July 18 - Tradition's Sake

Matthew 15: 1-9

He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? (Matthew 15:3 ESV)

Traditions can be both beautiful and dangerous. I enjoy some wonderful family traditions, especially around the holidays. And for years I took part in many rich religious traditions. But for me there came a day when I began to understand the inevitable shortcomings of religious tradition.

Jesus was very clear about tradition. He rejected any that compromised truth. He systematically addressed those that enforced the corrupt religious hierarchy. Man's rules can never trump God's commandments. That was Jesus' point.

I know how easy it can be to do something because that is how you have always done it. But that is a trap that leads to idolatry. At some point the comfortable nature of a familiar practice, even one that starts out as a good thing, can become a dangerous snare.

Bad tradition becomes a self serving sickness. It is toxic. It thwarts spiritual growth, encourages ignorance, and focuses inward. At some point where bad tradition is involved you stop doing the right thing and start doing the wrong thing, all for tradition's sake.

July 17 - What She Could

Mark 14:3-9 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. (Mark 14:8 ESV)

As Mary anointed Jesus with the costly perfume people grumbled at the apparent waste of such an action. Jesus chastised them, declaring her sacrifice to be a beautiful and selfless act of worship. She had done what she could with what she had. It was her way of offering all that she had to God.

What does God ask from us? Better yet, what has God already done for you, or given to you, that He might be asking for you to use for His Kingdom? Mary did what she could, whatever she was able to do she did for Jesus. Furthermore, her faithful act of worship had a part to play in God's work of salvation.

What can you do? I think it's high time that we in the American Church stop showing up to sponge off of the insight and experiences of the few. God still speaks to us, He still reveals Himself to our hearts, He still challenges us to take up His cause. What are we going to do about it? When will we cross the line and stop merely being consumers?

Mary did what she could. I don't know what we can do, but I think it's time we found out.

July 16 - A Beautiful Thing

Matthew 26:6-13

But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. (Matthew 26:10 ESV)

Shortly before his murder Jesus was traveling through Bethany, the home of his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, while on his way to Jerusalem. As he enjoyed their hospitality his friend Mary anointed him with a very costly perfume. It was a beautiful, and incredibly selfless, act of worship.

I remember hearing missionaries speak on occasion as I grew up. They would often tell amazing stories of sacrifice and service. The mission field seemed a place ripe with opportunities for selfless acts of worship. In my own life it always seemed to be an incredibly easy thing to love Jesus. It wasn't until early adulthood that I was faced with a situation where worshipping and serving Christ actually cost me something.

Many people the world over are faced with great difficulty in serving Jesus. Their culture, political environment, or familial situation may make it dangerous to openly worship Christ. Still, millions around the world offer their worship to him. Like Mary at Bethany, they understand he is worth all of their sacrifice.

Jesus is worthy of all that we can give him. Our worship, our adoration, our service—all of these things bring us near to him. Extravagant worship is a beautiful thing in the eyes of God.

July 15 - Why Was?

John 12:1-8

“Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (John 12:5 ESV)

Why did you this? Why did you do that? Why did you buy whole milk? Ever had someone question your every action, motive, and method? Jesus did. He was under consistently uncommon scrutiny of a kind we would be hard pressed to fathom.

Jesus' doubters questioned him and challenged him on a regular basis. His followers questioned him. His haters demonized and bemoaned him. In large part everyone in Jesus' life had some kind of opinion they were hoping to push on him.

Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, was already up to his untruthful duplicitous tricks by the time the ministry team passed back through Bethany. He was overseer of the ministry's limited and meager money supply. So when Mary lavished such a wonderful and extravagant gift on Jesus it did not set well with him. He took an opportunity to chastise Mary under pretenses of charity. Actually it was selfishness at work.

Some days I feel a little like Judas, I find myself defaulting to selfish arrogance. I wrestle with thoughts of perceived supremacy. I question God, his methods, his means, and his motives. The silly thing about all of that is that the responsibility for any problem, whether actual or conjured, lies solely with me.

It's not my right, it is not your right, to question the way that God chooses to work. "Why was it done this way?" Is really just another way of telling God, "I think Im smarter than you."

