“Healthy Debate…”

When I was in high school, I was part of the debating team.

For these debates, a topic was chosen for you. You had a few minutes to state your case, followed by the other side presenting their arguments. Then each of you had a chance to rebut what you heard. Following the rebuttals were brief closing arguments. It was a formal and healthy debate.

I remember attending a day-long provincial debating event. To prepare we learned how to frame arguments and use various debating techniques. As a team of two, one would give the opening statement and one the rebuttal. It challenged you to do two things. Listen carefully to the arguments of the other team, so you could respond accordingly, and, know both sides of the issue. Good debating requires knowledge of the arguments that might surface from the other side.

The thing was, you did not know which side of the debate you would be asked to defend. You might have to argue the pro side on something you might not personally agree with. Or, to argue the negative side of something you did.

There are always at least two sides to every issue. Generally, people pick a side and advocate for it. They tend to listen to those who perpetuate the perspective they agree with and seldom listen to the other side. Debate is reduced to talking past the people you see as having a different perspective than you do.

The discourse we tend to see today is based on the premise that what I believe is truth and right. Those on the other side are after all, wrong, the enemy, evil, or some similar characterization that is used to discredit their perspective.

No wonder we see the division, polarization, and battles.

It makes me wonder. What would Jesus do in this environment? Fortunately, we discover what He would do by what He did.

How did He react to those who saw things differently than Him? How did He address those who were challenging Him and His message? What was His response to those who hated Him because of what He stood for?

Several thoughts and situations come to mind. He talked to a woman at a well who was not living the kind of lifestyle that society or He would condone. Social norms would have kept Him from ever engaging in a conversation with her in the first place, let alone revealing that He was the Messiah to her. But He did.

He also conversed with the religious leaders who challenged Him over everything He did and spoke. They purposely sought to try and trap Him to discredit Himself. They used “gotcha” questions. He very publicly pronounced “woes” upon them, found in Matthew 23 where He points out their hypocrisy. Yet, most of the time He responded to them with grace even though they were intent on seeing Him put to death.

We also find Him responding to those who nailed Him to the cross. How did He respond to them? From Luke 23, we find Jesus faced insults, mockery, and ridicule, on top of the pain of being crucified. Yet, He states,

³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.

These are just a few. However, they display what He spoke about. He said we are “blessed if we are peacemakers”, we are “to forgive as we have been forgiven”, we are “to love as we have been loved”, we are “to speak words of life”.

As part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus contrasted what they had heard and what was God’s heart. In Matthew 5 we read,

⁴³ “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you… Then He adds,

⁴⁶ If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. ⁴⁷ If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. ⁴⁸ But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Jesus sets a much higher bar. Our interactions with each other should be governed by humility and respect. Emulating how Jesus interacted with people. Showing love to even our enemies.

It does not mean we agree with everyone on everything but when we share our opinions we do so in a healthy way.  We follow the example of Jesus.

“Homeward Bound…”

“I want to go home!”

It is not an uncommon statement. There is something about home that brings comfort. It is where we put our feet up, can be ourselves, and appreciate familiar surroundings. Home is where we are most at ease. Where we are most content.

After being away from home for a while we can become anxious to get back to our normal surroundings. Where everything is familiar. Our grandchildren seem to sleep better when they are home in their own beds. Being at home is appealing.

However, as I think about home, there is a different home that comes to mind. I think of Jesus’ statement to His disciples in John 14. He said,

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ² There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³ When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. ⁴ And you know the way to where I am going.”

Jesus would prepare a place in His Father’s home for us. It emphasized that this life is not the complete picture. The writer to the Hebrews wrote in chapter 13 the following.

¹⁴ For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

The home he is describing is the home Jesus said He would prepare for us. However, to get there requires the difficult part of life – Death. Each day people die, and are born for that matter. Yet, when this human experience of death impacts our lives the sense of home is felt more deeply.

Recently, I felt this as I performed a funeral and my wife’s grandma passed away.

The funeral was for someone younger than me, which is always harder. As disease ate away at their physical body, their spirit was renewed. In the many conversations we had, they were not anxious about what was to come. They were ready, they were ready to be home.

