Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking about his exodus, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep, but as they awoke they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us set up three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not realizing what he was saying. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Luke 9:28-36

This story has an air of mystery that’s more than just, “you had to be there.” The disciples were there and they didn’t know what to think about it either. We see the way Peter just starts saying things because he doesn’t know what else to say. This wasn’t an everyday experience just because they had proximity to Jesus. It was extraordinary even for them.

Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus in this transfiguration experience. These were two great men from Israel’s history, but there’s more to why they’re present than just name recognition. The work of Jesus is similar to that of Moses and Elijah, but Jesus is doing something greater. 

Moses brings the people to freedom

Similar to Jesus, Moses was born within a context where he escaped execution at birth. Moses was saved from that decree by his family and he was raised by Egyptian royalty. He later led Israel’s exodus from Egypt. This is the great story of salvation, the rescue of God’s chosen people from oppression and enslavement. This story encourages us to remember that God sees our oppression, God’s cares, and is powerful to save. The annual Passover meal remembers and celebrates this Exodus. 

In preparation for the exodus, the people of Israel were to remain awake and alert. When it was time to leave they passed through the Red Sea into freedom. God performed miracles through Moses to lead the Israelites out of their oppression. This escape was something they weren’t capable of doing on their own.

The people traveled through the desert, and then Moses had the responsibility to teach them God’s law. This was another experience that took place on a mountain. Later Moses led them in building a tabernacle so that the people would have a place to worship God. When it was ready, the spirit of God’s presence would come down into the tabernacle when they worshiped. The faithfulness of Moses made it possible for the people to know what God wanted them to do.

The saving work of Jesus 

Moses is present in this transfiguration event. He’s talking to Jesus, who has come to do the redemptive work of God. Similar to the Egyptian enslavement, sin enslaves humanity. In a new kind of exodus, Jesus leads people out of the slavery of sin and death. He leads people home to their promised inheritance—the new, redeemed creation.

The sacrifice of Jesus brought the possibility of new life to humanity. In his work on the cross, Jesus defeats evil and offers us freedom that we receive by grace alone. We can’t become holy just by imitating the life of Jesus. Jesus saves us through his perfect life, his death, and resurrection. He creates a miraculous path to God that we could never walk on our own. 

Now instead of sending his spirit into a tabernacle, God sends his spirit to be with everyone who follows him. Instead of writing God’s law on stone, God writes his law on our hearts, through the transformative work of the spirit. 

Elijah opposed the powerful

Elijah was a prophet that lived at a time when the people were not following God. He spoke to the people about what God wanted and confronted people who were doing evil things. His life was often in danger because the king of Israel didn’t like Elijah’s message of repentance. 

We find one of the well known stories about Elijah in 1 Kings 18. In this text, Elijah challenges the prophets of Ba’al to see whose god is most powerful. After they try and fail, Elijah calls down fire from heaven to consume his offering for God. This story portrays God’s power and it left an impression on the people of Israel.

The belief about Elijah is that he was the one who would announce the coming of the Messiah. He would usher in the end of time when God brings peace to the earth. Elijah was the prophet who would one day turn people’s hearts back to God.

Jesus leads with mercy

Jesus acknowledged these understandings about Elijah and took it a step further when he compared John the Baptist to Elijah. John the Baptist proclaimed the ministry of Jesus and he was living a prophet’s life. This understanding of Elijah’s role was fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist. Unlike the life and message of Elijah, the teachings of Jesus often speak of mercy, rather than the swift and lethal judgment that we see in Elijah’s confrontations. Over and over we see how the people following Jesus had a hard time grasping this message of mercy. 

In Luke 9:51-56, shortly after this transfiguration experience, James and John asked Jesus if they could call down fire from heaven. Maybe the disciples thought of this because they had just seen Elijah on the mountain. Maybe that experience reminded them of Elijah’s way of addressing opposition. They might have assumed Jesus was going to overturn their oppressive government in a similar way that Elijah opposed the government of his day. Jesus made it clear to James and John that they should not kill the people who oppose them. 

Meeting God on a mountain

Through the scriptures and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we have more access to God than the prophets. Moses and Elijah both had experiences with God on a mountain. Moses asked to see God’s face when he was receiving the ten commandments. God told him no, nobody could see God’s face and live. But God did let Moses see a glimpse of his back. He passed by the rock where Moses was sitting while he waited for the commandments. This encounter had a physical effect on Moses. When he finally came down from the mountain, his face was shining so bright the people couldn’t look at him. 

