Praise to God

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Romans 15:7  NIV

 

If you look up the context to this passage, you will see that it falls in the middle of a long discourse on the need for Christians to serve one another.  Christ is given as our example.  The glory of God is the goal.

 

This verse confronted me with the vast distance I still need to travel as a Christian this morning.  Let me tell you why.

We are all made uniquely, with different gifts and abilities, strengths and weaknesses.  I have come to understand more clearly in the past few years that my strongest gift is mercy.  It is a truly wonderful gift, and I am deeply grateful to God that He has been allowing me to begin putting it into practice.  It is satisfying in a way that nothing else in life satisfies to use one’s spiritual gifts.

But nothing is without struggle here on earth.  We are prone not only to the greatest pride in this place of giftedness, but also to the greatest attacks of the enemy.  It is no surprise that many Christians never employ their giftedness to their fullest capacity.  It is dangerous territory. 

I still feel self-conscious saying that I have a ministry.  But I will explain ministry as this: to employ the giftedness that God has given me for His glory and the furtherance of His kingdom.  This is real work, and in this work, I have come to accept that I am a minister of God’s grace.  But often, the very gift that should most glorify God in my life has become a satisfaction in itself for me.

In some ways, my humanitarian nature is the biggest stumbling block to my ministry.  Many times—in all honesty—most of the time, I am so consumed with the needs before me that I forget the bigger picture.  I see suffering, and I want to pray.  I see need, and I want to help.  I would rather sit on a street curb and pray for someone than go out for dinner.  But my goal is still so imperfect.  My relief is often in the relief of others, my joy in theirs.  It sounds nice.  It sounds very “Mother Teresa” and humanitarian.  But it falls short of the true goal, which is to glorify God.

This verse, like so many verses in the Bible, sums up the totality of all things: “in order to bring praise to God.”  I know that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing, and that I am growing in the Lord.  But I also know with painful clarity that I am a long way from having the right heart.  My inclination to find satisfaction in the temporal relief of the suffering of others keeps me from the better thing.  With the help of God I must teach my heart to find a higher joy: the confession and adoration of Christ. 

 

The Grace of Christ in the Parable of the Good Samaritan

There are so many lessons that can be gleaned from the parable of the good Samaritan.  As I have been pondering the meaning of grace, the details of the Samaritan in this story took on new meaning. 

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.  So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Luke 10:25-37

Sin causes us to stray - it leads us away from God

A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho...

Sin robs us - it steals all that we were meant to be in Christ and leaves us debtors

...and he fell among robbers...

Sin humiliates us - it strips us of self respect and dignity

...who stripped him...

Sin assaults us - it causes us physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual distress and disease

...and beat him...

Sin abandons us - it empties us of the promises of God and leaves us in hopelessness and despair

...and departed, leaving him half dead.

Christ honors us - He cares for us with extravagant love and compassion

...Then he set him on his own animal

Christ heals us - He binds up our wounds, and heals us with the oil and water of His Holy Spirit

...and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.

Christ saves us - He rescues us from condemnation and death

...(He) came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him...

Christ guides us - He leads us to safety and tends to our needs

...and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

Christ redeems us - He pays all our debts, past, present and future, and promises to return for us

...And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’

Sin is not just something we are inclined to do, it is something that rules over us.  Only Christ can set us free from sin.  Those of us in Christ owe Him our lives and much more.  We are freed by His mercy, but we rejoice because of His grace.

How to Catch a Monkey

Sometimes my English students help me carry supplies from my car to our classroom in the church. Last year, a new student tried to help me with a bag that I was carrying. Actually, I had two bags on that arm, both looped over my wrist. In the same hand I had my keys ready to unlock the church, and something in my other hand as well.

So it was no easy task for my student to extract the bag from my arm. In fact, the bag that he happened to grab was looped under the other, and my closed hand was making it impossible for him to remove. We had a momentary tug-of-war. I couldn’t explain what the problem was. I didn’t want to drop my keys. He was determined to help.

There have been countless times during my work in this ministry when I have experienced awkward moments. I don’t know if it makes any sense, but it just seems that there is so much more opportunity to look like an idiot when you are attempting to communicate across language and culture barriers. Or, maybe it’s just me.

