A Mother's Persistence Pays Off

 For The Citizen newspaper, column “From the Minister’s Study” -- May 10 2024 Issue

Three ladies were bragging about their grown sons. The first said, “You should have seen what my boy did for me on my birthday! He threw a big party at a fancy restaurant -- he even hired a big band to come and play.” The second lady said, “That's nice, but listen to what my son did. Last winter he gave me an all-expense-paid cruise to the Greek islands -- all first class.” The third lady said, “That's nothing! For the last three years my son has been paying a psychiatrist $150 an hour two times a week -- and the whole time he talks about nothing but me!”

Our parents leave us legacies. I don't mean monetary inheritances, but real lasting impact on our lives -- hopefully more positive than such effects that require counselling. But our mothers do matter, they can have a profound effect on us.

A London editor submitted to Winston Churchill for his approval a list of all those who had been Churchill's teachers. Churchill returned the list with this comment: “You have omitted the greatest of my teachers -- my mother.”

As Mother’s Day approaches, we can learn from the faithful, persistent example of a mother whom Jesus met when travelling far from home (see Matthew 15:21-28). Despite difficult circumstances and testing, her faith and feistiness prevailed.

Jesus had left Galilee and gone further north near the coast of the Mediterranean. A Canaanite woman came and cried out to Him, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” We're not told the exact manifestations; perhaps there were seizures, nightmares, overwhelming depression, multiple personalities, or self-destructiveness. Some young people today are tormented by negative habits such as cutting, eating disorders, crystal meth, or other addictions. If a parent does try to intervene, sometimes they're simply rebuffed and can only stand by and watch as their own child gets dragged down a destructive path.

But the woman in our story doesn't just appeal for help for her daughter. She appeals, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!...Lord, help me!" Her daughter's condition is affecting her greatly; it's probably taking a toll on the whole family. But parents may identify with and be affected severely by their children's problems. Perhaps the mother's not getting much sleep at night because she hears her daughter crying out in nightmares. Perhaps she's driven to her wits' end because the girl simply won't eat and is withering away to skin and bones. Maybe she herself is battling depression because she knows the personalities being expressed in her daughter's frame aren't the person the girl used to be. She too is tormented.

Being a mom or dad, our kids affect us. We're often 'tuned in' in a special way to their condition. Caring parents identify with their kids and are impacted by what they're going through.

The Canaanite woman doesn't just ask once and leave it at that. She's persistent. The disciples came to Jesus and urged Him to send her away “for she keeps crying out after us.” Mothering takes persistence. There's a special endurance moms must have to keep making meals, washing dishes, doing the laundry, tidying the house, day after day after day (in addition to whatever they may be involved with outside the home). It can become very wearing.

In one story by Stuart McLean, Dave's wife Morley describes to him what her life as a mother is like: “My life is a train... I'm a train dragging everybody from one place to another, to school and to dance class, and to 'now it's time to get up' and 'now it's time to go to bed'. I'm a train full of people who complain when you try to get them into a bed and fight you when you try to get them out of one. That's my job. And I'm not only the train, I'm the porter and the conductor and the cook and the engineer and the maintenance man. And I print the tickets and I stack the luggage and I clean the dishes, and if they still had cabooses, I'd be the caboose... The train starts at a town called 'first day of school'...and it goes to a village called 'Halloween' and then through the township of 'class project' and down the spur line called, 'your sister is visiting'. And do you know what's at the end of the track? Do you know where my train is heading?... To the last stop on the line, Christmas dinner... And when we finally get through that week between Christmas and New Year, do you know what they do with the train? They back it up during the night when I'm asleep so they can run it through all the stations again!”

Mothering requires persistence -- keeping that locomotive moving. The Canaanite woman showed such persistence in appealing to the Lord.

Being a caregiver of any kind means you don't give up even when troubles and testing drive you to your knees. At first Jesus does not respond to this non-Israelite. Finally the woman comes and kneels right in front of Him, calling out, “Lord, help me!” Kneeling shows how desperate she is, but also that she's honouring Him while humbling herself. Sometimes parenting is just that hard, you are driven either to despair or to worship, one or the other.

