Tag Archives: Pride

Chapter-a-Day

A Dinner Dripping with Intrigue

Leave a comment

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.
Luke 14:1 (NIV)

Context is essential.

The episodes of today’s chapter lie with concentric circles of context that Luke has carefully laid.

Way at the beginning he introduces us to baby Jesus, the Son of God, come to earth. At his dedication, Simeon prophesies:

“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” (2:34-35)

In chapter 9, Jesus “resolutely” sets out for Jerusalem, having predicted that:

“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (9:22)

Today’s chapter begins with a simple statement.

Easily overlooked.

“Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.“

Most people read that and forget it. But wait…

Everything in today’s chapter happens in this context.

The baby Messiah who will cause “the rise and fall of many in Israel,” and who will reveal the thoughts of their hearts.

The Messiah on a mission — heading to Jerusalem to be rejected by the religious power brokers – to be killed by them.

And, He is dining with one of those very men…
….at his house.
…under his critical gaze.

This isn’t a casual dinner.
This is a set-up.
The table is dripping with intrigue and tension.

They think they’re watching Him.
But He’s the one setting the table…

He prods His enemies. He pokes at them at every turn.

“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (He knows His host thinks it is.)
He heals a man with abnormal swelling sitting in the room.

[Poke]

Watching the prominent religious leaders vying for the seats of honor at the table. He calls them out. Directly.

“But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (vs 10-11)

[Poke]

Jesus then tells a parable. A great banquet feast is given. All the high-and-mighty guests on the list beg off. The host sends servants to bring in the lowly, the poor, the marginalized, the foreigners, the outcasts.

Translation: You are leaders of God’s people. He sent me to invite you to His great banquet. You’ve rejected me, so I’m inviting others.

[Poke]

Jesus then surveys the room. Some of the powerful religious leaders have been following Jesus. They’ve been listening. Some have even tried to befriend Him. In yesterday’s chapter, it was they who warned Jesus that Herod wanted to kill him — begging Him not to proceed to Jerusalem.

I believe Jesus’ final words at the party are for them.

It’s decision time, gentlemen.

Time to fish, or cut bait.

They are riding the fence. They enjoy the pomp and prominence of their position. They live lives of relative ease. Their names are etched in the boxes at the top of the Temple org chart.

If you’re truly going to follow me, you have to give it all up.

Count the cost, gentlemen.
You can’t sip the Kingdom wine I offer and keep your seat at Herod’s table.

“Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”

[Poke]

If you follow the tension in the room. It leads somewhere.

It is Good Friday as I write this post. On this annual day to remember Jesus’ execution on a Roman cross, I’m reminded…

Jesus was resolute in walking toward suffering and death.

Jesus prodded His enemies, and provoked their actions against Him.

Still, He didn’t run.

He went to their houses for dinner. He sat in their midst.
He gave His enemies another chance…
to hear
to see
to choose
to follow

As Jesus hung on three nails between heaven and earth.

He was not a victim.

He was the Son of Man on a mission.

A suffering servant.
A sacrifice, once – for all.

For me.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

Promotional graphic for Tom Vander Well's Wayfarer blog and podcast, featuring icons of various podcast platforms with a photo of Tom Vander Well.
These chapter-a-day blog posts are also available via podcast on all major podcast platforms including Apple, Google, and Spotify! Simply go to your podcast platform and search for “Wayfarer Tom Vander Well.” If it’s not on your platform, please let me know!
Logo featuring an open book icon on an orange background.
Chapter-a-Day

Grace, Served Neat

Leave a comment
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5aBZqkOrQyO7tWxM4iKuyg?si=6sAzxbRqQVGI-7CQjo977g

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?
James 4:1 (NIV)

After yesterday’s post, I spent some time yesterday in introspection. Wendy and I met downstairs in the Vander Well Pub for a happy hour chat. We bellied-up to the bar and discussed some of the things that came out of my prayer and reflection. It was good.

Today’s chapter continues the flow from yesterday. There, streaming beneath the surface text, is the notion of God as intimate partner in relationship. It’s the same heart that God weaves through the entire Great Story. It’s a love story in the deepest sense; God as bridegroom initiating, courting, and pursuing intimate relationship with me.

