The Greatest Virtue

What God Will Never Despise

The next time you see an arrogant religious leader in action, turn off the TV or turn around and walk away if you are in his or her presence. Next time you see a person humbly appeal for help, turn toward and humbly serve them as the Servant of All would. And the next time you’re tempted to think, feel, act or speak in any manner other than true humility, go back and review the life of Jesus, your Great Example.

Enduring Truth // Focus: Mark 7:33-35

Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said … “Be opened!” Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!

It would be normal for us to focus on the unusual healing methods Jesus employed to heal this man with deaf ears and tied tongue. What a strange thing—Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears, then apparently, removed them, spit on them and then touched his tongue.

Yikes! I’m glad Jesus wasn’t setting a pattern for praying for the sick today. What Jesus did for this man—or more accurately, how Jesus prayed for this man—has nothing over some of the strange antics and overt showiness of some of today’s so called faith healers.

But don’t miss the first thing Jesus did when this poor man’s friends brought him to Jesus for prayer: He pulled the man aside so he could minister to him in private. Obviously, Jesus didn’t want his methodology to be the thing the crowd focused on. Nor did he want to turn this man into a sideshow or use him as a trophy that could build a greater following for Jesus. The Lord never used people in that way, so he simply, quietly healed the man in the most respectful way possible.

So why the weird methods? I’m not really sure, since Jesus could have simply spoke a word and the man would have been healed. But he had his reasons, and the bottom line was a man who had been victimized by this horrible physical bondage was miraculously, fully and gratefully set free.

Nor should we miss the greater message behind this event. It is a message, in fact, that runs throughout the entirety of Mark 7. What is that message? It is that God values “humility”. It is the lack of humility that frames the opening encounter between the religious elite and Jesus. When the scribes and Pharisees criticize Jesus and his disciples for not observing the man-made minutiae of the Jewish Law, Jesus rebukes them for their arrogant, manipulative and abusive misapplication of God’s true law.

On the other hand, it is the presence of humility that moves Jesus to respond to the woman who comes to him to get her daughter delivered from a demon. Jesus initially puts this Syro-Phoenician lady through her paces in order to bring out her faith—actually telling her she doesn’t deserve to be healed (really—check out Mark 7:27, NLT). But the woman, who is from a much wealthier, more prestigious culture than this simple, uncouth Galilean, won’t take “no” for an answer, so she humbly makes her request of Jesus, who gladly grants it.

Then, as we have seen with the healing of the deaf man with a speech impediment, Jesus rejects any form of showiness by doing in private what God does—restoring not only hearing to deaf ears but dignity to the human soul.

Nothing turns God off like arrogance. But there is nothing God treasures like humility. That is because nothing is closer to the core of God’s character than humility, which the Apostle Paul reminds us of in Philippians 2:1-11 through the example of Jesus. That is why humility is arguably the greatest virtue.

The next time you see an arrogant religious leader in action, turn off the TV or turn around and walk away if you are in his or her presence. Next time you see a person humbly appeal for help, turn toward and humbly serve them as the Servant would. And the next time you’re tempted to think, feel, act or speak in any manner other than true humility, go back and read Mark 7.

Thrive: Ask God to reveal any form of pride that may reside in your life and remove it from you. Then humble yourself before him and ask for his help in exhibiting the attitude of humility exemplified by Jesus.

Your Judas

Walking Where Great People Have Walked Before

Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? There is no pain quite like it! But are you willing to consider the possibility that God has a far deeper work to do in you that can only come through the betrayer’s knife? Charles Spurgeon said, “I bear willing witness that I owe more to the fire, the hammer and the file than to anything else in the Lord’s workshop. I sometimes question whether I have ever learned anything except through the rod. When my schoolroom is darkened, I see the most.” If you are going through the pain of betrayal, just remember that you are only walking where most of the greats have once walked.

Enduring Truth // Focus: Matthew 26:16

From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Sorry to be the one to break the news to you, but everybody gets a Judas in life. At one point or another, you will bear the pain of someone you trusted thrusting a knife in your back. It is simply, and sadly, the awful reality of living in a broken world alongside fallen human beings.

Among the 60 conspirators who assassinated the Roman leader on March 15, 44 BC was Marcus Julius Brutus. Caesar not only trusted Brutus, he favored him as a son. According to Roman historians, Caesar first resisted his assassins, but when he saw Brutus among them with his dagger drawn, he gave up. He pulled the top part of his robe over his face, and uttered those heartrending words immortalized by Shakespeare, “Et tu Brute” … “You, too, my child?”