Jesus responds, but doesn't grant the request right away. He says, “It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs.” Conscious of being sent primarily to minister among the Jews, Jesus is testing her: first by not answering a word to her, now by this expression. Some people might have gotten offended, thrown up their hands and gone off in a huff upon hearing Jesus say this. But this mother's 'dogged' persistence won't be shaken off. She demonstrates her full range of intelligence and submission by using His own word-picture to nudge the limits of His immediate mission. She says, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Her faith in God's overflowing lovingkindness and deep mercy depicts a 'grace mentality': there's more than enough for every need; God's plentiful riches are available to everyone, He will bless all those who by faith in Jesus are willing to receive. She's trusting as Jesus did that “all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27).

Hearing this, Jesus holds back no longer. Even though this woman isn't Jewish, she has a firm grasp of God's Kingdom plan; as promised to Abraham, “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3) Jesus is satisfied she grasps God’s goodness through trusting. He answers, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was instantly healed.

From Grief to Greeting: Golly!

For column "From the Minister's Study", The Citizen, April 5, 2024

     It was a dumb idea, going to look at the tomb. The men disciples had probably told the women it was pointless. After all, Pilate had ordered the chief priests and Pharisees to take a guard and make the tomb as secure as possible. They’d even put a seal on the stone besides posting an armed guard. What point was there in going to look at the tomb? The deed had been done, the miracle-working Christ had been killed. It was a stupid idea. But something inside the women’s hearts tugged them toward the tomb. The heart has reasons the mind knows nothing about. Perhaps it was their faith pulling them there – He who had been right about so many things could not be wrong about this. And God has a way of taking what seems stupid to the wise and turning it into His crowning glory, exceeding the capacities of His creatures.

     Matthew’s account of the events which unfolded early that morning presents us with 5 “G’s” as hooks on which to hang the story. First, grief: “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.” (Matthew 28:1) When someone dies, to those who have been most closely attached to them, the things associated with them become extra special. I recall one family that made their deceased teenage son’s room into a sort of “shrine”. People are drawn to cemeteries to place flowers at the grave of family members. We see crosses at the roadside where there’s been a fatal traffic accident. Grief draws us like a magnet to the place of burial, to the photos, the personal articles we associate with those we’ve loved.

     As the women were drawn to the tomb, are there things you’re grieving? Relationships or harsh realities that didn’t turn out the way you expected? Loss of health or wealth, some dashed hope? Maybe you can relate a bit to how disheartened the two Mary’s must have felt. But they didn’t see how this could be the conclusion of the plot for the miracle-working, truth-teaching, hypocrisy-confronting Rabbi from Galilee. And so maybe even in your present grief, God has another chapter coming.

     Besides grief, there are guards. V4 mentions the guards that had been posted by the religious leaders. They would be armed to prevent robbery or interference of any kind, and they had sealed the stone on the tomb to lock in the body.

     If grief is about loss, “guards” are about limitations. Something’s locked you out. You’re hitting a brick wall. What’s holding you back? Finances, perhaps – always too much “month” and not enough “money”? Is it limited physical ability – your age is slowly creeping up on you and affecting how much you can do? Is it lack of time – never enough hours in the day to accomplish what you’d like to do? Or limitations of a different sort – maybe someone in your past has fed some negative thoughts into your head that always rise up to jinx you, that become an invisible wall stopping you from taking that next step. Somebody’s said, “You’re not bright enough” or pretty enough or strong enough; “You’ll never amount to anything.” In our subconscious, those curses from the past have powerful force to hold us back, to block us from becoming who God designed us to be. What forces are “guarding” you negatively, blocking your way, intimidating you?

     But God’s ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). No matter what our griefs and guards, our losses and limitations, the Almighty God has some surprises in store for those who come to Him. Call this the golly factor! Now the word “golly” is not in Matthew’s text, but that would be our reaction if we witnessed verses 2-3: “There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.” GOLLY! “The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.” (28:4)

     An angel is a messenger of God, one sent at His command to enact His will. God’s power is linked to His promise, His stated purpose. When God shows up, when He steps into the middle of our most despairing circumstances, sparks will fly! Stand back! Jesus had pointedly predicted to His disciples on at least three occasions that He’d be crucified, dead, and then rise from the dead, but it didn’t seem to register with them. The angel Gabriel had reminded Jesus’ mother before His birth, “Nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) In Matthew 19(26) Jesus had looked at His disciples and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” At Gethsemane, wrestling with the agonizing decision about going to the cross with its ultimate pain and shame, Jesus prayed, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for You.” And the Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 3(21) that our Lord Jesus “by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Never underestimate God’s power – faith allows for a “golly” factor! Don’t dismiss God out of the equation of your life circumstances. All things are possible with Him – resurrection morning is proof of that!