So, what gets in the way of that intimacy?

I do.

James urges me to continue my honest introspection. What is it I desire? What motives are at work? As I did some spiritual cardio evaluation yesterday, I had to come clean with the fact that I sometimes allow my self-righteous desires and pride free rein when it comes to my attitudes towards certain individuals. Wendy gave me a great example during happy hour last night, that I hadn’t even considered. A person that she has noticed I love to hate. She didn’t need to make a case. The truth was sitting there in plain site. Ugh!

What did James point out earlier? A little bit of sin taints the whole loaf. My well-cloaked hatred toward one individual makes me no different, in essence, from someone spewing anonymous venom across the internet. It’s the same heart condition.

Pride, hatred, judgment, self-righteousness. That’s the way the world operates. It flies in the face of the person I want to be. It’s not the person Jesus asks me to be. And, that has relational consequences.

I can wallow in guilt and shame, but that’s not healthy for me either. It doesn’t accomplish anything but a perpetuation of spiritual dysfunction. I want to be better. I want to move the ball forward. I want positive change that will create more intimacy with God and others.

Here’s where it gets good.

James reminds me that God is not standing at a distance in condemnation of me. He “jealously longs” for me in spirit. He is leaning in towards me with more grace.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

The reality is that Wendy was Jesus at happy hour last night—even as she held up a mirror so I could reflect on what I didn’t really want to see.

She didn’t scoot her bar stool further away from me.
There was no relational stiff-arming.

She leaned in.
She drew close.
She was tender and gracious.

That’s what Jesus does.

He invites me to come a little closer so He can whisper into my soul. The wars in my life—external and internal—are not solved by winning. They’re healed by yielding.

Then Jesus, through James, reminds me in today’s chapter to:

  • Name my desires honestly (even the embarrassing ones).
  • Release the illusion of control (that tight grip is killing the mood anyway).
  • Kneel without theatrics—no performance, just presence.
  • Return to God not as a failure, but as a lover who wandered and came home.

Humility is not humiliation.
It is intimacy without pretense.

And grace?
Grace is Jesus lifting my chin, meeting my eyes, and smiling and saying…

“I love you. Come on — let’s move forward.”

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

Promotional graphic for Tom Vander Well's Wayfarer blog and podcast, featuring icons of various podcast platforms with a photo of Tom Vander Well.
These chapter-a-day blog posts are also available via podcast on all major podcast platforms including Apple, Google, and Spotify! Simply go to your podcast platform and search for “Wayfarer Tom Vander Well.” If it’s not on your platform, please let me know!
Icon of an open book on an orange background
Chapter-a-Day

I’d Rather Be the Ass

2 Comments

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.
Numbers 22:23 (NIV)

The world has always had spiritual gurus willing to take your money in exchange for blessing you with their presence and insight as they bask in the wealth and fame of their personal spiritual empires. In the days that the Hebrews were making their way through the wilderness to the Promised Land, the spiritual guru was a man named Balaam.

For any who think that Balaam is simply cute Sunday School myth, it should be noted that in 1967 a Dutch archaeologist unearthed an inscription in Mesopotamia written in a mash-up of semitic dialects that reads, “Warnings from the Book of Balaam son of Beor. He was a seer of the gods.” The inscription is dated to the 8th-9th century B.C. The context that it adds to today’s chapter is that Balaam was a famous spiritual guru of his day who played the field. He moved in and through all the cults, religions, and deities of that day. I find it easy to read the story and sense that he might have been a believer in Yahweh, the reality is that he was a believer in every god. He made his fame and fortune as a guru for hire no matter what religious persuasion his clients came from.

In today’s famous chapter, Balaam is riding his donkey to meet his newest client, the King of Moab who wants Balaam to curse the Hebrew tribes camped near his city. Three times (I don’t think that number is a coincidence) the Angel of the Lord stands in the way. The donkey sees the Angel of the Lord and moves to avoid him. Balaam doesn’t see the angel and beats his poor donkey mercilessly. God grants the donkey the ability to speak to its master and promptly asks why he’s being beaten when he was trying to save his master’s life. Balaam’s eyes were then opened and he saw the Angel of the Lord, too.