My wife’s grandma was 97 and lived a full long life. She was in her own home until the end. She loved being with people, especially with family. She was hospitable, gracious, and loving. In recent years, there were numerous times when she commented about how she longed to be home, to be in the presence of Jesus. Especially, after her husband passed away.

While we rejoice in her being “home” we feel the loss of her leaving this life.

As my oldest daughter wrote:

I’m not sure any of us will ever fully grasp the number of lives she impacted over her 97 years on this earth, but I do know that I am eternally grateful for the 31 years I had to call her grandma and that I wouldn’t be the same person without her unconditional love. Oh, sweet grandma, you’re at peace, healthy, and at home with Jesus and Grandpa now, where you’ve longed to be for so many years. And as happy as I am for you, I’m equally as sad for all of us left here to miss you. I love you forever, see you later.

See you later.

It is not goodbye as we will see her again because of Jesus. Because He has gone to prepare a place for us. One of His followers, Paul, wrote in 2 Corinthians 5 that while we live in these bodies we are “not at home with the Lord.” However, he added that when we die and are away from these bodies, we “will be at home with the Lord.”

Our loved ones are at home because of Jesus. Another follower of Jesus, Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3,

¹⁸ Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

His death and resurrection were the means for us to get safely home. When Jesus told His followers that He was preparing a place for them, some wondered about how they would get there. The desire to get home is great, but how can it happen?

It is a question people still ask. Yet, the answer by Jesus remains the same.

⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

We can arrive safely at home because Jesus has made a way for us – He is the way, the truth, and the life.

“Love…”

What does it look like?

If you were to describe love to someone, how would you do it? Would you base it on certain actions? Would you centre on the emotion or feeling of being in love? You know, where butterflies rise in your stomach when you think of that certain someone? How would you describe love or define it?

There is a book by Gary Chapman that focuses on love. It is called The Five Love Languages. It describes how each of us has a primary and a secondary way, (or language) when it comes to feeling loved. The Five Love Languages include the following: words of affirmation (or compliments), quality time, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.

Often someone will express or show love to others using one of these actions. Usually, the way they show love is how they feel loved. For example, if someone typically shows love through acts of service, then when they do something, like the laundry, they think of it as an act of love. They anticipate that their partner should respond accordingly – they would if someone did that for them.

However, if their partner feels love through quality time, then they are glad that the laundry got done, but it does not make them feel overly loved. If they sat down and spent time with them, they would feel differently. They would feel loved.

While this provides some helpful insights into how we can display love to those closest to us, it does not answer the question about the nature of love. We know that love is powerful. We will do almost anything for love, even though we may have a hard time defining it.

We often think that love is an emotion. It is something that just happens. It is love at first sight or something like that. However, love is a choice. We choose whether we will love or not.

In 1 Corinthians there is a chapter called the “Love Chapter”. It is Chapter 13 and defines love this way,

⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

It is an apt description of love. Regardless of what our love language is we want to have people love us like this. Be patient with us. Never keep our wrongs against us or demand their own way. Having love shown to us that involves these things would be desirable.

At the same time, we recognize that to love like this is not easy. I can think of some circumstances that would be difficult to endure. Maintaining love during them would be stretching. It makes me believe that love is more than a feeling.

For us to love like this it requires a choice. I know that does not sound romantic or how we often think about love. However, this kind of love involves choosing to love like this.

As I think of this definition of love I cannot help but think of how Jesus chooses to love us. In John 13 Jesus said to His disciples,

³⁴ So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. ³⁵ Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

The example of love that Jesus demonstrates is the kind of love His followers are to display. We are to love as Jesus loves. He would display how great His love for each of us is when He would go to the cross and give His life for us. However, these followers of His witnessed love not long before these words.

As they got ready to eat, Jesus got up from the table, took a basin of water, and a towel, and began to wash their feet. It was an act of love that was not what any of them expected Jesus to do. But serving them was a demonstration of His love for them and the kind of love they were to display.

It is easy to throw the term “love” around without much thought about what it means or looks like. Yet, it is one of the biggest choices we will ever make – to choose to love as we have been loved by Jesus. To love as we have been loved by Him. That is love.

“Worth it…?”

How much…?