     Grief - guards - golly - the 4th G is greeting. The empty tomb is one thing – the apostle John seemed convinced even just by the way the graveclothes were laid out with the body seemingly vaporized from between them – but Christian faith is not based on the lack of something. “So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.” (28:8-9)

     Somewhere, back centuries ago, at the very first of all these Easter celebrations, historically / definitely / spatially and in-time, somebody met a risen Jesus bodily present. They could clasp His feet. They had come expecting a place – to look at a tomb – but instead they encountered a Person. He greeted them; and so He meets us today, one-on-one, challenging us as He did Martha outside her brother’s tomb – “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25f)

     For any other religious system, take away its founder and the system still stands more or less, as a body of teaching, a system of principles. But Christianity is different: without its founder, it just doesn’t work, it makes no sense. You can never reduce Christian faith to a mere bunch of rules to live by: at its core is the God-Man who seeks relationship with you, greeting you, inviting you to follow Him and know Him and take up His cross and live with Him eternally! Will you grasp that – Him – clasp His nail-pierced feet?

     The last “G” here is go. What did the angel tell the women in verses 6-7? “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’” And what did Jesus tell the women when He met them? “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” (28:10)

     Go... The Good News about Jesus is not something stationary that we can polish like a silver trophy and keep on a shelf, to look at once in a while and feel good. “That’s what I believe; isn’t it exquisite?!” No, the Easter message is dynamic, portable, meant to be taken on the road wherever you go and to whomever you meet: “He has risen! He’s alive! You can meet Him, too! History will never be the same again.” And my story will never be the same again – because knowing Him transforms all my griefs and limitations. His power shakes and shapes me, His forgiveness and mercy receive and redeem me, His love heals and holds me. Because He lives, life for me will be from now on forever different, guided and guarded by His divine hand.

     So – what are you waiting for? You’ve got truly Good News to share! Let’s “go quickly” and tell others this amazing fact.

Donkey Smarts

 (column "From the Minister's Study" in The North Huron Citizen, January 26 2024 edition)

     Are you smarter than your average donkey?

     Recently my wife and I spent a week on the small island of Bonaire, part of the Netherlands Antilles, just off the northern shore of South America. (WestJet now offers flight direct from Toronto.) Bonaire is a former Dutch colony known for its excellent diving, flamingoes, windsurfing – and donkeys... Hundreds of wild donkeys that roam around and are quite used to tourists stopping and offering them something to eat. The Spaniards that infiltrated the Caribbean islands back in the 1500s started bringing them over as beasts of burden, but after about 1920 they were no longer needed for industry and were released to the wild, where they have persisted and propagated since. So we bought bags and bags of carrots, chopped them up, and took them with us wherever we traveled because often we had opportunity to stop and feed these amiable, light-gray, oversized-eared creatures. We also visited the Donkey Sanctuary where over 800 are cared for and protected by volunteers.

     Donkeys pop up sometimes in Bible stories, being the “tractors” and “automotives” of ancient times. One notable instance features the donkey belonging to Balaam, a diviner of international reputation. (One of his non-Biblical prophecies is preserved in an Aramaic text from Deir Alla in the Jordan Valley dating to about 700 B.C.) When Moses guided the Israelite ex-slaves from Egypt, they paused just east of the Jordan River opposite Jericho before entering the Promised Land. The king of Moab was very alarmed by this huge number of fugitive immigrants and summoned Balaam to come and put a curse on the Israelites, so they might be weakened and defeated.

     Yet God was very angry that Balaam was going to assist Balak, for God had told Balaam the people were blessed, and not to be cursed. (Numbers 22:12) So Balaam started encountering opposition when he saddled his donkey and headed towards Moab. The angel of the Lord stood in the road; the donkey saw the angel with his sword and turned aside into a field, which garnered a beating from Balaam. Again the angel stood at a narrow place in the path, with walls on each side; the donkey saw the angel and pressed to one side, crushing Balaam’s foot – so he beat her again. When it happened a third time, at a place where it was impossible to turn aside, the donkey gave up and simply lay down right there in the road. Balaam was angry and beat her with his staff.

