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A Shocking Invitation!

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A SHOCKING INVITATION!

Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to Him, and He began to teach them. As He walked along, He saw Levi son of Alpheus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed Him. (Mark 2:13-14).

What a shock for Matthew alias Levi to hear the words of Jesus, ‘Follow me’! Rabbis just didn’t invite tax collectors to become disciples. That was for the ‘holy’ ones who spent their lives studying and debating all the thorny issues of the Torah, not for tax collectors who spent their time fleecing the local inhabitants for their Roman overlords, and a bit for themselves on the side. Tax collectors definitely did not fit into that category.

What was Jesus thinking? After all, wasn’t He a rabbi with authority? He should have known that the place to go to look for disciples was not the lake where men fished for a living or the tax collector’s booth where “crooked” guys did the dirty work for the Romans. He should have gone for the “respectable” ones who didn’t dirty their hands with dead fish or money.

What Jesus did put a whole new slant on who was eligible to be a disciple. The “acceptable” ones were the ones who gave themselves to the study of the sacred writings. They were supported financially from the offerings of the people. The really shrewd ones got in with the Romans and were paid handsomely for keeping the people in check. It was a good life, particularly because they were held in honour by the common people.

Jesus broke the mould – He coloured in outside the lines. He chose people from the working class who had no qualification to be disciples. He chose a man of questionable character and reputation. Levi! Everyone in the neighbourhood knew where his wealth and his grand home came from. Imagine the contempt of the religious boffins when this motley crew trailed after Him.

What was Jesus doing? Firstly, He was making a bold statement. He was not looking for “worthy” ones but willing ones. He could work with them. Secondly, He was not looking for educated ones but for ignorant ones. He could teach them. Thirdly, He was looking not looking for the “righteous” who didn’t need Him.  He was looking for those who were lost and broken. He could make them new and then send them out with the message of mercy and grace to the rest of the world that was lost and broken.

Just as surprising as Jesus’ invitation was to a despised tax collector, so surprising was his response. It’s almost as though he were waiting for this moment. Nothing stopped him from walking away from his old life without looking back and joining the fishermen who were already attached to Jesus.

When we look at the situation from Jesus’ point of view, how could He be so sure that He was choosing the right guys? These men had to live with each other as well as with Him. How could a tax collector jell with fishermen? And there were still others who had to join the group. And they didn’t have a say about who was in and who was out. It was Jesus’ decision, not theirs. They had to put up with each other, like it or not.

Perhaps this was part of Jesus’ strategy. After all, these men were the beginnings of the church, and no one got to choose who would be part of the group of people who made up this new society. All colours, cultures, languages and ethnic groups would be blended together to become one in a mix that had no explanation outside of the grace of God.

Many people can’t even live together in harmony in their own families. How could this variegated group ever hope to live together as one big family? This was part of the miraculous outcome of the gospel – the “good news” that the kingdom of God was among them. It was through the gospel that people’s hearts and focus were changed from self-centredness and greed to selfless service and sacrifice. The Holy Spirit did that.

All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need (Acts 2: 44-45).

Really! They did that? Amazing!

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my new book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (copyright 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

Available on www.amazon.com or www.kalahari.com in paperback, e-book or kindle format, or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

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Opportunistic Faith

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OPPORTUNISTIC FAITH 

“The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with His disciples, but that they had gone away alone.

“Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.” John 6:22-24 (NIV).

Strange! How did Jesus get back to Capernaum when there was only one boat and He was not in it when the disciples returned from their impromptu picnic?

They had obviously spent the night in the vicinity so that they could be on site when Jesus reappeared the next morning. They knew He must be there because He stayed on the mountain when the disciples set off across the lake. But He had mysteriously disappeared. They waited in vain for Him. Eventually they returned to Capernaum, using the available boats moored nearby.

“When they found Him on the other side of the lake, they asked Him, ‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’ ” John 6:25 (NIV).

Did He give them the slip in the night and walk back to Capernaum? It would have been a long overnight walk and He certainly would have been too tired to be up early and about His business again. They were curious to know how He had returned without a boat, but He didn’t answer them. He was not obliged to satisfy their curiosity. His response went straight to the point.

“Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs performed but because you ate the bread and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.’ “ John 6:26, 27 (NIV).

These people were opportunists, and Jesus saw right through them. He ripped the cover off the most heinous of all motives for following Him, self-interest.

The book of Job, the most ancient of all the Old Testament writings, explores this “factory fault” in the make-up of all fallen human beings. Behind the scenes and unknown to Job, God boasted to the devil of Job’s righteousness. ‘Only because you mollycoddle him!’ the devil shot back. ‘Touch the possessions you have lavished on him and he’ll turn on you,’ he challenged. ‘Okay,’ the Lord replied, ‘You can take away everything he has but you can’t touch him.’

Satan let rip on Job and mercilessly stripped him of everything, including his children. In the midst of his devastation, he responded with humble submission to the will of God. ‘What about his health?’ the devil hissed. Again God agreed to let him afflict his body but not to take his life. ‘Then we’ll see what happens,’ He confidently declared.