As I meditated on the story, what struck me is the fact that the great spiritual guru of his day was actually spiritually blind. His own ass could plainly see into the spirit realm and see the Angel of the Lord, while the famous guru could not. Balaam was happy to spiritually contort himself for profit and honor. His poor beast of burden, however, recognized the truth of the situation and was steadfast in responding to that truth no matter the pain and injustice it caused him to have to endure.

In the quiet this morning, I find myself reminded to be discerning and humble. Those with enough spiritual insight and hubris to earn themselves fame and fortune does not mean that they see or perceive simple Truth. In the grand scheme of things, I’d rather be an ass who can at least see the Angel of Lord when appears right in front of me, and has the sense to doggedly heed that reality no matter the consequences.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

Promotional graphic for Tom Vander Well's Wayfarer blog and podcast, featuring icons of various podcast platforms with a photo of Tom Vander Well.
These chapter-a-day blog posts are also available via podcast on all major podcast platforms including Apple, Google, and Spotify! Simply go to your podcast platform and search for “Wayfarer Tom Vander Well.” If it’s not on your platform, please let me know!
Chapter-a-Day

Of Differences and Discernment

Leave a comment

“Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way…”
2 Corinthians 6:4 (NIV)

As you might imagine, publishing these chapter-a-day posts and podcasts has an impact on my social media algorithms. I get a lot of social media posts pushed into my feeds from many different flavors of Christianity. There’s been a recent surge in posts rooted in the orthodox church, which is experiencing a bit of a revival. Good for them. And of course, there’s also a lot of traffic from the Roman Catholics and their new pope from the south side. I’m a bit sad he’s a White Sox fan, but I agree with my dear friend, Kevin: they could use divine help this season.

I have shared many times over the years that I’ve always been a non-denominationalist at heart. To borrow a phrase from baseball, I’ve been a bit of a journeyman along my life journey. I’ve worshiped in and served in different denominations. I adhere to the Apostles Creed and belief in the “holy catholic church” which means I’m part of the church that exists beyond denominational boundaries. The one made up of all believers everywhere.

Of course, as I scrolled through my social media feed the other day I saw posts from an individual dissing on those who weren’t from his denomination and arrogantly proclaiming his brand of belief to be the one true way. These conflicts have been around for hundreds of years. History is filled with Christians killing one another. The only winner in that battle is Satan.

One of the things that I’ve noticed in today’s chapter, and in this chapter-a-day trek through 2 Corinthians is the conflict that is brewing in the sub-text of everything Paul is writing. There is a conflict boiling among the believers in Corinth that Paul is addressing with teachers who are telling the Corinthians to ignore Paul and listen to them.

What I find interesting in today’s chapter is how Paul approaches the conflict. He doesn’t diss on these other teachers, how awful they are, and how wrong they are. Instead, Paul simply describes his personal resume. He points out his work as Jesus messenger and how he has always acted and behaved towards them “in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love.”

At the heart of Paul’s argument is his realization that he can’t control these other teachers, what they say, or how they behave. Getting into an antagonistic battle of egos will only escalate things and, once again, the only winner in that battle is the enemy. So, Paul appeals to the Corinthians’ spiritual discernment. They know Paul and how he has always affectionately loved them and been concerned for their spiritual well-being. They will have to decide for themselves if these other teachers dissing on him are true and if their motives are pure.