     Something supernatural happens at this point in the story. God opened the donkey’s mouth and she spoke to Balaam, asking what she had done that deserved three beatings! An interchange followed in which the donkey made the point that she had been his faithful donkey and had not been in the habit of acting that way. Balaam had to concede this was so. Then God opened Balaam’s eyes so he could see the angel standing in the road with drawn sword. Balaam fell facedown; the angel rebuked him for his reckless path, and by contrast pointed out the donkey’s innocence in protecting her master on three separate occasions.

     The incident is recalled in the New Testament when the Apostle Peter cautions believers in Jesus against false teachers. Peter describes these infiltrators as following corrupt fleshly desires, despising authority, arrogant, slanderous, blaspheming, like “brute beasts”, carousing in pleasure, with eyes full of adultery, “experts” in greed. (2Peter 2)

     Peter observes, “They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey— a beast without speech— who spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.”

     The donkey knew enough to stick to the road and protect her master: that was her purpose, from which she refused to deviate. Yet Balaam turned aside from God’s admonishment not to curse His people, whom He chose to bless. Greed probably factored into Balaam’s decision, because King Balak had promised, “I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say.” (Num.22:17)

     Likewise, the false teachers attempting to corrupt the early church were greedy, despising authority, pleasure-seeking, following the corrupt desire of the sinful nature. They had been drawn off-track by their short-term desires.

     Peter notes, “They promise [people] freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity – for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.”

     Donkeys are draft animals – the reason they were on Bonaire in the first place was to draw heavy loads, carry heavy burdens, like slaves. Now they roam free. But what cords pull us? Are we drawn by depravity, like the false teachers? Do we feel the pull of greed, of substances or habits that bring pleasure to the flesh in the short term but drag us down eventually? We may suppose we’re “free” – but as Peter emphasizes, we are slaves to whatever has mastered us.

     When we behave arrogantly, when we run others down (‘slander’), treat God’s name like dirt (‘blaspheme’), entertain adulterous thoughts, crave for ‘more’ (greed) – we are being pulled along by destructive desires as surely as donkeys once were made to labour in the pits of Bonaire. How can we be set free?

     The prophet Zechariah foretold a messianic figure, a King for Zion that would come “righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey...” (in contrast to war-horses) This King would “proclaim peace to the nations” (including non-Jews). And, “As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.” (Zechariah 9:11)

     Jesus is that King who entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Because of His blood, we can be freed from sin’s enslavement and find forgiveness for those desires that once had mastery over us. Then we will be able to stick to the path and have vision for the Lord’s leading, more like the faithful donkey than like fickle Balaam.

Joy in the Saviour Sent to the Brokenhearted

For The Citizen newspaper, December 15, 2023

     This coming Sunday marks the third in the part of the church year called “Advent”, the weeks leading up to Christmas – while also anticipating Jesus’ eventual return. Advent is about a Saviour coming - someone who can help us in our distress. The wonderful thing about Christ's incarnation is that He as Messiah has been injected into our human situation precisely at our point of need.

     If you watch the news or even just talk to people you bump into, you start to realize there's a world of hurt around us. A friend posts on social media about a dear parent having passed away. A fresh round of COVID and seasonal influenza is making many sick, including those more vulnerable in nursing homes. You don't have to go far to find people with problems: just have an open sensitive heart and listen.

     The Bible doesn't primarily address the issue of a theoretical world in the sky by-and-by; it addresses the real world we live in, broken, messed-up, and hurting as it is. God knows about our hurts, our predicament, and cares enough to get involved. We can see this reflected in one of the traditional Advent readings, Isaiah 61.

     Verses 1-7 contain words that reflect common global burdens: poor, brokenhearted, captive, prisoners, mourn, grieve, ashes, despair, ruined cities, shame, disgrace. Change the technology a little bit and you might say the kind of world the prophet spoke to 7 centuries before Christ – nearly 3000 years ago – was the same world we live in today. People were carrying on as sinful people do, causing hurt intentionally and unintentionally; evil, sickness, and death were as destructive then as now.

     Isaiah's not being melodramatic or exaggerating how bad things are. His book is very true to the situation after Assyria then Babylon invaded Israel and Judah: cities were burned, people had been killed or deported – the term 'devastated for generations' would be quite accurate. Yet, God in His sovereignty through the Holy Spirit is at work. It's not just going to get left that way. Yahweh is a saving God – that's the essence of Jesus' name – and His ultimate deliverance is cause for hope and joy.

