Tag Archives: Death

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Matthew 7

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“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 (MSG)

Is God the bedrock of my life, or simply an incidental addition? It seems like an easy question when I answer from my own perspective. It’s when I imagine what others see when they look at my life, that the question bristles. Is God the foundation of Tom’s life? What evidence is there? What do others see when they interact with me or quietly watch me from afar?

In recent months I’ve been struck by the concept that this journey is simply about life and death. As I read the conclusion of Jesus’ famous mountainside message today, I find a thread of this concept once again woven into the very fabric of Jesus teaching. After going through a veritable plethora of detailed instructions for living, Jesus brings it all back to conclude with one central life and death question: What is the foundation on which you are building your life?

Today, as I make my way, I’m simply seeking ways to make Jesus the foundation of all that I say, do or think. I want this day to be about Life.

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Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Matthew 3

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“What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire.” Matthew 3:10 (MSG)

I’ve been fascinated by the reports of radioactivity coming out of Japan. Just the other day a plane load of passengers from Tokyo arrived at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and set off the TSA‘s radiation detectors. How interesting radioactivity is. We can’t see it, feel it, hear it, smell it, or taste it. But, it’s there. I wasn’t even aware that airports had detectors for those things.

Imagine a hand-held device like a Geiger Counter. It also detects an energy that can’t be seen, felt, smelt, heard or tasted. It’s a Life Detector, and measures the amount of Life welling up inside our spirit and radiating out of our life. What would this Life Detector reveal about me? Would it show Life radiating from me in increasing measure and pegging out the needle? Would the needle barely register a blip on the screen as my soul slowly becomes dead wood?

The further I get in the journey the more I realize that the needle is moving each day for each one of us. Life is either growing more fully inside of us or it’s seeping slowly from our souls. It’s pretty simple. We’ve got to get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’.

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Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Jeremiah 44

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“This is the Message of God, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: ‘So why are you ruining your lives by amputating yourselves—man, woman, child, and baby—from the life of Judah, leaving yourselves isolated, unconnected?” Jeremiah 44:7 (MSG)

I’m beginning to perceive that this life journey, at its very essence, is simply about Life and Death. Not in a physical sense, for physically we all end up in the grave. But spiritually, I believe that moment-by-moment, day-by-day my soul is expanding and contracting in an ebb and flow of Life.

I loved the word picture Jeremiah gave the Judeans in today’s chapter. Why “amputate yourselves” with what you’re doing? That’s exactly what my sin feels like. My own repetitive behaviors scrape or hack off another chunk of my soul and the life bleeds out. Sometimes it’s an oozing scrape while other times it gushes as if I hit an main artery. With each hack my soul gets smaller. I now have less space for Life.

I love that Jesus’ miracles restored peoples’ bodies, but I believe that his miracles were works of performance art that provided a word picture of the true miracle he was about to perform. The truly miraculous work of Jesus is the restoration of our scarred and bloodied souls which we have willingly hacked away. For once our souls are restored, we can experience Life in greater abundance.

Will today increase Life in me, or drain Life from me?

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Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Jeremiah 37

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“And tell me, whatever has become of your prophets who preached all those sermons saying that the king of Babylon would never attack you or this land?” Jeremiah 37:19 (MSG)

“Old Testament Persons for $800, Alex.”

“A contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah, he was a false prophet who told the King that Babylon would never attack.”

[cue sound effect: crickets chirping]

I doubt even Watson the robot could get that one. The reality is that history did not record the names or messages of the false prophets. Perhaps there’s a random name etched on the fragment of a tablet or scroll and referenced  in some obscure archaeology dissertation. But, let’s be real, it’s far from general public knowledge. Jeremiah’s story, however, and his writing are read and referenced by millions to this day 2500 years after he lived and died.

Forgive my little foray into navel contemplation this morning. I’ve been thinking a lot about relevance lately. I’ve been noodling on the idea of legacy. What of my life will be completely forgotten when they close the casket? What, if anything, will survive? Will anything from my life have any lasting value or significance?

What struck me in reading today’s chapter is the contrast. Jeremiah spoke what was true. And, while it was wildly unpopular and landed him in a dungeon, it has lasted the test of time. The other prophets spoke what was, in the moment,  convenient and popular. Still, it was untrue. Even if history does record their names, it is nothing more than a tough piece of obscure trivia that would probably too tough for final Jeopardy.

Despite my many failures to this date in the journey, I really want my life, my words, and that which I produce to be marked by what is true. Perhaps, it will then have some lasting value.

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Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Jeremiah 34

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“‘But listen, O Zedekiah king of Judah, to the rest of the Message of God. You won’t be killed. You’ll die a peaceful death. They will honor you with funeral rites as they honored your ancestors, the kings who preceded you. They will properly mourn your death, weeping, “Master, master!” This is a solemn promise. God’s Decree.'” Jeremiah 34:4-5 (MSG)

As I read God’s message to King Zedekiah, I felt pangs of depression. What a sad message to hear. Your life and impotent reign as king will be marked by failure, destruction, humiliation and captivity. But hey Zed, look on the bright side, you’ll die a peaceful death.

Suddenly, I have Monty Python’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” going through my head.

God, mercifully spare me from Zedekiah’s fate. I don’t really care about my death. Let my life count for something.