After Elijah challenged the priests of Ba’al, he ran in fear and hid on a mountain. The king and queen were killing the prophets and now they were after him. Elijah was sure he was going to die and asked to hear from God. He waited and listened. God wasn’t in the storm, the earthquake, or the wind. Then there was a silence and that is when Elijah heard from God. 

In this story, the three disciples get to witness a conversation between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. The three are transfigured before the disciple’s eyes and their appearance was dazzlingly bright. Peter starts to speak up out of fear, but God’s voice breaks through and says, “…this is my son, listen to him.” Peter didn’t know what to say, this whole experience was probably overwhelming.

Living in the presence of God

It can be easy to read this story and wish we had such an encounter. Maybe life’s difficulties would be easier to navigate if we could witness something so miraculous first-hand. We have to remember we have more than a first-hand experience. We have the benefit of reading these Gospels with more information about what’s going on. Through these scriptures, we get a more detailed message than Moses or Elijah had. More importantly, we have the Holy Spirit to counsel and guide us.

In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul talks about how we have greater access to God. That should encourage us because God’s power and strength are as close as the Holy Spirit in our lives. Paul writes about this to encourage the church in Corinth.

Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stone tablets, came in glory so that the people of Israel could not gaze at Moses’ face because of the glory of his face, a glory now set aside, how much more will the ministry of the Spirit come in glory? 
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:7-8, 12-13, 17-18

Where is the ministry of Jesus surprising you today?

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It’s tempting to focus on the fact that Jesus is rejected by his hometown. These people knew him growing up and they’re having trouble seeing him as anything other than the carpenter’s son. This is a relatable experience. Many of us surpassed the expectations people had for us. Focusing on this part of the story is valid, but it’s low-hanging fruit. Surpassed expectations don’t cause a whole group of people to suddenly become so enraged that they try to throw one of their own off a cliff. There’s more to it than that. 

Jesus edits out vengeance

Jesus challenges their understanding of how God will deal with their enemies. We can see this in the text he chose and where he stops reading. The text he read continues on to say, “and the day of vengeance of our God.” Jesus, who was led by the Holy Spirit, stops reading mid-sentence before the text talks about God’s vengeance. This edit is an interesting commentary by itself. Not only were the scriptures full of vengeance against enemies, but the crowd Jesus was speaking to also had real enemies who were causing pain and suffering. People likely consoled themselves with the parts of Scripture that talk about vengeance. The way Jesus intentionally left this part out probably felt like a personal correction.

As people start to murmur and the conversation heats up, Jesus cuts to the point. He talks about events in their history when God helped people of other nations over their own. He mentions the healing of Naaman, a military official who had invaded Israel and took one of their women as his wife. Elisha healed this man instead of one of the many lepers in Israel. The underlying idea here is that God responds to everyone and is welcoming of everyone who calls out to God. People of all times and places have tried to gatekeep God’s acceptance, who can speak about God, or what those messages are supposed to say. Jesus uses their own history to illustrate the fact that God does not obey gatekeeping. God will do what God will do. 

Jesus and the gatekeepers

Jesus tells them his mission through his choice of Scripture. He reads a description of the messiah and what the messiah will do—prioritize the marginalized people. Marginalized people were not part of the hierarchical structure and they were not important. Some saw their marginalization as an indicator of sin–meaning their situation was their own fault. 

This crowd, probably every religious person at this time, had beliefs about who the messiah would be and what he would do. They probably assumed they knew who would be rewarded for their faith (them). Jesus claims to be the messiah and tells them who he is called to minister to (the poor and marginalized). Jesus is crushing beliefs that this crowd held dear. This is where the energy to throw him off a cliff is coming from. 

The gatekeepers have the power and influence to decide who’s in or out. You don’t need much power. Jesus isn’t talking to members of the Roman government here, this is just a group of men in his hometown. In that context, they were the people with power. The poor and the marginalized don’t have the power to change their place in society. They’re at the mercy of those in power. Jesus is called to minister to the marginalized, to the outsider, this is his priority. Structural power is diluted without helpless and voiceless people. 