     The word "Christ" is a title in Greek translating the Hebrew word "Messiah" or "Anointed One". Anointing with oil was the traditional way prophets, priests, and kings were consecrated to their role in the Old Testament. Here in Isaiah 61 the speaker is anointed though with more than oil, and for more than one task; "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to...” [and then follows quite a list, what Messiah's for]. (v.1) But note the anointing – with God's Spirit rather than oil. This came true at Jesus' baptism; John the Baptist testified, "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him." (Jn. 1:32)

     Jesus applied this Isaiah 61 passage to Himself more than once; He identified Himself as the One the prophet foretold. For example, at the synagogue in Nazareth in Luke 4(18f), He read it aloud, rolled up the scroll, and remarked, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Later when John the Baptist in prison sent messengers inquiring, "Are you the one who was to come?" Jesus answered that they should report back to John what they saw: "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." (Mt 11:5) A direct echo of Isaiah's prophecy.

     In Luke's account, Jesus' public ministry begins with this Isaiah 61 passage being read at Nazareth. In Matthew's gospel, it's the Beatitudes instead; but even there in Mt. 5(3f,6,11) you can see the same sort of effect: "Blesses (or, happy) are the poor in spirit...Blessed are those who mourn...Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." The world is a tough place, and Messiah has come to make a difference in our mess. Knowing Jesus provides comfort and assurance no matter what heartbreak you may be facing.

     The prophet says Christ will 'proclaim freedom for the captives': speaking to the Jews who believed Him, Jesus likened sin to a type of slavery and said that if they hold to His teaching, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free...So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (Jn. 8:32,36) Maybe there's some addiction or craving or tendency trying to trap you, it's taking control of your life: Christ has power to set you free from what would reduce you to the gutter.

     Isaiah proclaims "release from darkness for the prisoners..." (v.1) A sinful or carnal outlook on life is a dark mindset, focused on deceptive idols. Paul says Jesus called him to be an apostle "...to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'" (Ac. 26:18)

     The Isaiah 61 passage continues, "to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour..." Paul wrote to the Corinthians in view of what Jesus had accomplished, "I tell you, now is the time of God's favour, now is the day of salvation." (2Cor 6:2) Have you opted to take God up on His favourable offer rather than His approaching wrath? Jesus has done you a huge favour by paying your way.

     It says Messiah will 'comfort all who mourn.' (v2) Knowing Jesus, Paul could write that ‘the God of all comfort’ "comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." This happens as "through Christ our comfort overflows" (2Cor.1:4f).

     And it says Messiah will "provide for those who grieve" by bestowing beauty, "the oil of gladness instead of mourning..."  (v3) Jesus' death and resurrection offer real hope and consolation for those who grieve. Jesus told His followers, "I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices.You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy... Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." (Jn.16:20,22) When we truly encounter the Resurrected One, death no longer is the last word.

     Looking back at Isaiah 61, we can see that Jesus has checked off the list – each of the Messianic predictions in Isaiah 61 has its fulfilment in the New Testament as a result of His coming.

     So, where does that leave believers - just sitting around soaking up heavenly joy-juice, oblivious to this world of hurt that surrounds us? Would we have even had a Messiah if Jesus had just stuck around heaven soaking in the eternal loving fellowship of the Father and the Holy Spirit? No – His joy spilled forth, it wanted to be shared.

     Isaiah says those bestowed with the oil of gladness "will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendour." (v3) We're to broadcast God's goodness, display His glory to others. Jesus said, "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (Jn.15:8) Don't be closet-Christians – others won't get to see God-in-you that way. Paul prayed His converts would be "filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God." (Php 1:11) What opportunities do those around have to see the fruitfulness of your spirituality – or is that hidden away in a 'Sunday morning only' compartment?

     A reporter once asked Mother Teresa where God was when a baby died in a back alley in Calcutta. She replied that God was right there suffering along with the baby; then added [I'm paraphrasing], "What's more to the point, where were you?"

     We receive joy, we are comforted so that we in turn may comfort others with the same comfort we've been blessed with through faith in Christ. Share the joy of knowing Him whatever way you can!

What Makes for Peace?

 For The Citizen, November 10, 2023

     As Remembrance Day approaches, we may be especially conscious in 2023 of the various conflicts raging on the globe. Not only is the Russia-Ukraine conflict dragging on as a sort of ‘proxy war’, but since October 7 we have seen the Israel-Gaza turmoil escalate. There is also the risk of a broader conflict developing should some of Israel’s neighbours become drawn into the fray, making it a regional war, with backing by superpowers that are far away but have vested interests.

