Bigger Guns

How do you find security? What is your response to growing threats? The natural way is to meet violence with violence, to counter aggression with more power. Billions of dollars are spent every year by governments to buy more armaments though we have enough war material to annihilate the world’s population already in hand. We spent the second half of the 20^th century in the Cold War, a nuclear standoff that was held in check by the aptly named policy – M.A.D. – Mutual Assured Destruction! “Peace through strength” may be a good political slogan, but to my eyes, it is hard for a government with a powerful army to avoid using it!

As individuals we are prone to adopt much the same attitude towards those we perceive as threats or those who bring pain into our lives. We meet force with force, harsh words with more harsh words, threat with bigger threats. Yes, it is a kind of personal arms race that leads so often to mutual destruction. 

Those of us who know God as our Father, who have given our lives to Jesus Christ, have a radical calling to peacemaking. Contrasting the old Law of reciprocity with a new way of non-violence, Jesus invites us to change our lives and our world with some of His most controversial, and widely ignored, directives for the Christian life. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:38-48, NIV)

When I read that, a part of me wants to shrug it off as hopelessly impractical for the world in which I live. Turning the other cheek seems so weak, doesn’t it? Our natural thoughts are “You hit me, I’ll strike back in a way that will make you think twice about doing it again.” But, does that really work?  

Let me be clear on one thing here. Jesus words are for us personally. In God’s purposes, we learn from Scripture that there is a place for measured justice and for society to restrain evil by punishing those who do wrong. That’s for another day’s thoughts. For today, I want to engage our minds with Jesus’ call to us to get beyond the impulse to buy bigger guns, to meet muscle with muscle! Think of someone who makes your life difficult, who says things untrue about you, who steals your joy. Are you willing to lower your defense, actively pray for them, and trust God for ultimate vindication?  Perhaps that sounds hopelessly naïve, downright stupid. In human terms, it is. Without real faith, we just cannot do it. But, when our lives are hidden in Christ, our great hope secured by His reign, we can and we must for God’s glory.

The choice for peace, active engagement with bad people with genuine love, requires a supernatural empowerment, a wisdom given by the Spirit, received by faith. What a difference we can make for Christ, though sometimes at a high cost to us personally. Will you let these words into your heart and mind today? Will you “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you?”

Our word from the Word comes from Romans where Paul quotes the Proverbs. "Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, “I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it,” says the Lord. Instead, do what the Scriptures say: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you.” Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good." (Romans 12:17-21, NLT)

Lord, increase our faith. Amen.

__________

John Michael Talbot sings this prayer.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

-St. Francis of Assisi

“You won’t believe it”

Years ago I had a friend who lost his ability to speak because of a stroke. It was heartbreaking to visit and see the frustration on his face when he was unable to join the conversation, unable to ask for a drink of water, or let anyone know what he thought. For years Vince had preached and praised, encouraged, and corrected. Then, no words at all. Speech is a great gift that makes it possible for us to say what we feel, to reveal who we are. How are you using that gift?

Reading in Matthew, I came to Jesus’ words about authentic words, heart-deep words. “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." (Matthew 5:33-37, NIV)

Are your words plain, honest, and without shades of meaning? Hyperbole is not the problem. When a person says, "I've told you a thousand times!" we know that their words are not intended to be taken literally. The problem is word inflation, which is just plain old dishonesty. It is everywhere around us. Job titles often have little to do with the actual work, designed to make an employee feel better about her position. Advertisers routinely mislead consumers, though carefully within guidelines that avoid legal repercussion. Every time I hear those unintelligible disclaimers that are tacked onto the end of a radio spot, I smile wryly at the idea that they have met the letter of the law while entirely missing the point of consumer protection.  Years ago, I took my grandson to McD's for a Happy Meal™, that included a toy. He opened the package, assembled the toy, then discarded it. "What's the matter?" I asked. "It doesn't work like on TV!"  he replied. Deceived! How sad.

Believer, do you use words honestly? Do you not quite lie, but attempt to create impressions that are not related to the real world in which you live?  It’s a spiritual issue, Jesus says. The text quoted above involves vows and promises, but has a wider application. What comes out of our mouth, because we are representatives of the King of Glory, is to be trustworthy.  Our lives and words are to be so aligned that we have the complete trust of others, rendering the for saying things like

"I swear to God!" totally unnecessary.

When you speak do others pause and wonder if there is any need to search for hidden facts? Do they feel any need to deflate your words to find the truth lost in bluster or bluff?  James, who learned from his Master, Jesus, urges us to use plain speech.  "Since you know that God cares, let your language show it. Don’t add words like "I swear to God" to your own words. Don’t show your impatience by concocting oaths to hurry up God. Just say yes or no. Just say what is true. That way, your language can’t be used against you." (James 5:12, The Message)

Authentic words come from the heart of the person who is at peace with God and herself, who is secure in His grace. Knowing His amazing grace and His love that surpasses any human love frees us to live in reality- the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly. Christians have no need for drama, nor do they desire to impress. They won’t cover up or puff up.  Jesus says they will go beyond the ‘legal’ use of words because they know God cannot be deceived by torrents of empty words. Let’s go beyond applying Jesus’ words to just what we say. Make the principle of authenticity part of all of your life so that you will honor the Lord by refusing all forms of exaggeration, dishonesty, and fluff; refusing to cultivate an image. Be the person who God, in His grace, has called you to be;  nothing more, nothing less.