Led by the Holy Spirit

This passage tells us that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit. We have access to this same leading, guiding, counseling spirit as we go about our life and ministry. We don’t know if Jesus in his incarnational humanity needed the Spirit to connect him to God’s guidance, or whether he chose to do this to model it for us. Either way, we see hope and instruction here. Hope because there were gatekeepers trying to keep Jesus confined to their expectations. There’s instruction for us here as well. Jesus received his call to ministry when he received the Holy Spirit. We also need to maintain our relationship to God and the Spirit so that we have ears to hear God’s call in our lives, whether or not that call is within a paid ministry job. 

We also see here that God didn’t consult or abide by the gatekeeper’s rules. There might be gatekeepers who tell you your ministry isn’t valid even though you’re sure God has called you. Keep on cultivating that relationship with God and don’t let the gatekeepers deter you.

Who are the gatekeepers in your life? 
How do they wield their power and how does this affect you? 

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Words fall flat in light of this reality. For the few people I know who do have loved ones fighting this virus, I listen more than I talk, and then I don’t offer advice. Then when I’m alone with my thoughts, I reflect on where I find God in all of this. Different days have different reflections, but today is Good Friday. Today I’m thinking about the loneliness Jesus experienced while he was dying.

The Crucifixion in the Gospels

I’ve read the accounts of the crucifixion from all four Gospels today. I looked at the kind of community Jesus had around him as he was dying. Luke and John include details about the few friends or family (mostly women) that stuck around until the end. Luke includes the interaction with the criminal’s belief that day. John includes the conversation where Jesus commissions John to be a son to Mary. Matthew and Mark focus more on the mocking and jeering crowd. These two writers don’t mention family or friends. In these accounts, Jesus even asks God why he’s been forsaken.

I believe dying is inherently lonely for most people. Who can truly know what a person is experiencing physically or emotionally at that point? I’m glad that we have the accounts from Matthew and Mark’s gospels. They make it impossible to focus on side conversations. They don’t allow us to turn away from the trauma.

What Jesus Experienced

There are theological reasons for the crucifixion, which I won’t dive into here. I‘m focusing on the way Jesus, the man, experienced death. As we worry about those we love who are vulnerable, or who may already have this coronavirus, we know that Jesus also cares deeply about them. When we read about the terror of those who are denied a ventilator because their chances of survival are worse than another person who needs that ventilator, we know that Jesus sees them and knows the turmoil they’re experiencing. As we hear about people who have died, we know that Jesus had compassion (suffered with) those people while they were dying.

Jesus was rejected and died alone on that cross. We don’t know what Jesus was experiencing when he asked God why he was forsaken. We know at the very least it was an expression of isolation that Jesus was feeling as he died. Death on a cross usually resulted in death by suffocation, either through the loss of oxygen or because the bodily position made it difficult to breathe. Our current pandemic is bringing people to a cruel end, and Jesus knows what these loved ones are experiencing. The comforter, the Holy Spirit, can meet them in their isolation with the true comfort of one who knows.

Jesus Knows

I hope and pray for a sudden decline in deaths from this virus. Or for the day we have a vaccine, or a greater amount of herd immunity, so that those who are sick can receive care. I look forward to the day when our health care workers can rest and are no longer fearful for their own safety. While we’re in the middle of this, and especially on Good Friday, I’m able to reflect more deeply on the agony of the cross, the hidden emotional aspects of the crucifixion. I’m also reminded that Jesus our savior, is also the God who knows—knows our pain, our fear, and our grief.

What are you experiencing right now? Where do you need comfort today?

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Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Matthew 2:7-12

For many Christians, the the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus has become a character in our “children’s story” version of Christmas. Including a group of astrologers in the story might confuse children. A murderous and paranoid king is even harder to include without scaring the young. However, our edits to the story leave an important ethical lesson on the cutting room floor.

The Use of Power

Herod was known for wielding his power. He overtook the position of king by force in 37 BC. He consolidated his power and arranged for the deaths of close relatives who were in line for the throne. Herod’s rule started by a power grab and was maintained through ruthless protection of his throne. The injustice of his rule was overt and unapologetic.

