Blog
Monday, July 13, 2020
“…put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” —Ephesians 4:24
A couple years ago, Jade and I were invited to a wedding being held outside in September. September in this area seems to have more than its fair share of beautiful, pleasant days. This particular early September day was beautiful, but also quite hot. The prospect of attending a wedding outside on a hot day led to some (attempted) negotiating on my part to figure out just how casually I could dress and have it still be appropriate for a wedding. In the end, I think I avoided needing to wear a suit jacket. But the tie, the long sleeved shirt, the long pants, the closed toed shoes—those were all ruled mandatory. Fair enough.
We’ve probably all experienced the awkwardness of being overdressed or underdressed for a social event. Usually it’s not as dramatic as it appears in a movie or TV show, but there is something that throws us off about not looking like we belong where we are. And, conversely, there’s some truth to the idea that feeling like we “look the part” helps us to relax and bring our best selves to a situation.
In his letter to the Ephesian Christians, the apostle Paul picked up on this idea. Paul used the metaphor of clothing to describe taking off the “old self” and putting on the “new self.” This isn’t about physical appearance. There’s no uniform or single way to dress for followers of Jesus. Rather, it’s about what happens inside (in our minds) and what happens outside (in our words and actions). Paul recognized that there are patterns of thought, words, and actions that no longer make any sense once we’ve been told about Jesus.
Once we know about Jesus, the old way of grasping whatever we can get our hands on doesn’t make any sense. The new self lives simply, with openness and generosity.
Once we know about Jesus, the old way of fear and anxiety over the future doesn’t make any sense. The new self looks forward with hope, because the future rests in the Father’s hands.
Once we know about Jesus, the old way of fighting back every time we’re wronged doesn’t make any sense. The new self is formed by the same mind that Jesus had when he suffered for sinners and forgave his executioners.
For so many of us, the old self is like an old outfit that we keep in our closet and try on every once in a while. It’s not a comfortable outfit. To be honest, it never really worked for us. But it’s familiar and hard to get rid of. But if it wasn’t any good for us before, it’s even worse for us now. Why? Because now we have new and better clothing, clothing that brings out our unique beauty, that fits us perfectly, that feels like it was made just for us.
God has made you with purpose. God has made you to be you. God has given you the gift of the new self. So put away the old self, the old clothes that never really worked for you. And put on the new self, created to be like your Father in heaven.
Friday, July 10, 2020
One generation shall laud your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts. —Psalm 145:4
Since we’ve been worshiping from home, I’ve been in the Redeemer sanctuary only a handful of times. Each time I walk through those glass doors, I can’t help but laugh. Maybe you remember the banner set up right by the Welcome Table. It says, “Be Contagious.” The irony, right?
But today’s passage reminds me of why those words really are so important, despite how currently inappropriate they sound. This pandemic has certainly drilled home our capacity to spread what is bad. Yet this Psalm reminds us of our capacity to spread the ultimate good, infinitely and exponentially. The Psalmist marvels at what happens over time, over generations even, when people sing God’s praises. When one generation “lauds [God’s] works,” the next generation gets to catch the good news too, and they can pass it on to the next generation, and so forth. The world is changed.
And the reality is, we are direct beneficiaries of people’s commitment to share the good news of Jesus. My guess is you met Jesus because someone introduced you to him, or helped you get to know him better. Maybe it was a parent or a friend or someone else. Who helped you make Jesus’ acquaintance? Who helped you to understand who he is and what he did for you? Who helped you clear out your misconceptions so you could really nurture that relationship? People have been doing that for a long time and it’s why you get to know Jesus now. When we’re generous with the news we’ve received, we have the capacity to influence and impact generations to come, as well.
Sometimes Jesus’ call to share the Good News can be intimidating. If it feels that way to you, be encouraged by the Psalm. Each new generation came to know God because the ones before them couldn’t help but talk about how great he is. It really can be that simple. When you talk about what Jesus has done for you, about Jesus’ deep and unswerving love for you, about how following Jesus changed your life—and when you share those things with authentic love—it’s a pure blessing to those who get to hear it. You’re making an introduction, you’re nurturing a new relationship, you’re making sure future generations get to know how great God is, too.
A few years ago our Faith in Action t-shirts featured a picture of a dandelion with its seeds (are they called seeds?) blowing away in the wind. The implication is ongoing, far-reaching impact. That’s the kind of impact we’re talking about here, but bigger. How might you change the world simply by singing God’s praises today?
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Many who heard Jesus were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!” Mark 6:2
In chapter 6 of Mark, Jesus and his disciples are at the synagogue in Nazareth (Jesus’ hometown). While there, Jesus begins to teach the crowd and perform a few miracles. The people who are present can’t seem to reconcile that this is the carpenter who they all are familiar with, who they watched grow up. How could Jesus, Mary’s son, be teaching and performing miracles?
The Greek word used to describe Jesus ability as a carpenter is “tekton,” A good definition for that would be a woodworking handyman. His skill would make him just as comfortable making plows and yokes for farming as he would be making furniture or building a home.
Jesus grew up learning this trade at a time when the batteries for cordless drills were terrible and he had to do much of this carpentry by hand. Think about the number of hours Jesus would have worked by hand learning this craft. The number of times he’d swung a hammer, sawed through wood, carved small details, lifted and carried heavy beams, raised the wall of a home.
While there was generally high regard for manual labor and craftmanship at this time, many felt there was a big difference between a tradesman who worked with his hands and a scribe who spent his life studying God’s Law. So, unsurprisingly, when people witnessed Jesus’ calloused hands performing miracles and heard him teaching with authority as if he’d devoted his life to study rather than trade, they struggled with making sense of it. So in one breath they speak the verse above naming that Jesus is doing amazing and impressive things, and in the next, shift their focus to explain why Jesus can’t be more than a carpenter (see Luke 6:3).
We see that time and time again in the Old and New Testament God upends the expectations of those who encounter Him, and if you’ve been following Jesus for a while, I’m sure you’ve experienced that in your own life. Recognizing this, I invite you to pray the prayer below and throughout your day today. Look with expectation for the place (or places) God might be challenging your understanding of who God is and what God is asking of you.
I confess, Father, that I look without seeing, listen without hearing, and consider your wonders without comprehending. Open my blind eyes and awaken my sleeping heart to respond to the glories that surround me on every side. Help me learn from Jesus how to love you and all you have created. Amen.