     War and peace... Is there some secret that would tip the scales towards the latter? At Remembrance Day we honour those who fought in the World Wars and other conflicts, many giving up their lives to protect our country and its allies from enemies. I had a deep impression made upon me by my mother who grieved the death of her fighter pilot brother, killed returning from a mission into Germany in January 1945. I grew up frequently hearing stories of my father who as a “D-Day Dodger” fought as part of the Canadian Army up through Sicily and Italy from 1943 til war’s end, concluding with liberation of the Netherlands. He was wont to observe, “War is hell!” Thankfully we his family were spared from the more gruesome experiences he must have endured.

     The epistle-writer James asks, “What causes fights and quarrels among you?” (Jas.4:1) What indeed? It’s been said if we can define the problem, we’re already halfway towards the solution. From whence spring our conflicts?

     The inspired writer continues, “Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (Jas. 4:1-3) The exterior battle arises from our warring desires within. Ukraine has rich resources and is Europe’s bread-basket, so becomes a desirable target for expansionist Russian appetites. The Temple Mount in Jerusalem is hotly contested by both Jews and Muslims, being a sacred site for both religions. We want what the other fellow has, so we’re tempted to grab it for ourselves when others’ backs are turned – and we’ve left God out of the picture, we haven’t asked Him for our needs.

     A little earlier James describes additional factors giving rise to conflict: jealousy and selfishness. “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” (Jas. 3:14–16) Such ancient wisdom as the Tenth Commandment warns against coveting what belongs to our neighbour. Selfishness puts my desires ahead of my neighbour’s, leading me to suppose I have some ‘right’ or justification to help myself to what properly belongs to them. Such thinking or philosophy (‘wisdom’) James points out is downright demonic. Yet our consumer culture caters to selfish desire.

     By contrast, James espouses a different kind of attitude or ‘wisdom’, an approach that is heavenly not earthly. “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” (Jas. 3:17-18) Purity avoids mixed or hidden motives. To be considerate means I take the other person’s interests into account. When I submit, I subject my own claims or ‘rights’ to another’s, to be harnessed for their benefit rather than my own advancement. Mercy exercises forgiveness where one has been wronged in the past, refusing to exact revenge, having pity upon the destitute and disadvantaged. When I am impartial, I do not show preference for those who are more closely tied to me, those towards whom I might otherwise be inclined to show bias for personal reasons.

     “The seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (Jas. 3:18 NASV) Do we really want to sow peace? What does that seed look like? Jesus said peacemakers are ‘blessed’ for they will be called ‘sons of God’ (Mt. 5:9). So we somehow reflect God’s nature when we sow peace. Jesus urged His followers, “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” (Mk.9:50) Making an effort to be at peace with others has a salting / flavouring / preserving effect. And Jesus instructed those He was sending out, “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’” So it would seem peace ought to be a priority for those who would convey Christ’s Good News.

     But there is a cost to peace. Christians understand that peace with God is a costly gift bought by Jesus for us at the cross: forgiveness doesn’t come cheap, somebody has got to pay! So towards His last earthly hours Jesus could say to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.” And, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 14:27; 16:33)

     Peace has a cost, it may require sacrifice for it to happen. My grandson Aiden (14) in Neerlandia, Alberta wrote a short piece for Remembrance Day recalling how ordinary citizens sowed peace in the face of a persecuting and murderous Nazi regime in WWII... “One of the most inspiring things that happened during the Second World War was how an abundance of people rose up and hid the Jews. The punishment for this was not only their deaths, but the deaths of those they hid. I honestly just assumed that they would hide them for a day maybe, and then the Jews would go, but in reality, they could be hidden for a very long time. It wasn’t just a matter of keeping them hidden though; they had to keep the Jews fed, clothed and healthy. Not only did they have to be afraid of the Nazis, but they lived in constant fear of everyone including their neighbors, friends and family. But their efforts were not in vain; because of these courageous people, countless lives were saved.

     “There were many people who hid the Jews in their homes, as I just described, such as Corrie Ten Boom; but there were also courageous people who helped Jews in different ways, such as Oskar Schindler. Oskar was a German businessman who saved the lives of over 1,000 Jews by hiring them to work in his factories. He and his wife did many things to make sure that the Jews were kept safe, which included...providing the Jews with food and medical care.”