Julius Caesar was not the only one to know such treachery. The passionate Scottish patriot William Wallace experienced it when Earl Robert de Bruce betrayed him. Not even the brightest theological mind who ever lived—the Apostle Paul—or the most perfect human being ever—Jesus Christ—was spared. No one gets a pass on betrayal.

So here’s the thing: Are you willing to consider the possibility that God has a far deeper work to do in you that can only come through the betrayer’s knife? Charles Spurgeon said,

I bear willing witness that I owe more to the fire, the hammer and the file than to anything else in the Lord’s workshop. I sometimes question whether I have ever learned anything except through the rod. When my schoolroom is darkened, I see the most.

The truth is, the fire, the hammer and the file of a betrayal may result in some of God’s finest craftsmanship—if you keep your heart soft and your eye on him. If you are going through the pain of a betrayer’s wound right now, remember, you are walking where great people have walked before. Their greatness came because they didn’t allow betrayal to ruin them; they learned how to turn their pain into greater usefulness for the Lord.

Jesus responded to Judas’ money-making treachery with obedient submission to God—and transformed the world. Perhaps God wants to use your pain to form you, and transform your world.

Thrive: If you are going through the pain of betrayal, memorize and pray this psalm of David, who knew a little about betrayal: “But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice…Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” (Psalm 55:16-17, 22)

Love My Enemy! Really?

Reconciling Love—It’s the Heart of Why Jesus Came to Earth

In living out the law of agape love, we become like God—something that truly honors and pleases the heart of our Father. That’s what Jesus said: “You will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.” (Luke 6:35) That’s a pretty compelling reason for choosing to express unconquerable, benevolent, kind, invincible, reconciling agape love—especially toward people who least deserve it. It is who God is, it is what God does, it is when we are most like God, and it is what his Son asked us to do.

Enduring Truth // Focus: Luke 6:35-36

Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Quite often, Jesus’ commands aren’t the kind that can be automatically or easily carried out; they require careful thought and great exertion of the will in applying them. So it is with this case, loving our enemies. For some people, this command is just humanly impossible, so it gets ignored altogether. That is too bad! For others, they ignorantly try to apply Jesus’ words well beyond what he intended. That is also too bad.

Christ’s followers would do well to accurately think through this law of love and then strategically live it out in their relationships. If they did—on both accounts—the world would be a much different and better place.

There were four different Greek words for love that the Gospel writer Luke could have chosen to capture Jesus’ words regarding the Christian’s response to his enemies. Luke didn’t choose “storge”, which meant “family love”; he didn’t choose “eros”, which meant the “passionate love of irresistible longing”; he didn’t chose “philos”, which was the warmest Greek word describing love of “the most tender affection”. The word used here for “love” was “agape”. That word referred to an “unconquerable, benevolent, invincible, reconciling kindness” kind of love.

Now in the case of loving an enemy, that kind of love is not something of the heart; it requires mainly something of the will—something we will likely have to will ourselves into. “Agape” with your enemy is, in fact, a victory over that which comes instinctively to us by nature: anger, resentment and retribution toward hurtful people.

“Agape” love belongs to the true disciple of Jesus. It is the one and only weapon in the disciple’s arsenal able to conquer all. Someone has rightly said, “It belongs to the children of God to receive blows rather than to inflict them. The [loving] Christian is the anvil that has worn out many hammers.” The law of “agape” love, fully embraced and obediently lived out, is that powerful!

Now people have tried to apply this teaching to promote pacifism in international relationships. That’s a nice try—and not a bad idea whenever possible. But foremost, the enemy Jesus has in mind is the one we meet in our everyday life: A spouse, a sibling, a classmate, a co-worker or a neighbor—those who have hurt our feelings, frustrated our desires, misunderstood our intentions, misrepresented our words or demeaned our character. You see, it is much easier to declare peace between nations than it is to live a life where we never allow bitterness, anger and retribution to invade our personal relationships.

Jesus is saying that when we practice this law of love on a personal basis, we make breaking the cycle of bitterness and retribution possible where it really counts: In the real world of our daily lives. Moreover, in so doing, we actually catalyze another law, the law of reconciliation.

Reconciliation! That is at the heart of why Jesus came to earth—to reconcile God and sinners, and to reconcile sinners with one another. Think of all the fractured relationships that would be reconciled if we would choose to obey the law of love.

