Barometers of Faith ...

How great is your imagination?  What kind of pressure does reality put on it?  The two-year-old set is unburdened with the day-to-day pressures of survival / life / death; social loneliness; concerns about their health; and for most, whether they are loved.  They simply do not live under that kind of stress or strain.  Most are able to completely trust that whatever issues may exist out there in the world, mom and dad will handle them.  Thus the toddler is fully capable of enjoying life, all the while, just knowing mom and dad have a handle on the rest of it.  This is so true, that toddlers do not even “think” this way.  They just live in it.  It takes the perspective of an adult, to understand what “reality” is like in the world that surrounds your given toddler child.  It is only the adult that has the wisdom and perspective to really understand what is going on, and what “could” happen.  Most of the admonitions we hand out then to our children are designed to be preventative, to keep the bad stuff from entering their reality.  When the accidents do occur, we are there to demonstrate a love to them, that will comfort in spite of the boo boo that life has somehow introduced.  A model of family, a picture we should be extending in our thoughts and faith towards our God.

But what is the net effect of nearly zero stress, and absolute trust; a mind free to imagine nearly anything.  Toddlers will gladly draw you a picture of nearly anything that enters their own thoughts or ideas.  Objects in the pictures very rarely resemble what they “are” – instead they represent how a child sees that object – and accounts for the lack of Michelangelo prodigies.  They are proud to have their “work of art” displayed on the refrigerator with magnets sold for this purpose.  They take joy in having mom and dad make a great deal production when the art is submitted for its gallery spot on the fridge.  They also take note when mom and dad share the work with grandparents, and highly tolerant friends, who seem to be in on the idea of making a big production of how great it is when the artist is nearby.  While Picasso might be hard pressed to identify any of the objects in the art-work, in the mind of the child, they are as clear as day.  Imagination, can nearly completely take over the point of view of the artist, allowing them to see renaissance paintings, where others only see crayons on construction paper.  It is only age, and the stress it brings, that can cause the artist to lose the memory, of what he/she was trying to convey.  While still young, and unencumbered, the masterpiece is easy to decipher.

Imagination is not just limited to expression, it is boundless in ideas.  Children “invent” new animals, generally by combining characteristics they enjoy from the ones they are familiar with, and coming up with something entirely new.  Who says you cannot put wings on a frog?  Or give him a nice long furry tail.  I don’t hear the frog complaining.  And if you listened closer you might hear the frog tell you what to do next.  The kids hear it.  They hear stuffed animals talk as plain as mom and dad.  They assign life like characteristics to many an inanimate object, and then expect you to join in on the journey of imagination.  When adults refuse, play comes to an abrupt halt.  A piece of plastic molded into the shape of a doll is a lifeless rock, without any imagination to bring it to life.  A $20 waste of money, if you cannot play with your child, in the way your child wants to play.  The fact that the box it came in, cannot be thrown away, as it is serving as a doll castle, is yet another testament to the idea that children can play with trash as quick as they can play with treasure, and find them both equally appealing under the same imagination.

So we understand our kids can make stuff up, and believe it is real.  It is a function of their age, but deeper than that, it is a function of a mind free from the burdens of reality.  Now lets talk about you and I.  Is it possible for you to ditch that adult perspective for a moment, and embrace the boundless creativity of the mind of a child – then take it a step further.  Let your adult mind, truly believe it is possible to make it real.  This is a trick nearly no adult has mastered.  We just do not believe it is possible.  Reality and history argue with that idea quite successfully.  But they are wrong.  Case in point; Matthew recalls in his gospel picking up in chapter 21, an unusual story of things that just do not happen “normally”, but “did” anyway.  This story is not just your typical Jesus miracle.  It begins with a hungry man, or more accurately with Jesus being hungry.