Whatever the case, I am slowly getting used to it. I have begun to feel God’s presence more distinctly in these moments. And the awkwardness is becoming more instructive than destructive for me. It is in the awkward moments that I am faced with my true self. It is here that I am forced to laugh or cry, to go on or to give up. It was at this particular moment, held captive by plastic bags, that I recalled a story I had heard about a technique hunters were using to catch monkeys.

It seems that if you place a desirable object in a clear glass jar in the jungle, a monkey will attempt to retrieve it. To catch the monkey, the jar needs to be heavier than the monkey is. It also needs to have a neck barely large enough for the monkey’s arm. Placed where he can see it, the monkey will soon attempt to get the object inside. It won’t take him long to realize he must reach into the jar through the neck. And in no time, he will grasp the object inside. But in so doing, he will have made a fist. And his fist, which is too large to fit back through the hole, essentially locks him to the jar. His desire to have the object holds him in place for hours. Even the approach of the hunters does not persuade the monkey to drop his prize and escape.

In the end, I laughed as I remembered the story and realized the only solution was to let go of my keys. My student and I managed to extract the bags from my arm. We survived the awkward moment. He has become one of my best students.

But it was through this event, and my struggle with this awkward moment that I was reminded of the profound truth in the monkey’s folly. We are so often held in place by those things we refuse to give up. Sometimes they are obvious things, like cars and houses. But sometimes they are hopes and dreams, or even anger and bitterness. Sometimes pride, as we allow ourselves to suffer awkward moments. It is in letting go that we become free.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
Luke 18:22, 23

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matthew 6:21

The Heart I Want to Have

I prayed for a man in a grocery store parking lot this morning. It wasn’t what I set off to do, wasn’t on my agenda. But it was, I think, a God-ordered event that has pushed me a little farther along the path He seems to be taking me.

I have been giving quite a lot of thought lately to the loving of the “unlovable”. For me, at this moment, this has been the homeless. We all have reasons why some people are harder for us to love than others. For me, it’s not the threat of violence or even so much the idea of being latched-onto and taken advantage of. It’s the physical dirtiness and genuine likelihood of disease that I struggle with.

I watched a video a few years ago on refugees in Romania. The commentator was saying that genocides often begin when one group of people begin to see another group of people as less-than-human. In Romania, they began with various restrictions upon a particular people group that eventually escalated into complete segregation of these people from the rest of society. They were literally locked into camps within the cities. Of course, they could no longer support themselves or contribute to society in any way. They had limited access to water and food, and consequently became all that others claimed them to be—dirty, desperate, dependant. This scenario was compared with the treatment of the Jews by the Nazis. And of course, the Europeans did much the same thing with the Native Americans.

It’s not that I subscribe to the idea that homeless people have been forced into that position, or that they don’t own most of the responsibility for living the way that they do. But I do see the same spiral of destruction in their lives: that, once dirty, desperate and dependant, it is a practically hopeless pursuit to climb back out of that hole.

I have heard it said of Mother Teresa that she came to a moment of crisis—feeling God’s call upon her to care for the poorest of the poor in Calcutta. She said of a man on the street that she knew if she didn’t help this person, she wouldn’t help anyone. She helped him.
Jonah, too, faced a crisis when asked to go to the ones he despised:

Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me. ...Jonah 1:2

Peter was given a command to go to the unclean accompanied by a vision:

He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” ...Acts 10:11-14 NIV

We know now that Peter’s struggle was not about food. He was being sent to an unclean people as an instrument of God’s grace and mercy. Peter was being sent to the very people that he had taken diligent care to avoid his entire life.

Why does God do this? Why does he ask us to serve those we find it most difficult to love? Perhaps it is because, while we (humans) may find some people more or less loveable, God finds us all pretty dirty, desperate and dependant. Somehow, He loves us beyond our condition. He loves us in a better way, with a gracious, overlooking-what-we-have-become kind of love. He remembers us from the garden, I suppose, and sees in us what He created us to be. And this, I think, is how I need to see others. Not so much according to their condition as to who they are, who they were meant to be in Christ.

I know it’s not much in the scope of the whole world, but for me, this small step to pray publicly with a man who had simply approached me for money was an uncomfortably positive step forward. I’m sure that prayer was the last thing this man expected or wanted, but I hope that God will apply it to his soul nonetheless. As for me, I am a little closer to having the heart I want to have. And a little more thankful to God for loving me beyond my present condition.