Not only that, but in living out this law of love, we become like God—something that truly honors and pleases the heart of our Father. That’s what Jesus said: “You will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.” (Luke 6:35, NLT)

That is a pretty compelling reason for choosing to express this unconquerable, benevolent, kind, invincible, reconciling agape love—especially toward people who least deserve it. It is who God is, it is what God does, it is when we are most like God, and it is what his Son asked us to do:

You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. (Luke 6:36, NLT)

So what’s stopping you?

Thrive: To what enemy do you need to extend unconquerable, benevolent, invincible, reconciling kindness? Go do it! It’s what your Father would do—and you’ve got his DNA.

Nothing Else Matters

The Resurrection Changes Everything

The resurrection is the fulcrum of our Christian faith and indeed, the pivotal point in all of human history. As historian Jaroslav Pelikan said, “If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen, nothing else matters.” Indeed, Christ is risen, and since this is true, is there anything else that truly matters as we go about our day?

Enduring Truth // Focus: Romans 1:4

Jesus was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

The late Jaroslav Pelikan, one of the world’s leading scholars in the history of Christianity and medieval intellectual history, wrote, “If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen—nothing else matters.”

The resurrection is the fulcrum of our Christian faith and indeed, the pivotal point in all of human history. As C.S. Lewis said, “If the thing happened, it was the central event in the history of the earth.” If Jesus rose from the dead, then he is Lord of all. If he didn’t rise from the dead, then our faith is useless and, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, Christians are hopeless and to be pitied above all people:

If Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

But we believe Jesus rose from the dead. We have staked our faith, our lives, and our eternities on the scriptural and historical evidence that Jesus broke the chains of death that bound him in that garden tomb and rose again to life, thus defeating death, hell and the grave.

  • Since that is true, nothing else matters—Jesus is the Son of God and Lord of all!
  • Since that is true, we can place our trust in Jesus Christ to save us from our sins and deliver us to eternal life.
  • Since that is true, we can have confidence in Jesus Christ to be with us every step of the way in our earthly journey, knowing that he will never leave us nor forsake us.
  • Since that is true, we can experience the same resurrection power that coursed through the body of Jesus Christ coursing through our mortal bodies, enabling us to live the abundant life that he came to give us—God’s favor in the physical, emotional, relational and spiritual dimensions of living.
  • Since that is true, we can experience the same overcoming life that Jesus Christ lived, living above sin and in holiness to God.
  • Since that is true, we can boldly share the Good News with lost people of how Jesus Christ has made a difference in our lives. We do not need to be ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). We do not have to be timid about our faith—in fact, if he is truly risen, to be timid would simply not be an option. If Jesus is risen, then he is either Lord of all, or not Lord of all.
  • Since that is true, we can place our lives squarely in God’s sovereign care, get busy fulfilling his purposes through our lives, and commit all of our energies, efforts and resources to glorifying him in everything we say and do.

He is risen! He is risen indeed! And nothing else matters.

Thrive: Ask yourself this important question: Am I living as if Jesus rose from the dead? If not, why not?

Camels, Needles, Wealth And Heaven

Anything can lead us away from God—wealth for sure, but also drink, food, leisure, entertainment, or any number of the things of this world. Jesus said that just as a camel cannot go through the eye of a needle, so someone who loves the world more than God cannot enter heaven. What a loss—forfeiting eternal glory for earthly gain!

Enduring Truth // Focus: Matthew 19:23

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

When you read the entire story in of Jesus conversation with the rich, young ruler, you will notice that twice Jesus said how hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God…as hard as it would be for a camel to slip through the eye of a needle! Now that’s both intriguing, and because of our culturally accepted belief that money will make you happy, it more than a little intimidating!

Over the years, I’ve heard this explained by referring to a gate in ancient Jerusalem called the “Eye of the Needle”. This gate was designed so pedestrians could use it, but not marauding bandits on their camels. The only way a camel could get through this “Eye of the Needle” gate was to be unloaded and crawl through on its knees. The spiritual lesson is clear: The camel could go through the gate, but only after being stripped of its baggage—its wealth!

The only problem with this interpretation is that it’s not true! There is absolutely no archaeological or historical evidence for the existence of such a gate. That “interpretation” is simply a case of trying to make Christ’s words fit our own concept of what he meant. Jesus clearly says that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Can this be done? Of course not! That’s the whole point!