The visiting magicians had a different kind of power. They were educated in astronomy, astrology, and they seemed to have a basic understanding of the messianic expectation of the Jewish people. They had enough economic power to be able to offer gifts of significant worth. These magi also paid attention to, and knew how to, interpret their own dreams—whether delivered through mystical means, or that they knew how to listen to their intuition. Either way, they rightly knew not to return to Herod.

These magicians didn’t seem to know about Herod’s paranoid volatility when they initially sought out their answers. So when this king demands that they return to him with information, it’s an act of rebellion for them to leave by another way. They used the power they did have to subvert Herod’s power. The magi didn’t have any political power to stop Herod’s massacre of the children. They didn’t have influence to convince Herod to worship Jesus. They did what they could, they worshiped Jesus and then kept the information they had from getting into the wrong hands.

Using the Power You Do Have

There will always be people who claw their way to the top, only to abuse their power. Also, there will always be helpless people who can’t get away quick enough from the unjust effects of tyrannical abuse. Do you find yourself in either of these positions? Or are you in the middle—in the position of having a type of power, like the magi?

There are all kinds of power that fall in the middle of these two extremes. Some have influence, intelligence, specialized education, a needed skillset, sharp intuition, endless compassion, financial resources, or many other ways in which we have a facet of power. The person in this middle ground may not be in a position to convince a tyrant to change his or her mind. That doesn’t mean they’re completely helpless either.

A Challenge to Consider

Let this account of the magi challenge you to consider the way in which you have power. How can you wisely use this power for the benefit of the oppressed? Who are the tyrants in your sphere? It may be a system of networks or it may be a person. How can you subvert evil power through action or inaction? You may not be able to stop whole systems of injustice, but you may play a role in one part of the story of redemption.

Who are the people around you who need help? What do you have that you can offer them?

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I’m not being clever or relevant–this is what’s happening here. The religious leaders find something on which to charge Jesus. It’s clear to Pilate that Jesus is not a threat to the empire. He tries to push this trial off onto the local courts because to try him for treason would mean execution. Jesus and the disciples obviously aren’t making a power grab for anyone’s throne, but since his accusers push for this trial Pilate has no choice but to have Jesus executed.

Experience of Minimum Sentencing

Jesus knows the pain of betrayal and the injustice of a false charge. Here Jesus is identifying with those who are targeted by unjust governmental systems. Pilate wants to give him an “out”. You can be sure that Jesus perceives what he’d need to say to tip the scales in his favor. Jesus doesn’t cooperate with Pilate’s musings about truth. He mostly remains silent and receives an unjust sentence as many before him have received and many after him continue to receive.

Yes, this was part of the redemption plan. However, with Jesus, it’s never just one thing. Jesus very clearly identifies with the oppressed. As I wrote in Defender of the Poor, God does take sides. Sometimes God does this through the hard path of experiencing what the oppressed experience.

Our Justice System isn’t Just

I could talk theoretically about what the oppressed people of the Roman empire experienced, but I don’t want to. Today, in America, we are enslaving people through mass incarceration. The numbers of those in prison are the highest in our history. We even have the highest percentage of our population imprisoned in the world—even the parts of the world that we Americans think of as “third world” and barbaric.

Mandatory minimum sentencing allows injustice to occur against minor offenders, without a villain to blame. We as a society can just shrug and say the defendant should have followed orders better, while they are locked up for the rest of their lives, or buried. You can move on without stopping to question whether the punishment fits the crime. We can do this without asking whether there was even a crime.

I haven’t studied the justice system enough to write about the skewed laws that are built into it. I can’t adequately describe the sociological reasons why African American men and women are incarcerated at higher rates than other races or how this is orchestrated by systemic bias. There are books that describe this problem in depth, including Rethinking Incarceration by Dominique Gilliard. My challenge to you is to inform yourself about this system, which you, as a voter, have the power to change.

Jesus Stands with the Oppressed

This short scene with Pilate can be lost in the whole crucifixion narrative. It’s one small part of the Easter story. It may be small, but it’s a significant story for those who have experienced this kind of oppression. Jesus knows what “legal injustice” feels like.

When you have power (and yes, if you’re an American voter, you do have power) you shouldn’t abdicate your responsibility to be informed when people’s lives are at stake. What will you do about it?

