I WAS A STRANGER

 

Matthew 25:35 (NIV)
I was a stranger and you invited me in,

               We are experiencing a crisis in our country as those who have the power have decided to use it against those who do not. Immigrants and people of color have become a target for unfair and illegal practices. This has been going on with the full approval of our government. It is not right!

               I have struggled with how to address this issue. I have been praying fervently for an end to the abuses and the removal of those who are perpetrating them. But I feel compelled also to speak out in support of the stranger among us.

               Many years ago, God laid on my heart Matthew 25:31-46; the parable of the sheep and the goats.

Matthew 25:31-46 (NIV)
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
³⁴ "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

               The part the grabbed me was, I was a stranger and you invited me in. At the time, I was serving a church in a university town. The university had a growing number of international students attending there. God laid it on my heart to begin an outreach to those “strangers” among us. For almost 30 years we actively tried to be a welcoming presence for the internationals in our community. It was one of the most enriching parts of our ministry.

               Today, I am seeing the foundations of what we helped to build being eroded by the actions of our government. Instead of inviting the stranger in we are expelling them. It is a direct contradiction to Jesus’ words. Unfortunately, many people who call themselves Christians are lining up behind what the government is doing. I am not one of them.

               The Apostle Paul tells us that the history of Israel has been recorded as an example for us to learn from. Israel was specifically forbidden to take advantage of the alien among them. "Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt. But they failed to listen to God’s command. If we look back carefully at the actions of ancient Israel, what we see is an abuse of aliens and strangers. Because of that, God unleashed His wrath on Israel, eventually resulting in their exile for their land.

               I can say, without qualification, that God is not pleased with the course of action our government is taking. I don’t know what action God will take in response to this abuse, but I fear we will all suffer for it if we do not repent and change course.

               As private citizens, we often feel powerless to effect what goes on at the higher levels of our government. Outside of choosing who we will vote into office, we are left to watch the results. But we have a God who is not powerless. The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. Proverbs 21:1 (NIV) When His people truly humble themselves and seek His help, He always responds. It may feel like our prayers are powerless, but they are not.

               For whatever reason, God has allowed the current government to be in place. We can argue all we want about that, but ultimately God is in control of those who are in control. There are many things that are wrong with the direction our nation was headed before the current President took office. But the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction; much to our detriment. God may be allowing us to reap the consequences of our own choices.

               But the good news is that God is a God of grace. He rebukes, not to destroy, but to redeem. I believe that God is in the process of purifying His people. It is painful, but necessary. He is calling us to forsake our love affair with political power (whichever side of the equation we are on) and to return to allegiance to Him alone. As follows of Christ, we are called to be salt and light in a dark and decaying world. We cannot do that by embracing the ways and means of that dark and decaying world. We can do that only as we draw near to Christ and seek to live out His values in our world.

1 Peter 2:9-12 (NIV)
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

               In the parable of the sheep and the goats, the defining factor was not what people claimed to be, but what they demonstrated by their actions. When you did this to the least of these brothers of mine you did it to me. We will ultimately be judged not by what political banner we wave, but by how we lived out our faith in practical, loving, compassionate, and gracious ways.

Psalms 146:1-10 (NIV)
Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- the LORD, who remains faithful forever.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD.

 

PAY ATTENTION

                                                             Psalms 90:12 (NIV)

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

               The watch word for today seems to be live for the moment. As a society we have placed much emphasis on living in the present, without much thought for the future. Living for the moment may enhance a person’s experience, but it also may bring unintended consequences. Living for the moment is not always the wise thing to do. How often have we heard the excuse, “we were just having fun”, after some unfortunate or destructive thing has happened.

               In my devotions today, I read the above verse from Psalm 90. I have read it many times, but it struck a chord this morning. The Psalmist is challenging us to look at life from the proper perspective. Living for the moment may be “fun”, but is it wise? There is more to life than this moment, this experience.

               I was reminded also this morning about leaving a positive legacy for those who follow us. In order to do that, a person must think in terms of the long haul, not the short run. A true legacy is built over time, one piece at a time. It is not built all at once. It takes intentionality and a vision for the future. At the end of our lives, do we want it said about us that we had fun or that we made a difference? I would prefer the latter.

               The Psalmist tells us to pay attention to our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Wisdom is something sorely lacking today. True is wisdom is not rash. It does not vary from moment to moment. It is not shaken by temporary set-backs. True wisdom has endurance. It wears well over time.

               Ther book of Proverbs is all about gaining a heart of wisdom. Solomon contrasts wisdom with folly. Wisdom brings genuine benefits over time. Folly offers a momentary thrill at the expense of the future. It seems like that is the world we live in today.