Picking up in verse 18 the story begins by saying … “Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.”  To set the context, this verse refers to Jesus, who is returning to Jerusalem near the time of His pending betrayal, and right after His triumphant ride into the city.  It is the next day.  Jesus has spent the night, likely at the home of Lazarus in Bethany.  Why Mary and Martha did not prepare Him a breakfast banquet we don’t know – maybe they did.  But nonetheless, Jesus got hungry again.  Now keeping in mind, that Jesus did a 40 day fast in the wilderness to start His ministry, the idea that He got that hungry after breakfast, or since dinner the night before seems hardly noticeable.  More likely, Jesus told the disciples about His hunger, because He had a lesson to teach them, and us.

Continuing in verse 19 it says … “And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.”  OK that qualifies as the weirdest scripture in the book in my opinion.  First of all, Jesus is the creator of ALL life.  If He found a barren tree, He could have just as easily made it fruitful.  That is kind of His thing.  He takes our barrenness and makes us produce worthy fruit as we submit ourselves to Him.  But that is not what happened.  Instead He sees a tree in the distance that looks like it should have lots of good fruit, likely hidden in the bountiful leaves.  But when He gets there, it has only leaves.  A whole lot of camouflage, nothing good to eat.  So instead of a lesson in self-sacrifice, Jesus curses this tree and says in effect, you are not going to fool anyone else, from now on and forever more going forward, no fruit will ever grow on you.  The net effect to the tree, is that is withers up and dies right in front of all the disciples, like if you have a time-lapsed view of a plant dying.  But instead of days or weeks, this entire tree dries up to nothing and falls away within minutes of what He says.

The disciples are freaked out.  Matthew writes in verse 20 saying … “And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!”  Nobody had ever seen a tree wither up and die in minutes instead of months.  No famine.  No chainsaw.  Just one negative pronouncement from the Creator and this tree is history.  Object lesson #1 – you don’t ever want to find yourself on the wrong side of a negative pronouncement of Christ.  Like say … when you have forgotten to visit those who are sick, or in prison.  Or perhaps when you were too worried about safety or inconvenience to invite home a person with no place to live or stay.  Or perhaps when you thought donations could substitute for actually loving someone else.  That kind of thing.  Also coming a time when the pronouncement let he who is unholy be unholy still – that one is particularly ugly.  Makes you think for a minute huh?

Object lesson #2 – destruction is as real as salvation, and as permanent.  Jesus speaks this way to a tree, not a human, because for us there is still hope while we draw breath.  There is a chance we may still submit ourselves to Jesus and find that He recreates who we are from the inside out.  If Jesus had done this to a human, even say Judas, the same level of destruction would have ensued.  The person would likely have died.  So instead, Jesus speaks this way to a tree, to an object of life without a soul.  But the demonstration is breath taking.  And it can illustrate the permanence of destruction, as easily as His miracles of restoration to us, illustrate the permanence of salvation.  It is we alone who can tear ourselves away from the love of Christ, by our choice to do so, and our ultimate rejection of Him.  But even though we may choose to focus on these kinds of object lessons from what took place, they were still not the point Jesus was trying to make.

Fear, was not the object lesson Jesus had in mind.  The story continues in verse 21 saying … “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. [verse 22] And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”  Ahh, here is what Jesus was trying to convey.  The impossible is “not” really impossible.  So I ask again, how great is your imagination, how much pressure has reality inflicted upon it?  Trees do not just wither up and die in an instant.  But on the scale of things, that is pretty small next to the idea of speaking to a mountain and telling it, you have a better location for it, out in the sea somewhere.  In our age we would have to enormously careful with that one, as nearly the whole planet has people on it given the explosion of our population across the earth.  But that is not the point.  Reality is not the point.  Faith that truly believes IS the point.  Toddlers have it right.  We are the ones all messed up in our thinking.