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His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Luke 2:41-52

Luke is characteristically the gospel to the gentiles. In this gospel we find the most detail surrounding the birth of Jesus. We find the most interactions with gentiles, and Luke addresses this writing to Theophilus. Theophilus means lover of God, and could be a person’s name or could be any Greek reader. This backdrop of direction toward the non-Jewish reader is what makes these parallels so interesting to me. I find it interesting because a parallel to Samuel would be recognized more readily by a Jewish reader, so we see that Luke has both cultures in mind as he writes.

Messianic Parallels

In my last post, Rejoice in Answered Prayer, I wrote about the similarities between Mary’s song and Hannah’s song. Mary also included some prophetic phrases in her song from Isaiah. The phrase at the end of this passage (Luke 2:52 ) seems like it’s placed there to grab the attention of those who would be familiar with Samuel.

Hannah brought Samuel to live at the temple as a young boy where he was trained by Eli to be a priest. At some point, Samuel was called to serve God and he received that call. We don’t know much about the childhood of Jesus, so this text is an interesting window into this part of his life. There’s a lot of ordinary life going on here…travel, family, irritation. At the end of this story, I see a nod to Samuel’s call.

Jesus is asking questions of the priests and he’s contributing to the conversation. He has a sense of call to be at the temple. In the Jewish culture, thirteen would be the age when boys would start their apprenticeship for their vocation. For Samuel it was direct—he was dedicated at a young age to learn from Eli. At some point that calling became his own. Jesus also had this calling, but it seems as though this slipped Mary’s mind. Maybe she didn’t fully understand how the angel’s prophecy about Jesus would play out. By the end of this interaction, the oft-repeated phrase that she treasured these things in her heart, shows us that she’s learning what all these things mean. Jesus, like Samuel, is aware of his call and responds.

Send Me

Both Samuel and Jesus were initiated into their new sense of call with uncomfortable conversations. Samuel’s call included dire information about Eli’s sons. They had abused their power and they would die premature deaths. Eli senses something is up and insists Samuel tell him everything. What an intimidating start to Samuel’s call as he tells Eli this dark truth. Jesus responds to his call and is then accused of dishonoring his parents—a serious accusation in an honor / shame culture.

Often the right thing isn’t the easy thing. Sometimes it’s the thing that the people closest to us won’t understand. Reflect on the impact you want to have on the world. Pursue God, think about what moves you, and what disturbs you.

What gives you life? Where do you already make an impact within your community? Where do you instinctively respond, “send me”?

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One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

The Gospel of Mark shows us the perspective of the teachers and religious leaders through this interaction. We can see some of what they thought about Jesus. They’re vetting this grass-roots teacher. Jesus didn’t have the lifelong education and training they had. He didn’t go to seminary, he wasn’t affiliated with a mega-church, and the fringe people in society were drawn to his teaching. The religious leaders needed to check out his theology because their people were listening to Jesus.

Not only was Jesus teaching without their permission, but he often added another layer of thought that implicated the religious leaders somehow. Sometimes he broke the laws found in the Scriptures—evidence for them that something was amiss. Some of the people were supporting him financially. That’s money that should have been given in support of the temple. This blue-collar teacher was only of concern because the crowds loved him. How would the religious leaders get anyone to follow all of the carefully taught laws if this cultural icon was breaking them?

Some of the religious leaders who challenged Jesus were trying to stop him at all costs, but some were sincere. Some were doing their due diligence. As people responsible for the spiritual care of the masses, they wanted to make sure the people weren’t being duped by a false teacher. This interaction is one of those sincere conversations.

A Sincere Vetting

This scribe is testing Jesus on his understanding of the law and is pleased with his answer. The scribe understands the heart of the law, and affirms Jesus. This scribe adds on to the answer Jesus gave, to explain why it was correct. This could easily look like hubris–this scribe is explaining to God why he answered correctly about his own law. If we look at it through the lens of the scribe, he just sees a man teaching crowds, who answered an important question correctly. The scribe wants to make sure Jesus understands his answer.

Here’s where I want to pull on the brakes before we get to the punchline. Let’s flip the conversation around and look at it through the lens of Jesus. You might think you were already doing that if you’re a Christian, but rooting for Jesus is different than being Jesus. We can’t know his lens, but let’s guess at it.

