John 10:1-18: Attuned to Jesus' Voice

 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” - John 10:1-18

An important aspect of being Jesus' disciple is following him. And in order to follow him, we must be able to know what he is saying right now, in this situation. We can't be going back to look up this situation in the text book, because this situation's moment will pass and our failure to decide is a decision in and of itself. And the situation may not exist in the text book, so we need to listen for fresh instructions from the author of the text book. But how to listen, among the many voices that compete for our attention?

We must be attuned to the shepherd's voice. Not through some mystical connection per se, but through long trusting experience with the shepherd. 

When picking up my children from an event, our ears could help us quickly echo locate our child within the crowd because we had devoted many hours attending to them. In the same way, long hours of devoted attention and even a bit of trial and error with Jesus allows us to pick out his voice from the crowd. We can with integrity say, "That doesn't sound like something Jesus would say."

He is leading us to good pastures. He is defending against the wolf and the thief. He put himself in the most shameful and humble of situations for us, because we are his.

Acts 11:19-26: Jesus is the Common Ground

Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. - Acts 11:19-26

Previously, all the Jewish believers had considered Jesus as a Jewish answer to a Jewish problem. But in Antioch, some of them thought: "Why not see what the non-Jews think about this Messiah?" and were pleasantly surprised that quite a few of them were receptive to the good news.

Now all the first generation Jewish believers heard that something was going on in Antioch, so they told Barnabas, "Go, see what's happening up there? Give us your first hand impression." So he went and learned the history of this new non-Jewish movement among the followers of Jesus. There must have been something missing, though. Maybe this new thing was so new that no one knew quite what to make of it. But there was a first rate thinker and Bible scholar that they knew about. He had changed his name and returned to his home town of Tarsus after a recent life changing experience. Maybe he could figure it out how to make sense of it all. So Barnabas took a detour and, found Paul, and brought him back to this new thing: this new group that wasn't Jewish or Greek or Roman, but was known by their common bond to this Messiah Jesus and were thus called Christ-ians.

There is a lesson here: how all other bonds or backgrounds are replaced by the superceding bond of our relationship with Jesus. We can find a lot of annoying things with people who are different from us, but Christ is the common ground that makes the rest relatively unimportant.

Isaiah 53:1-6: A God Who Looks Surprisingly Un-God-Like

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. - Isaiah 53:1-6

Jesus looked like someone you wouldn't want to give a second glance to. Like those people who are on the street for whom you avert your gaze because of their behavior, or dress or the way they talk. Like those families in the grocery story whose kids are making a fuss or out of control and you get what you need from the aisle they are blocking and make a hasty retreat. Like those religious people with a decidedly poor grasp of how their faith and life ought to be connected and quote inappropriate verses to support strange choices. Jesus did not look like God. In Isaiah 6 we are granted a glimpse of God on the throne, with his glorious robe and the angels of fire with lots of faces. But the God of Isaiah 53-the God who came down and looks like us doesn't look like that. He looks like us. He doesn't act like us, but he takes our suffering nonetheless. He took up our pain and suffering even though it was clearly not due to his actions, but instead due to our actions. Maybe if God could look like Jesus did, then there's hope that through his sacrifice, we can look a bit more like God.

 

 

1 Peter 2:21-25: Taking the High Road

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. - 1 Peter 2:21-25

Jesus took the high road. There is such a temptation when hurt, to hurt back. The darker side of justice and fair play is revenge. Pay back. Give as good as you got. When insulted, as God, Jesus could have pulled up an entire registry list of all of their shortcomings in excruciating detail. When threatened, Jesus could have made such threats as to cause his attackers' blood to curdle. But he did not. He took the high road, recommended by David, Jesus and Saul: leave the judgment up to God and keep your hands clean and souls unstained. 

Helen used to tell our kids, "Be the first one to do the right thing." Actually, she didn't tell just our kids, but to me also.  The "why" behind this wise statement is that God will make sure that accounts are properly settled. Taking the low road leads us astray, but the high road returns us to the shepherd of our souls.

Acts 14:19-28: The Necessary Hardships of Christian Life

Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they stayed there a long time with the disciples. - Acts 14:19-28

In Acts, chapter 11, Barnabas brought Paul to the attention of the church in Antioch and went with him to Jerusalem to bring a gift supporting the believers there during a time of famine. In Acts, chapter 13, that same church recognized the Spirit's assignment to go out to other cities of the eastern Roman empire and tell about Jesus. In Acts 14, they returned to Antioch and reported everything that had happened. Their message to encourage and strengthen the new churches and the new church leaders in their journey? "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" 

When I look at this, I do not read it as "We must go through many hardships in order to enter the kingdom of God." but rather "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God." That is: the hardships are a natural and necessary part of the journey, not a means of causing success on the journey. 

What I learned from this is not to undersell the difficulty of living the life in Christ. There are parts of it that are hard and confusing. Those parts are natural and necessary. But we don't go run out and seek them, saying "I need to find how to make my life harder so that I can fill up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions." But we don't avoid them and we aren't surprised by them.

Romans 12: Treating God's People and Enemies With Grace

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12

If we get our relationship with God in order, it should change our attitude towards other people. He lists two groups of people specifically, which indicates that these are groups of people that we are prone to struggle with. 