We speak to God like we are trying to make Him aware of our problems, you know, just in case He might, maybe, want to do something about them.  We are ALL sure He “can” do something about them.  We are completely UNSURE if He “will” do something about them.  That is not faith that truly believes, that is barely faith at all.  I see a whole lot of leaves, and very little fruit.  No limits; was the message of Jesus.  Do not pray with the idea that there is a limit to how big a thing you can ask, how impossible it looks to you, how ridiculous it sounds to everyone else – be a toddler – show that crappy picture to Jesus anyway cause only He understands the weird shapes and crayons of your life to begin with.  He will take your ridiculous prayer picture and hang it on His refrigerator and hold a parade in heaven so everyone else can come see it.  He longs for us to trust Him just that much.  To be able to bring Him anything, and like a toddler does with earthly mom and dad, just to KNOW, that whatever it is, our heavenly Father has it handled for us.  We need do nothing.  We need not worry about anything.  He has it.  Only He really understands it, we just do not have the perspective.  We are toddlers, He is the only adult in the room.

So what can you imagine?  And before you start thinking like an adult with an imagination – gee, could I be rich, and perfectly healthy, and in need of “nothing”.  Scratch that and think like a toddler who does not worry about those things – now exercise your imagination – and what do you come up with.  Giving a frog wings, and a long furry tail, does not seem like something to waste our prayer energy on.  But if we actually believed He would do it – there would be a new species of frog discovered this afternoon that would baffle scientists for years to come.  (though they may believe “they” discovered a missing link in their silly theories of evolution, so perhaps that is a bad example).  The point is not to focus on the limitations, but to live and pray as if there are none.  Because there are none.  Becoming like a little child so you can enter the kingdom of heaven, looks a lot like this. 

We should not just pray for something, cause maybe, if the winds are right, and if we have done enough to “deserve” the answer we want, we may get it.  We should pray for what we truly need, knowing He answers our prayers every time, even when they sound crazy.  We should perhaps start praying in earnest not for what we need, but for what others need.  Remember toddlers already KNOW their parents will meet whatever needs they have.  This would free up Jesus to pour out His love on others, even when they refuse to ask for it themselves, or even recognize He is our God, the only God.  People who do not know Jesus this way are unlikely to ever pray to Him for what they need.  Why not do it ourselves on their behalf.  We may pray someone else to salvation doing this and never even know it.  When Satan yells at Jesus for trying to influence the life of someone who is not asking for it, Jesus can respond that He is simply answering the prayers of someone else who asked Him for that very interference in the life of someone who needs Him.  This kind of prayer frees up and unleashes the power of our God.

If you are too timid to start moving mountains around.  If you are too scared to ask for the cure to cancer.  Then start small, ask for the salvation of Jesus in your own life, and in the life of someone who you know needs Him.  Then sit back and watch what happens.  If you need to pray again because you are not sure if it worked, pray again.  Do what it takes to build trust in your prayers and certainty in the God who really is your Dad.  Before you know it, you will start making crazy prayer paintings that only those in heaven can understand.  You will come to KNOW you are heard.  YOU are HEARD.  And Jesus moves mountains for you anytime you need it.  That is the thought that should scare you.  Unleashing the power of your God should make you a little nervous.  Because His power is truly unlimited.  Not the idea that His power is never poured out on your behalf.  That is a lie Satan tells.  And you need to ditch it, in favor of understanding how powerful your Dad is, what He is longing to do for you.  Know it.  Don’t just have faith, Know it.  And the word impossible will lose all meaning to you.  And winged tailed frogs will appear on mountains on their way to the sea, or perhaps something more meaningful in the topic of salvation, will become evident between you and God.

 

You Cannot Be Replaced ...

Imagine owning a Faberge Egg or the original Mona Lisa painting that now hangs in the Louvre.  These works of art are rare and beautiful, and therefore worth much to those who admire and collect art.  But what happens if an electrical fire breaks out in your home, and they are both accidentally destroyed before the fire can be put out?  If that happened, you would have suffered a great loss.  In fact, the art community around the world would have suffered a great loss.  The simple reason, is that neither of these items could ever be fully replaced.  Oh there is more than one Faberge Egg in the world, and there are more renaissance paintings of women’s portraits in the world, but none are precisely the same.  Because these works of art are considered to be “one-of-a-kind”, they are irreplaceable.  It is their uniqueness that makes them so.

