Resurrection

Lilies and Sparrows

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When I was a teenager I sometimes worked in the hay fields during the hottest part of Summer. The farmer would pass ahead of us through the fields gathering and baling the loose hay and we followed behind piling the bales on a truck and then stacking them in the barn. The fragrance of the freshly cut hay still lingers in my memory as well as the 1554287255655_image.jpg

view from where I rode on top of the pile.  From there I could look out and see the tiny flowers that had nestled under cover of the tall grass, now uncovered in all their startling beauty. 

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us not to be concerned about the details of our life. He said that we could trust Him to take care of us just like He took care of those wild flowers in the field. Then He talked about sparrows. Maybe he choose sparrows because they have no colorful feathers, mighty talons or majestic wingspan.

1554287664847_image.jpgThey are ordinary just like us and Jesus said that God watches over every one of them and even notices when they fall.

With Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday on our horizon, let’s think for a moment of how Jesus was doing more than just telling us not to worry. He was also reminding us that we could trust God even during the worst moments of our lives just as He did. At the cross they stripped Him naked and gambled for His clothing; but today He wears a robe of light and is clothed with the sun. And on that same dark afternoon He fell to the ground like the sparrow and they took and laid Him in a tomb. Though only a few saw the place where He was laid; God had not forgotten. He knew exactly where to send the angel to roll back the stone on Resurrection morning. In one miracle moment the Spirit breathed the breath of life into Him and Jesus walked out to comfort Mary Magdalene; to bring peace to Peter and John and the assurance of faith Thomas.  Today He freely offers any of us who will believe a gift greater than lilies and sparrows. He promises that if we follow Him we will find our own eternal place in His home and at His side forevermore!

 

 

No More Lazy Grace!

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For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Romans 12:3

Do you battle with fear sometimes? I definitely do! I love God’s promises in

The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? Psalm 27:1

But there are times when I just wish that God would deal with my fear by His grace. But just like Adam and Eve’s failure in the garden we have all been bungling things up when we believe God is going to work things out by grace, without our participation. What we are calling grace; God may call simple laziness. The issue is not God’s lack of grace; but our lack of action. Yes, of course God is sovereign, almighty and all knowing; but for His own purposes He designed us not to be. I often pray for God to remove my fears; but Jesus said, “Do not let your heart be troubled…” In other words He put me in the driver’s seat and contrary to the song it’s me -not Jesus- who has to take the wheel!

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 NIV

So when I asked myself, “How did Jesus deal with fear?”  I remembered the cross. There in humiliation and pain He endured. His confidence was not based on some heroic stoicism, but in the confidence that despite his abandonment and suffering, there was a joy that lay ahead. At the sixth hour, as His strength reached its end and His vision grew dark but He chose to believe in something He could not see – our salvation and forgiveness. So in those moments when I am afraid, I will remember that He was afraid too.  But three days later, on a morning He could not see from the cross, the stone rolled away and He rose and sorrow and mourning flew away!

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Jesus Went Fishing!

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Catch Anything – Part Three

When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” John 21:9-10

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People who have read this story often focus on the fact that the disciples were fishing when they should have been doing something more spiritual. But Jesus also went fishing that night. The difference was that He not only caught fish, but he filleted them and had them baking on the fire by the time Peter and his friends showed up in the morning!  In fact, Jesus never told the disciples that they shouldn’t have been out in the boat. Instead He welcomed them in a way that they would remember for the rest of their lives. He wanted them to know that their success or failure had nothing to do with their own efforts. His love was not just about being “spiritual” but about being willing to fish and knead bread dough and make breakfast for others. His love was about being willing to meet them in the morning in a most miraculous way.

Before this day is past pause to ask if there isn’t someone who needs us to wait through the night. Maybe God will bring a person you haven’t thought of for a while to mind to whom you can give a simple gift. Not even filet mignon at the finest restaurant will taste half as good as filet of fish in the morning after a night filled with struggles.

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God knows where we have been. He has stayed up fishing for us all through the night. What a blessing it will be when we pull our boats to shore and sit down with Jesus at the dawning of that eternal day!