Don't let go of what gives you value.
Matthew 5:13 13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
Mark 9:50 50 Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."
Luke 14:34-35 34 "Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; they throw it away. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!"
Salt, in the first century, was often made up of what we call salt and impurities. It was possible for the actual salt to leach out of the impurities and leave nothing but the impurities behind. What you would have left looked like salt, but wasn't. And it didn't have any of the properties of salt.
We can spend all our lives figuring out the right rules to keep and keeping them. We can spend all our lives figuring out the correct theology to believe and believing it. We can spend all our lives making a list of the right good works to do and doing them. We can look like salt and not be salt.
Salt represents what is at our core. Not what we do or don't do. Not what we believe or don't believe. But what goes on in our hearts - our relationship with God.
Be salty.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
The persecuted (Matt 5:10)
Matthew 5:10-12 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Wait... the last blessing (and the last post) talked about peacemaking. And then here in the very next sentence, Jesus is talking about persecution? How did we get from here to there? If we are out making peace, then aren't we pretty safe from persecution?
Right out of seminary, a church in North Carolina where generations of my family comes from invited me to come and be their pastor. It was a well funded - fairly large church - especially for a rural area where most people earned their living from farming. As part of the interview process, I spoke to the interim pastor. She said to me, there is something you need to know about this congregation... "everyone is involved in the tobacco industry in one respect or another." I thought about that for a minute. What was she telling me? My grandmother worked all of her life inspecting cigarettes in a factory. After using her money to care for her family, she put some away by buying stock in that same company. Over the years, that stock became worth quite a lot of money. Likewise, my father worked summers in the same factory rolling cigarettes to earn money for college. Yet, neither of them smoked which is probably why I had never considered this predicament before. But how do you pastor a congregation whose wealth is built upon a product that is known to bring harm to those who use it? Could this possibly be the way of Jesus?
I asked the interim just that question. She said that their previous pastor's first inclination had been to ignore it and keep the peace. But then after years of being their pastor, he realized that peacemakers following in the way of Jesus would be required to name the problem and offer solutions - not ignore it. So he did. Can you imagine the persecution that followed? This church had been built off of money from tobacco and now their pastor was suggesting to them that it was time to plant a new crop that brought wholeness to people and not harm. You can only imagine how that worked out for him - and it explained why they were currently without a pastor.
Peacemaking - working for wholeness (Shalom) for all people - is difficult business. It often means naming a wrong and leading others to a better way - a way that will bring wholeness and not harm. Peacemakers are more often persecuted than not. Jesus says to work for peace anyway.
Are you keeping the peace for your sake or for the kingdom's sake? Can you name the broken places out of love for others and offer a better way? Can you love those who are persecuting as much as those who are being persecuted? Are you willing to be persecuted for the sake of real shalom - wholeness - peace?
This is one of the uncomfortable places that Jesus often takes his followers.
Luke 6:22-23 22 "Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
Wait... the last blessing (and the last post) talked about peacemaking. And then here in the very next sentence, Jesus is talking about persecution? How did we get from here to there? If we are out making peace, then aren't we pretty safe from persecution?
Right out of seminary, a church in North Carolina where generations of my family comes from invited me to come and be their pastor. It was a well funded - fairly large church - especially for a rural area where most people earned their living from farming. As part of the interview process, I spoke to the interim pastor. She said to me, there is something you need to know about this congregation... "everyone is involved in the tobacco industry in one respect or another." I thought about that for a minute. What was she telling me? My grandmother worked all of her life inspecting cigarettes in a factory. After using her money to care for her family, she put some away by buying stock in that same company. Over the years, that stock became worth quite a lot of money. Likewise, my father worked summers in the same factory rolling cigarettes to earn money for college. Yet, neither of them smoked which is probably why I had never considered this predicament before. But how do you pastor a congregation whose wealth is built upon a product that is known to bring harm to those who use it? Could this possibly be the way of Jesus?
I asked the interim just that question. She said that their previous pastor's first inclination had been to ignore it and keep the peace. But then after years of being their pastor, he realized that peacemakers following in the way of Jesus would be required to name the problem and offer solutions - not ignore it. So he did. Can you imagine the persecution that followed? This church had been built off of money from tobacco and now their pastor was suggesting to them that it was time to plant a new crop that brought wholeness to people and not harm. You can only imagine how that worked out for him - and it explained why they were currently without a pastor.
Peacemaking - working for wholeness (Shalom) for all people - is difficult business. It often means naming a wrong and leading others to a better way - a way that will bring wholeness and not harm. Peacemakers are more often persecuted than not. Jesus says to work for peace anyway.
Are you keeping the peace for your sake or for the kingdom's sake? Can you name the broken places out of love for others and offer a better way? Can you love those who are persecuting as much as those who are being persecuted? Are you willing to be persecuted for the sake of real shalom - wholeness - peace?
