“You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’
Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.’
Then the disciples came to him and asked, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?’ He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.’” (Matthew 15:7-14 NIV)
In the minds of many, Jesus was a very gentle, soft-spoken, always nurturing and approving man. As they picture Him, He was very sensitive and would never be one to hurt people’s feelings. Tender and kind is how they always think of Him.
But like so many things from the Scriptures, this view has been “cherry-picked” from a much broader description of our Lord. It is always a human tendency to conjure up the picture of reality that we most prefer. If we are about “law and order,” then we will more likely view God in the terms of judgment and punishment of wrongdoing. If, however, “tolerance” is more to our liking, we will tend to lean toward a benevolent view of the Almighty, One who is non-judgmental and accepting. And we can always cite Scriptures to prove our position.
As a result, the modern-day view of Jesus is a caricature of the real One. “Inoffensive” would not be an accurate description nor would our understanding of being sensitive apply well to Him. Consider these encounters Jesus had with people: He confronted a lonely woman shunned by her community with the sin in her life (John 4). When Peter was trying to be encouraging and supportive, Jesus responded by equating him with Satan and calling him out as a “stumbling block.” (Matthew 16). When a woman was set up by religious leaders as a tool to trap Jesus, He told her to leave her life of sin (John 8). And after healing a poor invalid man, Jesus warned him that if he didn’t get his life straight, something worse would happen to him (John 5). And, of course, there were His encounters with the Pharisees.
If we look at the whole of the Gospels, what we find is a very different picture of Jesus than many in our society today try to paint. In fact, if the real Jesus were alive in human flesh today, He would be hated by many for His offensiveness and insensitivity. If you find this difficult to believe, just imagine He said some of things today that He is recorded saying.
The one thing that can clearly be said about Jesus is He always spoke the truth. And, if God is indeed love (I John 4), then we know when He told the truth, it was from the motivation of love. He loved the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery. He loved Peter. He even loved the Pharisees. And if He were walking among us today, you can be sure He would not let our society’s fear of being offensive or insensitive to stand in His way of telling the truth.
Today, recognize the Jesus of the Gospels is different than how He is often pictured. He was willing to be offensive and insensitive if that was what was necessary to truly love people. He understood, as we should as well, that the best way to love people sometimes is telling them the truth and not worry so much about their feelings.
© Jim Musser 2016
“The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.
As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. He asked me, ‘Son of man, do you see this?’
Then he led me back to the bank of the river. When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. He said to me, ‘This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea. But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.’” (Ezekiel 47:1-12 NIV)
The “Dead Sea” is an appropriate name for a body of water in Israel that is eight times saltier than any ocean. No plants or animals can live in its extreme salinity. That is what makes Ezekiel’s vision all the more interesting. Notice that the Dead Sea comes alive. A river, that started as a trickle and grows wider and deeper as it goes, flows into the salty body of water and replenishes it with fresh, life-giving water. And all along the way, the river is bringing life—trees bearing luscious fruit and healing leaves growing on its banks and abundant fish swimming in its waters—living waters that have the power to turn death into life.
The Temple was the center of the Jewish faith and at the center of the Temple was the Holy of Holies, the place where once a year the High Priest would enter into the presence of God. So the picture Ezekiel’s vision is painting is of the day when living water would flow from the presence of the Lord into the spiritually dead world.
When Jesus met the woman at the well (John 4:1-26), He identified Himself as the source of “living water.” And then later in John 7, He says this: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (v. 37-38)
The vision of Ezekiel is the picture of Christ entering the world and the living water flowing from Him into human beings who, in turn, allow this water (the Holy Spirit) to flow from them into a spiritually dead world, bringing life wherever it flows. This is the picture of what the Church’s impact is to be in the world. Sadly for many, however, experience with churches has only brought more death—death through legalism, hypocrisy, abuse, and shallowness. To the point they have given up on finding any life there.
Yet, the Church is the Lord’s means by which the living water flows. We, His followers, are His temple (I Corinthians 3:16), and the water that brings life is to flow from us.
Today as we begin a new school year, let us see our campus (or our workplace or neighborhood) as a dead sea that is in desperate need of life. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to flow powerfully through us so that everywhere we go, we bring life into dead places.
© Jim Musser 2016
“Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.’ The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.” (Psalm 2:1-4 NIV)
If my Facebook newsfeed is any indication, people are anxious and afraid of what is happening in this country and around the world. The presidential race has Democrats/liberals terrified of a Trump presidency, while Republicans/conservatives have the same fears of Hillary Clinton in the White House and, for many, angst toward a Trump victory as well. There are also fears surrounding Islamic terrorism, police shootings and police being shot, the inhumanity of the conflict in Syria, and the sense that things are rapidly deteriorating in our world.
