Month: June 2023

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Advice to the arrogant.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.” Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I have come across Proverbs that are clear, but I can’t stand them. I didn’t want to face the facts of this radical candor saying.

Confession: I only want to hear or take advice from folks who know MORE than I do or those who have MORE experience than myself, in the advice they are giving.

Proverbs nails my hollow heart issue as I type this – that is soooo arrogant. I understand I shouldn’t be taking advice from proverbial fools. But I have this emotionally triggered response when someone tells me how to do my job or run my life when I don’t think they are doing so well themselves! Doesn’t that just reek with pride? I mean, it causes a full on physical reaction in me. It’s ridiculous.

I believe the wisdom writers are pointing out the fact that pride is the numero uno reason for many conflicts. But in this case, the conflict is INSIDE of me! Why in the world can I NOT listen and look for wisdom from conversations with just about anyone? Why do I get all judgey? The truth of this proverb picks at some origin story wound that I just can’t seem to remember. Why do I get defensive? Why does it ruin my day? And, more importantly, what can I do about it? It’s a recurring theme that I am so tired of struggling with.

Through a process of humility and listening to the Holy Spirit, I want help in deconstructing some childhood defense that is no longer necessary nor helpful. Isn’t this is so apropos that God’s word would get in cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow, exposing my innermost thoughts and desires? (Hebrews 4:12). Cut away God, do your work in me!

Prayer

Dad,
This proverb hurts. It hurts because it pinpoints a blindspot, a wound, an irritation that I just can’t seem to see clearly, and allow healing to take place in my heart. Now that your word has pierced me, what do I do now? I’m confessing my arrogance and asking for help here. Show me, lead me and be patient as I take the time to figure why this is a reoccurring issue and time to work it out with your Holy Spirit. Thank you in advance for the upcoming outpatient surgery I am sure to be experiencing soon!

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God sees and hears you.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It is really powerful and supportive when someone not only knows you are in hard times, but reaches out with a simple text or phone call just to say they are with you. Oh, to be seen and to be heard is actually comforting. It’s mysterious and welcomed. This was a Psalm David wrote himself. We don’t know when he wrote it, but it was placed among the poetry prayers in the collection towards the end of his life.

He writes about waiting for God’s help. Waiting while in physical or mental distress is extremely exhausting. They tell us that pain causes our mind to lie to us and tell us that the present circumstances will be permanent, like there will be no end to it. We just want out of it. We want to get back to normal, back to easy, back to joys of living and loving.

This Psalm is so powerful because David most likely remembers a moment when he was just a shepherd boy, tending his family’s sheep. As a shepherd, it was common for sheep to wander into these mud holes after a rainstorm in the open pasture. These holes looked shallow, but they could be deceptively, dangerously deep. The sheep would step in and sink down, deep into a mud so thick it was like wet cement. The shepherd would hear the cries of the sheep, immobilized in the muck. These holes could also be large enough that the shepherd could not reach the sheep with the crook of his staff. The shepherd would have to climb into the hole, wading in to the depths to wrap his arms around the muddy, scared sheep. He would have to pull the sheep out slowly while the sheep struggled by kicking, even biting at the shepherd. The shepherd’s rescue meant the sheep would be saved!

David sees his own life, filled with his own deep muddy holes and rejoices that God, the great shepherd heard him, turned to him, climbed into the muck and mire, wrapped his arms around him and lifted him out – saving his life. David sees his life as a series of rescues when God continued to set him on the rock of solid ground. David, then in response, lifts his own song of praise to God, thankful that God sees, hears, turns and lifts him out to safety. This is what God does in our life. He sees, hears, turns and rescues us.

Prayer

Dad,
How many times have I found myself in a muddy hole of life? How many times did I wander off? How many times was I trapped? How many times did I feel that I could do nothing to set myself free, rescuing myself? Many times! I also waited. I also cried out. You saw me, heard me, turned to me and lifted me out of the muck! Thank you! I remember and give you praise!