     My grandson concludes, “In all of these great stories there were courageous people who were willing to take a stand against evil, and fight, even at the cost of their lives. Could we be more like them? Could we take a stand against the wrong that's always there? Even just little acts of kindness can make a person's day.”

     Sowing peace-seed by gestures of consideration, submissiveness, mercy, and impartiality... Such little acts planted could bear significant fruit in a conflict-fraught world!

The Key to Contentment

 For The Citizen newspaper "From the Minister's Study"

            This weekend we celebrate Thanksgiving here in Canada. Many families make arrangements to gather for a special meal and holiday time together. For some, it marks the season to close up the cottage or otherwise start preparing for the coming of winter. Others are busy gathering in produce from their gardens, while farmers continue to harvest crops from their fields. But do we actually stop to participate in the action for which the holiday is named? Are we truly “giving thanks”?

            We live in an ad-soaked consumer society which hums along on the premise that the populace needs to be triggered routinely into discontentment through advertising. So we are constantly bombarded by images designed to get us hankering after the newest, latest, and greatest innovations. It’s hard to remain content for very long with what we have, as so much is not only prone to wearing out but also being updated and “improved”.

            Contentment is an endangered species in the consumer world.

            Benjamin Franklin once observed, “Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor.” And Martin Luther said, “Contentment is a rare bird, but it sings sweetly in the breast.” Where can we find this increasingly rare species?

            Here’s where Thanksgiving can help – it’s hard for discontentment to co-exist at the same time with a thankful heart. So, what are we thankful for? As we reach out our hand for that scoop of dressing or drumstick of turkey, can we use our five fingers to identify at least five things for which we’re thankful?

            Well, first of all, at least one thing is fairly obvious – food! We thank our Creator for providing for our bodily needs. “...Certain foods... God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving...” (1 Timothy 4:3-4)

            Next, in our increasingly secular society, many doubt whether God exists or can be known. Some, based on negative experiences and past hurts, question whether there is such a thing as a benevolent deity; they would posit instead random uncaring chance, or perhaps some cruel or malicious Fate. Those influenced by eastern religions might suspect existence of an impersonal force or ‘karma’ which mysteriously keeps score and metes out punishment based on actions in a previous life.

            But the Bible reveals a God who is both good and loving, and for that I am thankful. This is a divine being we would want to have connection with, not one we’d prefer to avoid. A personal God that is full of goodness and love at His very core, a praiseworthy benevolent caring being we can truly appreciate.  “Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1) “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love... This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:8,10)

            Holiday celebrations have a way of centering on food, for very good reason: if we don’t eat, we die. Life itself is fragile, we are mortal, prone to exhaustion and sickness. Infectious diseases continue to be a threat. Some of us have had close family members impacted by cancer (or even we ourselves).  Are we thankful for life? And what about its end – what comes after?

            So, thirdly, I am thankful the Bible holds out hope for eternal life, thanks to the victory of Jesus Christ at the cross, procuring forgiveness for our worst sins. I am grateful Jesus’ resurrection holds out hope for life beyond the grave. The Apostle Paul framed the situation this way. “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’ ... The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:32,56f)

            Yet, I am also thankful I do not have to wait until I die to experience God’s saving power: it is already available to help me in my daily life and struggles. Paul talks about a ‘law’ or dominating power or influence that evil and sin have in our lives. Scripture cautions us to be wary of three enemies that would subvert our soul – the world, our ‘flesh’ (or unregenerate self), and the devil. But God sends the Spirit of His Son into our lives by faith in Jesus, coming alongside us in our daily living to buttress us and help us overcome temptation. Paul writes, “...I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:23-25)

            These positive effects of the Lord in the lives of believers are communicated through the instrumentality of His word. Media fills our environment with words seeking to persuade us to follow particular political views or search out certain products that promise to make our lives so much better. With the internet and social media, anyone can publish their latest thought and flame out in angry speech to make their voice heard. Sometimes we feel like we are drowning in a sea of words; we become adept at ‘tuning out’ advertisements.

            But God’s word is qualitatively different from mere human speech. God is spirit, and His words are spirit and life (John 6:63). God’s word is “living and active”, shaping and moulding the lives of those who have been born over again (Hebrews 4:12; Romans 12:2). So, fourth, I am thankful for God’s working word active and having effect in my life. So the Apostle Paul could write to one church, “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

            Fifth and finally, I am thankful the Christian life is not a solitary experience, but one lived in the companionship of other believers. I am reinforced and encouraged by my sisters and brothers in the faith. When I stumble or fall, I need others to help pick me up and get me heading again in the right direction. I need their patience, kindness, and gentleness to bolster me – each of these reflecting the goodness and love of our heavenly Father. “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3) At its best, the church is a truly caring faith-family that experiences the grace of a supernatural connection and close bonding. “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” (1 Thessalonians 2:8)

            May these good gifts be experienced by you and yours this Thanksgiving, creating lasting contentment, and prompting appreciation to well up in your hearts toward the divine Giver!

