1 Thessalonians 2:1-12: Seeing It First In Those With Skin On

You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. - 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

There are a lot of reasons to do things in the church and many of them are bad. Paul lists a number of them here: error in teaching, impure motives, deception, getting the approval of some people, getting some people to do what you want, selfish advantage and control of people or the situation. 

How could Paul prove to them that they were acting in their best interests? Really, he could not prove it. He had to trust that their compassionate, selfless hard work would speak the truth in parallel with the gospel: "we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well." I would say that people are good at detecting fakes: people building relationships tied to an agenda. In today's society, there are plenty of people who will be your friend if you will go along with their plans. 

Sometimes my test has become: how do they treat people who aren't their "type"?  That's what God did.  "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) How will they know what God is like if they can't see it first in those of his people with skin on. 

Deuteronomy 34:1-12: Over His Dead Body and In Spite of Themselves

Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”

And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.

Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. - Deuteronomy 34:1-12

I think that our lives are marked by goals never obtained, probably due to some limitation of our character or situation. Who knows? Maybe if I had been more aware of God's thoughts, I might have moved to the Philippines or become a pastor. Instead, I can only look upon those things in the same way that Moses looked at the promised land--with unrequited longing. All he could console himself with was that Israel would make it there, over his dead body and in spite of themselves. 

But on the other hand, he did make it. He died and was buried by God's own hand and made it across to the other side of eternity where his ancestors and his God waited for him. He was then a part of the great cloud of witnesses who see God fulfill his promises through Joshua. No one found his body so they couldn't build a monument to him and that's ok.

We will eventually fail, our bodies give out, our hearts despair, our characters break-but God will not and we can witness his success not ours. Isn't that the point? To let people forget us and see Jesus?

Matthew 21:23-32: Jesus Couldn't Turn Their Eyes from Themselves

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.  - Matthew 21:23-32

 Why are we surprised when God values the same things that we do? He values those who have decided that the way they are living is not as fulfilling as they thought it would be. The tax collectors and prostitutes found that their position gave them some benefits: wealth and influence over others. But they knew inside that they had those instead of the favor of God.

Jesus talks about a life and a freedom from the indebtedness to things which were fading: their beauty, their influence, their money and their power. Jesus made life with God seem better than those things.

But the Pharisees on the other hand found their position gave them some benefits also: prestige, respect, influence over others and they did not realize that they had those instead of the favor of God.

Jesus talks about a life and a freedom from the indebtedness to this life of self-aggrandizement and influence that was fading. Jesus couldn't turn their eyes from themselves and so God seemed a poor substitute. 

God grant me vision to see Jesus as a good bargain and I a poor substitute.

Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16: Telling the Story, God Gets the Credit

My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.

He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand up like a wall. He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night. He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas; he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers. - Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16

Story telling is an important part of who we are. So many of my conversations with my kids are "just so" stories-why things today are the way they are. Sometimes these are not fun topics-how we didn't go to the Philippines, how we left Fremont, why we moved churches, why mommy had surgery and many more. Sometimes these are fun topics-how we met, how our kids lowered each over the railing in our stairwell, how we raised our chickens, places we went together. There are so many stories where my kids have heard them so many times that they can finish them for me. "We will not hide them...we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord." God has taken us from place to place, and by telling the stories I give him credit and they see that. Maybe they will retell the stories to their kids and give God credit.