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Plowing different paths.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Apostle Paul strongly, boldly tells the Corinthian believers not to be love entangled with non-believers because they would be trying to pull the “one” life in two different directions. I heard this phrase often as a young believer myself, “no missionary dating.” The idea was that casually dating someone who is outright opposed to Christ would lead to “falling in love,” and not being able to call it off when it got more serious.

Falling in love is serious and once emotions kick in and bonding takes place it becomes difficult to see the dangers of becoming one with an unbeliever. I’ve seen all kinds of relationships end in tragedy when a believer wants to lovingly lead their “friend” into a decision for Christ by marrying them. Isn’t it already a struggle to get this truth through our heads, “we cannot change another person’s heart.” One of the big challenges is thinking someone can fix a guy or gal by marriage! So many believe that love will win over an addiction or a character flaw or an unbelief in God. We don’t have that kind of power to change another person’s life! I’ve seen women date, fall in love and marry a non-believing man and the man never changes his heart towards God. I’ve seen the same with men hoping for the best in a woman. Of course, there have been miracles in the relationship, but it’s rare. Each person just thinks following Jesus or not following Jesus is some kind of phase or fad and that it will eventually change. Faith isn’t a fad. These are really dangerous situations for both individuals. Both thinking they can fix or change the other!

This phrase Paul uses, “unequally yoked,” is only found here in Corinthians. Bible commentaries tell us Paul is referring to a little known verse out of Leviticus 19:19 where God warns the Jewish farmers not to try to use two completely different animals to pull the field-plow. Leviticus uses the word, “mate” as in don’t crossbreed your livestock, but it was also commonly used to refer to “hitching up to the same yoke” when plowing a field together. So not only does God forbid trying to force an ox to mate with a donkey, but also don’t “yoke” them together either. A yoke is a tool or device that pairs animals together making it easier on both but also keeping them focused on working together. The humor is the picture of a ox just plodding through the field while the donkey is bucking and kicking trying to get away from his field partner.

Paul’s words are more than just a “marriage” warning. How close is too close, how intimate is too intimate in a friendship? When friends begin to share deeper experiences with each other the bond of love increases substantially. And, I’m not talking about a physical/sexual relationship, I am talking about a merging of values, hopes and dreams. Paul’s warning is that any relationship that pulls us away from or cools our affections from Christ is dangerous and wrong. These deep friendships, not even marital unions, are red flags to avoid.

In Paul’s day, the church folk saw nothing wrong with doing temple one day and going with a friend to a “idol sacrifice” party the next day. These Greek parties were often far more than just huge barbecues with lots of music and dancing. They were full on ancient raves filled with alcohol, drugs, sexual orgies with “temple prostitutes” along with lots of fruits, veggies and animals being offered to greek demigods.

The warning to the church was… this has gone on too long and TOO FAR for a friend! Stop it. We become a version of the people we hangout with. At some point either in a dating relationship or deep friendships, there will be a moment we will have to make a decision – will it be Christ or someone else? God is jealous over us and our relationship with him. He certainly does not want to share us with the devil, the slander, the liar.

Prayer

Dad,
I do not plan on sharing my life or wearing a faith-yoke with anyone or anything that takes me away from you. Help us stay vigilant in these last days. Help us stay faithful and focused. Keep us, hold us in your grace. Amen.

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Sin can’t get me satisfaction.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.) So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!” Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭16‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God had brought Abram through some extraordinary faith exercises. Leaving the land of his father and continuing on to the place God had promised. A conversation about Abram’s heir and God demonstrating his blood contract with Abram in Genesis 15. Each one of these encounters were a gift of grace extended to a man who would choose to lie instead of trusting God (saying, Sarai is my sister!).

Yet, Hebrews tells us that Abraham had faith. And that faith was accounted to him as righteousness. Faith came way before the law and will go on long after the fulfillment of the law by Christ’s death on the cross. Faith still moves God’s heart, it still pleases God!