We all know about inflation. We hear about increasing prices. We witness the rising cost of living. We hear new terms like “Shrinkflation”, where the size of the package decreases while the price remains the same or goes up.

We experience it going to the grocery store or any other place we shop for that matter. We may question why it is happening or blame who we think has caused it, yet, we tend to have little control over it.

What about our worth?

While we may never ask it out loud, I find it is a question we often ask ourselves. What is my value? How much am I worth?

Putting a price tag on or describing the worth or value we have can be complex. If we think about our work environment, we may be able to define what we should get paid for what we do. We can set an hourly wage or a salary for what we believe we deserve to make based on our skills, abilities, and contributions to the company or organization we work for.

But does that adequately define what we are worth?

If it did, then the more you make the greater your value. Except some make significant amounts of money and feel worthless. Others make little yet feel valued. It is hard to define what we are worth without also questioning where our worth comes from.

As Jesus spoke to a crowd, He asked the question about worth. He compared people to two other entities – birds and flowers – lilies to be exact. He said that we get caught up in what we are going to eat, drink, or wear. Yet, birds are cared for and fed, and flowers are more beautiful than even King Solomon in his glory. If God cares for birds and wildflowers, that only last for a moment, He asks, “Aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are?” And He adds, “God will certainly care for you”.

By raising these thoughts, Jesus reveals that God places value in us, in you. Those hearing this wondered about it. Their perspective was that if they lived up to what was required of them then they would have worth, they would be valuable to God. If not, their value or worth decreases. Yet, that is not what Jesus said.

Jesus came because He saw worth in us. In Mark 10, Jesus said,

⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus came to give Himself for people. We have come through a season where we reflect on the actions of Jesus. Particularly, where He went to a cross. He purposely gave His life. But for who?

He did so for everyone. He invited all to come to Him. Because He chose to give Himself for each of us. He saw worth and value in each of us. In John 10, He tells us that He voluntarily gave His life. He chose to do that because of you and I. He didn’t do it because we earned His actions.

On the contrary, while we were far from Him and did not do what we should, He gave Himself for us out of love. He saw value and worth in each of us, in you.

Over and over again, Jesus encountered people who wondered about their worth. They faced circumstances that made them question why God would even be concerned with them. Some were beyond their control and others were because of their actions. They had made mistakes and determined that God would never forgive them. They were too far gone.

Yet, when they encountered Jesus, they discovered that they were seen differently than how they saw themselves. Jesus saw them with compassion. He looked upon them with mercy. He exhibited love that was beyond any love they had ever experienced before.

As He was talking with His disciples on the night He was betrayed, Jesus gave them His one command. In John 15 we read,

¹² This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

He demonstrates His love by coming and giving His life. The most famous verses in the scripture state,

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

He gave of Himself because He loves you immensely. It defines your worth. You are so valuable that God gave His only Son for you.

“More than an Illusion…”

If there was only one encounter, we could dismiss it. It is easy to rationalize something away when there is only one instance. After all, we can talk ourselves out of a lot of things. Especially when it happens once. We make statements like: “We must have read too much into it. Our eyes have deceived us. It was an optical illusion.”

Several years ago, there was a picture of a blue and black dress. It caused quite a stir as some saw the dress as white and gold instead. It sounds strange. The explanation was that we do not all see the same way, and so even though it was a blue and black dress, it created an illusion for some, one that went viral.

Optical illusions do that. They trick us into seeing something differently than what is there. No one disputed that the image was of a dress, the colour was the source of the illusion.

We have just celebrated Easter and I couldn’t help but think how some see the resurrection of Jesus as an illusion. After all, His followers were filled with grief. They witnessed a traumatic event, the brutal death of Jesus, and their grief caused them to simply think Jesus was alive. It sounds like a plausible explanation.

However, if you read through the accounts of the resurrection, we see Jesus did not appear to one or even a couple of people once.

When some women came to the tomb and found it empty, the question of Jesus being alive became front and centre. Shortly after there was a specific encounter with Mary Magdalene. Then later that day Jesus appeared to most of His disciples who had gathered together out of fear of what might happen to them. Suddenly, there was Jesus.