Like Friends

In our adult Sunday school class last year we were talking about why the world is so hostile to Christians. Someone shared about a bumper sticker they had seen, “So many Christians, so few lions.” Only a couple of us seemed to appreciate the humour. But what really surprised me was how so few of those present seemed to get why Christians are so offensive to everyone else.
From a Biblical perspective, we can explain it tidily enough. Our mere presence convicts them, the fragrance of Christ upon us is an offense before we open our mouths. But the heavenly realities are reflected in real causes in the material world as well. Christians are the spiritually rich living in a world of spiritual poverty. And the sad reality is that we are not so much different from the materially rich in their apathy toward the materially poor.
I watched a video this week about a popular outreach in our city. The sincerity of the speaker, the tenderness of the images were compelling. Many churches participate to bring food, hope, the Word to people on the street. I was completely captured until the tiniest phrase slipped out of the narrator’s mouth. He was saying that people recognize him now, that when he arrives, they call out his name. They are like friends, he said. Like friends.
And this, Christians, is why the world will throw us to the lions. He didn’t say “like” as an adjective. He didn’t say, “They are, like, friends.” He said, “They are like friends.”
You see, we Christians have this annoying habit of knowing that we are better than everyone else. Sure, we give, we share, we minister. But something is always out of balance. We are the giver, they the receiver. We are the good, the merciful, the kind. They are the unfortunate, the needy, the object of our kindness. We treat them well, pray with them, hope for them, but at the end of the day, we go home. Maybe we are fond of them, maybe they are “like” friends, but let’s face it, for many Christians they just aren’t friend material.
And when they realize this about us (and they will eventually realize this about us) they will be angry. Angry, because we talked to them about love, compassion and human worth as though we valued them. As though they were someone with whom we could become friends. But in reality there was never any intention of letting things get that far. These boundaries that Christians take for granted are a shock to those who take them at their word, who think that genuine friendship is being offered.
Friendship lends dignity because it assumes a mutuality of personality, enjoyment, and philosophy. One who thinks he is a friend expects a level of dignity that allows him to repay, to relate, to share equally. Charity, on the other hand, robs dignity through the one-way street of giver to receiver. Nothing is wanted, nothing expected, nothing valued the other way around. And when our tongues slip up and show the true intentions of our hearts (charity, not friendship) a seed of hatred is planted.
If we are going to involve ourselves in ministry where we are relating directly with people I think we need to grapple with this issue. Are we willing to risk real friendship? Or get real about not wanting them as friends? But if we don’t want them as friends, what are we doing there anyway?

Encouragement

To encourage is to:
· inspire with courage, spirit, heart or hope
· nurture, advance or support
· promote confidence in a positive outcome
· foster through the expression of approval
· provide tangible or moral assistance

Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but an encouraging word makes it glad.
Proverbs 12:25

A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Proverbs 15:13

A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22

And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words; though briers and thorns are all around you and you dwell and sit among scorpions, be not afraid of their words nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 2:6

He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firmly fixed, trusting (leaning on and being confident) in the Lord.
Psalm 112:7

...The Lord is my Light and my Salvation--whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?
Hebrews 13:6

In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.
Psalm 138:3

Then there touched me again one whose appearance was like that of a man, and he strengthened me.
Daniel 10:18

But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the [Gospel] message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was delivered out of the jaws of the lion.
2 Timothy 4:17

But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him...
Deuteronomy 3:28

...Be strong and of good courage. Dread not and fear not; be not dismayed.
1 Chronicles 22:13

...encourage the timid and fainthearted, help and give your support to the weak souls, [and] be very patient with everybody [always keeping your temper].
1 Thessalonians 5:14

I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me.
Matthew 25:36

So [instead of further rebuke, now] you should rather turn and [graciously] forgive and comfort and encourage [him], to keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive sorrow and despair.
2 Corinthians 2:7

[For my concern is] that their hearts may be braced (comforted, cheered, and encouraged) as they are knit together in love...
Colossians 2:2

...Be strengthened (perfected, completed, made what you ought to be); be encouraged and consoled and comforted; be of the same [agreeable] mind one with another; live in peace...
2 Corinthians 13:11

That is, that we may be mutually strengthened and encouraged and comforted by each other's faith, both yours and mine.
Romans 1:12

And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.
Galatians 6:9

We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair;
2 Corinthians 4:8

Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated)...
John 14:1

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]
John 14:27

Discouragement

To discourage is to:

· cause to lose heart (dishearten, dismay)
· deprive of hope, confidence, courage, or spirit (deject, depress)
· crush enthusiasm by the expression of disapproval (frown upon)
· hinder by intimidation or threat (daunt, frighten)
· hamper by persuasion or the raising of objections (dissuade, deter)
· obstruct by real or supposed opposition or difficulty (hinder, derail)

And some...shall be weakened and fall, [...will lose courage and become deserters. It will be a test] to refine, to purify, and to make those among [God's people] white, even to the time of the end...
Daniel 11:35

But as for the cowards... and the cravenly lacking in courage and the cowardly submissive... [all of these shall have] their part in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone...
Revelation 21:8

He said, I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.
Genesis 3:10

So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground...
Matthew 25:25

So I turned around and gave my heart up to despair...
Ecclesiastes 2:20

Why do you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land which the Lord has given them?
Numbers 32:7

...and the people became impatient (depressed, much discouraged), because [of the trials] of the way.
Numbers 21:4

And He said to them, Why are you disturbed and troubled, and why do such doubts and questionings arise in your hearts?
Luke 24:38

And He said to them, What is this discussion that you are exchanging ( throwing back and forth) between yourselves as you walk along? And they stood still, looking sad and downcast.
Luke 24:17

ALSO [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up).
Luke 18:1

And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words; though briers and thorns are all around you and you dwell and sit among scorpions, be not afraid of their words nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 2:6

Now My soul is troubled and distressed, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour [of trial and agony]? But it was for this very purpose that I have come to this hour [that I might undergo it].
John 12:27

Courage

To be courageous is to possess the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face danger, pain, or other difficulties bravely. (Fearless, dauntless, brave, valiant, bold, daring.) (Not cowardly.)


...Fear not nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage...
Joshua 10:25

But... the men of Israel, took courage and strengthened themselves...
Judges 20:22

And when Asa heard these words... he took courage and put away the abominable idols...
2 Chronicles 15:8

Also Hezekiah took courage and built up all the wall that was broken...
2 Chronicles 32:5

Joseph... daring the consequences, took courage and ventured to go to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Mark 15:43

...the Lord stood beside Paul and said, Take courage, Paul, for as you have borne faithful witness concerning Me at Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.
Acts 23:11

...Jesus... said to the paralyzed man, Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven and the penalty remitted.
Matthew 9:2

...And they called the blind man, telling him, Take courage! Get up! He is calling you.
Mark 10:49

Jesus turned around and, seeing her, He said, Take courage, daughter...
Matthew 9:22

Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring...
Psalm 27:14

...Do not be afraid of the enemy; [earnestly] remember the Lord and imprint Him [on your minds], great and terrible, and [take from Him courage to] fight...
Nehemiah 4:14

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
John 16:33

But instantly He spoke to them, saying, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid!
Matthew 14:27

Weird

I got called weird at church this week. Well, not only me, but most of my closest friends as well. It’s taken me a while to figure out what to do with that—being called weird, at church, for my personal theological convictions. It’s not as though I don’t accept that I might be a bit weird. But then, who isn’t? And am I weirder than most? Because of the way I pray?

So, just for kicks, I went online and Googled, “Am I weird?” (I figured just doing that was a pretty good indication.) Turns out there are plenty of quizzes out there that will tell you just how weird you are. Naturally, I took a few.

They all seemed to say that I’m pretty mildly weird, and I guess I have to agree in light of some of the questions they were asking. In the scope of the really scary-weird things that people think and say and do, my life suddenly seemed very tame.

Still, in the context of the Baptist church I attend, it’s likely that I register higher-than-normal on the weirdness scale. I’ve tried my best not to rattle sabres or nerves, but I guess it’s just in me to be weird. Even so, to be called weird for the way I pray? It’s not encouraging. And it has caused me to weigh, once again, the relative benefits of being considered weird in my current denomination against being accepted, possibly encouraged, in another.

Ultimately, all churches have the same problem—they are merely collections of flawed people. There is no perfect church. There are only people being perfected in Christ. And so my hope is not fixed on the church, but on Christ.

Weirdness is relative. I am Christ’s, and it is my intention to follow Him to the best of my ability, and in accordance with my personal convictions. If that makes me weird to some people, so be it.