Genesis 16 opens with a huge faith test – Sarai is not happy and doesn’t want to wait to see if God will come through for her. Oh, I get it. This kind of “against all odds, never been done before,” kind of faith is extraordinarily tough. Did Abram share his faith building stories with Sarai? Or the promises God made to him? Did he talk about hearing from God and reassure Sarai that God would keep his promise? We don’t know. What we do know is that Abram was just as desperate to a have child as Sarai! Abram is thinking legacy, having an heir lined up in his old age. Sarai is bearing the shame that often comes with perceived infertility. Both were well past childbearing years, even back then when people lived much longer than today.

Abram loved Sarai. Abram did not want to see his wife suffer the shame associated with not having any children. Sarai was extremely persistent. Abram conceded and Hagar conceived. Forget about all the moral and cultural legalities at that time for a moment. Yes, multiple wives was a thing and I don’t see that God judged it nor sanctioned it. I can’t pretend I understand all that. The fact is, the son, produced by Hagar was considered to be the legal, firstborn heir of Abram. But, as we know with Esau and Jacob, things don’t always go according to plan.

As soon as Sarai, who so desperately wanted a child, found out that Hagar was pregnant with Abram’s heir, she began to treat the woman with contempt and immediately blames Abram! Real or not Sarai sees Hagar very differently after making the deal, “Now that she’s pregnant, she gives me that look of pride and pity!” The reality of taking a shortcut to fulfill God’s promise hits her hard.

There are shortcuts to making God’s will happen, forcing a promise to come sooner rather than later. The results are always the same – bitterness, brokenness and fractured relationships. Is the sin the action, the decision to get what we want without waiting for God to come through? Or, is our sin the lack of faith to believe God at his word, trusting his will, his way and certainly his promises? Maybe every sin is some kind of skewed decision to get our own way rather than believing God?

Hagar became a constant reminder of a failed attempt to self-fulfill a promise made by God. Interesting side note, God protected and blessed Hagar and her son Ishmael, a rightful heir to Abram’s lineage. Hagar had a beautiful, enduring faith in God herself, saying to God, “You are the God who sees me.” Abram and Sarai’s shortcut did not get them satisfaction. Our shortcuts of sin will never fully satisfy either.

Prayer

Dad,
This is the sad state of our humanity! Even when we hear and understand your promises, we are so impatient in seeing them fulfilled that we disbelieve. We create another way, a quicker, more convenient shortcut to get it or do it ourselves. This is so human! It’s an embarrassing fact of our brokenness. Yet, you are still gracious to us, still making and fulfilling your promises to us even when we do not deserve it. Thank you for your patience, your long suffering and mercy. I need you, I need faith desperately more than the shortcuts.

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Random acts of criticism.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There was an old children’s rhyme that was supposed to project a certain self resilience from harmful words that were carelessly slung around at recess. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words shall never hurt me.” What started as an article in a British magazine in 1857, made its circuitous way around the globe. A very old Jewish book, The Book of Sirach, had it quite opposite and far more accurate, “The blow of a whip raises a welt, but a blow of the tongue crushes the bones.”

The speed of instant words, traveling further and faster than our emotions can filter or process means that we are constantly violating the Apostle James Biblical admonition and simultaneously destroying our own civility – “be slow to speak (or write) be quick to listen.” Our words now embarrassingly live a longer life than we intended. Are we really supposed to say or write everything we think? Spewing our crass, cutting, filterless words? It’s easy to blame social media or our incessant and quite disturbing hunger for what the wisdom writers call, “dainty morsels.” Those dainty morsels, laced with dung, are exactly what wisdom warns us NOT to desire, nor digest whether it’s spoken (or written).

The “cutting” this Proverbs speaks of is a stabbing, piercing wound, conjuring a very visual thrusting of a sword. It’s a physical attack of words! The old English saying is wrong! Physical sticks and stones that break bones do have certain post traumatic stresses associated with them. If you have ever been physically attacked you know this is true. But oddly, piercing words haunt longer, seem to trigger faster and leave a wound that never quite heals. Bones heal, but nasty synapses continue to swirl through our souls!