Which brings me back to the social media feeds of teachers and leaders dissing on those who don’t belong to their brand of belief. I’ve encountered these individuals in every denomination. I’m reminded of Jesus’ parable of the sheep and goats that I referenced a few days ago and that we recently read in our chapter-a-day trek through Matthew. On Judgement Day Jesus doesn’t describe denominational lines. He just describes sheep and goats. My experiences and observations along this life journey are that there are sheep and goats in every denomination and every local church. I don’t think denominations matter other than offering different experiences that appeal to different people. The only thing that matters is whether I am a sheep or a goat. Paul seems to understand this same reality as he addresses his Corinthian conflict.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

These chapter-a-day blog posts are also available via podcast on all major podcast platforms including Apple, Google, and Spotify! Simply go to your podcast platform and search for “Wayfarer Tom Vander Well.” If it’s not on your platform, please let me know!
Chapter-a-Day

Inclusive vs. Exclusive

3 Comments

Exclusive vs. Inclusive (CaD Matt 9) – Wayfarer

But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”
Matthew 9: 34 (NIV)

In yesterday’s post, I wrote about the spiritual revival that broke out while I was in high school. I wrote about the fact that I was merely an observer of the revival because I had insulated myself inside of my fellow holy huddle with other believers.

I’d like to unpack that experience a bit further as I meditate on today’s chapter. In it, Jesus begins to experience opposition from the institutional religious leaders of His day. They have their own holy huddle going.

I have observed along my spiritual journey the difference between an inclusive spirit and an exclusive spirit.

An inclusive spirit is one that is outreaching, arms wide open in anticipation of God who can do exceeding, abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine. An inclusive spirit fully embraces the Apostles Creed when it says “I believe in the holy catholic church,” which means the expansive true church made up of all believers of every nation, tribe, language, race, people, and denomination of which God alone truly knows the number and the full membership. An inclusive spirit sees God working in His enemies like Nebuchadnezzar, the Roman Centurion in yesterday’s chapter, and Saul of Tarsus, and drawing them to Himself. An inclusive spirit understands that Jesus is not slow in returning, but rather patient wanting everyone (including my personal enemies) to repent and believe.

An exclusive spirit, on the other hand, is one that feels that it is right and only those who agree are acceptable. An exclusive spirit has arms extended in a defensive and warning posture. Only those who pass the litmus test, are pure in their doctrinal agreement, and visibly shun unacceptable actions, words, beliefs, and political/social affiliations are accepted in. Most people are excluded, and exclusive thinkers are convinced that God thinks and acts in lock-step with them.

Jesus was being inclusive when, in yesterday’s chapter, He healed the Roman Centurion’s servant and handed His enemy an invitation to the feast of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in God’s Kingdom. Jesus was being inclusive when He and His disciples feasted at Matthew’s house with unacceptable tax collectors (e.g. politically incorrect Roman collaborators) and their sinful social circle. He was certainly being inclusive when He called Matthew to become one of The Twelve.

His political and religious opponents were exclusive in their thinking. They alone were exclusively “God’s people,” “Children of Abraham,” and anyone who disagreed or believed differently was obviously not “of God.” Jesus refused to walk, speak, act, and believe in lock-step with their exclusive religious world-view. Therefore He could not be of God despite the miracles He performed. If He is not of God, then He must be of Satan.

So, in the quiet this morning, I look back at that revival in high school. It taught me another important spiritual lesson. Yes, I missed out on being a part of it because I was too busy in the exclusivity of my holy huddle. At the same time, me thinking that I needed to be a part of it is a different brand of exclusive thinking. God was doing something amazing and He didn’t need me to be involved. He was working through others whom He had prepared, raised up, and through whom He was flowing. I could be envious, jealous, and think (exclusively) that anything I wasn’t a part of doesn’t count. I could also open my arms, rejoice, and embrace that God was at such powerful work in others all around me. I chose the latter.

The further I get in my journey, the more open my spirit has become to God doing whatever He wants to do in whomever He wants to do it in order for all things to work together for good and accomplish His ultimate purposes in this Great Story. I long ago took off my Junior Holy Spirit badge pretending that I had exclusive rights, insight, or editorial control of that Story for myself or anyone else. The result is that I approach each day of this journey with a sense of awe and wonder.

God, what are you going to do today?

I’m open.

Surprise me.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

These chapter-a-day blog posts are also available via podcast on all major podcast platforms including Apple, Google, and Spotify! Simply go to your podcast platform and search for “Wayfarer Tom Vander Well.” If it’s not on your platform, please let me know!
Chapter-a-Day

The Sex Thing

Leave a comment

The Sex Thing (CaD Lev 18) – Wayfarer

“You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.”
Leviticus 18:3 (NIV)

Sex is always such a hot topic. It is one of our most basic human appetites, and it is naturally one of the strongest and most pleasurable as it drives the perpetuation of life. Like all human appetites, we sinful human beings love to indulge it to excess.