Job was bewildered by this sudden turn of events but, in spite of his grief and confusion, he was still determined to trust God. Not even anger and accusation could bring him to “curse God and die” as his wife suggested. The process to understanding was painful, but Job passed the test. He was not as concerned about his loss as he was about God’s silence. He felt that God was angry with him and he could not understand why.

How tragic that we so often, with the whole Bible at our disposal and the Holy Spirit within us to interpret it, have fallen for the devil’s lie that salvation is all about us and that God is here to serve us. When things go wrong, many of God’s people turn on Him and demand an explanation.

This attitude undermines the very foundation of what God did for us in Christ. His love was the motive, not our need or even our worth yet often our attitude exposes our hearts. We think that God owes it to us. “Why me, God? What have I done to deserve this?” Job’s heart was right and he passed the test, even though he knew nothing of the reason for it.

Can God have the same confidence in you, that “though He slay you, yet will you trust in Him? “Or are you in it for what you can get out of it?

We Can Trust Him!

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WE CAN TRUST HIM! 

“When evening came, His disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. But He said to them, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.’ Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.” John 6:16-21 (NIV).

“With Jesus in the boat…!” How often have you heard that message preached?

Why did John include this incident in his story? Remember that he was giving evidence that Jesus is the Son of God so that his readers would believe in Him. Every incident was a sign that His claims were true because His miracles authenticated who He claimed to be. Every sign pointed to some aspect of His person and work as the Messiah that gave clarity to what He came to do.

Mark added a detail to his account of this incident that makes it spring to life. “He was about to pass by them, but when they saw Him walking on the lake, they thought He was a ghost…” Mark 6:48c (NIV). If Jesus was walking on the water to go to them, why would He want to pass by them? It makes no sense unless there is something more to His intention than meets the eye.

We have to look for the use of this phrase somewhere else in Scripture to capture its meaning.

In Exodus 34, in response to Moses’ request, God was about to reveal His name to him. He had instructed him to bring another two stone tablets with him up the mountain because Moses had smashed the first two tablets in his anger against his people. While he had been up the mountain with God, they had got Aaron to make them a calf-god out of gold which they were worshipping with undignified frenzy when he returned.

God promised to hide him in a crevice in a rock and reveal His name to him. “Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed His name, the Lord.

“And He passed by in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness…’ ” Exodus 34:5, 6 (NIV).

Would His disciples have got the message? If they understood their Scriptures, they would surely have realized what Jesus was doing. He was making a very bold move to reproduce what He had done on Mount Sinai many centuries before, to reassure them that it was okay to trust Him because He was no phoney. A sign like that would have added to the weight of evidence they already had to convince them of His identity.

The outcome was equally startling. The moment He stepped into the boat, they arrived at their destination. We could, of course, argue that they were so taken up with watching Him walk on the rough water that they did not notice how near they were to the shore. That could be true but John made a point of reporting that His presence in the boat contributed to their speedy and safe arrival back at Capernaum.

“Passing by” seems to be a euphemism for revealing Himself to His people; God to Moses on the mountain and Jesus to His disciples on the lake. He was not abandoning them but alerting them to the deep truth He wanted them to be sure about. Just as it was God on the mountain reassuring Moses that, in spite of His people’s rebellion and failure to believe in Him, He was still the gracious and compassionate God who would forgive them and reinstate them as His covenant people, so also Jesus, on the lake, was reassuring His disciples that He was God; that He was with them and would graciously forgive and receive His people if they would put their trust in Him.

Their fear turned to relief when they realized who He was and they gladly assisted Him into the boat. The stormy lake lost its terror for them and, before they knew it, the boat scraped the shore and they were home, safe and sound after a very eventful day.

Jesus was slowly building a case for who He was. The disciples still wavered and doubted until the resurrection. From that moment on, nothing could shake their confidence in Him as their Lord and God.  With the same power of the Holy Spirit in them that had energized Him, they set out to turn the world upside down. But it took them a long time to get there.

We are also on a faith journey. Every incident in which Jesus is “passing by” strengthens and reassures us that He is who He said He is and we can trust Him.

Speak To Your Storm!

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SPEAK TO YOUR STORM!

“One day He and His disciples got in a boat. ‘Let’s cross the lake,’ He said. And off they went. It was smooth sailing, and He fell asleep. A terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were about to capsize. They woke Jesus: ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ Getting to His feet, He told the wind, ‘Silence!’ and waves, ‘Quiet down!’ They did it. The lake became smooth as glass.

“Then He said to His disciples, ‘Why can’t you trust me?’ They were in absolute awe, staggered and stammering, “Who is this, anyway? He calls out to the winds and sea, and they do what He tells them!” Luke 8:22-25 (The Message).