How can we regain civility or the kindness we desire to teach our children. Stop posting piercing, wounding words! Control yourself! And quite contrary to our appetite for potty-mouth and poopy content – quit reading trash towards you or about others! Just go cold turkey on the addiction to dainty morsels. The words of the wise bring healing. With our words we can be wound closers not wound causers! We can suture not strike. Let’s shut down the cheap, cowardly crassness and move forward towards civility.

Prayer

Dad,
What drives us to WANT to hear, want to read such negative, unpleasant, unprofitable words against us or others? What exactly is the disordered desire that draws our hearts towards pain and such anger? It’s awful! It reminded me of Isaiah’s warning in 5:20, the complete reversal of taste, where bitter starts tasting sweet and sweet tastes bitter! Oh, help us God! Save us from ourselves and our foolishness.

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Voice of God.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭29‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

David reflecting over his entire life, remembering the peaceful times in the pasture while tending his father’s sheep. The early entry into the limelight, becoming the giantkiller. Through the rapid rise to fame and possibility as the heir apparent to the throne of Israel. Running and hiding from Saul, Israel’s first king. To the forty years of being king. A circuitous life to notoriety, writing 73 out of the 150 Psalms. Having 8 wives and 18+ children. He lived to 70 years old.

David writes about the powerful voice of God. The voice that created all that exists. God’s voice louder than the roar of the sea. His voice making the earth itself shake and dance. And finally, God speaking in the temple, where the people respond GLORY! What a theme to think about as he reviews his own life.

When we look back on a year, or three or thirty, what do we reflect on? What memories fill our mind? Is it on our own life, family or kids? Is it on career choices or the ups and downs of decisions made in our past? Or, is it on local and global events we’ve experienced and remember the “good-ol-days” even though we know they had their own troubles? David reflected on God and His powerful voice directing the earth and human affairs. Maybe we should consider the same as we look back or better yet, look forward. May The Lord reign as king forever and give his people strength. And, may the Lord bless them with peace.

Prayer

Dad,
Every human will eventually, clearly hear your voice and either be shaken and convicted because they ignored your grace and mocked your love and mercy. Or, they will be overjoyed, comforted by the sweet and familiar sound of being welcomed home. I love your hearing your voice in the quiet sound of correction or the calm sound of peace to my soul. I want your voice to heard as you speak justice, righteousness and truth over the nations of the world. Speak Oh Lord, we need you now.

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Are you using your gift?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I don’t think the early church was quite as shocked as the modern church that the Apostle Paul would write about these Spirit enabled gifts (grk: charis) to the church in Corinth. Corinth was the wild-child city in those days. Wealthy, cocky, well educated and oh so hip and cool with all the latest cultural advances. The believers had come from deep greek roots that included all kinds of multi-god or pantheistic practices. There is more “Spirit-talk” packed into Corinthians than all the other Pauline epistles! If it wasn’t for 1 Cor 13, I think most would like to ignore the teachings all together! There’s plenty of mentions of speaking in tongues and other mysterious movements of the Spirit. Sad that many of today’s pastors and teachers, dismiss these words from Paul saying, “the gifts” died with the last living apostle. God’s ways have always been above ours and even seem strange to us – He is full of mystery.

Paul lists the nine helpful graces to be distributed to EVERY believer – “each of us.” Do an internet search, you’ll find many that only list seven! Chickens they are!

Here they are: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, extraordinary faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues.

The more “charismatic” gifts are often watered down to almost being useless and the two missing from most lists are of course, speaking and interpreting tongues. Why would people mess with God’s word by diluting it or removing it altogether? They’re not comfortable with things they can’t control! I believe these gifts are helpful to the body of Christ as well as helpful in sharing the gospel with those who are not believers in Jesus!