It so happens another “art collector” exists.  The community that follows His work is large, consisting of nearly 2/3 of the angelic host, and a wide variety of other collected works He has made around the known universe.  As it turns out, His latest creations reside in our world.  And He is desperately trying to return them to the gallery He had intended for them.  But humanity is not valued as a group.  Instead each person is distinct, unique, and has a unique purpose in a mosaic we refer to as humanity.  Consider for a moment that since the creation of Adam, there is only ONE version of you.  You are not a copy, that existed over and over again throughout the ages of history.  If one had a time machine (as God does), and could examine humanity from Adam to now, they would not find a single copy of you.  You are it.  You are the only copy to exist whether backwards or forwards in time.  This is due to the nature of the Artist. 

As such, your particular worth to our God and Sculptor becomes of infinite value, because He has chosen to only ever make one of you.  This also means, He had and has a unique purpose for you that NO other person can ever fully fulfill.  Oh sure, there are other humans, just like there are other renaissance paintings, but to lose even one of such a precious treasure is a loss that would be felt in the heart of the Artist, and throughout the entire heavenly community that knows the value of each of His works and how much He loves each one.  As you sit, you are not perfect.  Time, genetics, and choices, have marred and buried the potential of your greatness.  But our Artist, our Creator, knows how to remove the dirt that has accumulated.  He knows how to restore the fullness of what He intended for You as the work-of-art, that He has never stopped loving.  As you sit, you may not have yet fulfilled your purposes in this world, nor in the one to come.  But our Creating Artist, knows how to restore you to the position in His gallery, that He intended (and you would crave if you knew it).

Because a critic exists, does not devalue art of an infinite price.  But alas critics do exist.  They do not perceive the greatness of a completely unique work-of-art, neither in themselves, nor in others.  They see only the dirt that has accumulated, not the potential of what lies beneath in the structure and design.  They refuse to believe that the Artist could ever restore the art, because they have refused to let Him do it to them.  So critics are born, and persist.  You would think no such critic could ever exist within the church.  After all, the church is normally the place where the restoration work begins.  But then, it is not the building that makes the art of value.  A Faberge Egg in your home is worth just as much as a Faberge Egg in a museum.  So the walls of the church do not preclude the heart of a critic.  Often, critics simply do not like anything that does not resemble themselves.

Peter recalled just such a revelation to John Mark in his gospel, in chapter nine, and picking up in verse 38 saying … “And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.”  John, a beloved disciple of Christ, has in this instance, decided to take on the role of critic.  John describes the problem to Christ, that is simply, that another work-of-art is casting out devils in the name of Jesus Christ.  This action is beneficial to those afflicted, and frankly is not something many of us try in today’s age.  It would appear, that another disciple has been formed, even without the daily contact with Jesus that John and his compatriots had.  BUT, and there was a big BUT, in the mind of John the critic on this day; the newly formed worshipper of Jesus, “DID NOT FOLLOW US.”  You will note John uses the word “us” in this reference. 

Only a few verses earlier, we find the disciples arguing about who would be the greatest.  This other person casting out devils was not showing the proper deference to the existing disciples yet.  Obviously the person casting out devils believed in the identity of Jesus Christ, or he would not have been using His name to do it.  But the person had the audacity to be conducting this work, without the sacrifice, of knowing his place in the church.  In the mind of John and the others, they were the “first” disciples, and therefore they should command the respect of the entire community.  If this man refused to follow “us”, then the community should forbid this man from casting out devils.  After all, the standards of the church must be maintained right?  You need to control the message right?  Only men of a certain age (and lineage) could ever be disciples, right?