We indulge our appetite for food into gluttony.
We indulge our appetite for rest into sloth.
We indulge our appetite for pride into vanity.
We indulge our appetite for daily provision into greed.

All of these appetites are natural and God-given. We need them for life. One of the insidious effects of Alzheimer’s Disease that I watched slowly destroy my mother’s body is the loss of appetite for food. She forgot that she was hungry. For the last several years of her life her diet consisted of some blueberry yogurt and chocolate nutritional drink. My dad had to practically force her to eat that, or she wouldn’t have eaten a thing. At one point she weighed under 90 pounds.

Our appetites are good and meant for our physical health and life. This includes our appetite for sex. God even dedicates an entire piece of the Great Story, Song of Solomon (a.k.a Song of Songs), to an ancient poem about the sexual appetites of young lovers. When I attended a fundamentalist Baptist Bible college I remember observing the professors contort themselves to explain all of the human sexuality out of the text, turning it into nothing more than a spiritual allegory. One of the problems I’ve observed with the institutional church is that it picks the things on which it focuses, and the subject of sex (other than prohibiting a few aspects of it) is avoided more than any other.

Of course, what makes our appetite for sex different than the other God-given appetites is that all the other appetites and our indulgence in them affect the people around us. Sex involves direct participation with another person. This adds potent and intense dynamics of human relationship, power, intimacy, and abuse.

Today’s chapter is all about sexual prohibitions that God gave to the ancient Hebrew people. Along my life journey, I’ve observed that only one verse of this chapter (the prohibition of homosexual sex) gets quoted or discussed today. That’s a shame, because the context in which that verse was given is, I think, important.

A couple of observations:

First, the list of sexual prohibitions in today’s chapter is preceded with a preamble. God makes it clear that all of the behaviors he’s about to prohibit are things that the Egyptians and Canaanite people groups indulge in. Sex was indulged in without boundary or restraint, and the bulk of the list of prohibitions have to do with incestuous relationships. The Egyptian royals were infamous for their practice of incest to “keep the bloodline pure.” King Tut was a classic example of the consequences, his body genetically disfigured and his life shortened.

Second, these were all patriarchal, male dominated cultures. Guess who drove the indulgence of sexual appetites out of their sheer power, authority, and domination in family and culture? [cue: looking in the mirror]

Third, the sexual appetite was designed by our Creator God for the perpetuation of life through reproduction. It is a physical appetite and it is pleasurable and intimate, but the ultimate physical result is new life. New life (a.k.a being “born again,” resurrection, redemption) is an overarching core theme of the entire Great Story that can’t be ignored. In the last hundred or so years of human history we’ve developed countless ways to indulge in the pleasure of our sexual appetites and mostly eliminate the possibility of new life. The ancients did not have this luxury. Today’s chapter also addresses the way the ancients dealt with the unwanted consequences of their sexual indulgences. They sacrificed their babies to gods like Molek. An appetite that was intended to perpetuate new life becomes a catalyst for systemic infanticide.

Fourth, while today’s chapter does briefly mention a prohibition of homosexual sex, it also clearly mentions a prohibition of adultery. A fundamentalist standing in protest of homosexuality who has committed or is committing adultery is a hypocrite. As Jesus said, “Let he who is without sin…”

Fifth, as I went through the list of prohibitions today, I wrote in the margin the names of individuals within the Great Story who committed the prohibitions. David committed adultery. Solomon with his hundreds of wives and concubines took adultery to even greater indulgent excesses. David’s son Amnon and daughter Tamar had an incestuous romance going before Amnon raped her (see my second point above). Jacob married rival sisters as prohibited in verse 20. A powerful and natural sexual appetite will naturally lead to sexual indulgence like an appetite for food will lead to gluttony at the church potluck. Spiritually, they are equal in their negative effects, but we tend to focus on one and ignore the other.