The first group is other Christians. The first paragraph after discussing God's will, Paul says that we should watch our attitude when it comes to serving. Any time we start comparing ourselves, there is a crack through which the devil can niggle away at our good intentions and good will until it is replaced with envy or pride. This can happen with how gifted or talented we are or how influential we are or financial status.  Using these as a dividing wall to keep out  or avoid brothers or sisters who are embarrassing or inconvenient is wrong. It misses the point for which we were given any of these. Truthfully, the hardest people to love are the people who claim to love God and should be friends but are so annoying. Paul says "share". Paul says "associate" Paul says "rejoice" and "mourn" and "live with" 

The second group is enemies. We can expect that some people will act badly towards us, whether out of true animosity or selfishness. Expect it. We can't help that, but we can control how we respond. We don't want to give our enemies an easy launching point for attacking us and leading others to attack us. We do what is right and try to do it in such a transparent way makes it clear it is right. We try, as much as we can, to maintain a good relationship with other people. We don't take something bad that is done against us, and try to do something bad back. Rather we try to find ways to do the best for them. This is working out in real life Jesus' command to love our neighbors. 

Submitting to God's will in my life seems to be less about Bible study and more filled with treating people with grace.

Hebrews 2:1-18: Following The Trailblazer of Our Faith

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet.”

In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.

He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”

And again, “I will put my trust in him.”

And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. - Hebrews 2:1-18

There can always be an accusation leveled against God that he can never be truly compassionate because he has never lived with our limitations. God was never powerless. God was never ignorant. God was never limited to one place. So how could he really have sympathy because he has never experienced any of these things. Like a rich person from a wealthy family who claims to "feel" for those who are poor, and therefore will misjudge acts of help because they can only imagine what it is like. There are certain aspects of knowledge which can only be learned by experience.

Jesus was "fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest. He did not exercise his power. He relied on the Spirit for knowledge. He lived in one place. He suffered, both physically, emotionally and spiritually. Then he could be compassionate because he knew what it was like to live as a human and the suffering that would attend that human life. 

But he also came to show us what was possible as a human. The design of God was that everything should be under the human authority, "yet at present we do not see everything subject to them." But when Jesus, who was human, showed us that God intends to restore us to that position which we, through sin, had forfeited. 

He showed that the very suffering which is endured because of our fallen, weakened condition, could be overcome through the grace of God and would, in fact, bring us to maturity.

He came to show us that we could have a brother and sister relationship with Jesus.

He came to show us that the devil and death and the slavery that comes from the fear of both could be overcome.

Jesus lived with and understood our limitations, but he also showed what was possible and blazed the trail for us to find.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20: Just A Pound Worth of Sacrifice, Please

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. - Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Two alternatives laid out before the people listening: life and prosperity or death and destruction. Love God and you will live. These words were written because these two alternatives were both possible and there was a strong temptation to choose the path not recommended. 

Many incentives are placed before them: you will live, you will increase, God will bless your future, God will bless you children's future, God's voice will guide you, God will grant you many years in the land where you will go, God will allow you to fulfill the destiny promised to your ancestors. 

Many dis-incentives are placed before them: you will die, you will be cursed and your future plans will be cut short.

What was so tempting that people would risk the downside? Moses called it being "drawn away to bow down to other gods". These other gods promised rewards more in line with their plans on a timeline that met their agenda and with permission to indulge their their preferred desires. And the cost was more manageable than loving the Lord and following him and his commands. Yes, it was a smaller payoff, but also smaller sacrifice. You didn't have to be all in, surrendered, just enough to pay the gods their due. 

The people didn't want a "lord" they just wanted an add-on to their ok lifestyle. The temptations to search for partial surrender are just as strong today: just a pound worth of sacrifice for a happy-enough risk-reduced life. And just as deadly to our souls.

Romans 8:18-25: Each Gap, Each Groaning Is A Signal Fire For Hope

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. - Romans 8:18-25

Suffering is meant to teach us. First, it teaches that we have something in common with everything else. We are frustrated and the whole world is frustrated. It isn't working the way it should be. We aren't working the way we should be.  Things aren't going the way they should be going. We can watch things happen and we have an innate sense about what ought to happen. But it doesn't-and we are frustrated. That is true of the world and it is true of our inner selves and even our own paths. We try hard and it fails, or we don't exert full effort and it still succeeds. We want to discipline ourselves but we still do-again and again-what we wish we didn't do. But Paul says that this frustration is pointing us forward to the day when we are liberated from "bondage to decay" and brought into the freedom and glory of children of God.

Why does God do this to us? To me? To teach us how to hope. If everything just worked out all right. then we would never learn the key lesson that we are dependent on God. We would just assume that everything would work out as it ought just as a part of the way the universe worked and never look up to the God who created that universe. So when things don't work out right, we "groan inwardly" and "eagerly await"-the two sides of the coin that is hope. 

It teaches us a second lesson: patience. There is a gap between the mess that we and the world are in and the resolution the mess and we don't know how big that gap is. The not knowing, along with the gap, is the training ground for patience.

Each gap, each groaning- they are signal fires to draw our focus to hope in God's goodness.