Yet people have tried in vain to make it happen. Some have suggested that there’s a misprint in the Greek. The Greek word kamelos, meaning “camel” should really be kamilos, meaning “cable” or “rope”. Others suggest this was an Aramaic play on words, since kamelos and the Aramaic kalma, which means “vermin” or “louse”, are so similar. Okay, try threading a rope through a needle. Try nudging a gnat through the eye of a needle. It’s still impossible…even with WD40!

All this theological maneuvering is ridiculous—and unnecessary. Jesus was using hyperbole, just like in Matthew 7 when he speaks of the “plank” being in your eye while trying to remove the “splinter” in a brother’s eye. No serious theologian would claim that Jesus really meant a toothpick, not a 2×4. Everyone understands that this was exaggeration for effect. In Babylon, where portions of the Jewish Talmud were written, since the elephant was the largest animal, it was substituted for “camel” to make this kind of point.

So this hyperbole in Matthew 19 is easily explained: A camel was Israel’s largest animal, and contrasted with the smallness of a needle’s eye shows the impossibility of squeezing the former through the latter.

Why such great efforts to make palatable what Christ “really meant”? Is it because we secretly — or even openly—desire wealth and don’t want biblical restrictions getting in the way of what we want? Just in case we inherit big bucks from Uncle Jeb when he croaks, or make a ton of dough in business, we don’t want any spiritual stigma attached to our money!

Now if this conversation bothers you a little, you’re in good company because it bothered the disciples, too. They were so shaken they asked, “Who then can be saved?” They were unnerved because popular Jewish thought had it that wealth and prosperity were a sign of God’s blessing.

Here’s the deal: Wealth itself isn’t the problem. It’s our attitude toward it…our over-dependence on it! This is really a very simple thing Jesus is saying: Through your own efforts, you cannot be saved. The wealthy cannot be saved through money—nor can one be saved by skills, talents, intellect, good looks—or even by living a good life!

Wealth is not the overriding issue here. As you can see, it would be just as dangerous for an underprivileged person to think that his poverty gave him spiritual piety and eternal favor.

In truth, anything can lead us from the path of righteousness: Not only wealth, but drink, food, television, leisure, entertainment, or any number of things available to us in this world.

In 2 Timothy 4:10, Paul writes, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.” What caused this close friend and ministry companion, Demas, to leave Paul and walk away from Christ? He loved the world; the particulars aren’t divulged.

Whatever it was, the simple fact is that a camel cannot go through the eye of a needle, and someone who loves the world more than God, whether rich or poor, forfeits the approval of God.

1 John 2:15-17 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”

The point is that we do not achieve salvation through our own efforts, nor can we gain lasting security and satisfaction by worldly means; it is from God alone.

So the real issue Jesus is addressing—back then and right now—is about priorities, not possessions. He isn’t teaching that wealth is wrong…it’s not money that’s evil…it’s the love of money that’s at the root of all kinds of evil.

Jesus’ real concern is this: What possesses us—not what we possess.

Thrive: Here is a prayer you may want to offer: “Dear God, I want you to possess all of me. Deliver me from the deceitfulness of wealth…or any other thing that I have substituted for you to bring me happiness and security. Bring me to that place where I am ready to let it all go in obedience and devotion to you should you ask.”

Hoping for a Cross-Free Way? Think Again

No Cross - No Crown

True discipleship, according to Jesus, requires us to jettison our own agenda — “let him deny himself”; commit to God’s agenda — “take up his cross”; and make daily, continual obedience our highest priority — “and follow me.” (Mark 8:34) Too often, however, we prefer another way — easier, cheaper, quicker, pain-free — to discipleship rather than the way of the cross. Perhaps today, if you are serious about following Christ, you should say to him, “Lord, not my will, but your will be done!”

Enduring Truth // Focus: Mark 8:33

Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

What a dramatic moment this must have been for the disciples—especially Peter. Jesus had just asked the disciples this question, “Who do people say that I am?” And Peter’s simple yet profound prophetic response was a declaration for the ages: “You are the Christ!” (Mark 8:27-30)

But when Jesus began to speak of his impending sacrificial death, Peter didn’t like it one bit, so he began to rebuke Jesus. How could one who was to be “Christ” suffer and die? This certainly wasn’t in line with God’s will, Peter thought. Peter had an entirely different definition for what it meant to be “Christ”, and a far better agenda than the one Jesus was suggesting.