July 14 - He Received Jesus

Luke 19:1-10

So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. (Luke 19:6 ESV)

Zacchaeus was a tax collector, a man of small size, and disliked by his countrymen. He was a swindler. However, when he heard that Jesus was to be coming through Jericho he very much longed to see him, and positioned himself in a tree. He probably never thought, as he climbed the tree, that he was positioning himself for total life transformation.

Jesus called to the short tax man to come down from the tree and be his host. And Zacchaeus was thrilled to do it. It brought him joy.

The story of Zacchaeus paints a great picture of significance in our own lives. He was a sinner. It was publicly known. He willfully and joyfully received Jesus—first into his home, and then into his life. It brought about a drastic change in Zacchaeus' life. He gave back the stuff he stole and extorted. He became an honest man. He became a follower of Christ.

There are three things Zacchaeus did that we should take note of; he sought the truth about Jesus, he welcomed an experience with Jesus, and he followed the truth of the experience through to a different life. He didn't climb up in a tree because he was found of branches. No, he wanted to see the truth about Jesus for himself. When he encountered Christ he didn't recoil in either fear or religious disdain, he wanted to experience the nature of The Lord. When the divinity of Christ became apparent he allowed that revelation to initiate total life transformation. Zacchaeus saw, experienced, and transformed but it was all because he was willing to receive Jesus. Are you?

July 13 - He Came to Jesus

Mark 10:46-52

And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. (Mark 10:50 ESV)

Blind Bartemeus sat by the road begging until the day he heard that Jesus was to pass by. It was an important day. He called for The Lord and despite the attempted interference of the mob he was able to connect with him. Jesus called to him.

It is when Jesus called to him that Blind Bart did something that made all the difference. Forgetting his disabling circumstances, the blind man threw aside his trappings, jumped up, and went to Jesus. Then Jesus healed him, and he immediately began to follow Christ.

I am convinced that often when we are in life's difficult times that Jesus is calling to us. He is calling, and all we must do is throw off some of life's trappings and run to him. Sometimes the faith of a motion made toward God is all it takes to change a circumstance.

July 12 - Seeing Jesus

Matthew 20:29-34

They said to him, "Lord, let our eyes be opened." (Matthew 20:33 ESV)

The two blind men sat on the roadside, probably much like they always did, and heard the crowd stirring. Jesus was passing by. They had heard about Jesus. He was the miracle worker. The guy who had been causing such a big stir with his healings and controversial teachings.

The blind men began to call out to Jesus. The crowd tried to deter them and silence them, but they would not be quieted. They cried out all the louder. And, Jesus took notice. He stopped. He asked what they wanted. They answered. And he aHealed them.

Now, imagine you were one of those guys. The first sight that you had perhaps ever seen was the image if the one that had enough mercy to reach down and touch you and heal. The first face you would eve know. The first bit of light to ever penetrate your world of perpetual darkness was that of Christ Jesus.

Much in the way the miraculous healing changed their physical blindness it changed their spiritual blindness as well. From that day forward they followed Jesus. Jesus does the same for us as well. He opens our souls to see him clearly. He opens our hearts to love clearly. He opens up our strength so that we can serve fully. He takes us from a world of broken darkness and despair and interrupts it with his wonderfully marvelous light. And it all starts by seeing, truly seeing, who he is. It all starts by seeing Jesus.

July 11 - Im/possible

Matthew 19:23-30

But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26 ESV)

In life there are those moments when you arrive at a situation and it seems daunting. It seems impossible. You feel inadequate, underprepared, unqualified, and unable. The situation seems beyond you.

Sometimes we come up against those moments and are faced with an inadequacy borne of our own failures, fallen nature, or frailty. There are also occasions when life's many hardships back us into a corner and the climb out seems like something we are incapable of. Jesus knows that we need help. He is the help.

Following the story of the Rich Young Ruler the disciples were amazed at the standard for followship that Jesus had set. If someone like that young man, who seemed to have his life together, could not follow Christ, then who could?

Jesus cautioned against bringing, or keeping, things in your life that could distract or distance you from God. He knew that we can not possibly follow after him under our own power. The power to live for God is a power only found in Christ. For man alone walking the Christian walk is impossible.

