A Faith for Life's Moments

I've been thinking about John the Baptist for the last week or so as I try to get ready to celebrate Christmas in a few weeks. Many of the New Testament Gospel texts that deal with this time of year have John in them because he played such a pivotal role in helping people to get ready for Jesus' arrival on the scene. John is such a colorful and radical figure. He lived out in the wilds of the Judean desert. He wore a camel's hair tunic (no, not the nice kind of camel's hair coats you get at fancy clothing department stores) and he ate locusts and honey (talk about a great weight loss diet program). But all that aside, he was a straight to the point, no-nonsense kinda guy. There wasn't a lot of fluff or veneer to John the Baptist. I like John a lot, even though sometimes I wonder if I could've really related to him had I been around when he was alive and ministering to people.

There is one moment in John's life, though, that I feel a special kinship with him. In Matthew 11, John is in prison because he spoke truth to power and publicly questioned King Herod's inappropriate sexual liaison with his brother's wife. Matthew doesn't tell us, but I can only imagine that it must have been very disheartening and discouraging for John to be sitting in a prison cell, facing certain death, after all that he had done to live for God and share God's love with others. When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (11:2-3) As bold and strong a man as John was, he had questions and doubts too - just like a lot of us. John towers above many as a Godly man, yet even he had his moments. Having had a few "moments" myself over the years, I take great heart that I have a friend in John.

What's more, I love how Jesus responds to John's question. He could have uncorked both barrels on him and really let him have it. After all, if anyone should never have questioned who Jesus was it should have been John. You can almost hear Jesus saying, "Seriously John - YOU are questioning me? Of all people - YOU?" But, Jesus doesn't lambaste him. Instead, Jesus says simply,  "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” (vv. 4-6) Instead of condemnation, Jesus reminds John not to lose sight of all that Jesus had done in the past and in the present - some of which John undoubtedly witnessed firsthand prior to his imprisonment.

In those moments when we're struggling or doubting or just plain wondering, "God, where are you in all of this," Jesus reminds us, "Haven't I acted on your behalf in the past? Don't forget that because it's your assurance that I will again."


Some Food for Thought:



Do you ever have "moments?"



What has gotten you through them?



How has the Lord acted on your behalf in the past? Where is He at work in your life right now?



If you could ask Him for one thing this Christmas what would it be?

The Rest of the Story - Jesus Makes Breakfast

Yesterday Christians around the world celebrated the special day we call Easter - or as some refer to it Resurrection Day! In my little corner of the world we worshipped and reflected on the story of Mary Magdalene and the other Disciples' experience in John 20. It's an amazing account of unfolding events following Jesus' being raised from the dead. Yet, it's not the end of the story. As the commentator, Paul Harvey, used to say, "And now. . .the rest of the story!"

There's a lot to the rest of the story, but what sticks out in my mind right now is what happened with the Disciples in between the resurrection and the Day of Pentecost - when the Holy Spirit came and the Church was born. John describes one scene this way in chapter 21,

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: ^2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ^3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. ^4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. ^5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered.

It seems as though the Disciples didn't know what to do with themselves. They had seen the risen Jesus, but hadn't yet gotten clear on what they were supposed to do. They were living in the in-between time learning to wait on God for direction. Not content to wait, they took matters into their own hands and went fishing. Being a fisherman myself I have nothing against spending a little quality time on the water (I'm all for it), but this isn't just about some R & R. They were reverting back to what they knew and were secure in rather than learning to wait on direction from the Lord. They were taking over and taking charge!

Do you ever do that? I am quite prone to this habit of trying to control my own destiny. Even after 28 years of walking this journey of being a Christ-follower, I am still learning to live a life of actively waiting on the Lord for direction instead of simply taking matters into my own hands.

Active waiting is not being passive and doing nothing - waiting for the heavens to open and a voice to speak, "DO THIS!" It is a lifestyle of faithful seeking, listening, discerning, paying attention to the leading of the Holy Spirit and taking steps of faith in harmony with that sense of leading. It lies somewhere between doing nothing and trying to do everything myself. Active waiting means that I join the action of my life to the timetable of God (which is often quite different from my own) and learn to move out only when and in the specific manner as God leads. It's a spiritual art form and not a pragmatic science - though it often leads to very practical action steps. Living this way can only happen as I stay close to and nurture a vital relationship with God. As Jesus put it in John 15,

^4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ^5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Over the years I have experienced the reality that staying close to Him and learning to do it His way yields far better results than when I try to go it alone and do it all myself. And that's exactly what the Disciples learned on the lake shore that day too.

^6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. ^7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. ^8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. ^9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. ^10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” ^11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. ^12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ^13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ^14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus revealed Himself to them by abundantly providing for their needs - once they decided to try doing things HIS WAY!

How about you? Do you ever struggle to "actively wait" on God? Do you ever try to take matters into your own hands? Is there something in your life right now that you need to seek His direction on and learn to live in-between?