Jesus, as God, is walking among his creation. He’s God incarnate as a human, but still sees everyone he meets as a beloved child, an image bearer of God. The scribes, lawyers, and Pharisees see him as an anomaly or a threat and often oppose him. Like any group, they are made up of individuals who have their own opinion about Jesus. When they question him they have different motives, which Jesus perceived. When this particular scribe questions Jesus, he humbly answers him. Jesus loved him, perceived his sincerity, and gave him a straightforward answer. We see the scribe’s sincerity after he responded.

Don’t Interact on Auto-Pilot

Pause right there. One takeaway from this story is that each interaction you have with people should be a fresh interaction. Certainly, societal groups have similarities among their members, which is why they gravitate towards each other. Some groups should be avoided if they pose a danger. Jesus certainly avoided danger at times. However, once we’re conversing with a single person, we need to remind ourselves to stop thinking in categories and soundbites. We need to listen and engage in the nuances of that conversation. Especially when the person is part of a group in which we don’t belong.

Listen Closely, Respond Honestly

Jesus listened with humility and gave a forthright answer. Even in his corrective at the end where he tells the scribe he’s not far from the kingdom of God, I hear Jesus saying this gently. He’s trying to reach this man within his context. Another example of this is Nicodemus, who was sincere in his questions. After an honest conversation with Jesus, he went from questioning Jesus to questioning his fellow Pharisees.

Unlike Jesus, we can’t clearly see another person’s motives. We need to use wisdom and intuition when we interact with people, especially if they’re a part of a group that’s dangerous to us. As we interact, let’s not be satisfied with lumping people into categories, but instead listen closely and interact with humble honesty.

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Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

The sad truth is, often you have to be your own advocate. Even when people can see the issue you’re facing, even when they can see the turmoil you’re in, they still might not care. The good news is, we can all approach God with our need. As I wrote in Approach the Throne of Grace with Boldness, God welcomes us. People might not take the time to know our struggle, and some people, once they know, might not care. Sometimes, as we see in this story, the powerful try to silence those in need.

In this interaction, Bartimaeus already knows that Jesus can heal him, and he knows that Jesus is passing by, so he petitions on his own behalf. He probably knew from experience that nobody would escalate his need—he was going to have to do it himself. This is his chance and he made his request known. The crowd is annoyed. They don’t just ignore him, they sternly order him to be quiet. 

Unwise and Untimely

They sternly order a grown man, who is in need, to be quiet. This is power and privilege in a nutshell. This unidentified crowd feels like they have the right to silence a man in need. They’re willing to hoard all of Jesus’s time and miracles for themselves, while knowingly denying this man the same benefits. The age-old scarcity mentality could be at play: if this man gets some of Jesus’s care and attention, there will be less for them. Or maybe they want him to be patient and wait for a better time to get healed—a time that doesn’t inconvenience them. Or it could be as simple as an imagined hierarchy of who deserves to spend time with Jesus. We don’t know why the crowd reacted as they did, we just know they tried to shut him down.

This didn’t reflect the heart of Jesus when he walked the earth, and it doesn’t reflect the heart of Jesus now. I see an appalling lack of mercy among Christians today, who take up the cause of so many culture wars, while simultaneously ordering the marginalized to be quiet. We are not called to a facade of peace by forcing everyone to act like us. We’re called to bring real peace and to interact with people in love. This means we know them rather than just categorize them from a distance. 

Priorities of Jesus

Jesus didn’t walk over and heal the man, or simply tell him that he’s healed. No, in this case, he involved the very people who wanted the man to stop making a scene. Jesus told them to tell Bartimaeus to come to Jesus. This isn’t just a “gotcha” moment, he’s helping them learn a new way of living in the world. 

May our lives reflect the priorities of Jesus. Helping those in any kind of need isn’t a distraction, an annoyance, or unimportant. This is the real work. This is being a Christian.

Let us hear and respond with mercy to the pleas for help all around us. 

Photo credit: by Corey Motta on Unsplash

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Appoint us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to appoint, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.

Mark 10:35-45

Not long before this, Mark 9  describes a conversation where Jesus is telling the disciples about the persecution he will face and at that time the disciples were arguing about who would be the greatest. Right before this interaction, Jesus tells them he will be handed over to be killed. This request is their response.

What is it about Jesus talking about his impending death that causes the disciples to argue about who’s the greatest? Could it be the very obvious, if not crass, reason that they want to figure out who will be the next leader after Jesus is gone? We don’t know if there’s a direct connection. We do know that James and John are simply doing what many successful people do–they were seizing the day.