July 10 - I Have Kept

Matthew 19:16-22

Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." (Matthew 19:21 ESV)

I am pretty convinced that most of us have a fairly selfish streak that runs right through the middle of who we are. It affects our thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes. It often keeps us from stepping fully into the kind of richly selfless life that Jesus is calling us to live.

That was the experience that the man often called the Rich Young Ruler had with Christ. He was devout. He was dutiful. He was prosperous. But when Christ called him to enter into a new kind of selfless living and thinking, the young man balked at the prospect of losing all that he had. In his words he had kept all of the laws and rules of God, but in his failing to obediently give all that he had away he missed the point of following Jesus.

Today, just like during Jesus' days of public ministry, it is really easy to allow dogmatic religious observance to cloud authentic Christian caring. Jesus didn't want the young man to give all of his stuff away because he wanted the guy to be poor. He wanted the rich young guy to extravagantly give away his many possessions because they had become more important to him than obedience to God.

There are still days, even after all my years in ministry, when I need to take a good look at my self. I have to ask myself if I have done more than keep the moralistic rules that I know to follow. Yes, Jesus sets out a guideline for behavior through his teachings, but often it is all about giving it all away.

July 9 - Give and Serve

Mark 10:35-45

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45 ESV)

Jesus emphatically and repeatedly declared that the disciples were to serve God by serving the people. It was the climax of his teaching after chastising the sons of Zebedee for their misplaced enthusiasm. They were to serve by giving and give by serving.

Our charge today is the same. As harbingers of the Gospel we are to take the message of the good news of Jesus Christ to e lost, hurts marginalized, and destitute. We are to take it to everyone. We are to give it to them by serving them.

Too often Christians polarize around the implied possibility of potential Christian martyrdom. Either we embrace, seek, and expect to give our lives to Christ, or we shy away from any form of reverent selfless sacrifice. What if the example demonstrate by Christ was his attempt to teach that we are to find a balance in both?

Jesus wished to serve, and his service was culminated in giving his life. But his work did not end there. In fact, his ultimate sacrifice was really just the launching point for two millennia of building. He gave to serve. He served to give.

What are we doing?

July 8 - We Are Able

Matthew 20:20-28

Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." (Matthew 20:22 ESV)

Have you ever met someone with an incredibly inflated idea of their capabilities? I know I have definitely been that guy from time to time. Sometimes assurance of what you can do is dangerous, but not always. Confidence can be great especially confidence that is grounded in Christ.

James and John were confident in their ability to follow Christ. Their mother was also confident. Probably too confident as she asked Jesus to seat her boys at his side in his kingdom.

How confident are you? How do you feel about your ability to follow Jesus? There are days when it certainly seems easier than others. There are days when it seems difficult. The truth is that Jesus helps us. Jesus gives us confidence. We need only receive it. In Jesus, we are able.

July 7 - In His Arms

Mark 10:13-16

And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. (Mark 10:16 ESV)

One day some kids were coming up to Jesus. Some of his disciples seemed not to like it very much and started hindering them. Jesus wouldn't stand for it and used the opportunity as a teaching point. He told them that the kingdom of God must be received as a child would receive it. And then he continued to accept children and bless them.

Mark, writing Peter's account of things, said that he took them in his harms. The children enjoyed Jesus. He just have been fun and funny. He hugged them. He showed them innocent affection born of deep love for their young hearts, and pure spirits.

For many of us it is far too late in life to contemplate existing with a pure and innocent spirit. Because of bad choices or terrible circumstances many of us have either given away or been robbed of innocence. But Jesus came to this earth to restore it to us. And just as he took the children up in his arms, he draws us into his majestic presence to restore to us the purity of spirit with which we were created.

Believing in Christ as Lord takes us into his presence. It begins our life with him. It as an action of desired innocence. It is childlike. And as a result he takes us in his arms. He blesses us. He puts his hand over our lives. A life lived with the Hand of God on it is a blessed life indeed.

July 6 - Separation

Mark 10:1-12

"What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." (Mark 10:9 ESV)

Those silly religious guys were always trying to one up Jesus by asking him questions that they perceived to be great theological struggles. He always dismantled them with simplistic love and devotion. Always.