This is one of the uncomfortable places that Jesus often takes his followers.
Luke 6:22-23 22 "Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
Friday, May 27, 2011
The peacemakers (Matt 5:9)
Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Don't confuse this blessing to say, "Blessed are the peaceful." Jesus is not talking about people who keep to themselves and avoid conflict. He is talking about those who take on the hard job of making peace. And Jesus is only doing and teaching what the Old Testament has already taught: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns" (Isaiah 52:7).
Peace making is working to enable the transformation of brokenness into Shalom - wholeness - peace. Peace making means replacing the living out of our brokenness with the good news and announcing salvation. It is not appeasement. It is not compromise. It is declaring that "God reigns!" It is working for the wholeness of all peoples.
Where can you make peace today? Where can you announce that there is a way to live where Jesus heals brokenness and makes all things new? Where can God reign today that he has never been invited to reign before? People who take this assignment on... who look for broken places to bring God's message... they will be called the children of God.
Don't confuse this blessing to say, "Blessed are the peaceful." Jesus is not talking about people who keep to themselves and avoid conflict. He is talking about those who take on the hard job of making peace. And Jesus is only doing and teaching what the Old Testament has already taught: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns" (Isaiah 52:7).
Peace making is working to enable the transformation of brokenness into Shalom - wholeness - peace. Peace making means replacing the living out of our brokenness with the good news and announcing salvation. It is not appeasement. It is not compromise. It is declaring that "God reigns!" It is working for the wholeness of all peoples.
Where can you make peace today? Where can you announce that there is a way to live where Jesus heals brokenness and makes all things new? Where can God reign today that he has never been invited to reign before? People who take this assignment on... who look for broken places to bring God's message... they will be called the children of God.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The pure in heart (Matt 5:8)
Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."
I have a girlfriend who is a pastor. She is very effective in her work... has built new churches, has pastored a congregation of thousands, has led presbytery committees that have made a significant difference in the world, etc. I started thinking about why she is so successful - and I have come to believe that it is because she has laser sharp focus on God's mission. She is focused on the mission of God and not any number of other things that could distract her. She doesn't worry about being liked (my big flaw) - or about pressures placed on her by others that have nothing to do with God's vision - or about the worrisome details of how impossible things are going to get accomplished. Instead she has a God given vision and she stays 100% focused on it. She has faith that God has both given her a vision and will give her the power to do his work - so she doesn't waste time worrying over it. In all the years I have known her, I have never seen her worried. When things don't go as planned, she doesn't see that as a problem, but as a opportunity to obtain the vision in a new way - a way previously unplanned. She stays focused on the goal no matter what. And equips her congregation to be focused on the goal.
This is purity in heart - focused on one goal - God's goal. What vision has God given you? How focused are you on that vision? What things distract you? Be pure of heart!
I have a girlfriend who is a pastor. She is very effective in her work... has built new churches, has pastored a congregation of thousands, has led presbytery committees that have made a significant difference in the world, etc. I started thinking about why she is so successful - and I have come to believe that it is because she has laser sharp focus on God's mission. She is focused on the mission of God and not any number of other things that could distract her. She doesn't worry about being liked (my big flaw) - or about pressures placed on her by others that have nothing to do with God's vision - or about the worrisome details of how impossible things are going to get accomplished. Instead she has a God given vision and she stays 100% focused on it. She has faith that God has both given her a vision and will give her the power to do his work - so she doesn't waste time worrying over it. In all the years I have known her, I have never seen her worried. When things don't go as planned, she doesn't see that as a problem, but as a opportunity to obtain the vision in a new way - a way previously unplanned. She stays focused on the goal no matter what. And equips her congregation to be focused on the goal.
This is purity in heart - focused on one goal - God's goal. What vision has God given you? How focused are you on that vision? What things distract you? Be pure of heart!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The merciful (Matthew 5:7)
Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy."
Are you merciful? There are two parts to being merciful. On one hand, mercy means offering forgiveness to those who have wronged you. On the other hand, mercy means offering tangible compassion to those in need - whether they deserve it or not.
Who needs your forgiveness or compassion? Who needs to know about God's forgiveness and compassion? Offer mercy!
Are you merciful? There are two parts to being merciful. On one hand, mercy means offering forgiveness to those who have wronged you. On the other hand, mercy means offering tangible compassion to those in need - whether they deserve it or not.
Who needs your forgiveness or compassion? Who needs to know about God's forgiveness and compassion? Offer mercy!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Those who weep (Luke 6:21)
Luke 6:21 "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
Once, when I was going through a difficult season, God positioned a special person in my life - someone I could lean on and trust. Then through the circumstances of life, we were separated. In the separation, there was great sorrow for me. It left such a hole in my life, that all I could think is that I wish there had been more time for laughter. Laughter had not come easy during this difficult time we had encountered together, but there had been enough laughter to know I wanted more! Lots more! In fact, I craved more. So it gives me hope to read that in Jesus' kingdom there will be laughter! I love that God values laughter! And I look forward to the day when I get to laugh with this special person again.