Mark continues in verse 39 saying … “But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.”  The man is long gone, or at least out of the area of where they are now.  John had been telling Jesus of something that took place, likely earlier that day.  Yet the first words of Jesus are to “Forbid him not”.  Those words were to strike a chord in the heart of the critics, not the heart of the person casting out devils.  Because someone does not resemble us, or respect our “seniority” in the church, is NOT a reason to forbid them from helping those in need, with miracles performed in the name of Jesus Christ.  Jesus explains that anyone able to perform miracles in His name, is not likely to be casting doubt on His identity, or speaking badly about Christ.  They are instead most likely saying good things about Jesus.  And you can imagine the victims, who are now healed, are saying even greater things about Jesus Christ in whose name they are made free.

Jesus continues in verse 40 saying … “For he that is not against us is on our part.”  Wow!  This would seem to completely disrupt the entire denominational structure that has arisen within the Christian Church.  There was ZERO test of doctrinal beliefs this man would have to go through.  There was no background check of “what kind of man” he was.  This other work-of-art might still have dirt on it; or in other words, he may still have sin in his life, even public sin.  But Jesus considers him on their side.  Talk about sheep of another pasture.  You see, we begin to think it is the “church” that saves us, or the collection of works-of-art all getting together once a week in a particular building, that makes us saved, or restores us to our intended condition and potential.  But the building does nothing to accomplish that goal.  And getting together with other wounded souls, some of them elders, some of them teachers, and one of them a pastor … does not do it either.  ALL of them are still needing restoration from the same singular Artist, as we do ourselves.

The “church” should not consider it has the power to forbid others, but only to welcome them, and point them to Jesus Christ our only Artist.  Consider that each of us must be restored to our true potential, and true beauty only by Jesus Christ, not by other critics, or by ourselves.  If anything, our “job” is simply to love art, that is, to love and appreciate the infinite value of the unique works-of-art we find in the humanity that surrounds us.  How many times have we started meetings in the church board without a member present, reasoning to ourselves, that “it doesn’t matter if they are here”?  How many times have we greeted people in church and find a missing soul, but think to ourselves, “it does not matter if they are with us this week”?   We have become critics learning to disregard the value of others, because we see church members in a group, rather than unique, infinitely valued, people who WE should not be able to be without.  It is easy to disregard the value of any person, when we lump them into groups that have only pronouns, or collective designations, not unique names.

But the lesson of salvation was to be even more profound as Jesus continues in verse 41 saying … “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.”  Here Jesus says that even a person (who may or may not actually believe in Christ themselves), offers you a cup of water, because you do believe in Christ, will not lose his reward.  A simple act of charity, a simple act of love, done just because you believe is enough to start the restoration process of that work-of-art, and see it completed.  I can think of a Muslim believer, who recently acted to spare the Christians riding with him on his bus, when stopped by terrorists in the Middle East recently.  He acted to save them, because they were Christians, even though He was a Muslim.  If just offering water would have done something great for him, what will acting to see their lives spared do?

The problem we face in our “church” thinking is that we have reduced people into a “membership”, rather than a praised collection of individual works-of-art, not a single one of which can be done without.  It is easier to care less for a group of people, than it is for a single one, whose pain we are familiar with, and whose individual need we know we could meet.  But if we recognized that we are ALL individually under the care of the Artist, who is restoring us in a painstaking work (our doing), that takes longer than it should (again our doing), we might realize that “you” cannot be replaced.  In fact, your value was so high, that Jesus wanted to make sure you were never driven away from Him by some critic, inside or outside the church, who thought they knew better, how someone is saved and restored.  For those who believe themselves to be the “standards-bearer” of our churches, for those who think it is their “job” to point out sin and condemn it, pay special attention.