One day they asked his opinion on divorce and he stated quite plainly that it was not good. Most of us would probably readily agree that divorce is not a good thing. It's Christ's following comment that I find so interesting. If you've ever been to a wedding in the South chances are that you have heard this one, "What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

We live in a culture where people easily toss aside things of incredible importance. Relationships. Jobs. Integrity. Devotion. Truth. These are all things that society has learned to easily and conveniently separate from. People let them go on a whim. They let them go for selfish endeavors. We have become a people of separation, which is fitting seeing as how the first man chose to separate himself from God.

I am glad that God Himself made the move to pave a path for our reconciliation. I choose to be with Him, to love and serve Him, and I will one day be joined together with Him. That will lead to an eternal season without separation.

July 5 - He Set His Face

Luke 9:51-56

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51)

Jesus knew what was to come and where it was to happen. And although scripture shows us that he did not look forward to suffering through his trials he did set his face toward Jerusalem with a determination to see his mission completed.

Can you imagine what it must have been like for Jesus to know the ordeal that would await him? Yet, he still had the commitment, passion, and love to see it carried out. Not only that, but he was determined to make his way there. He was determined not to be stopped.

Have you ever set your face toward something? Have you ever dug deep to find that kind of determination?  How has God blessed you? How has He helped you?  

July 4 - The Lazarus Problem

John 12:9-11

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. (John 12:9-11 ESV)

Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead and the religious people went nuts. They started making plans to kill Jesus. But that wasn't enough. Even had they killed Jesus, which they did, there was still the Lazarus problem for them.

Had they actually been able to remove Jesus there was still the fact that he raised Lazarus to life. A dead man living again is powerful evidence in favor for the reality of Jesus' supernatural power and divine origin. So they went beyond the plan to kill Jesus and started making plans to kill Lazarus as well.

The resurrection of Lazarus is a historical fact, even as much so as the resurrection of Jesus. People wanted to refute Lazarus' miraculous reviving. The power players wanted to remove him as evidence in the situation.

Today Christianity is often under assault. Historical revisionists try to blot out the truth of the resurrection and downplay the influence of Christianity on our culture. Typically their first line of attack is to undermine, rewrite, or ignore, the overwhelming historical evidence in favor of the orthodox view of Christ, his miracles, nature, and resurrection.

To make this even more personal—we have an instinct to act the same way sometimes. When we do something that makes us feel a tinge of guilt we try to erase the evidence. However small that might be. I'm sure you could think of your own personal example.

The Lazarus problem faces all of us. Lazarus was brought back by Jesus. Jesus was brought back by himself. We face the eventuality of life beyond death. None of us have experienced it as of yet, but there is coming a day when it will be irrefutable. And not only do we face the awesomely confounding prospect of resurrected eternity with Christ, we also may embrace the spiritual reality of a resurrected soul in this life.

Our choices have led us to death, destruction, and disaster. Jesus raises us up out of that. Lazarus wasn't a problem for Jesus. And neither are you.

July 3 - Follow With Us

Luke 9:49-50

John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us." (Luke 9:49 ESV)

Sometimes it is all too easy to make assumptions. John and company made assumptions about the person casting out demons in Jesus' name. They assumed he was not to be performing miracles of that nature without being a part of their little band. They assumed he was not like them. They assumed he did not believe like them. They assumed God wasn't using him to do incredible things.

Isn't that just like us? Especially where certain doctrinal things can confuse and confound things. We often assume that people, even fellow believers in Christ, aren't getting the job done unless they do it like we do. We assume we are doing it right.

The truth is that we're all in this together. It will take all of us living as shining examples of Christ's love and deliverance in order to reach our respective communities. Everyone doesn't have to follow with us. They just have to follow Jesus.

July 2 - The Most Pointless Argument In History

Mark 9:33-37

But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. (Mark 9:34 ESV)

The disciples had just witnessed the miraculous transfiguration of Christ on top of the mountain. They had participated and witnessed many of his miracles. They had heard him teach with an authority that baffled lifelong scholars and students of the Law. Still, they struck up what might have been the most pointless argument in history. They were arguing about which of them was the greatest.