You may be scared off by abuses and misinformation, but you would be missing the amazing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives TODAY. Plus, the Spirit of God is not about chaos but order. By dismissing the work of the Spirit today, you would be denying miracles and supernatural works of God. And to call the work of the Holy Spirit, as it is written in the New Testament, a work of the Devil… well that’s just blasphemy! We need MORE, not LESS of the Holy Spirit’s power, grace and transforming work today more than ever!

Prayer

Dad,
I could not deny the Holy Spirit and the work that’s been done in my life. I cannot deny the gifts given to help us live the life of faith, to help us love and serve those who do not believe in you. I need to yield more, not less. I need to lean in and towards, not away from the moving of the Spirit. Breath on us, our country, our planet once again. Bring yet another revolution to raise up those who come to you, return to you.

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When God quizzes humans

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind: “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭38‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

​We think we know so much. God created us to be curious and creative, so we think we’re so smart. God quizzed Job with some simple questions… for God that is! Two full chapters of amazing scope and sequence of questions, sixty-eight verses regarding the breadth and depth of Job’s “knowledge.” The tree of knowledge of both good and evil did not give humans a total understanding of how everything works! The tree didn’t make humans know-it-alls. But somehow it made us think we do. God’s questions are breathtaking, like a docudrama from NatGeo. Here’s a few:

° Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
° Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb?
° Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east?
° Have you explored the springs from which the seas come?
° Do you know where the gates of death are located?
° Do you realize the extent of the earth?
° Where does light come from, and where does darkness go?
° Have you visited the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of hail?
° Where is the path to the source of light?
° Where is the home of the east wind?
° Who created a channel for the torrents of rain?
° Who laid out the path for the lightning?
° Does the rain have a father?
° Who gives birth to the dew?
° Who is the mother of the ice?
° Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?
° Can you direct the movement of the stars— binding the cluster of the Pleiades or loosening the cords of Orion?
° Can you shout to the clouds and make it rain?
° Can you make lightning appear and cause it to strike as you direct? ° Who is wise enough to count all the clouds?
° Who provides food for the ravens when their young cry out to God and wander about in hunger?
° Have you given the horse its strength or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?
° Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread its wings toward the south?

This is just a sampling of the pop quiz God gave to Job. How did you do? It doesn’t take long to realize that explorers and scientists have painstakingly, patiently taken YEARS to find the answer to some of these questions. But not all. The more discoveries reveal more mysteries and more questions. In both micro and macro biology science is still pondering how infinitely small and immensely complicated even one living cell can be. And how massively expansive the yet unexplored multi-universes appear to be. These are still within the physical sciences!

There are even more questions regarding the soul. Where do emotions come from and why do we have them? Understandably Job, like most of us failed the quiz. And, even if we could say we “know” the answer, it is likely that we heard or or learned it from someone who heard it or learned it from someone else! Who actually has firsthand, observational knowledge of any of these questions?

When God asked Job about the “extent” of the earth, do we know who has physically measured the earth? Scientists use mathematical theories that “prove” sizes, ages and dates, but which one of these physically and spatially limited scientists existed in history.

God’s final question to Job is the best! “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” Job‬ ‭40‬:‭2‬. Job had to apologize for his arrogance by saying this, “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.” The wise person realizes we really know very little! This doesn’t work well for apologetics (defense of religious doctrine), but God’s quiz should spotlight our pride for putting Him on trial for things we have no real understanding of. Read Job 40 when God ask Job more questions about justice! Job final reply to God, “You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.”

Prayer

Dad,
All I know is that I know very little. I ask questions out of curiosity, not out of some arrogant critique of how you run things. I have a lot of tough questions, but they are all contained in a complete and total trust that you are always right, true and just. Any confusion or variances are because of my lack of knowledge and wisdom. I have faith and I believe in you.

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Cravings for shallowness.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This Proverb is definitely a puzzle to be solved, a riddle that requires thought and comparison to other Biblical truths and principles. The wisdom writer seems to be focusing on one particular object lesson in this saying – the tree. With the words “deep roots,” we get a picture of the gigantic oak, or better, the olive tree, that is strong and sturdy because it sits beside a deep and abiding stream of water. Like a tree planted by the stream, the Psalmist declared.