So many interpretations to this story! Some think that this was a demonically inspired storm sent to drown Jesus and His men because they were on a mission to set a demon-possessed man free. Perhaps! But why not a perfectly natural phenomenon that happened all the time because of the geography of the region? Could it be that this storm was regulated and perfectly timed by the Father to expose what was in the hearts of the disciples?

So many lessons in this story! The way we understand it depends on perspective.

From the disciples’ perspective, they were in terrible danger. Jesus was asleep and out of the picture and, if He didn’t wake up, they were finished. They screamed out in terror, not really believing that He could do anything, but needing Him to be aware of what was going on anyway. They were victims of the circumstances and they were powerless to change them. Fear drove out all their confidence in Jesus and paralysed their sane thinking. They had not yet learned to use the power of the Word to save the day.

 

Jesus, on the other hand, was perfectly at rest, fast asleep, storm or no storm! He had been given a commission to go to the other side of the lake. There was someone there who needed Him and the storm was no deterrent. No doubt He was acting in obedience to the Father. Whatever stood in His way would be brushed aside as of no consequence.

Unlike His disciples, Jesus was never controlled by circumstances. If circumstances were the controlling factor, His life would have been a roller coaster ride and who knows where it would have ended? He was in intimate contact with His Father and took His instructions from Him. Like Peter, when Jesus invited him to walk on the water, Jesus walked on the Word of God. His perspective was always the kingdom of God, God’s rule, God’s instructions and God’s way.

Jesus also used circumstances to reveal His Father’s power and glory. Whatever obstacles stood in the way of restoring wholeness in any situation, Jesus spoke, the obstacle was removed and those present caught another glimpse of the true nature of the Father.

The death of Lazarus, Jesus’ friend, was one such incident. Jesus was not fazed when He received the news of Lazarus’ illness. “When He heard this, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.'” John 11:4 (NIV).

God’s Word is powerful, not matter from whose mouth it is spoken. The disciples eventually learned this lesson. The book of Acts is full of incidents where the power of the spoken Word of God changed situations for them. Disease, demons and even death fled when they spoke to them, just as Jesus had done when He was with them in the flesh.

How sad that so many of us believers don’t really believe this. We rehearse our woes and even pray them to God instead of confidently speaking out what God has spoken. Jesus’ rebuke is equally true of many of us, ‘Why don’t you trust me?’ Jesus is Lord over all things, even wind and weather.

Speak to your storm! It must obey.

The Magic Storyteller!

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THE MAGIC STORYTELLER

“Once when He was standing on the shore of Lake Genessaret, the crowd was pushing in on Him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon’s and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, He taught the crowd.

“When He finished teaching, He said to Simon, ‘Push out into the deep water and let your nets out for a catch.’ Simon said, ‘Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.’ It was no sooner said than done — a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners to come and help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.” Luke 5:1-7 (The Message).

Jesus was still alone. According to Luke, He had not yet chosen any disciples to train as a rabbi would do. He was an itinerant teacher, a very popular one, judging by the crowds He drew, so much so that He had to use a boat as a pulpit to save Himself from being pushed right into the lake!

This was one of those occasions. He was apparently still in the vicinity of Capernaum, a town near the Sea of Galilee or another one of the lakeside towns. The people were enthralled by His message — not anything like the teachings of other rabbis who came and went.

What was He saying? What was so fascinating to them? Was it just what He said or was it the miracles He did that drew them? Probably both, but on this occasion His words were magic to them. Jesus was a master story-teller. He needed to be because His audience was a group of simple village folk. What He was communicating to them wasn’t common-and-garden everyday stuff. He was talking about mysteries too deep for them to understand.

Jesus was always about the kingdom of God. He was introducing them to a way of life that was totally foreign to them, like “turning the other cheek” and “going the second mile” and farmers sowing seed, and shepherds hunting for lost sheep. He told a story for every situation and they were trying to piece it all together. They didn’t want to miss a single story in case their puzzle was incomplete.

 

The kingdom of God is like a diamond. How does one describe a diamond to someone who has never seen one? Like two blind men trying to describe an elephant! It’s like this. No, it’s like that. So many facets! The only way He could get the truth across was by telling many stories. It all makes sense to us now — or does it? But for those people then it was a mystery and they wanted to hear more.

What do you make of the incident of the big catch? Why did Jesus do that? Was He concerned because the fishermen were going home empty after a whole night of fishing? Was He showing them something; telling them something? If you read on, it doesn’t seem to be about lost income because they abandoned their catch to follow Him.

How do we interpret the miracle of the huge catch? Did Jesus see them there and simply redirect the fishermen? Is that possible when He sent them to the deep water away from the shore? I think there is a much simpler explanation than that. Like all nature, the fish obeyed Jesus’ word. Remember the wind and the waves? When He spoke, they all gathered at the right spot to be swept up into the fishermen’s nets.

Why did He do that? Was He just “showing off”? I don’t think so. That was not His way. If His followers were to continue His ministry after He left, they had to be absolutely sure of who He was. That was the crucial question He asked them after they had followed him for a while. “Who do you say that I am?” If nature obeyed Him, so should they.