Finally, in the quiet this morning, God reminds the Hebrews at the beginning and ending of the chapter that He wants them to be different than all the sexually indulgent people around them. He wants them to exemplify and enjoy pleasurable, loving, intimate, and yes productive fulfillment of sexual appetites, avoiding the negative consequences of indulgence for themselves and those around them.

Enjoy fulfilling the appetite without indulging in excess. That’s a worthwhile endeavor for me as it relates to both my sexual appetite and all the others.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

These chapter-a-day blog posts are also available via podcast on all major podcast platforms including Apple, Google, and Spotify! Simply go to your podcast platform and search for “Wayfarer Tom Vander Well.” If it’s not on your platform, please let me know!
Chapter-a-Day

If Only…

1 Comment

If Only… (CaD Ezk 45) – Wayfarer

“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have gone far enough, princes of Israel! Give up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Stop dispossessing my people, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
Ezekiel 45:9 (NIV)

When you live in Iowa your entire life and feel a civic responsibility, there’s a certain mindshare that politics and national issues take up. Certainly the Iowa Caucuses are a major part of that. A year ago you could meet and hear any number of the Presidential candidates right here in our little town. Usually the venue is packed.

Hearing the issues the candidates talk about and how they plan to address large scale, complex problems stirs thoughts about how one might re-order the world. Approach an issue one way and you create one negative consequence. Approach the same issue a different way and you create a different negative consequence. Pretty soon I begin to have “If only” thoughts and conversations in my head.

“If only we could eliminate the Tax Code and start from scratch.”
“If only the Founding Fathers had included term limits.”
“If only we could rid the entire system of corruption.”

In the past few chapters, Ezekiel envisioned an ideal new Temple that has , to this point in history, never been built. I discussed the various interpretations regarding why it has never been built in the post/podcast on Ezekiel 43 entitled The Mystery. In today’s chapter, Ezekiel’s vision now shifts to an idealized vision of the restoration of Israel. I have to remember that as Ezekiel is having this vision the nation had been conquered, Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple had been destroyed. It’s as if there’s now an opportunity to envision how things could be “if only” they can return and start from scratch.

This idealized vision of their nation’s restoration begins with “when you allot the land” because security and prosperity begin with having land to build homes and grow crops and raise livestock necessary to survive and thrive. And the first allotment of the land described is God’s. It’s a giant, square sacred space at the center of everything and the center of that square is God’s sanctuary. Adjacent to it is a new square holy city within the giant square and Zeke says, “it will belong to all Israel.”

So we have a nation with this giant sacred space and God at the center. There’s also holy city. All of this land doesn’t belong to the king, land barons, property developers, oligarchs, or powerful blue blood families. It belongs to everyone.

Throughout the Great Story, beginning in Exodus, God has been trying to provide humanity with a vision for how things can and should be. But there’s a pesky issue that has to be addressed. Zeke addresses it right up front in verses 9-12. The princes of the past have been power hungry, greedy, and corrupt. And, this is always the problem when you begin to play “If only…” games in your head and dream up ideal situations.

People are not always ideal. We have pride and out of control appetites that make us hurt one-another with our selfishness, anger, jealousy, envy, and hard-hearted resentments. This the thing that I always find missing when candidates talk about systemic changes to fix complex problems. Solutions start with a change in the hearts and lives of people.

That’s what Jesus would come to tell us. Large, systemic changes begin with God changing me.

If only I will surrender and allow Him to do so.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

Chapter-a-Day

“Luxury Beliefs”

Leave a comment

“Luxury Beliefs” (CaD Ezk 28) – Wayfarer

By your great skill in trading
    you have increased your wealth,
and because of your wealth
    your heart has grown proud.
Ezekiel 28:5 (NIV)

Spiritual maturity is pronounced in pain, it is arrested in affluence.

Over the past year, Wendy and I have been reading what has been an emerging theme in the news outlets we read. The theme is Luxury Beliefs and it came from the observations of a writer named Rob Henderson. We often think of the luxury wealth and affluence affords simply in terms of the tangible goods that come with luxury. Henderson argues that in the 21st century there has been a shift. The wealthy and affluent see their beliefs as much a status symbol as their luxury handbag, timepiece, car, or yacht. His essay is worth a read.