If these two instances were the only times Jesus showed up, we might be able to talk our way out of believing they saw what they did. But there were more. A couple of followers of Jesus had left Jerusalem and were walking home. As they did, they were discussing what had taken place over the last few days. Then someone caught up to them and started walking alongside them. They did not recognize who it was.

As they talked, they relayed their experiences over the past few days to this stranger. It included the story of how they found the tomb of Jesus empty. By this time, they had reached Emmaus and invited the stranger to stay with them as it was getting late.

He willingly joined them. As they sat down to eat together their eyes were suddenly opened and they recognized that it was Jesus. Then He was gone. They quickly made their way back to Jerusalem to join the other disciples.

When they got there, they told the rest what had happened to them and how they had seen Jesus. As they did, Jesus suddenly appeared in their midst. There was no doubt it was Jesus. Except, one of their own doubted.

He was someone who had incredible devotion. He was the disciple who dared tell the others that they needed to go with Jesus to Jerusalem even if it meant death. Thomas was not there that day. He questioned their story. He struggled to believe that Jesus was alive and said as much. He even presented an ultimatum after they tried to get him to believe.

²⁵ They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” (John 20)

A week after appearing to the disciples, Jesus appeared to Thomas and said,

²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

Notice how Thomas responded.

²⁸ “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

But that was not all. Jesus also appeared to them again in Galilee after they left Jerusalem and went home. And there were other occasions as well.

These encounters with various people, some who were close followers of Jesus and others who were not as close. Some hoped to believe and others were skeptical until they saw Jesus risen from the dead.

We believe things with much less evidence.

While we may struggle to believe what seems impossible, if Jesus is who He claimed to be then rising from the dead is very conceivable. The grave could never hold the Son of God. The eyewitness encounters prove that this was so much more than an illusion. He is risen, just as He said.

“Why…?

It comes out of curiosity. If you have young children or grandchildren, there is a point where you hear this word numerous times a day. They want to know; they are curious about the world around them.

While we might become less curious over time and ask the “Why” question less often, there remain moments in life where we wonder. Life does not always make sense. At times, we will have the nerve to ask, other times the question “Why” will be confined inside our minds.

There are enough things that occur that we struggle to understand. Our minds are filled with questions and we wonder why. Why did that happen? Why did they do that? Why do I have to…? Why?

Sometimes, even though we ask the question, the answer is obvious. We recognize the reasons or motives easily and there is absolute clarity. However, not all situations are like that. At times clarity is elusive. We are unable to determine the reason for what transpires. We wonder, we question, and we become confused as we seek to know “the why”.

Passion Week was filled with questions and may still be.

Thinking about what transpired between the Triumphant entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem and the events that happened days later, questions are raised.

Jesus entered the capital city with great fanfare and excitement. It was the kind of entrance that should translate into lasting changes. People expected Jesus to be the Messiah, a ruler who would alter everything. But, after all the excitement of His glorious arrival – nothing.

No surrender of authority to the obvious people’s choice to lead them. No uprising to seize power. No pushing back against Roman rule. It was as if His arrival in the city was for show. Nothing was tangibly different. Why?

As the week continued, before the crowd could explain it, they witnessed Jesus in chains. Beaten beyond recognition by those who were to be overthrown. No supernatural power was used to defeat these enemies. No force to cause them to shrink back and leave the nation. The hope they placed in Him looked hopeless.

Then, it got worse.

Instead of changing life in Israel, Jesus was carrying, for as long as He could, a cross. Ultimately, He was nailed to one. Why?

The questions kept mounting as the unthinkable became a reality. How could this happen? It seemed impossible a few days ago. But the question that sat in the minds of many was…Why?

However, if they were close enough to hear Jesus they would have insight into the answer. From the eyewitness account of this eventful moment, John writes in chapter 19,

²⁸ Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. ³⁰ When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

These three simple words said so much. “It is finished”. They speak to the “Why” question. The mission of Jesus had come to an end. What occurred was not some random event, acts of fate, or an unexplained tragedy. What occurred had meaning.

While they believed Jesus was going to establish a typical Kingdom. He would overthrow the present rulers and establish Himself as King. Yet, He had something else in mind. A greater need was going to be addressed.

Why could He say that?

Most did not understand. He had just died. Why would His mission be complete in death?