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Jeremiah 30

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“This is God’s Message:

   “‘You’re a burned-out case,
   as good as dead.
Everyone has given up on you.
   You’re hopeless. Jeremiah 30:12 (MSG)

The road rises and falls on this journey through life. There are peaks, and always there are very deep valleys – shadow of death valleys. And the experience of clawing your way out of those valleys leaves marks. Sometimes physical, often emotional, always spiritual – they forever remind us that we were or are (perhaps we are once more) a “burned out case, as good as dead.”

Divorce, abuse, addiction, abandonment, affliction, handicap, depression, disorder, disease, imprisonment, sin, stupidity…the list could go on. We all have our crosses to bear. The valley of death’s shadow is part of the journey to Life. God is a God of resurrection and you can’t be resurrected unless you are dead. You can’t be redeemed if you have not been lost and sold over that from which you need redemption.

Jesus had scars too. The nail holes were still there when he rose from the grave, as was the hole in his side from the spear that ripped his heart apart. He showed them off. He let his friends see them and touch them. His scars were a landmark, pointing to the most critical and necessary part of his journey – his death. If he hadn’t of died there would be no resurrection, no redemption, no hope, no life, no ascension.

Chill for a second. We all walk through the valley of the shadow of death. It’s on the path that leads to dwelling in the house of the lord forever. Without going through it, well, “you can’t get there from here.”  Don’t worry about your scars. We all have them. Don’t hide them. Acknowledge them. They are an important part of your journey.

Press on.

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Jeremiah 21

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“And then tell the people at large, ‘God’s Message to you is this: Listen carefully. I’m giving you a choice: life or death.” Jeremiah 21:8 (MSG)

I make life and death choices every day.

What I choose to think about. What I choose to do with my time. What I choose to say. How I choose to treat my spouse, my children, my family, my friends, my co-workers, and the stranger I meet. What I choose to do with my money. Where I choose go in my spare time.

A million little choices each day. They can be “life” choices that inch us towards life, health, goodness, and love. They can be “death” choices that inch us toward selfishness, spiritual suffocation, decay and isolation.

Today, I have a choice. I have choices. Lots of them. Each of them lead me one of two directions. I inch my way toward life, or I inch my way toward death.

Choose life.

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Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Jeremiah 7

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“Tell them all this, but don’t expect them to listen. Call out to them, but don’t expect an answer.” Jeremiah 7:27 (MSG)

Jesus said that the path that leads to life is a narrow footpath, the way is difficult, and few find their way onto its trecherous terrain. Other other hand, Jesus said the path to death is a superhighway with plenty of spacious on-ramps. Most people find their way to it because it’s always easy to go with the flow of traffic and most people prefer to hit the interstate, hit the cruise control, and go where everyone else is going.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

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Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Romans 8

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So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go.

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. Romans 8:12-15 (MSG)

I often glance back over my shoulder to view the road behind me. Not to dwell, for there’s no value in dwelling on what can’t be undone. A quick glance, however, reminds me of lessons learned and short cuts gone awry that made for long, painful delays. I need the occasional perspective. It helps me gauge my current position, and often provides wisdom for choosing my next steps.

Today, as I read, I glanced back and remembered long stretches of time tending to things dead. It’s tragic how we try to breathe life into a rotting corpse; how we hoist a decomposing cadaver onto our back and carry it around with us. We can’t really go anywhere, because the weight and responsibility of a dead man around our neck. You can’t really travel with the dead man. He requires constant tending. It takes a lot of time and energy to hide the stench. And, sometimes you just have to keep him out of sight. So, pulling him in and out of the closet requires that you stick pretty close to the closet.

Tending the dead and the grave pretty much robs you of the opportunity to travel.

“Lord, I’ll follow you. But first, let me bury…”

“Follow me,” Jesus said,  “Let the dead bury their own dead.”

I glance back at a lesson learned in time. When I finally walk away from the corpse and the grave tending that goes with it, all sorts of new places and possibilities open up on the horizon. With the burden lifted and clean, crisp wind of fresh air filling my lungs, I become giddy with child-like anticipation. “What’s next, Papa?” I asked God.

“Walk with me,” He said with a smile and a wink as He pulled out a tattered, well-worn copy of a Dr. Seuss’ book from His coat. He reads as we walk away from the grave:

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

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Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Romans 6

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So, since we’re out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we’re free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. Romans 6:15 (MSG)

While I was in college, my roommate and I were asked to read a couple of patriotic pieces at a Veteran’s Day event. We arrived that morning at the VFW Hall. There was still plenty of time before the bus was to take us to the event and we were invited to sit down and enjoy the company of the many old soldiers who packed the hall.

I’ll never forget that morning as I listened to these grandfathers share their experiences of war. I will always remember the look in their eyes as they spoke of their brothers-in-arms who never made it back. Etched in my memory forever are the tears of one elderly soldier who sat on the bus and silently wept as his mind relived some distant memory.

That morning, this snot-nosed college boy put faces to my freedom. As I sat in the VFW hall and on that bus with those men and heard their stories, it finally clicked in a way it never had before. My freedom wasn’t free. It was bought with lives of men and women who sacrificed their lives so that I could enjoy mine in freedom and peace.

I find it an apt parallel to the Kingdom of God.  We are no longer shackled to our sinful appetites. We are graciously forgiven of the sin that had us on death row, and have been freed from our imprisonment. But our freedom wasn’t free. It cost God the life of His Son, Jesus, who gave Himself up for execution on our behalf.

Every time I use my freedom as a license to act disgracefully, I dishonor the One who died for that freedom.

Lord, have mercy on me.

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