               The person who is wise looks beyond the immediate to what is yet to come. They adjust their actions to position themselves well for the future. I have been watching the Olympics this week. Last night we watched some cross-country skiing. The commentators noted that athletes that started out too fast ran the risk of running out of gas later in the race. It is a lesson any one who have run distance has had to learn. Pacing is important. You cannot sprint through a marathon. Life is the ultimate marathon. We can burn up all of our energy early or we can wisely pace ourselves for the long haul.

               Ultimately, wisdom comes from aligning our life with God’s purposes. The wise person has learned to listen to what God has said in His Word. James addresses this in his letter. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25 (NIV)

               Part of being wise is listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. When a person puts their faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in their life. He is there to be a person’s guide through life. As Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure, He assured them that they would not face the journey ahead alone. Instead, He promised them the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:12-13 (NIV)

               The role of the Spirit is to shape our lives to conform to the image of Christ. He replaces folly with wisdom. But we have to consciously follow His lead. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Galatians 5:22-26 (NIV)

               The Psalmist calls us to pay attention. How we live our daily lives matters, not just for the moment, but for eternity. Paul challenges us to be very careful how we live. If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. Galatians 5:15-18 (NIV)

               There doesn’t seem to be a lot of wisdom today. We are enthralled with innovation and everything new. We discount the wisdom of the past as old fashioned and out of date. Yet, already we are discovering some of the unintended consequences of failing to consider where we are headed. It is time to stop and “number our days aright.”

Proverbs 3:5-8 (NIV)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

 

TO BE “PERFECT”

 

Matthew 5:48 (NIV)
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

               We have a running joke in our family. My daughter will say, nobody is perfect, and I will respond, what about me? Then she responds, you’re not perfect, Dad, you’re missing parts.

               We often take solace in the fact that nobody is perfect. When we mess up in some way, we can take comfort in the fact that we all make mistakes. Perfection is a goal that none of us achieves. But that makes Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 very disturbing. It seems that Jesus is saying that not only is it possible for us to be perfect, it is expected of us. So what does Jesus really mean by his statement, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect?

               I was reading a commentary this morning that addressed this very issue. The author made the point that the Greek word used here for perfect literally means to function according to one’s purpose. Jesus’ statement comes at the end of a passage where He instructs us to love our enemies. His rationale for this statement is that The Father shows grace and mercy to all, so as His children, we should do the same.

               We were created to reflect the image of God in the world. We are the only part of creation that was created in the image of God. Our very purpose in life is to be like God. Not to be God, but to emulate His essence. Part of God’s essence is love. God doesn’t love in the same way that we love. Our love is conditional. We love as a response to other’s love or to attain their love. But God is love. It is a part of who He is. His love is unconditional. So Jesus says, if we are to fulfill our purpose in life, we too need to love as God loves. This is but one aspect of what it means to be perfect.

               The Apostle Paul expands on this idea of being perfect in Ephesians 5:1-2. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Just as young children imitate their parents, so we are to imitate God. The more we imitate God’s character the more it shapes our own character. It is common for families to share certain characteristics. “I can see his father in him.” As followers of Christ, and children of our heavenly Father, we are to share His character traits as well.

               The commentator that I referenced used an analogy to help us understand the Greek meaning of the word perfect. He talked about buying a screwdriver to fasten a loose screw. The screwdriver fit the screw perfectly and accomplished its purpose. In that way it was perfect. As we fit into God’s plan of our lives, we too become more and more perfect. We fulfill the purpose for which we were created.

               Jesus’ command to be perfect alerts us to the reality that this doesn’t just magically happen in our lives. We have a part to play. Our choices, our actions, all lead us toward or away from our goal of being perfect in Christ. Praise God that He is patient with us and gives us the opportunity to try again and again to get things right.

               Paul emphasizes our role in this in Ephesians 4:1-3. As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. We cannot be passive about the way we live our lives. We need to be intentional if we are going to live up to our calling. Going with the flow will only carry us away from the goal. It is godly determination coupled with Holy Spirit empowerment that moves us in the right direction.

               Perfection (in any sense of the word) is out of our reach if we have to accomplish this alone. But we do not have to do that. As we put our faith in Christ and draw closer to Him, we are empowered to do what we cannot do on our own. In John 15, Jesus tells us the secret to fulfilling our purpose in life.

John 15:1-8 (NIV)
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

               It is only as we remain attached to the source of our life that we can bear fruit and become who God intended for us to be.

               Being perfect in a spiritual sense does not mean never making a mistake or always getting everything right. Being perfect means living out our God-given purpose in life. The more we align our life with the purposes of God, the closer we will come to truly being perfect.

Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.