2 Corinthians 4 (Part 2)

For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God. For what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your servants (slaves) for Jesus' sake. For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.
2 Corinthians 4:4-7

Unbelievers often describe God as silent, invisible. But the reality is somewhat the opposite. God is speaking, but we are deaf. He is visible, but we have been made blind. It gives one a better perspective of what is really going on.

And what is it that has been hidden from us? The illuminating light, light itself. Can you imagine, concealing light?

So, if sight is what unbelievers are lacking, understanding this helps us to pray for them. We can pray that they might see, that they might receive the illumination of their minds to the Gospel. We can pray that they will grasp the revelation of Christ as the manifestation of God.

And how sobering, to think that the treasure, this light, is being carried about in our mortal bodies. How wonderful, to consider that we possess this treasure. Whatever day-to-day drudgery we might find ourselves a part of, the reality is that if we possess Christ, we possess this light. We are light-bearers.

Lord, I am your messenger. Throw me like a blazing torch into the night.

Mary Skobtsova (took another woman's place in a Nazi gas chamber a day before the camp was liberated, Easter Eve, 1945)

2 Corinthains 4 (Part 1)

In the beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:1-4 (Amplified)

Today I read 2 Corinthians chapter 4, and was struck by the parallel between the “light” of the gospel referred to in this chapter and the light spoken into existence by God at the creation of the world.

For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God. For what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your servants (slaves) for Jesus' sake. For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.
2 Corinthians 4:4-7

In the context of this parallel, I find it amazing that the first recorded “command” of God is the creation of light. And it makes me ask the obvious question, “Was that intentional?" Did God already have His plan for our salvation in mind when He was forming the earth? Was the light of the world “The Light of the World”? (That is to say, was the light referred to in Genesis the person of Christ?) Is Christ aluded to before the foundations of world were begun? Before the animals? Before Adam? Well it only makes sense to say yes—but what a yes!

Cancer in the Church

Cancer is a unique disease. Apparently cancer cells are always present in the body. But then something happens that no one seems to be able to explain. Either the cells themselves are triggered, causing them to run amok, or the body’s natural defences are weakened to the point that they can no longer deal with them efficiently. Either way, the abnormal cells begin to overtake the healthy cells, and the results can be catastrophic.

I have heard that the reason cancer is so difficult to treat is because it is the body’s own defences that have become hostile. Generally when there is disease, medicines are used that will amp up the immune system in an attempt to coax the body into healing itself. Once the foreign material is identified, the body can deal with it. But in the case of cancer, the immune system loses the ability to differentiate between friend and foe. The body begins to attack itself.

I have been pondering the issue of division in the church, and cancer seems an appropriate analogy. It is a deep and difficult disease to cure, the people of God hurting one another. Perhaps it is due to protectionism, perhaps mere misunderstanding. I think that there must be at the heart of the matter an unwillingness to be wronged. And a willingness to be wronged is an essential part, I think, of living out the Christian life.

If we believe that Christ is in control, giving up one’s right to be right is not so difficult. (And just as often we are not right anyway.) Really, we have no rights. We invent them to cushion ourselves against what we perceive to be unjust. But there are many, many people in the world living without any rights at all. And those who have followed Christ throughout history willingly laid down their rights. Their defence was never for themselves, but for Christ, and they accepted (even rejoiced) in the loss of their own rights and freedoms for the sake of following Him.

Perhaps disunity, this cancer in the church, is always present to some extent. And perhaps it flares up occasionally due to a general unhealth in the body or perhaps it is triggered by some unknown force. Either way, when the body is unable to deal with it efficiently, the results can be catastrophic.

So, should we treat division in the church as doctors treat cancer? As a friend of mine recently put it, the cut, poison and burn methods? Do we cut out the bad bits, and poison and radiate the rest of the body as severely as we can without killing it in an attempt to eliminate all trace of whatever started the problem?

There has to be a better way.

A Glimpse of the Early Church

This is a passage of Paul's writing to the Corinthians, just after the explanation of Spiritual gifts, and his famous exposition on love. Let me quote first from the NIV, and then give the same passage from the Amplified Bible.