Of course, the idea of wealth affecting matters of belief was a theme of Jesus. He said that it was easier for a camel to be thread through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Today’s chapter contains two more prophetic messages against the ancient King of Tyre. As discussed in the previous two chapter-a-day posts, Tyre was a tremendously wealthy port city, and Zeke points out in both of the messages that the King of Tyre’s wealth and affluence has affected his beliefs. It has given him as sense of hubris and pride. In his Luxury Beliefs he considers himself a god. He is wiser and more understanding than all the poor, ignorant minions under his authority. God’s message to the wealthy ruler is that what he doesn’t see is that his “wisdom” and Luxury Beliefs have been corrupted by his affluence and pride.

In the quiet this morning, I find myself in a familiar and uncomfortable place. In relative terms I am wealthy. I am affluent. I live in the richest and most affluent of nations. One of the things I’ve observed on this earthly journey is that I will always be able to point to people I know and people I know of who have tremendously more wealth than me. The insidious effect of this is that I can always consider myself humbly poor compared to the guy I ran into at the restaurant last night who lives in the biggest mansion in town. And that is just one of his many residences.

The problem, of course, is that I’m looking in the wrong direction. Jesus taught me this. He teaches all His disciples this. We’re always looking up the cultural and economic ladder at those more rich, powerful, wealthy, famous, and affluent than we are. We are obsessed as a culture with fame and fortune. But our ways are not God’s ways.

Jesus told me to turn around and look down the economic ladder. Look at the little old widow who put her last two pennies in the collection plate. Look at the lame beggar. Look at the leper who everyone shames and avoids. When I look down the economic ladder, I begin to realize just how rich I really am. I realize that I can afford to be far more generous than I have been. It begins to sow in my soul seeds of contentment rather than envy, gratitude rather than greed. As those seeds take root, they change my perspective, my thoughts, my actions, and my beliefs. Then, I might just be making some progress toward spiritual maturity.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

Chapter-a-Day

Dirge for the “Indispensable”

Leave a comment

Dirge for the “Indispensable” (CaD Ezk 27) – Wayfarer

“‘The merchants among the nations scoff at you;
    you have come to a horrible end
    and will be no more.’”
Ezekiel 27:36 (NIV)

Just a week or so ago, the United States was threatened with a strike by the longshoremen’s union which controls all of the ports around our nation’s coasts. The strike was quickly postponed while sides negotiate a settlement, but it did give a hint of how badly a strike could cripple supply lines and the availability of products across the nation. Union leaders bragged at their power to cripple the nation and bring us to our knees:

“I will cripple you and you have no idea what that means...First week, it will be all over the news — boom, boom, boom. Second week, guys who sell cars can’t sell cars because the cars ain’t coming in off the ships. They get laid off. Third week, malls start closing down. They can’t get the goods from China. They can’t sell clothes. They can’t do this. Everything in the United States comes on on a ship. They go out of business. Construction workers get laid off because the materials aren’t coming . The steel i s not coming in. The lumber is not coming in. They lose their jobs.”
Harold Daggett as quoted by Quartz

The ancient nation of Tyre had a similar hubris. Because of their location on the Mediterranean, they were an essential trade port at the gateway to Mesopotamia. They did business with everyone and their trade ships went everywhere. Scholars argue that the King of Tyre was actually limited in power because Tyre had a cabal of powerful, wealthy oligarchs who wielded power in incense-filled rooms behind the throne. Tyre bragged of its beauty, its power, and its wealth. They believed themselves and their trade indispensable to the nations and therefore believed themselves untouchable.

Enter the prophet Ezekiel.

Today’s chapter is actually the lyrics to another funeral dirge. He used this same metaphorical device back in chapter 19 to lament the princes of Israel. This time, Ezekiel pens a City Lament. City Laments were a popular literary genre in ancient Mesopotamia. When a city was destroyed along with the temple of its patron deity, a City Lament would be written describing the siege, the destruction, along with an appeal for repentance and protection from the “council of gods” that will allow the city to be rebuilt.