Isn't that just like us sometimes? We are privileged to get to be a part of something pretty awesome and our ego rises up and tricks us into thinking that the cool thing we were part of was great because of us. That's just silly.

The disciples argument was pointless on an epic level. Jesus was doing amazing things, saying amazing things, and being amazing—and they were following him around arguing over which one of them was the best. Dumb.

I find that most arguments that happen between religious people are a result of this kind of stupid thinking. The moment we stop thinking about Jesus, stop acknowledging him as the greatest, and stop putting all of our effort into giving him glory—we are in trouble. The moment we turn our attention to our personal agendas or our pet theologies we have become like the disciples in their silly argument.

Jesus is the greatest. Jesus is the one we must always point to, draw from, and lift up. Nothing and no one else compares.

July 1 - Where Are The Nine?

Read: Luke 17:11-19

Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?" (Luke 17:17 ESV)

While traveling ten lepers heard Jesus was passing their way. They went to meet him so that they might be healed. Jesus healed them and told them to go to a priest to reveal their healing to him. As they went and were healed only one of the ten thought to turn back to Christ and offer him thanksgiving for the miraculous healing.

Sometimes it is all too easy to take something great God does in our lives for granted. I know I seem to do it often. It is only well after the fact that I usually realize what I have done, if I even notice at all. What is it about us that makes us do that? In those moments I would have to count myself among one of the company of nine that was cleansed by Jesus and failed to say thanks.

Any time we willingly sin in spite of the grace God has extended to us through Jesus we are becoming like one of the nine. Any time we have a prayer answered and then write it off as a coincidence. Any time we chock our good fortune up to luck, or even worse, self-reliance we are becoming like one of the nine lepers.

It is crucial to our spiritual well-being that we keep the truth of Jesus' affect on our lives at the forefront of our thinking. Let us not neglect to offer praise and thanksgiving. Let us not take him for granted. Let us not be like the nine.

June 30 - From That Day On

Read: John 11:45-57

So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. (John 11:53 ESV)

An undeniable miracle had occurred in full sight and knowledge of many people. A dead man was no longer dead. Witnesses confirmed it. Critics acknowledged it. The religious leaders didn't know what to do with it.

Jesus was obviously beyond them. He was shaking up the status quo and the bureaucratic religious establishment was terrified. They were afraid of their Roman conquerors. They were afraid of losing their hold over the people. They were afraid they would lose their lucrative system of religious robbery. They did what fearful people do. They made plans.

According to their twisted minds the only way to solve the problem was to remove Jesus from the scene. So the formation of the plan to have Jesus murdered began. The men entrusted to lead the people to God ignored God's Son, schemed to murder him, and felt right about doing it.

From that day on the fear of men compelled them toward great evil. From that day on the willful stubbornness of a select few plotted the death of innocence. From that day on men planning to kill God were unknowingly ushering in the promised salvation of mankind.

June 29 - Come Out

Read: John 11:38-44

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." (John 11:43 ESV)

The time had come. Jesus had travelled to Bethany to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead. He reminded onlookers to believe. He commanded the stone to be rolled away. He prayed aloud for those nearby to hear. And then he called to Lazarus to live again and exit the tomb.

I'm not sure I can even imagine what that must have been like. They all saw it, all experienced, all knew what had just happened. Jesus, this man that was supposed to be a simple carpenter from nowhere—had become a premiere rabbi. He was saying things priests didn't say. He was helping people priests didn't help. He was doing things priests couldn't do.

The revivification of Lazarus was a turning point. It was undeniable. Someone that was clearly dead had been returned to life. It was a declarative miracle of a nature that surpassed all his precious public works. Jesus publicly and boldly declared himself to be master over life itself. He called Lazarus out of the grave, out of death, out of the past, into a kind of newness of life that only Jesus could give.

I really believe that Jesus is still doing that. He is still calling people to leave their tombs, leave their life of death, and leave behind their pasts to pursue newness, to pursue him. I'm so glad that one day I felt the compelling call of Christ stir within my soul and chose to come out of darkness into light. What is Christ calling you out of?