Who's the Boss?

 

[Jesus] taught as one who had authority,
and not as their teachers of the law.

Matthew 7:29 (NIV)

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

Matthew 28:18 (NIV)

I used to say, "God said it. I believe it. That settles it," but I don't say that anymore.

Not that God didn't say it or that I don't believe it or that it isn't settled. . .it's just that my believing it or not is of no importance whatsoever. If Jesus said it, I may have questions about how to apply it in a particular situation, but my belief about it has zero effect on its truthfulness.

No matter what my response to him is, Jesus has all authority and is lord of all.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...It's kind of amazing that even though Jesus has every right to rule with an iron fist, he chooses to persuade and call; to open the door and invite.

For corroboration, see an earlier post, "Softly and Tenderly".

What If Your Superpower Was Invisibility?

 

I'm fairly certain that as a male teenager my answer to the question "What would you do if you could be invisible?" would have involved listening to conversations I had no business hearing and staring at things I had no business seeing.

Even as a chronologically advanced man, I'm having trouble thinking of any if-I-was-invisible activities that would be morally upright and honorable.

But then, the Spirit brings to mind these words of Jesus, recorded in Matthew 6:1-4:

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

What if, instead of wanting recognition and respect to come my way because of my acts of service, I put on a cloak of invisibility before helping anyone or giving anything away?

Truth is...Remember how Jesus healed people and then told them not to tell anyone? A little humility goes a long way toward being like Jesus.

The Unnecessary Ascension

 

While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

Luke 24:51

It's called The Ascension and for some people, it's one of the strongest visual images associated with the life of Jesus: Twelve guys gathered on a hillside near Bethany and one of them...Jesus...just lifts off the ground and floats into the air until they lose sight of him in the clouds.

According to the first chapter of Acts, two people in white...presumably angels...appeared and asked why they were standing there staring into the sky (which I think is hilarious). Then they said that Jesus would be coming back "in the same way [they] saw him go" (Acts 1:11).

Dear Jesus: I don't think it has ever struck me before, but all this being-taken-up-into-the-air business was totally unnecessary. You could have just dematerialized. You could have faded away like the Cheshire Cat. Heaven is no more "up there" than hell is "down there". But you and the Father and the Spirit decided this was a good visual to give us.

Truth is...I'm looking forward to seeing you return, no matter what it looks like.

The Eye of the Beholder

 

[Yahweh] has made everything beautiful in its time.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

It's nothing new to call attention to the beauty of nature, but what intrigues me today is thinking about the whole concept of beautiful and ugly.

How is it that I can look at a mountain and have my breath taken away and then look at an overflowing garbage can and shudder in revulsion? Where does that come from?

Or even more curiously, why are the faces of some people deemed attractive and others repulsive? Who do I think I am that I should be allowed to make that distinction?

Truth is...I'm pretty sure you see beauty in everything and everyone, Jesus.

Oh Lord

 

And Abram said, "Lord God, what will you give me?"

Genesis 15:2

In Hebrew, Abram called God Adonai.

In English, we call Jesus Lord.

In life, I fall short of actually behaving as if he is Lord.

A common description of submissive obedience is, "When he says jump, you say how high." But if Jesus is really Lord...really in charge...then I shouldn't even ask "How high?" I should just jump.

Jesus, you are not "my homie". You are not just a good example to follow. You are absolutely and forever worthy to be called Lord, Master, Mighty One.

Of course, the trick is to go beyond calling you Lord and actually obey you as Lord.

Truth is...I need to stop praying "What will you give me" and start praying "Lord...use me."