What they did not see was their greatest need. Rather than a ruler to replace their current ones, they needed someone to address their frailties and their sin. Someone who would be their final King.

Because their actions separated them from God something had to happen. There were ways. There were sacrifices, following rules, living as rightly as possible, and then hoping. Hoping it would be enough.

Instead, what they found was a never-ending cycle. No matter how hard they tried it wasn’t enough. They would act, do, or think something at odds with a holy, pure, and righteous God.

Jesus came to fulfill what we could not.

Earlier Jesus stated what He came to do. In Matthew 20 we read,

²⁸ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

His mission was to give His life so our greatest need would be met. Through Jesus, we could be welcomed by a Holy God, forgiven, and find life. It is why He did what He did. It was about us.  

“Changing Your Mind…”

We have all done it, although not all of us will admit it.

For some, admitting our initial perspective has been altered, requires admitting we were wrong. For some, that is unacceptable. Some find admitting we have made a mistake extremely difficult.

For others, changing our minds comes easily. We are easily swayed by the latest information we receive. We change our minds often. Our opinions continue to shift.

Regardless of how we lean, changing our minds is common. When we get a new set of facts or receive new evidence, we embrace a different view. We change our minds.

Yet, what happens when our initial view is the right one? What do we do when we have the correct perspective to start with, only to hear other information and have our minds changed? Do we now believe a lie? Do we believe what someone wants us to hear instead of facts?

It is what occurred in the first century. In one week, minds were changed.

It began with the consensus that the man riding a donkey into their capital city was more than a man. He was who they had longed for. All the evidence was there. For several years, whenever they encountered Him, they were given reasons to believe He was the Messiah.

People facing physical challenges would see Him remove them. He spoke about God and His Kingdom in ways they had never heard before. It was uplifting, inspiring, and life-altering. Except, as the full impact of His message and actions began to resonate, there were increasing problems created. The guardians of the nation’s spiritual life had reservations about His message. They also had reservations about Him.

While some believed He was the Messiah or at the very least a prophet, others saw Him undermining the religious system they had built. He was a threat to the history, culture, and spiritual life of Israel. His presence was a slap in the face to what had existed for centuries from the time of Abraham and Moses.

However, day after day He did things that transformed people’s lives. It culminated when He performed an overwhelming miracle. A man by the name of Lazarus had died and was buried. Days later he would walk out of the grave as the Messiah showed up and called him out of the tomb.

It left little doubt that He was the One. All the evidence pointed that way. The population reacted as we would expect. As He approached Jerusalem the city exploded with shouts demonstrating what they believed. In John 12, we read,

¹² The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors ¹³ took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!”

The whole city was caught up in believing Jesus was who He claimed to be. Notice how the religious leaders responded to what they witnessed.

¹⁹ Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”

Yet, after this fanfare, they changed their mind.

In about a week, they went from this reaction to calls for Him to be crucified. What changed?

Did those who experienced a miracle suddenly revert to their pre-miracle state? Did He start delivering a different message? Neither of these things happened.

What did occur was they anticipated that as Jesus arrived in the capital, He would set up a new Kingdom. He would be their new King. But He didn’t do that. Instead, they were confused by how He talked about dying. The Messiah was not going to die, He was going to live forever.

At the same time, the guardians of the faith questioned the validity of Jesus’ message. They sowed doubt and made it difficult for opposition voices to be heard. Then they did what altered more minds, they had Jesus arrested.

With the belief, hope, and expectation that the Messiah would establish a Kingdom, seeing Jesus in a crown of thorns, beaten beyond recognition, and standing in chains, was too much. The perceived evidence changed their minds.

However, they misread what Jesus came to do. They misread that through His death and subsequent resurrection, they could experience the life they sought. The reality of the situation was misread. Their minds were changed when they shouldn’t have been altered. It happens.

It happens when we ignore the One who knows and brings truth. When we let our thoughts get in the way of the evidence that Jesus is the Messiah.  

“Looking Deeper…”

What captures your attention? What makes you go beyond the first few words?

Often, we only see the headlines. If they are really good, if they pique our interest we might keep reading. Good headlines cause us to look deeper. However, sometimes the headline and the story are misaligned.