Jesus continues in verse 42 saying … “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”  And with this saying “critics” and “criticism” should come to an end.  How sad it has not.  Jesus points to a child (lest we think we only need to pay attention to the value of an adult), and declares the value of that child, by saying, we should not even “offend” one of them.  We should not hurt their feelings.  We should not make them feel bad.  We should do nothing, that does not include a love that saves.  Condemnation, criticism, and judgment form the very basis of offending others.  If you think that your job in the church, start shopping for a millstone, and book that cruise on the Titanic.  It is not the intent of Jesus to cease from the restoration of critics, only to point out to them, how much pain their criticism can cause.  And to understand there is no-one immune to the pain of being criticized, even little children are affected.  In point of fact, the transformed heart that knows the joy of loving others, could not imagine criticizing, and bringing pain to a child; doing that even by accident would bring on thoughts of millstones and this like.

Jesus then continues his example of how much we should want to avoid hurting others, even a little child in verse 43 saying … “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: [verse 44] Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. [verse 45] And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: [verse 46] Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. [verse 47] And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: [verse 48] Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”  It is important to study these examples in the context of what Jesus was saying.

In this Christ uses three examples.  First, if our “hand” offend thee.  Second if our “feet” offend thee.  Lastly if our “eye” offend thee.  Our hands represent what we do, and in the context of little children (whether physically or just spiritually young), what we do “to” them.  What we teach them, what we say to them, our actions brought upon on another that could offend them.  It would be better for us to have one less hand in heaven, than to suffer the eternal consequences of hell, that is separation from God, and a fire that cannot be put out until it has consumed even death.  Our feet then represent where we go, where we take ourselves, and the children we influence.  In this example, better for us to be lame in heaven, that is unable to move away from heaven; than move freely in the highways of hell.  Note that in the second and third examples, Jesus repeats the consequences of hell to be eternal, the worm that does not die, and the fire that we cannot put out.  Finally, our eyes represent what we see, and what we want.  Even if we control our actions, and bring children (or the spiritually young) only to places where they should be, if what we see causes us to want what we should not want, our blindness is preferred.  It would appear that lust of the eyes and heart is no less a problem, than what the hands or feet do.

Beginning with the millstone, and ending with the deformed bodies and eternal fires, these are NOT intended to be statements of exclusion from restoration and salvation our Savior can alone bring.  They are intended to show the severity of what we do and say to others.  How we interact with others, not showing them the love of Christ, has this severe an impact on them and us.  In the end, when our vision of love has perfect clarity, we will judge ourselves this harshly for the offenses we have given to others.  That “Schindler’s List” moment of clarity when we understand only now, that we could have done more, and that in so doing more lives would have been saved, will one day come upon all of us.  Treating our membership in the church as a license to become a critic, and regularly offer our “much needed criticism” is in fact having exactly this effect on others.  We are damaging them, even the children, in ways we would never wish to, if we could see through the lens of perfect loving eyes.

Instead of being an art critic, our Lord would have us become an art aficionado.  Jesus continues in verse 49 saying … “For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. [verse 50] Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.”  The process of our restoration will sometimes seem like fire.  It is hard to give up what we have treasured most, to value others, to give without ceasing, to hold nothing back.  And Jesus says everyone will be restored or salted in this way.  But He also says that every sacrifice will be healed with salt.  Ideally, we are supposed to heal, or salt each other.  We are supposed to be the vehicles through which God works to show us what it means to love.  But if we lose that love for each other, if we have no ability to heal the wounds of another, how can God use us for this purpose?  Instead of being an art critic, become someone with a strong appreciation for art.

For it is our uniqueness, that declares our value.  It is our restoration that will see us finally fully perform the function and work He has set for us to do.  Know that if we choose to never be restored, there will be hole in the mosaic that will never be filled.  For truly, YOU cannot be replaced.  If we come to treat each other and see each other as our Artist and Creator does, perhaps we can learn to love as we should.  There is no age barrier to this.  There is no racial barrier.  There was no doctrinal test established by Christ, other than do they believe in Jesus, and will they love others.  The process of restoration is unique to the piece of art in question, but all are restored over time.  The timelines may be different.  But we are NOT to be critics of the art, or how the Artist restores His works, we are to be people who appreciate and love the art and that can be used for His greater purposes, to heal, support, and to love.