So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"
1 Co 14:23-26 NIV

Therefore, if the whole church assembles and all of you speak in [unknown] tongues, and the ungifted and uninitiated or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are demented? But if all prophesy [giving inspired testimony and interpreting the divine will and purpose] and an unbeliever or untaught outsider comes in, he is told of his sin and reproved and convicted and convinced by all, and his defects and needs are examined (estimated, determined) and he is called to account by all, The secrets of his heart are laid bare; and so, falling on [his] face, he will worship God, declaring that God is among you in very truth. What then, brethren, is [the right course]? When you meet together, each one has a hymn, a teaching, a disclosure of special knowledge or information, an utterance in a [strange] tongue, or an interpretation of it. [But] let everything be constructive and edifying and for the good of all.
1 Corinthians 14:23-26 Amplified

I read and re-read this passage, trying for a moment to ignore all I have ever heard or thought about speaking in tongues, and just concentrate on the rest of the passage. It actually provides an interesting account of the early church. Paul not only sheds light on what a church "service" might have looked like, but also provides a glimpse of the "method" employed in the conversion of a soul.

First of all, what is the church doing? Singing hymns, teaching, and giving inspired testimony. That sounds a lot like what we do now. But I was intrigued by the Amplified's emphasis on "all" (all prophesy, called to account by all).

And what is the response of the unbeliever? His heart is laid bare, he worships God and declares that God is present among them.

Of course there is so much more to be said about conversion, but I appreciated the implication that when God's people are going about God's business with complete sincerity that unbelievers walking into their presence are affected to the point of repentance and conversion. That is to say that the church did not meet for the purpose of converting that soul, but the soul, walking into the service, was converted. It speaks to our purpose and method of meeting as a church.

On Direction

There is a theory that a fundamental shift has taken place in the rearing of our children. It asserts that children in our society are beginning to form stronger attachments with one another than with the adults in their lives. Busy parents and a lack of moral instruction in child care facilities and public schools are contributing factors. But regardless of the cause, the result seems to be that children are looking to other children for guidance and affirmation of what is right and wrong.
I mention this because I think it is a helpful picture of what appears to be happening in our churches. So many of us seem to be focused on one another. We look to one another as an example of what it means to live a Christian life. We rely on one another for guidance and affirmation that we are on the right track. This is not necessarily bad. Taken together with Christ as our head, it is probably a great thing. But we need to ask ourselves if Christ is genuinely our head. Is Christ who we look to as our foremost authority? Is He Who we set as our example? Is it from Christ that we seek our strongest affirmation? If not, we are not necessarily headed in the right direction. We are merely travelling together.

Glorifying God

How different would this world be if we could only grasp that we are eternal beings pacing about in a temporal cage? If we understood that this world, these bodies, were fashioned for the drama of the greatest story ever told? If we knew that every leaf and rock and star bear witness, that every great and terrible deed brings God glory? That nothing, in fact, escapes the inevitable purpose of bringing of glory to God?
There is glory in our joyful alignment with God and there is glory in His conquest over our rebellion. The light of Christ within us testifies to His goodness and the darkess in those without Christ testifies to their poverty without Him.
How different would the world be if the rebellious could only grasp that they cannot escape glorifying God?

Woman at the Well—Epilogue

Allow me now to skip down a few verses to the last we hear about this woman. This is the part of the story I have had to wrestle with the most.

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world.”

First of all, let me say that on the surface of things, the people’s remarks are entirely fitting, and give glory to Christ. But again, from the perspective of the woman, I can only imagine that she found their words cutting. Having been lifted by Christ, she is again brought low in the eyes of men. Whether through insensitivity or the deliberate re-assertion of their status over her, she is essentially told that she is no longer needed.

I could speculate on the attitudes behind such remarks, but let me again focus on the woman, and the lesson that was intended for her. I believe that God allowed the remarks for the woman’s own good. And I believe that He preserved the conversation for ours.

She may have become proud. Or perhaps she was stepping beyond the role that Christ had given to her. Whatever the reality was, the perception was likely that she was acting beyond her station. And the people’s words, apart from giving glory to Christ, hold a note of correction.

In any case, the woman was in a precarious position spiritually. Having been an outcast, she must have been overwhelmed by the acceptance she was receiving. Having been disgraced, she was undoubtedly enjoying the honour that came from introducing her town to the Messiah. She was almost certainly in danger of exchanging the living water that Christ had given her for the temporal water of acceptance with her people.

And so, Christ bestows on her this final, difficult mercy. She is given an earthly disappointment to remind her to seek heavenly treasure. She will not find the restoration she needs among her people. She will need to draw that deep water from Christ alone.

