Jesus Christ

Emmaus Road

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. Luke 24:28-29 ESV

It is interesting that these two disciples had walked all day with Jesus. They had listened to all He had to say. They had talked with Him and told Him all their problems. But all down that long hot and dusty road, they never realized who they were spending their day with.

KIMG1383

All down the path they had walked focused on their hopelessness, confusion and fear. At any moment Jesus could have stopped them in their tracks shouting, “Hey guys, it’s me! I came back from the dead! Everything is going to be great!” but He didn’t. Instead Jesus first asked them about their problems then patiently explained from scripture God’s plans. Then He fell silent and acted as if He would just go on without them.

Then those disciples made a choice that changed their destination from a village to a vision. They chose to offer a small kindness to the stranger who had shared His day with them. Jesus accepted their invitation and when they sat down together to eat, He blessed the bread and showed them who He was. Will we invite some of the least likely strangers to sit with us tonight? When we make room for them at our table Jesus will still break the bread and give us a glimpse of His face just as He has been doing for 2000 years!

Master There’s Still More

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.          Mark 14:3 ESV

Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. John 12:3 NKJV

I had long been puzzled by the differences in the stories of the anointing of Jesus at Bethany. Then I began to re-imagine the scene at the banquet. I saw Lazarus seated next to Jesus, with Martha serving the tables as the people slowly filled the room. Then Mary appeared in the doorway, holding her alabaster jar of perfumed oil. Silently she slips through the crowd to come behind where Jesus reclined and she breaks the seal on her jar pouring some on the head of Jesus.

1532600048379_image.jpg

The power of the fragrance immediately filled the room. A momentary silence ensued as the guests stopped and turned to see what had happened. But then just as quickly, the air was filled with complaints about such a waste of resources being made. Mary kneels unashamed looking up to Jesus’ face and seeing His acceptance of her gift, she pours the rest of the perfumed oil on His feet and wipes them clean with her hair. No matter how she looked to others Mary was focused on only one thing. She still had more for Jesus! As we are traveling together towards the Passion of Christ this month, we should also ask; “Am I all too worried about what everyone else will say?”, or can I say with Mary, “Master there’s still more!”

 

No More Wimpy Jesus!

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

In light of the History channel’s presentation of Jesus last night I came away with conflicted feelings. On the positive end, I loved the depictions of Joseph and John the Baptist as common and even rough men. With some minor discrepancies such as Joseph throwing stuff around the house when he hears about Mary being with child I was on board with the picture of these.

But, since the entire series is titled “Jesus – His Life” I was both disappointed and frankly miffed that their “Jesus” was depicted as pretty wimpy looking for a carpenter’s son. He also looked almost ten years younger than John and seemed reliant of John’s help and teaching. Please guys, we have seen this kind of Jesus since our Sunday school coloring book days. He looks like a computer geek more than a laborer and seems in need of iron supplements. The Biblical Jesus fasted forty days in the desert then confronted Satan personally. At the beginning of His ministry he forgave sinners but openly rebuked  the hypocritical and powerful  religious leaders. Where oh where is the real Jesus on the History Channel? His neighbors certainly knew him as a common man.

And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” John 6:42

The account of Jesus’ childhood in Luke tells us he went home and was obedient to His parents. That would have included helping haul stone, mix mortar and saw wood for Joseph. At home he also had plenty of younger brothers and sisters to help with. The Bible lists three brothers and at least two sisters making Jesus just one of at least six (I’ll bet there were some wrestling matches around that house)! The real Jesus didn’t just float above the street, he got dirty feet as he walked (A fact overlooked by his wealthy host Simon; but noticed by a woman who washed them with her tears.) The real Jesus caught fish and had them cleaned and already baking on the fire by the time the disciples came to shore. The real Jesus walked all the way from Jerusalem to Galilee without complaint and no matter his weariness still rose early in the morning to pray. The real Jesus withstood a beating a whipping and six hours nailed to a cross till He gave His life into His Father’s hands. The real Jesus was confident, courageous and determined and yet loving, gentle and forgiving. The real Jesus is both fully a real man and fully a real God. Whatever you think about the History Channel segments still to come I ask: “Please no more wimpy Jesus for me.” We serve a real Jesus, known as the Lion of Judah and the King of Kings. Let’s keep our eyes on Him!

But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”       Revelation 5:5

lion roaring inside cager

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com