What Jesus is promising is that the norm in his kingdom is laughter. Laughter that is possible because he has made all the broken things right - fixed all the broken stuff that separates and spoils. Possible because we can let down our guard and expose our best selves - possible because good stuff fills us up and runs over.
But the promise of future laughter can be so hard to hear when sorrow overwhelms us. When we are really suffering, we often just want the present situation fixed - we aren't at a place where we can look ahead to a time when things are joyful. I think of Job mourning the death of his family members. At a time like that, being promised laughter some other time, might not cut it. I doubt it made a very big dent in his sorrow as he initially ached for the people he loved. But often as we begin to heal from grief, we discover the need and desire for laughter - it helps us let go of the sorrow. This kind of laughter means we have let go of our burdens if even only for a minute and felt joy. This kind of laughter shared with another is intimate - it means letting down our guard to reveal the best side of ourselves.
"Your kingdom come - your will be done" might be (loosely and simplistically) translated "bring on the laughter!" Celebrate the kingdom of God today by laughing!!
Once, when I was going through a difficult season, God positioned a special person in my life - someone I could lean on and trust. Then through the circumstances of life, we were separated. In the separation, there was great sorrow for me. It left such a hole in my life, that all I could think is that I wish there had been more time for laughter. Laughter had not come easy during this difficult time we had encountered together, but there had been enough laughter to know I wanted more! Lots more! In fact, I craved more. So it gives me hope to read that in Jesus' kingdom there will be laughter! I love that God values laughter! And I look forward to the day when I get to laugh with this special person again.
What Jesus is promising is that the norm in his kingdom is laughter. Laughter that is possible because he has made all the broken things right - fixed all the broken stuff that separates and spoils. Possible because we can let down our guard and expose our best selves - possible because good stuff fills us up and runs over.
But the promise of future laughter can be so hard to hear when sorrow overwhelms us. When we are really suffering, we often just want the present situation fixed - we aren't at a place where we can look ahead to a time when things are joyful. I think of Job mourning the death of his family members. At a time like that, being promised laughter some other time, might not cut it. I doubt it made a very big dent in his sorrow as he initially ached for the people he loved. But often as we begin to heal from grief, we discover the need and desire for laughter - it helps us let go of the sorrow. This kind of laughter means we have let go of our burdens if even only for a minute and felt joy. This kind of laughter shared with another is intimate - it means letting down our guard to reveal the best side of ourselves.
"Your kingdom come - your will be done" might be (loosely and simplistically) translated "bring on the laughter!" Celebrate the kingdom of God today by laughing!!
Monday, May 23, 2011
The hungry and thirsty (Matt 5:6)
Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Luke 6:21 "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
The desire to be righteous encompasses all kinds of things... the desire to for living in personal integrity, the desire for justice in the world, the desire to be in right relationships with God and others.
By looking at other things that Jesus said during his ministry, we get a glimpse of how this hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled in God's Kingdom. In John 6, Jesus described himself as food: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." In John 4, Jesus tells the woman at the well, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."
Who describes themselves as food and water? Strange! Yet, it is through Jesus - that the desire for righteousness is filled. Through his death and resurrection where we are forgiven and cleansed. And then given the power of the Holy Spirit to follow in his way.
So how does this affect our lives today? For one thing, we should crave being right with God and others! Therefore we should seek it. For another, while we may see glimpses of righteousness in this world, we also see a great void of righteousness. And yet, we have hope that through Jesus, in his kingdom, one day righteousness will be a reality.
So with courage and hope, we seek to live in right relationship with God and others.
Luke 6:21 "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
The desire to be righteous encompasses all kinds of things... the desire to for living in personal integrity, the desire for justice in the world, the desire to be in right relationships with God and others.
By looking at other things that Jesus said during his ministry, we get a glimpse of how this hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled in God's Kingdom. In John 6, Jesus described himself as food: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." In John 4, Jesus tells the woman at the well, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."
Who describes themselves as food and water? Strange! Yet, it is through Jesus - that the desire for righteousness is filled. Through his death and resurrection where we are forgiven and cleansed. And then given the power of the Holy Spirit to follow in his way.
So how does this affect our lives today? For one thing, we should crave being right with God and others! Therefore we should seek it. For another, while we may see glimpses of righteousness in this world, we also see a great void of righteousness. And yet, we have hope that through Jesus, in his kingdom, one day righteousness will be a reality.
So with courage and hope, we seek to live in right relationship with God and others.
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