This conversation also follows the interaction between Jesus and the rich young ruler. In this conversation, Jesus challenges a rich man to give all he has to the poor. The man couldn’t do it and walked away sad. Jesus tells his followers that it’s hard for the rich to enter heaven. He then tells them the first shall be last and the last shall be first.

As fishermen James and John were probably poor and not influential in society. So they may have been mulling that interaction over. They might have concluded they’d be good candidates to rule since they were already poor.

The First Will Be Last

After Jesus addresses their request, he gives a bit of wisdom similar to what he said about the rich young ruler. He tells them:

…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…

Mark 10:43-45 NIV

This is unmistakably similar to “the first must be last”, but it’s more specific. This is a variation and it’s tailored to James and John—whoever wants to be great must serve. It’s not just the rich who have to evaluate themselves, everyone, even the disciples had to check their motivations.

We all want to matter, we want our lives to have purpose. Were the other disciples angry because James and John wanted to be great? Or were they angry because they didn’t get to ask first? We can’t strive to get ahead in God’s kingdom, we have to surrender. Simply managing or reducing our sin doesn’t get us closer to God. We need to admit that we can’t make ourselves perfect, we need Jesus to transform our lives.

Jesus Leads With Humility

Even Jesus didn’t attempt to be great, as we think of greatness. Jesus came to do what we couldn’t do for ourselves. In the letter to the Philippians, Paul quotes one of the earliest songs about Jesus, the Christ hymn:

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:5-8 NIV

Jesus already had stature and power. He willingly gave up his position. That was the only way we could be reconciled to God. He wasn’t resentful that this was his path. The gospels tell us Jesus looked at the crowds with compassion and loved them. Jesus forgave those who mocked and killed him, knowing they couldn’t possibly understand their own deep need for God.

Whether you’re looking for national recognition, or just taking people down a peg, choosing a path of greatness looks like walking to the back of the line. Jesus identified with the “least of these”. Following Jesus means to love and forgive, even your enemies. Leadership in the kingdom of God looks like service, especially service to the powerless.

Photo credit: by Leio McLaren (@leiomclaren) on Unsplash

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Hebrews 1:1-4

Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere,

“What are humans that you are mindful of them
    or mortals that you care for them?
 You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
    you have crowned them with glory and honor,
     subjecting all things under their feet.”

Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying,

‘I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.’

Hebrews 2:5-12

Think of your own pain, your successes, your joys, and anything you overcame to get there. Experiences are intertwined and can be hard to describe. Soldiers who’ve just met can connect immediately if they’ve had similar deployments, because they know the other one “gets” something that most people don’t. We feel “at home” around others who are like us, especially in the areas where we’re rejected or marginalized.

So when advertisers, politicians, or anyone that holds power, tries to use a person’s experience of marginalization as their platform, it can feel mixed. At this point in history, it seems like this is happening with every issue or group, either positively or negatively. Are the people with the microphone raising awareness because they care? Does this issue simply correlate with something they already wanted to do? Am I being used to further this person’s career? These are all valid questions. It’s hard to know who’s an ally and who’s making a name for themselves.

Reconciliation is More than Listening

God knew reconciling us would mean more than listening, it would mean becoming one of us. Jesus left his place of power and became powerless. He wasn’t powerless just because he was a baby–he was a baby that the king wanted dead. Jesus left his place of privilege and was born into a family that carried no importance in their society. People reminded him of that even as an adult when he started to teach,

Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon?

Mark 6:3 NIV

Jesus left the place where he experienced constant communal love within the trinity, and came to earth where he would have to sneak away to pray to connect with God. In addition to that, Jesus experienced rejection and betrayal.

Jesus took up our cause and invites us into his family. He doesn’t just send a list of detailed instructions on how to be like God. He isn’t content to shrug and conclude that we must not really want salvation if we’re not willing to be perfect. Jesus takes the first step by becoming one of us and living out God’s law, summed up by him as,

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.

Mark 12:29-31 NIV

Jesus isn’t using your issues to get your votes, he didn’t listen to your problems to give you better advice. You’re not God’s poster child. Jesus lived your problems. Jesus calls you family, and now advocates on your behalf from a place of power.

Photo credit: by Cody Board on Unsplash