Contrarily, like a sapling that is never satisfied, the wicked go wandering looking for something better. It craves for the results of depth and permanence, but grows impatient or bored with its surroundings. The wicked want more, or different, or something they just can’t get a hold of. And in desperation, that longing, they move away from the place of permanence, to seek satisfaction. One commentator wrote, “Though men may advance themselves by sinful arts, they cannot settle and secure themselves. But those who by faith are rooted in Christ, are firmly fixed. Another, “Man is metaphorically compared to a tree, especially the olive. Wickedness gives him no firm hold for growth or life.” The shallow search yields constant movement, the thrill of change, but no chance for good fruit to be borne.

If our life is compared to a shallow sapling tree, the end result is not just death or emptiness, but also no legacy. This would drive humans to despair. Not just to look back and find emptiness, a life wasted on the search for meaning or just “more.” But also realizing there was nothing notable of your life to be remembered by.

Proverbs gives these warnings to the young, so they might think about the seriousness of such matters BEFORE they hop around and never find nor live the deep life. If you have moved so often, physically or relationally or emotionally, take wisdom’s advise. Find a stream (a community), find a solid spot by the living water (relationship with Jesus), stay put and establish deep friendships that nourish and restore. Then you will be a Psalms 1:3 person. “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”

Prayer

Dad,
Psalm 19 comes to mind when I think about your ways, your instructions, “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” I remember the song based on these verses. That your laws are to be be desired MORE than gold, even the purest of gold. And, they are sweeter than honey straight from the honeycomb. I know that I know, that I know, your word is life – the fulfillment of everything I have ever wanted. You, and your word, is enough, I need not search further.

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A commander who knows about authority.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭5‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

First of all — SHOCKER — a military officer, a government sponsored individual is comfortable approaching Jesus and asking for help in an area of specific expertise! The unnamed centurion knows a lot about life and men, command and crowd control, war, loss and death. But one thing he is not good at… healing and miracles. Leaders know they don’t have to know everything. They just need to know one person that knows about things they don’t!

As a man who was required to track the stories and the “word on the street,” this commander had heard about Jesus and knew when he was in town. I just think it’s ironic that this centurion’s job was to know things and get things done. But, this rough, tough, seasoned soldier had something else greater than his ability to command. He had compassion. Isn’t it interesting that a Roman Centurion and Jesus could have something in common? The commander had compassion for the servant in his care. He had a heart. The officer approached Jesus not with a order, nor with power, but with a plea.

Strangely he knew his own way of life, although prestigious among his peers, was not the same quality of life as the rabbi. He told Jesus not to come because he wasn’t worthy of having him in his home. The centurion then tells Jesus, “just say the word,” and gives Jesus a quick summary on how authority works in his profession.

Ah, but isn’t something else happening at the same time? The commander knew about commands and authority, but apparently he also had something else that impressed Jesus. The Roman, the Gentile had faith! Not just a little faith – BIG faith. Jesus said, “I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” Hmmm, compassion, faith… sounds like this man was showing signs of believing that Jesus is who he said he was – God. What happened to the commander’s young servant? Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” “And the young servant was healed that same hour.”

I am also impressed with this Centurion. He understood authority, possessed compassion and exercised faith. There are so many people around us that may seem intimidating because of fame or fortune, power or prestige. Can I remind you that they could very well be on this journey of believing in Jesus. And, you may just be the one they approach with a question or a plea. Maybe it’s a need outside their ability to fix themselves? Do we have faith that God can heal, save or restore? I do. Will we be ready to believe for them?

Prayer

Dad,
You are such a big God with big power to restore human lives to yourself. Sooner or later folks will come up against something difficult that is way bigger than their ability to fix. And you will be there waiting to hear, to heal, to forgive and even to fix their lives. I just want a small piece of that action! A small bit-part that listens, has faith and helps connect them to you.