We get drawn in by the headline as it entices, alarms, or outrages us. We get into a frenzy and keep reading. But then we are disappointed as the details don’t match the headline. Digging deeper allows us to see the full story not just what the headline implies.

In examining the life of Jesus there are times when we need to look deeper. We may know the story, even by memory. But the details give us more than we anticipate. I came across one of these recently from Matthew 14. It is the account that has the heading “Jesus walking on water”.

Jesus’ disciples were sent by Him across the lake while He sent the crowd home. After they leave, Jesus goes off to pray and night falls. The disciples get partway across the lake when they begin to battle a storm. While they are experienced fishermen and have dealt with storms before, this time they are struggling. Then they see someone out on the lake walking toward them. They think it is a ghost. They are terrified.

²⁷ But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

It is at this point that we find Peter responds to Jesus.

²⁸ Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” ²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

It sets the stage for what will be an amazing experience for Peter. He gets to walk on water. However, it did not last long.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” ³² When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. ³³ Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

Pretty straightforward story, right?

Jesus walks on water. Peter gets out of the boat and walks toward Him. He gets closer to Jesus and then places his attention on what is going on around him. He starts to sink. Jesus reaches down grabs him and rescues him. Jesus questions Peter’s faith, they get into the boat, and the wind stops.

It is the essence of the story. We can note several things. The courage of Peter to get out of the boat in the first place. How Jesus is present when we are sinking. How we need faith instead of doubt. How we should keep our eyes on Jesus and not the circumstances around us.

It is easy to preach.

Only, there is one easily overlooked detail that provides an image we might not have seen. Jesus grabs Peter as he is sinking.

I know it is mentioned, but often the image that comes to mind is that of a hand reaching down, picking up Peter, and immediately they are in the boat when everything gets calm. Only, that is not what is described. They are still in the middle of the lake. Peter has started walking toward Jesus. He has gotten a distance from the boat when he begins to notice the waves and the impact of the wind.

When Jesus grabs Peter as he is sinking, they are not next to the boat.

What does that mean?

It means that from the moment Jesus rescues Peter out of the water until they get into the boat, Jesus is holding on to Peter. He is keeping him from drowning. He is still walking on the water, presumably lifting or carrying Peter in some fashion until they safely reach the boat.

It is an easily overlooked detail, but one that says something significant about Jesus. When we get in over our heads Jesus carries us. He carried Peter. He can carry us, not just when we stay in the safety of the boat, but when we step out in faith to follow Him.

He can do so even when we struggle and sink. He can still carry us until we are safe. Instead of the heading “Jesus walks on water”, the headline could read, “Jesus carries Peter to safety”.  It would give the rest of the story.

“Leading…”

The other day I took a few moments to look over my library. While I have many digital resources that I use all the time, there is something I enjoy about physical books. As I looked at my library, I found it is packed full of books about leadership.

Some of the authors you might expect. They are experts who have made a name for themselves by teaching and helping people grow in their leadership skills. They are leaders themselves and have had a positive effect on those leading others. Other authors might be more obscure. They are not household names, but they are some of my favorites. They give insight into leadership that goes beyond the most popular trends.

There was a time, not too many years ago when those who were in positions of leadership understood that leading required you to do more than make a name for yourself. It required doing more than giving popular messages. You had to lead people somewhere. As the statement goes, “If you think you are a leader, but you look behind you and no one is following, then you are just taking a walk.”

Those understanding this concept knew that leadership involves influencing as well as helping others grow. Good leaders aim to bring others to a better place than they were. What often passes as leadership these days, seems to be something else. It seems like it is more about either giving people what they want to hear or becoming a leader to make a name for yourself.

I find typical leaders tend to give confirmation of what their audience wants to hear. It might be a particular worldview or perspective. It may be done with a certain flair or emphasis on giving what their audience likes.

One day, as Jesus spent time with His disciples, two of them came up to Him with a question about their leadership roles. We find the account in Mark 10.

Brothers, James and John, came to Jesus on their own with a request. They asked for a favour.

³⁷ They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

It was a bold request. One that they did not understand. Jesus said as much. Only the brothers overestimated their importance and abilities. After Jesus informed them that they did not understand the significance of what they were asking, He told them that besides not understanding what they were asking the decision was not His to make.