That’s when Jesus turned on Peter and gave him the spiritual smack-down of all smack-downs. Anyone who reads these dramatic words — “Get away from me, Satan” — certainly must think, “Wow! Glad that wasn’t me!” It was then that Jesus went on to talk about the cost of discipleship. True discipleship requires one to jettison his own agenda — “let him deny himself”; commit to God’s agenda — “take up his cross”; and make daily, continual obedience his highest priority — “and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)

As dramatic as this rebuke seems in print, however, may I suggest that perhaps it wasn’t as focused on Peter as we might think. When you look at the context, what you see is that Jesus wasn’t so much upset with Peter, the person, as with Peter’s misguided agenda. You see, Peter’s plan would have taken Jesus off the Father’s mission. It was the easier, smarter, less painful path, but as Jesus said, it was “not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Mark 8:33).

In a sense, we really were there when Jesus uttered that rebuke. We were not only there — we were Peter! How so? Haven’t we, too, been the tool of Satan in desiring the things of men rather than the things of God. How often have we preferred our way — the easier, cheaper, quicker, pain-free way — to discipleship rather than the way of the cross? How often has the essence of our prayers, if not our desires, been, “not your will but mine be done”?

Peter took the brunt of Christ’s rebuke that day—but he did so as the representative head of a class of spiritual dunderheads of which you and I are members. However, Peter ultimately got his spiritual act together, and so can we. What it requires, though, is that we get the things of God rather than the things of men in our view finder, and keep our sights there.

Thrive: If you are attracted to a cross-free path to discipleship, then you may want to pray this prayer every day this week: “Lord, deliver me from the Evil One, who would lure me onto the easier, quicker, pain-free path of the things of men. May your will be done—not mine. May your kingdom come today in my life, just as it is done in heaven.”

When You Are On God’s Side

Want A Guaranteed Win? Get On The Right Side!

Your victory, whatever that may mean to you, is guaranteed when you are on God’s side. Are you? Take a moment to realign your thoughts, feelings and actions to the Word of God. Repent where you need to, adjust where you are off, then watch and wait for the hand of God in your situation. If you are on God’s side, you cannot fail. If you are on God’s side then God will be on your side, and your victory has been secured.

Enduring Truth // Focus: Psalm 54:4

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

You will often hear people talk about God being on their side. Politicians, religious leaders, even ordinary people like you and me toss that belief around like a pro athlete guaranteeing a victory in the big game. But just saying it doesn’t make it so!

President Abraham Lincoln was once asked during the Civil War if he believed that God was on his side. His response was one that we would all do well to think about, since it represents the only true guarantee of Divine help and victory. Lincoln said, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side, my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”

Here’s the deal: If we’re on God’s side, we cannot fail. If we’re on God’s side then God will be on our side, and our victory is guaranteed. David, the future king of Israel, discovered that—the story can be found in I Samuel 23:7-29—which is the basis for this psalm. He was on the run from the current monarch, King Saul, because the king was bent on having David killed. The young shepherd had just landed in the next of what had been too many hideouts, Ziph, when the people of that village turned him in to Saul. Saul seemed to finally have David cornered—it looked like it was game, set and match this time.

But David was on God’s side—and God was on David’s side. Suddenly, just as Saul was ready to pounce, the king got some bad news that enemies on another front, the Philistines, were attacking, so he left pursing the cornered David to tend to that pressing business. And David was once again delivered when there seemed no way possible to escape. (I Samuel 23:27-29)

Was it a coincidence that Saul was distracted in that moment when he had David dead to rights? Not at all! You see, God was at work here, bringing about his purposes in David’s life. David was destined to be king, but through this life and death struggle, God was teaching him how to be a good king. And good kings need to know that God can be counted on for help and sustenance when the king is on God’s side.

God wants you to know that too. Even when there seems to be no way out for you, God is close by; he is working out his plan; he is teaching you how to be a king; he is showing you that he can be counted on to help and sustain you. And there is only one way to really learn that, which like David, means that you will have to have your back against the wall so that the only way out is through a mighty and miraculous deliverance through the strong hand of God.

And when you are on God’s side, sooner or later, like David, that will be your story too!

Thrive: Your victory, whatever that may mean to you, is guaranteed when you are on God’s side. Are you? Take a moment to realign your thoughts, feelings and actions to the Word of God. Repent where you need to, adjust where you are off, then watch and wait for the hand of God in your situation.