Tag Archives: Submission

Chapter-a-Day

Earthly Kingdoms

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Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!
Matthew 23:32 (NIV)

The eyes of the world have shifted to Rome in recent weeks. Tomorrow, the Vatican’s College of Cardinals will begin their conclave to elect a new pope to succeed Pope Francis I. In my humble opinion, the Roman Catholic church is, in many ways, successor to the religious earthly kingdom that Jesus faced off against in His final days. The College of Cardinals in their fine robes and red hats will convene in all their pomp under the priceless artwork of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel to hold their secret election.

Make no mistake, it is an earthly kingdom. The Roman Catholic church is the largest land owner in the world. The Vatican is its own nation. In recent weeks I read of one Catholic bishop who spoke out about the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment and the need to minister to the world’s immigrants and refugees. In the next sentence he decried the fact that the Roman Catholic church does not have the funds to do so and requires the generosity of others to the support the efforts. That said, the Roman church is the owner of countless priceless works of art. The Vatican bank has billions in assets. Then there is all that land it owns.

It seems to me that the hypocrisy of the religious kingdom of the high priests and Pharisees in today’s chapter is an apt description of the Vatican kingdom.

That said, in today’s chapter Jesus concedes that the ones He criticizes “sit in Moses seat.” He begins His critical diatribe by telling His followers to submit to their authority. It is a similar conundrum when Paul tells the believers in Rome to submit to all governmental authority (Rom 13:1-7) when it is that same authority who will imprison Paul and chop off his head. Being a citizen of the eternal Kingdom of God while living this life of temporal earthly exile creates such fascinating and complex realities.

I continued meditate on the events of today’s chapter with the wide-angle lens I used in yesterday’s chapter when Jesus crushed His debate opponents, the pompous religious power brokers of the Temple in Jerusalem, 5-0 and left them licking their wounds of humiliation back in the locker room. Jesus now turns to the crowd and lets loose with a message of seven woes of criticism for the Temple religious leaders.

The most powerful of his opponents were not present, but his opponents and their political minions were as prevalent as priests and nuns in the Vatican. In the crowd were political spies. It was also true that within the powerful party of Pharisees were some who were loyal to Jesus like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Perhaps they remained when their colleagues retreated to the locker room.

The seventh and final woe in Jesus complete list of hypocrisies is the fact that is was His opponents forebears who had martyred God’s righteous and His prophets “from Abel to Zechariah” which is like when I write “from Genesis to Revelation.” Jesus is once again making a huge and sweeping historical generalization. This religious system that is supposed to be God’s representatives on Earth, will instead execute God’s own Son. Jesus knows it is coming. He tells His opponents to “complete what your ancestors started.” He then foreshadows that the killing will not end with Him. They will execute the apostles, prophets, sages, and teachers that He will send to them after His ascension. His opponents will hunt them down and execute them, as well. The book of Acts bears witness to the veracity of Jesus’ prophetic words.

In the quiet this morning, I find myself once again pondering the complexity and conundrums of being a disciple of Jesus, a citizen and ambassador of God’s eternal Kingdom in this fallen world under the dominion of the condemned but very present Prince of this World. The realities Jesus faced in the conflicts of the final week of His earthly journey are still very real, still very present in our current human realities.

I am subject to corrupt human authorities in many different human systems from family, to religion, to government. My role as a disciple of Jesus and ambassador of heaven is to do the very thing Jesus told His followers in today’s chapter:

“So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do.”

I don’t control large, complex human systems of government and religion, though I have tremendous influence on the small human systems of family, business, and local community. My role is to follow Jesus’ example in my circles of influence, cultivating and bearing the fruit of God’s Spirit in my daily words, actions, and relationships. As I do this, I mindfully pray for leaders, representatives, and a College of Cardinals in Rome. May they also be mindful of being fruitful disciples of Jesus in their much more powerful and influential circles of influence.

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

King, or Not?

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King, or Not? (CaD Jud 8) – Wayfarer

The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.”
Judges 8:22-23 (NIV)

The book of Judges tells the story of a very specific period of Hebrew history. I have found that understanding the context of this period of time is important in understanding the overarching Great Story. These twelve Hebrew tribes that settled in the Promised Land were a populous nation with no formal central government. Think of the contiguous United States as if each state were a tribe and there was no Federal government in Washington D.C. All around them, cities and small regions were ruled by the strong, central authority of monarchs, or kings. The Hebrews saw themselves as a theocracy, in which God was ultimately who led them and whom they served. This system had its challenges, which is what the book of Judges is all about. It sets the stage for the next chapter of the Great Story in which the Hebrew people will demand the establishment of a monarchy.

In today’s chapter, Gideon completes his military leadership in the defeat of the Midianites who had oppressed them. As a result, the people offer Gideon the opportunity to be their king. Gideon refuses, reminding the people that God alone rules over them. On the surface, Gideon appears to be saying the right thing, but the verses immediately following this proclamation (24-32) describe Gideon doing the exact opposite.