How Crumby is Your Theology?

 

For The Citizen newspaper "From the Minister's Study"

                Is your view of God, your theology, crummy? Or is it crumb-y? Perhaps I’d better explain the difference.

                I was environmentally friendly before it became a “thing”. Those three R’s? I am by nature a conserver, looking for ways to preserve and repurpose resources. It is a challenge for me to make a trip to the dump and not bring home something that looks just too useful to be thrown away. Does anyone else out there share this struggle?

                As a member of the Boomer generation myself, I grew up with parents who weathered the Great Depression as children. This left its mark indelibly upon them, prompting them to be conservers. My Dad had a welder – he built his own milking parlour – so of course any extra metal was kept in reserve: “Might have a use for that some day!”

                Perhaps genetics had an influence as well. My forebears originated from Scotland, and the people of that nation have a reputation for being frugal and thrifty (if not downright cheap!). Perhaps a result of having to survive in the relatively inhospitable climes of the rugged highlands or the windswept barren Hebrides.

                So my go-to approach to life in many cases could be labeled a “scarcity mindset” as opposed to an “abundance mindset”. I am prone to accumulate clutter, to hoard; it is very hard for me to throw things out that have become a little damaged or worn. While this might help me survive as a castaway on a desert island, it can be hard to live with a family member who is a skinflint, who never wants to spend if one can “make do” with what one already has, someone who is always looking for the least expensive way to do something, who finds it hard to be generous. A conserving attitude can quickly deteriorate into greed, covetousness, resentment, and miserliness. Our children suffer if we never open our hands and bless them by lavishing love on them, and there are many times when ‘love’ of course translates into material provision.

                We can even be tempted to project this frugal attitude onto God. But that would be a mistake... The Bible does not portray the Lord as a skinflint. God is the Creator of all that is, He “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment”. (1Tim.6:17) To suppose otherwise would be to have a crummy theology.

                Jesus taught that His Heavenly Father was good and giving, seeking to bless His creatures. We see glimpses of this in Jesus’ seminal Sermon on the Mount. He says God causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. He prompts us to just ask to be given our daily bread. The Heavenly Father feeds the birds and clothes the grass which is so impermanent, so will much more provide for us. Jesus confidently speaks of a heavenly Father who gives good gifts to those who ask Him. (Matt.5:45; 6:11,26,30; 7:11)

                One of Jesus’ classic parables features a vineyard-owner who hires workers at various points throughout the day. When it comes time to give them their wages, those hired last, who worked only an hour compared to those who laboured all day, are paid just as much. When those hired earlier protest this perceived injustice, the owner points out he paid them as expected: “I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you... Are you envious because I am generous?” (Matt.20:14f)

                At one point, Jesus tests a person who turns out to have the correct perspective on God’s generosity. A foreign woman begs Jesus to drive a demon from her daughter. At first He resists, because the primary focus in His earthly ministry has been to preach and minister to God’s Covenant People, the Jews in Palestine. He uses a word-picture, that it’s not right to toss the children’s bread to the dogs. Yet the woman has too profound an insight into God’s nature to be put off. She replies, “Yes, Lord – but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” (Mark 7:28)

                In other words, God is a God of generosity: He offers a surplus that spills over to others. There are crumbs to spare. He lavishes love unstintingly. This is not crummy theology but crumb-y theology: the Mighty One has crumbs abundant to spare. God is kind and good, not stingy. He calls us to be generous too. As Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38)

                C.H. Spurgeon once said, “God is satisfied with Himself, and sufficient to His own happiness. Therefore, surely, there is enough in Him to fill the creature. That which fills an ocean will fill a bucket; that which will fill a gallon will fill a pint; those revenues which will defray an emperor’s expenses are enough for a beggar or poor man.” The Apostle Paul clung to a similar promise of a God who is good and giving: “...My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Php. 4:19) Let’s experiment – let’s share some of our “crumbs” with others as we have had our own needs provided in the past.