Ezekiel writes a funeral dirge and City Lament for the nation of Tyre while she sat very much alive, fat, and sassy on the coast. Ezekiel’s contemporaries would probably have considered the dirge a bit of insane hubris on Ezekiel’s part to pen the song. No one believed that they would be touched. Their trade was too essential to too many national economies.

But as the Proverb says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Tyre would fall just as Ezekiel pronounced.

In the quiet this morning, I find myself reflecting on a funeral that Wendy and I attended yesterday for a friend and colleague. It was one of those sudden and unexpected deaths. He just retired and had all of his golden years ahead of him. He seemed to be in great health. Then came a shocking diagnosis followed by a tragically rapid descent.

I have observed along my life journey that individuals’ hearts and minds tend to be more open to matters of the Spirit when there’s a dead body in the room.

Ezekiel’s lament was a warning to Tyre, but it’s really a warning to me, too. I don’t know what will happen today or tomorrow, of if I even have a tomorrow on this earth. It is hubris and human pride to assume differently.

I enter this day with the lyrics of another ancient song, penned by Moses, rattling around in my soul:

“Teach us to number our days, that we might gain a heart of wisdom.”

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

Chapter-a-Day

Clashing Kingdoms

Leave a comment

Clashing Kingdoms (CaD Acts 12) – Wayfarer

It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.
Acts 12:1 (NIV)

The name Herod appears in various places through both the stories of Jesus as well as the record of the early Jesus Movement in Acts. The name Herod, however, refers to different members of the same royal dynasty who ruled under the authority of Rome.

When Jesus was born, it was Herod the Great who sat on the throne. After his death, the kingdom was divided into three parts, each ruled by Herod’s sons. It was Herod Antipas who had John the Baptist beheaded and participated in Jesus’ trials. Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great, was made king by Caligula and is the Herod referenced in today’s chapter.

A dynasty does not happen without knowing how to rule the masses and manage the chess game of politics. This is especially true under the ever-shifting political winds from Rome, who demanded, above all else, that order be maintained across the Empire. The Herods were masters at the game of thrones and were absolutely ruthless in gaining and maintaining power. Jesus referred to Herod Antipas as a fox.

In Judea, especially in Jerusalem, the Herods had to manage a tricky relationship with the Jewish rulers who managed the Temple. Herod’s palace overlooked the Temple. It was Herod who paid for the Temple’s renovation and it was referred to as Herod’s Temple. The Herods pretended to be Jews for political reasons, but no one really believed there was real devotion there. The relationship between the Herods and the Jewish leaders was purely about power and money.

In today’s chapter, Herod Agrippa has James the brother of John, and one of the Twelve executed. Luke doesn’t record James’ offense (not that he needed one) but his intention was to persecute the pesky, growing Jewish sect that had been a thorn in the side of the Jewish leaders. Of course, politics is all about leverage and influence, so when Herod realized he’d scored some political points and there was more to be had, he had Peter arrested, as well.

On a grand level, the Jesus story and the Jesus Movement are about bringing the Kingdom of God to earth, and then into the world. There is inherent conflict on this grand scale because the “kingdoms of this world“ are about power, wealth, and pride and are under the dominion of the evil one, whom the Great Story refers to as the “Prince of this World.” The Kingdom of God is about humility, sacrificial love, and service.

Along my life journey, I’ve observed that religion can be as much a Kingdom of this World as any civic or commercial authority. It was precisely this reality that Jesus criticized in the Jewish establishment. It was because the Jewish authorities were operating as a kingdom of this world that they found it necessary to have Jesus killed, Stephen stoned, James beheaded, and Peter arrested. The further I get in my journey, the more wary I become of religious establishments that operate as earthly kingdoms and the more passionate I’ve become about living out the Kingdom of God without the labels of any establishment.

In the quiet this morning, it seems to me that God worked powerfully and miraculously in and through the early Jesus Movement because it was small, weak, humble, and focused on being the kingdom of God. As a disciple of Jesus, I want to follow that example.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.