The word from the Word is set in the context of Paul’s ministry. He was surrounded with preachers who polished their presentation to make themselves more than they were. Paul refused to do that. May his words encourage all of us to the choice for authenticity. "Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every person’s conscience in the sight of God." (2 Corinthians 4:1-2, NIV)

___________

Abba, I live in a world where words are cheap.

Protect my heart and mind from the devaluation of the gift You have given.

Secure me in Your love so that I can be authentic.

When I am tempted to adopt the ways of the world,

To try to impress or mislead, to shade meanings,

Convict me and lead me to words that bring life and light.

Using the Psalm I pray,

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight, O LORD,
my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14, NIV)

Amen

Truth’s sharp edge

Remember that movie A Few Good Men? It is a story about a Marine who dies because of a code of discipline that is enforced too rigidly. In the trial of the senior officer, Colonel Jessup, (famously played by Jack Nicholson) the young lawyer, Daniel Kaffee, (played by Tom Cruise) exposes the Colonel’s false testimony by pressing him in cross-examination. He knows that if he goes for the man’s pride, he will likely get him to break. The movie’s most famous line comes from the moment when the Colonel’s contempt for the young lawyer boils over and he angrily shouts “You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!"

The truth in life is often hard to handle, isn’t it? It is a lot easier to soften the edges, to blur the lines, to compromise or ignore the reality in which we live. In my reading from Matthew today, I came to this most difficult passage, one in which Jesus presses us to deal with sin. It is a passage subject to much misunderstanding if read without wisdom and prayerful discernment.  “You have heard that the law of Moses says, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye—even if it is your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand—even if it is your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." (Matthew 5:27-30, NLT)

We like to think our thought life is our own, what goes on inside our head is of no concern to anybody. Jesus challenges that idea with His words about sexual desire and God’s way for those who are His disciples. He tells us that when we make others into objects for our own gratification, even if only inside our own head, we sin. Before I go on, let me say clearly that if taken out of the context of the full Gospel these verses can induce guilt and shame, self-loathing, and fear. I do not write that to rob the passage of impact! Jesus meant these words to hit us like a punch in the face to move us past our apathy.

The truth is direct, edgy. He says, that if we leer at another, reducing that person to body parts to feed our fantasies, we are sowing the seeds of our own moral destruction. With vivid metaphor He calls on us to deal ruthlessly with our desires, making no excuses for them. Does He actually intend that we blind or maim ourselves? No!  But, He does want us to get serious about developing a mind that is responsive to the Spirit of God and that will involve some choices that demand self-denial that hurts, really hurts.

Three things need to be said to give Jesus’ challenge a context for us.

First is that apart from a new birth, the Spirit’s gift of life, we cannot even hope to live the life that God desires in us.

No amount of moral striving, rigid self-discipline, or accountability can change a sinner into a saint. When we feel the heavy weight of conviction of the Spirit, we surrender to Christ, take the grace, and find ourselves being changed from the inside out.  The beacon of hope shines out of the truth that "God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus," (Ephesians 2:6, NIV) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV)

Second, we need to feed our thoughts with healthy food!

Monday evening I turned on a movie that I thought would be an adventure in the world of international intrigue. Within 10 minutes, the lead character, who was being pursued by a lot of bad guys, had stabbed one through the eye, split open the head of another with an axe, and killed about a dozen more in various bloody ways, all graphically splattered across the 50” screen in my living room. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and asked me if I was going to spend the evening bathed in violence and I answered by turning off the story. 

I tell you that as a simple illustration of a much more important truth. What you feed your mind will become the seeds of your thought-life. What is your playlist of music? Where does it take your thoughts? What do you read? How is that forming your ideas?  What plays on your television or smartphone?  Jesus’ words about cutting off our hand finds context in the content with which we feed our thoughts.

Third, worship is a powerful means of thought transformation!

True worship, both with other Christians and individually, brings us from the world and the immediate pressing issues into the realm of God’s Spirit and eternity.  A soul that is satisfied with worship is much less likely to give in to the lures of temptation.  Worship is a life that finds greatest worth in God. Worshippers adore Him, pursue Him, choose time with Him, make Him the priority because of love. David declares the truth - "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." (Psalm 62:1-2, NIV)

When we fail to worship, we will inevitably find other ways to satisfy the soul’s hunger. When we learn to worship, often finding ourselves in His Presence, there we will find the inner life of the Spirit making us into people who overflow with goodness.

Are Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 hard? They are, but we can handle the Truth!

The word from the Word invites us to know the truth, live the truth, and find the freedom of the Truth. "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 2:1-6, NIV)

______________

How I Need You

Every day in Your hands

You were there before time began

Sovereign one I rest in Your plan

From the depths to the dawn

You are there Your promise is strong

I will trust with all that I am

Jesus Jesus oh how I need You

You stay the same

You are good in Your ways

Jesus Jesus oh how I need You

You are enough

All my trust is in You Lord

You fashioned me formed my heart

Search my soul and know every thought

Love so great but never too far

And through the storm You're the calm

And every war You've already won

Life secure in Your loving arms

You are powerful God above it all

I believe in You I believe in You

You do miracles the impossible

I believe in You I believe in You

Bethany Phillips | Chris Griffin | Micah Massey | Nicole McLean

© 2018 Highlands Creative Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055