While this was done privately without the rest of the disciples present, they did end up hearing about what they requested of Jesus. We are not told how they found out, but we do know about their response.

⁴¹ When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.

They were upset. These two brothers had caused a rift by their presuming they were more important than the other followers of Jesus. Amid this tension, Jesus gets them together and tries to teach them about leadership. It was a lesson they needed and one we should remind ourselves about today.

⁴² So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.

He begins by giving them what they already know. Most leaders, whether rulers or officials, use their leadership positions to get their way. They use their authority to ensure they get what they want even if it negatively impacts others. They are the focus. He then adds,

⁴³ But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.

Leadership, according to Jesus, is about serving others. It is not about making a name for yourself or pushing your agenda, it is about something much greater, serving others. Leadership is about making life better for others often without regard to how it benefits you. The focus is not on your goals or ambitions but on how others can benefit as you serve them.

However, Jesus was not done. He added,

⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

This was overwhelming. Jesus, the Son of Man, the One who deserved to be served if there ever was someone, chose not to be served, but chose to serve and even give His life in doing just that. He sets the example for us to follow if we want to lead.

“A Very Personal Lent…”

This is the season of Lent. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, it lasts 40 days concluding on the Thursday before Good Friday. This year it started on February 14th and ends on March 28th.

It is a time of reflection. A time to contemplate what Jesus accomplished for us. Usually, it also involves trying to demonstrate our devotion. Proving that we are worthy of His action of love for us.

The 40 days parallel Jesus’ time alone in the wilderness. Before starting His ministry, He went to the wilderness and fasted for 40 days. This included an intense time of temptation, temptation to abandon what He came to do and turn away from His mission. However, He not only withstood the temptation, but He began to proclaim the Kingdom of God.

I am not sure about your Lent practices. Whether you give up certain things or even observe these 40 days. However, lately, the actions of Jesus have become very personal to me. Except, in ways I did not expect.

It is not that I am doing anything differently during these 40 days. Nor have I chosen to refrain from certain things. Yet, as I reflect on an aspect of what Jesus did, it is profoundly impacting me.

The best way to describe it is from words of an old song.

It is from the hymn “It is Well With My Soul.” It has a unique history. Horatio Spafford wrote it in 1873. Spafford faced several challenges including the impact of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 that nearly ruined him financially. A turn in the economy in 1873 further impacted him and his family.

That same year, they planned to go to England to help D.L. Moody minister there. At the last minute, his plans changed as he had to deal with some business as a result of the fire. So instead of going together, he sent his family on ahead. However, the ship they were on collided with another vessel and sank. His four daughters died, with only his wife surviving. She sent a telegram saying, “Saved alone…”

As he sailed to be with his wife, he came across the place where the ship had gone down and penned these words,

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

For him to pen these words is remarkable given the circumstances. This kind of faith, trusting amid heartache, is easy to admire. However, there is another verse in this hymn that has grabbed my attention. The third verse reads,

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

This image has impacted my reflections during Lent. Lent focuses on the actions of Jesus, particularly what He did at the cross. Willingly giving His life so we can be forgiven is powerful, Yet, where he writes “my sin” makes it very personal.

Spafford saw his own sin being nailed to the cross. Except, he adds a qualifier to it. It was not simply his sin, in a generic sense, but he states, “not in part but the whole.” In other words, all of his sins.

It is a phrase that has stuck with me. “My sin, all of my sin, was nailed to the cross.”

In Romans 5 we read about what Jesus did for us.

⁸ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Jesus died to remove our sins. The reason He went to the cross in the first place was because of sin, my sin. Jesus died, not because I had stopped sinning, but while I still carried my sin around with me, out of great love He chose the cross.

I am struck by Jesus dying for the totality of my sins. The times I blew it. When pride took over. When I messed up.

What strikes me is that it was not only for those moments that I am reminded of from the past, but it includes the things I will do tomorrow, next week, or weeks from now. Those moments are also nailed to the cross because Jesus saw all of my sins and died so I could be forgiven for more than what I did, but also for what I will do in the future.

It makes Lent very personal. I need to reflect on how my sin, not in part but the whole is nailed to the cross because of the grace of Jesus.