It is so easy to get caught up in the constant drip of bad, even horrifying news. We can feel scared, powerless, and hopeless. This is, of course, exactly what our Enemy wants. He wants to steal our joy, kill our hope, and destroy any sense of security beyond what we see (John 10:10). He wants us to focus entirely on the immediate rather than the eternal, the principalities and powers of this world rather than on the One who stands outside of time and history.
This is what leads us to apathy and inaction or into a panic that something must be done immediately. Fear typically drives us to the extreme of one direction or the other.
But here is some good news that can set our hearts and minds at ease. God knows fully what is happening in this world, the extent of the evil occurring, and the plots by the powerful to hold onto their power. He is not intimidated or cowered by what they do. In fact, the Psalmist says He laughs and scoffs at their ambitions to be in control. Not saying He laughs at the pain of the innocents inflicted by them, but rather at their hubris. What power they have is miniscule compared to the Almighty.
For reasons only known to Him, the Lord allows evil people to do evil things, but it will not always be so. There will be a day of reckoning for evildoers. But even with much evil in the world, we can be assured that God has not lost control. He has a divine plan and it is working its way to completion. The Enemy only wants us to focus on the chaos of the moment, but know the Lord is at work in the midst of the chaos, just as He was when Jesus was nailed to the cross. Not everything is as it seems.
Today, if you are filled with fear and anxiety about the state of our country and the world, or even your own life, know the Lord is in control. Though things may appear chaotic and out of control, they are not as they seem. He is still in charge and unfazed. So put your trust in Him and let go of your fears. In the parlance of the day, He’s got this.
© Jim Musser 2016
“And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. (II Timothy 1:11-12 NIV)
After winning a silver medal in the men’s synchronized diving event last week, David Boudia and Steele Johnson did an interview with an NBC reporter. Both are strong Christians and one would have expected them to give glory to God for their performance, as has been common over recent years for other athletes. They did that, but in a way that was very different. Instead of merely giving thanks to God or Jesus, they captured the essence of what it means to follow the risen Lord.
In a world where we continually identify ourselves by what we do or by how much we achieve, these Olympic athletes, having just achieved remarkable success, stated clearly and without shame that their identity in Christ was the source of meaning and purpose in their lives. And they went even further. They stressed how much their relationship as brothers in Christ played a crucial part in who they are. David mentioned the encouragement he and his wife received from Steele, and Steele referred to David as being a great mentor as well as a friend.
Like the Apostle Paul, these men know Whom they have believed and in Whom they have entrusted their lives. This faith forms their identity as men/husband/father/friend. Their particular achievement as divers, as well as everything else they do in their lives, is viewed through the lens of faith in the Lord. And in that they have no shame or embarrassment.
What about you? From where does your identity come? Is it from what you do, how you look, or how many social media followers or likes you get? If so, take a lesson from these men of great achievement. Jesus is the only One who gives us an identity that lasts beyond this life and has any eternal meaning. He is the Rock on which our lives need to be built. As an old hymn says, “all other ground is sinking sand.”
© Jim Musser
2016
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23 NIV)
There was a turning point in the life of Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps’ life back in 2014 when he was stopped by police for swerving in and out of lanes while driving at more than 80 mph. He was intoxicated and arrested. Phelps has said often since then that was a pivotal moment in his life. He had hit rock bottom.
Swerving while driving is an indication that something is very wrong. Either the driver is distracted—looking down at a phone or adjusting the radio—or is physically or mentally impaired. Either way, swerving is a bad thing.
Interestingly, the Hebrew writer uses the term “unswervingly” to describe a healthy faith. In the same way swerving while driving is dangerous, so, too, when our faith is inconsistent while moving along the path of life. If we are “all over the place,” it is a sign there is trouble.
However, many conclude, like intoxicated drivers, they’re really fine. Emboldened by their lack of understanding of God’s grace, they think they are still safe. No danger here, they say. But there is plenty.
As a new school year begins on campus, the erratic swerving has already begun. Men and women, literally and figuratively, will be all over the place and taking others with them, many who profess hope and faith in the One who is faithful. New ways of living and new ways of thinking will be tested out. They will convince themselves they’re okay and no one is in danger. That is, until they truly are. They’re in an accident, they’re pulled over, or they just wake up one morning with the realization they’re in a spiritual ditch. This is what happened to Phelps and it was the beginning of a spiritual revival in his life.
