely sovereign over the spiritual realm.

Death. Not impressed yet? Well, take a moment right now and visualize your last few moments alive. You know they will one day come, and you will eventually have to face the point of no return - a dark veil over which lies some unknown void. Will there be something on the other side of that last breath? Is there anything else in all the world that we have LESS control over? Death is completely unavoidable... Or is it? This passage concludes with an event even more remarkable than Jesus' clash with disaster or demons. Here, Jesus encounters the hopelessness of a young child's death and almost casually decides to rewind it.

And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, "Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping."  And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, "Child, arise."

Child, arise. Two words. Two words to undo death. What remains the most troubling, terrifying, uncontrollable enemy that mankind has ever known, he undoes with two simple words. This is the gospel. Death is overcome, the grave is emptied of power, the wages of sin are being paid for by this humble and powerful Savior.

Now, will we believe and find our strength in Him?

Damned if you do...

Luke 7:31-35

To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, 

"We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not weep."

For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.

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

The healings of the centurion's servant and the widow's son are amazing stories in and of themselves. But Luke also uses them to introduce John's question about who this Jesus really is. Likewise, the concluding account of the immoral woman interrupting the pharisee party is a bookend example of Jesus as the "friend of sinners," a title he  took from the pharisees' misplaced accusations.

In the center of this action is the cryptic little saying quoted above, where I will now turn my attention - "we played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep." What does this mean?

Jesus uses this phrase as a way to define the generation of people before him, but this could just as easily refer to our modern era and the elemental nature of our fallen humanity. Jesus goes on to rephrase and clarify his own words - "For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'; The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'; Yet wisdom is justified by all her children."

In other words, you hate and condemn those who live for God, whether they are ascetics like John, or free to enjoy food and drink like Jesus was during his ministry. The Pharisees were so blinded by their judgmentalism that they could condemn two men of opposite offenses without batting an eye. They were so fixed on the external trappings of religiosity that they could not see the glorious fruit of God's wisdom staring them in the face.

How do we see this happening today? In our culture of tolerance we do not always see clear examples of overt judgment like this. What we do experience on a regular basis are the silent accusations of our Enemy howling against us in often contradictory ways. In the church, we imagine our dear brothers and sisters condemning us for being either too strict or too lenient as parents. In the world, we imagine our non-believing friends either offended by our God-talk or perhaps condemning us in an imaginary hell because we did not say or do enough to bring them to Jesus. In our own minds, we are "damned if you do, or damned if you don't."

These are the illogical accusations we face from day to day. But it is the simple truth of the gospel that can quickly set us free from these earthly fears. Romans 8 tells us: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." If we truly believe this, then we know we have been forever declared "not guilty" by the only Judge who will ever really matter. He is our hope and confidence now. In him we can stand assured. Our faith will be proved genuine, not by the petty judgments of our Enemy, but rather by the Son who took our judgment upon Himself: a wisdom that is truly justified by her children.

I Walk in Your Faithfulness

Psalm 26:1-3

Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in your faithfulness.

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

I had a hard time with this psalm. I find that the psalmist is often far more confident in his faith than I usually feel on any given day. But, instead of dwelling on that, I'll just make two simple observations.

1. The need for vindication.  There is something fundamental to the human experience about needing to feel vindicated or justified. If that is true, then what could possibly be motivating that universal feeling? It must be some sense of accusation or false judgment driving our need to clear our name or restore our reputation.  David says, "vindicate me" because there are false accusations threatening to smear his name. Jesus was also no stranger to this experience, and so we again see how the lament psalms were dear companions to our lonely savior during his times of deepest sorrow. We too can add our voice to his refrain when we feel unjustly accused from within and from others' slander and cynicism.

2. The grounds for vindication. But, how can I speak these confident words in the midst of my daily failings and hypocrisies? I cannot boast in my integrity. In fact, I feel rightly condemned by most of the accusations I face. When we're honest with ourselves we know that we don't deserve the vindication we so desperately crave. But, notice verse three. "For YOUR steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in YOUR faithfulness." Here is the gospel flooding in with reminders of who God is and what he has accomplished on our behalf. The "for" statement is the grounding of what precedes. 

The grounds for my vindication is nothing less than the steadfast love of Christ, which I must place before my eyes and find true confidence because he loves me so fully and completely.

And then I can walk, not in my faithfulness, but in His. Amen.