Woman at the Well - Part 7

The woman said, “I know that Messiah... is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”

No sooner does Jesus reveal His identity to the woman than the disciples return. One can imagine the disciples assessing the situation as they walk up to Jesus, looking back and forth between Him and the woman. The gospel records that they are “surprised” that he has been talking with her. (Which is kind of remarkable, really, when you consider that they have seen Jesus talking with tax collectors, the blind, lepers.)

For the woman, the conversation is over. Yet this is clearly not an ending for her. She leaves the well without her water, without her jug. She leaves transformed. She came alone. She leaves calling out for others. She came an outcast. She leaves with a desire to draw others to Christ. She came in shame and condemnation. She leaves with confidence. She came for water, she left with living water. She met the giver, understood the gift, and left filled with a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Woman at the Well - Part 6

“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

If everything I have said about this woman hasn’t convinced you that her question was genuine, I invite you to consider this—that Christ’s response to the woman ought to be proof enough of the sincerity of her question. If she had been insincere like the Pharisees, we would expect to see Jesus ignore her question or rebuke her. But He doesn’t. Christ’s response is more like His response to Nicodemus. And the woman is given further honour by being the lone benefactor of a deeply theological discourse. Jesus told her,

“Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

I’m sure books could be written on this discourse alone, but since my focus is on the woman, let me keep this brief. Her theology is gently corrected. Her status as a Samaritan (that is, of being less than a Jew) is confirmed. But at the same time, Jesus lights within her a hope that some new order is coming (indeed, is already here) when being a Jew or a Samaritan will be less important. And true worship will not depend on a place, but on something entirely new.

The woman said, “I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Again, I see sincerity in the woman’s response. It appears that she knows the scriptures well enough to see the connection between the “coming time” and the “coming Messiah.” And I would add that this woman, though fallen, exhibits faith. She expects that the Messiah will come to her people and will “explain everything” to them. And of course, this is precisely what happens.

Woman at the Well - Part 5

“The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.”

Most commentaries seem to pitch their tent here. They dwell on the woman’s guilt and shame. They even go so far as to dismiss the woman’s next statement as an attempt to deflect attention away from herself.

So, let’s talk about her shame for a moment. Of course there is a sense in which this woman must be faced with her true self, to experience repentance, to feel the need of the gift that Christ has come to give her. But I don’t believe His words were intended to deepen her sense of shame. She was already living an isolated existence. She was profoundly and daily aware of her condition before God and men—just as the lepers knew what it was to be a leper, and the blind knew what it was to be blind.

Christ did not speak to the woman in a way that would entrench her lowly status. Quite the opposite, His actions seem deliberately designed to lend her dignity, credibility and honour. After all, He was a Jew asking a Samaritan for water. He was a man alone, conversing with a woman. He was a person of good reputation associating with an outcast. In every practical way He was treating her with dignity far beyond her status.

By His words, Christ reveals that He is, in fact, someone greater than Jacob. And simultaneously, He reveals that he knows her, knows everything about her, and that He made no mistake when He spoke to her. She was not condemned on her previous accounts (of being a woman, being a Samaritan), and she is not condemned now.

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.”

I don’t believe that the woman is hanging her head in shame at this point. More likely, she is elated, released. She has been offered the opportunity to think and act and speak like a person after living a de-humanized existence. She knows, now, that the man in front of her is greater than every person who has condemned her, and yet He is talking with her as though she were worthy of His attention.

And so I conclude that the woman’s next statement, a question, is not borne out of shame—a mere deflection of attention away from herself. I believe it is the surfacing of a long-hidden hope to know God. A hope held lightly, as she could see no way to reconcile it with the reality of her life.

“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

Woman at the Well - Part 4

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Finally, she asks for the gift He has come to offer. But what He has been trying to tell her hasn’t really sunk in. She’s missed a couple of steps. At the beginning of this conversation, He had told her:

“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

She doesn’t know what the gift of God is. Nor does she recognize the giver. Jesus, in a tender yet expedient way helps her see both.

“Go, call your husband and come back.”
“I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

This handful of words brings everything into focus. The woman is immediately convinced of two things. First, that the man speaking to her really is important. She knows who He is now, or at least she is on the edge of knowing who He is. And second, that He knows who she is—that He is fully aware of her true condition and status.