Gideon refuses to become king, but he embraces all of the privileges that a monarch would have claimed in that day. He takes a personal share of the spoil for himself. He creates a trophy commemorating his victory that the people worship in a cult-like fashion. He takes on a large harem and has many sons, one of them named Abimelek, meaning “my father is king.”

In the quiet this morning, I find myself thinking about who rules over me. In the early Jesus Movement, followers of Jesus found themselves in difficult political circumstances. Their local governments were puppets of the Roman Empire. The Roman caesars claimed to be gods, but the followers of Jesus saw themselves, ultimately, as citizens of God’s Kingdom and ambassadors of that kingdom on earth.

In my mind, however, it becomes even more personal than that. In Gideon, I see a reflection of my own natural bent. As a disciple of Jesus, I am quick to say that I am not King or Lord of my life, but only Jesus is King and Lord of my life. However, I have to ask myself: “What do my thoughts, words, and actions reveal about the true Lord of my life?”

On this Monday morning, as I enter another work week, I find myself thinking about my life, my relationships, my work, my upcoming appointments, and my multiple task lists. I’m asking myself both what and who I am ultimately working for.

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

Chapter-a-Day

The Nehemiah Two-Step

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They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
Nehemiah 4:8-9 (NIV)

This life journey always comes with a certain amount of opposition. It can come from any number of sources, and it can take multiple forms. Opposition can be spiritual, emotional, relational, physical, personal, internal, public, subversive, passive, violent, and etc. We all face opposition, conflict, and threats from time to time, even if it is in relatively small ways.

In today’s chapter, the exiles attempting to repair the walls of Jerusalem encounter opposition from the neighboring tribes. Conflict with these tribes and towns had been part of the political landscape of the area for centuries, so it was not a surprise. It was expected.

I found it fascinating that Nehemiah records a “two-step” response to the threats. I think the “Nehemiah Two-Step” is a great move to know when I find myself dancing with the fires of opposition in any form that the antagonistic force might present itself. The first step was to pray. The second step was to respond with the appropriate action.

Along my life journey, I’ve experienced many times when I get this very simple dance move wrong:

  • I pray without responding with action. In hindsight, I realize that sometimes I have placed all the responsibility on God with the expectations that He will supernaturally make it all okay without me being responsible for doing my part.
  • I act without praying. Other times, a threat or attack comes and it elicits from me an immediate reaction. When I react without praying, I’ve come to realize that I have refused to seek, submit, and subscribe to my higher authority. My reactions are often raging but not rational, passionate but not prudent, willful but not wise.
  • I act before I pray. When I get the order wrong, I find myself determining the response I think is warranted and then ask God to honor my plan rather than honoring God to seek His plan for how I should respond.

In the quiet this morning, as I pondered these things, I was reminded of this quote:

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”

Albert Einstein

The great scientist’s words have always reminded me that no matter what I set out to accomplish, I can expect opposition. And, it’s likely that the greater endeavor I attempt, the greater opposition I’m likely to face.

From a spiritual perspective, God’s Message continually reminds me of the same thing. Specifically, that spiritual opposition is always a threat:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

I Peter 5:8 (NIV)

I long ago recognized that the time I spend, first thing in the morning, in quiet reading, writing, and contemplation has a positive effect on the rest of my day. It’s another form of the “Nehemiah two-step.” Pray, then act.

So, now I’ve prayed. It’s time to take action on today’s task list.

Have a great day, my friend.

Chapter-a-Day

“Be Strong, Act Like a Man”

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Conversation on the deck over wine and cheese before dinner.
Conversation on the deck over wine and cheese before dinner.

“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man….”
1 Kings 2:2 (NIV)

Over this past weekend Wendy and I enjoyed deep conversation with our friends. While the discussion ran the gamut from soup to nuts, there was definitely a recurring theme around families and relationships. As conversation meandered through hours of conversation, I noticed a recurring theme of men who had been the source of pain in their marriages and families:

  • The man who lives life to eat, drink, and be merry, but refuses to go deep with his friends, his wife, or his children.
  • The man who is relationally A.W.O.L. while physically present.
  • The man who twists and contorts the Biblical concept of submission into self-centered justification for being an ass to his wife and family.
  • The man who acts like a selfish child when his wife and children need him to step up and be a man.
  • The man who simply chooses out of relationship.
  • The man who caused generations of trouble by refusing to accept an adopted granddaughter as his own.
  • The man who simply walked away at conception.

This morning as I read David’s charge to Solomon to “be strong, act like a man” I was reminded of all of these personal illustrations from the weekend. It saddens me the soul wounds inflicted by men who don’t have a clue what it means to be a man. It saddens me that our culture seems to have, by-and-large, lost the art of raising boys into manhood.

Today, I am praying for the boys and young men who are in my spheres of influence. I am praying for my role as a friend, a mentor, a role model and a guide.