euphemos

We are so freakishly quick to judge by appearances, and to assume that we are qualified to determine the reasons for our own and others’ experiences. When “bad” things happen, we assume it is the wrath of God; when “good” things happen, we assume it is His blessing. He is so much deeper than that.

When Paul, Luke, and company were shipwrecked, the good-hearted (they did, after all, provide comfort to a bunch of convicts) people saw Paul bit by a snake, they immediately assumed he was about to be punished by the gods. When he suffered no harm, they assumed he must himself be a god. (Acts 28:3-6)

People looked on Jesus and said “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:55) Jesus reminded them that a prophet is never held in lower esteem than when discounted by those who should know him (or her) best.

Jesus’s disciples saw the blind man and wondered if his blindness were due to his own or his parents’ sin. Jesus said that it was neither, but instead so that the work of God could be seen in his life. (John 9:2)

Samuel looked at David’s more physically appealing older brother Eliab and thought “surely this is the Lord’s Anointed.” God, however, made it quite clear that “…the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Lot chose the same attractive territory as the successful Sodomites (Genesis 13:10), and very nearly met the same fate. Abram took what was left, and trusted that God would ultimately prosper him in any circumstances.

When Paul and Silas were imprisoned and found themselves free to leave after an earthquake (Acts 16), they chose to stay in less-fortunate circumstances in order that the will of God might be accomplished through them.

Jesus appeared utterly defeated upon the cross, but His suffering was necessary to secure complete victory.

If only we could remember that He makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him (Rom 8:28), and that “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Jesus is for everyone

I was at “the evil store” (WalMart), and ran into an old high-school buddy. He had long-since settled down, and was a committed Christ-follower. Somehow, this surprised me. Holy Spirit had to smack me on the back of the head and remind me that everyone needs Jesus; there is no ‘type of person’ targeted for salvation other than ‘sinners,’ and, ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23).

Even a quick survey of Acts shows all types of people coming to know Jesus. For me, the universality of God’s salvific plan is one of Acts’ strongest messages.

* Rich (Property Owners Acts 4:32-37)
* Poor (Beggar Acts 3:1-10)
* Young (Acts 2:17)
* Old Acts 2:17 , Simeon and Anna (Lk 2:25-38)
* Any Race or culture ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:27) , Samaritains Acts 8:4-8
* Educated Stephen (Acts 6:8-10) and Paul
* Uneducated Peter/John (Acts 4:13)
* Religious Cornelius (Acts 10:1-6,34-35), Priests (Acts 6:7)
* Heathen Corinthians
* Curious (Acts 8:31)
* Opposed/Critical Saul (Acts 9)
* Cool/Popular Leaders of the Synagogue (Acts 18:8), and Lydia, vendor of the most popular clothing (Acts 16:14)
* Uncool/Outcast Simon the tanner (Acts 9:43)

Weird Al has a talent for taking the popular and making it absurd(ly funny). My “talent” is for taking and seeing the other side of things. Consider Barlow Girl’s song “Never Alone”:

I waited for you today
But you didn’t show
No no no
I needed You today
So where did You go?
You told me to call
Said You’d be there
And though I haven’t seen You
Are You still there?
I cried out with no reply
And I can’t feel You by my side

I’ve been where she is, and it stinks, but I can’t help but wonder how many times that is God’s song to me. How many times does He call for me, and I don’t answer? How many times do I miss an opportunity He carefully crafted? How many times have I denied Him and not even realized it?

I wanna show up when He calls.

My friend Adam often mentions that he has a curse of clarity upon him. I’m not sure if I share his blessing or have another entirely. Either the world is fuzzy when viewed with sufficient clarity, or I have the curse of ambiguity.

On the one hand, I have this deep-seated desire to know and do what is “right”. Most people are content to follow in the tire-tracks of other drivers on a snowy day; I want to drive where I know the lanes are. In a parking lot where the lines are mostly worn away, I would rather find a partial space marking and use that to estimate where I should park than park an appropriate distance from the nearest car. Good enough… isn’t; I want to be right.

On the other hand, I have a strong tendency to see both sides of everything. At work, that’s a good thing. A significant part of solving any problem is to identify the problem, and that’s my area of expertise. It also means that I am  uncritical of other people. Unfortunately, I have a hard time ever letting something be complete or being satisfied with anything because it can always be better. I have to deliberately avoid the trap that James McMurtry’s Johnny fell into: “He opened up his eyes and he snapped out of the groove He saw both sides of everything and found he could not move.” (James McMurtry, Candyland)

I don’t know if this means I have an unwavering desire to pursue excellence, or if it just means I’m anal-retentive; I suppose the ambiguity is appropriate.

Jesus Says that we will know the truth, and that the truth will set us free (John 8:32). It is easy for me to allow differences in interpretation or understanding to drive a wedge between myself and others. I become confident (conceited?) my own understanding, and separate myself from those that “refuse to see the truth.”

Thankfully, “the truth” has nothing to do with what I know or understand. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). Knowing Him even sets me free from the tyranny of my own desire to understand and to be right, and turns that terrible master into an excellent servant. He has the answers, and He gives them to me when He knows I need them, but it is more important that He is the answer than that He has the answers.

In this season of intentional thanksgiving, I am particularly thankful for the experiences of the past few years that have taught me to be less confident of my own understanding, cling less tightly to my own ideas, and recognize that being right is impossible, but that by allowing the Holy Spirit to make me like Jesus, I get “right” as a fringe benefit.