This is an example of God’s grace, but He would prefer we never swerve in the first place. “Let us hold unswervingly…” This is His desire for us. To stay true to our faith. To resist the temptations of the world to pursue that which is spiritually empty. To remain steady and consistent while moving along in life.
Today, consider your life. Can you describe your faith as unswerving? If not, know danger is lurking even if you don’t sense it. For a man or woman of faith, someone under the influence of God, is steady and consistent. And that is the way He wants it to be for each of us—unswervingly remaining on the path that leads to life.
© Jim Musser 2016
(Author's Note: The school year has reached its end and thus it is time for me to take a much needed break. WftW will return on August 16th. Have a blessed summer! Jim)
“But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: ‘These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.’ When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible. (Acts 17:5-15 NIV)
I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that things politically in our country are growing more unstable by the day. We the people are increasingly breaking into factions with little regard or respect for others. For followers of Jesus, it can be very disheartening to be stereotyped into hateful, bigoted people. Our instinct, my instinct, is to fight back and join the battle for our “rights” and begin hating those we perceive wanting to take them away.
During the past few days, I’ve been reading Acts and the example of the early believers, such as Paul, in facing much greater opposition, has been a reminder and an encouragement to me. Time and time again, Paul and the other believers faced persecution. They were harassed, ridiculed, beaten, and jailed for being associated with Jesus. What impresses me is it did not stop them from continuing to proclaim the gospel and they did not respond to their opposition in kind. Most of the time, in fact, they just moved on to other audiences. They sought to reason with their detractors, but they never sought to retaliate. One doesn’t get the sense they hated those who hated them. They just continued to proclaim the message.
Sometimes, we American believers get too caught up in the fact that our country was founded on religious freedom, and, thus, we focus on demanding that freedom more than on loving those who might seek to deprive us of it. That’s a problem.
Love is the essence of the gospel message because God is love (I John 4:8). When we’re more inclined to stand up for our rights rather than loving those opposed to us, then we remove ourselves from the line formed behind Jesus.
I am seeing this more and more among fellow believers. Reacting out of fear rather than in security of the Lord, they are lashing out at those who are against them and the message of our Lord. They are adopting the same tactics as the ones used against them—political maneuvering, hateful speech, and no demonstration of grace. Temptations, really, to all of us who are lined up behind Jesus, but ones that need to be resisted at all costs.
The believers of the 1st Century endured more persecution than almost all of us and the way they handled it should be an example for us in these politically and morally unstable times. Face opposition with love and grace, attempting to reason with those opposed to us, and, if unsuccessful, moving on to others with the message of the gospel. But never, ever being filled with hate or resentment. Rather, asking the Lord to fill us with His Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:19-25), whose fruit will lead us to respond very differently than our enemies.
Today, if you disturbed by what is happening around you and how people are treating you as a follower of Jesus, reflect on how the early Christians responded to their detractors and ask the Lord to fill you with His Holy Spirit, so that you will not respond in kind.
© Jim Musser 2016
“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’ So Abram went, as the LORD had told him….” (Genesis 12:1-4 NIV)
I was well established in a campus ministry at the University of Kansas years ago when I got a strong sense from the Lord that I would be leaving that ministry. I didn’t know when; I didn’t know where I would go. I just felt strongly I would be leaving at some point. Eight months later, I found myself out of that ministry and with no idea where I would be headed next. It was the beginning of a fascinating journey.
This month, many students are graduating from college and find themselves in a similar position. They have no idea what is next. Even if they have a job lined up, it is brand new territory in which they are entering.
Throughout the Scriptures, men and women were asked to step out in faith onto a path with an unknown destination. Noah, Abraham, Esther, David, Jeremiah, Hosea, Mary, Paul, and many others were called by God to go into a future with many unknowns. Yet, in every case, the Lord blessed them, and their journeys, though often difficult, were fulfilling beyond their imaginations.
Four months after I resigned my ministry position at KU, I was offered the opportunity to direct a struggling ministry at Appalachian State University, an obscure school (at the time) in the mountains of North Carolina. It was unfamiliar territory, but I knew the Lord was calling me there and so I went. Nearly 12 years later, I can say I have been blessed beyond my wildest imagination. Though there were a lot of struggles early on, God has done amazing things and I am enjoying campus ministry as much as I ever have. But it took a big step of faith to get here.
For those of you who are graduating, or just facing a major change of direction in your life, there is one thing you can count on: the Lord will be going before you. He knows where He is leading you, even if you do not. You can trust Him. The journey on which you are about to embark won’t necessarily be easy, but it will be fulfilling beyond what you can imagine if you remain faithful in following His lead.
© Jim Musser 2016
