Recognizing Jesus

"As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. ² “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”
⁴ This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,

⁵ “Tell the people of Jerusalem,
    ‘Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey—
    riding on a donkey’s colt.’”

⁶ The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.

⁸ Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Praise God for the Son of David!
    Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
    Praise God in highest heaven!

¹⁰ The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.

¹¹ And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Matthew 21:1-11
 

I think it is easy to make our own judgement calls on who WE think Jesus is or Who WE want Him to be, rather than looking into the Truth of the Word. We hear things and assume, or we read Facebook and other peoples' opinions, but do you really know Who Jesus is?
We see two sets of people in the crowd here, as Jesus rides in on the donkey colt. There are those who praised Him and shouted glory to His Name, and there where those who stood there in disappointment, asking "Who is this?"
I honestly believe that there is symbolism here in these two sets of people, which begs two questions:

1) Would you recognize Who Jesus is?

This may see vague or even like an obvious answer to you, but really? In our culture today, where we water down everything, or feel the liberty of being judgemental towards everyone we meet, would you be able to know Jesus in the middle of the crowd? When Jesus rode through on the donkey colt, we read there were questions. We read that people seemed confused. Great Kings in that day rode in on horses, which represented war. But Jesus rode in on a donkey - a colt at that- which is the symbol of peace. There is a reason people were confused and didn't quite understand why this man was considered a "Messiah" - which leads me to my next question:

2) Are you disappointed in Who Jesus is?

Do you have this picture of Who you believe Jesus is in your head? Is it accurate? People had been hearing of this great "Messiah" who had come, and they wanted to see for themselves. Once they got a look at this Jesus people were praising, however, they had to ask Who He was.
I think we all fall guilty of putting Jesus into our own picture. We think of a Jesus Who heals, or a Jesus Who gives us rest, or a Jesus Who provides us with what we want. While Jesus did all of these things and may have in your life (or will) we can't help but note that there are many times God doesn't heal or provide what we want, or give us rest when we think we need it.
I went through that "why" phase. Why would God bring me a newborn, then keep me away from her the first few weeks of her life? It wasn't until I looked back on that and realized that I wasn't relying on the same Jesus that He truly is. If I hadn't experienced that very hard time, I wouldn't be who I am today, and the story I have wouldn't be the same.

We have a SAVING God, not a God Who always keeps life cozy.

Are you believing in what He did and Who He is, or are you believing in Who you WANT Him to be and what you think He SHOULD do for you?
This is a hard question, and will require heavy reflection.

When you aren't provided for in the ways you think you should be, will you still recognize Jesus for Who He is? Will you be disappointed in Who He is?
We see a portion of our life that is so micro in our world. Jesus sees the big picture and knows what you will need down the road and how His glory will carry out. We serve a God Who is so much bigger than us, and Who's plans are always good. Trust Him.

The Guilt and Shame Game

We live in a society that has guilt and shame smeared all over it. People thrive on it. Others sink because of it. Guilt and shame are not of Christ and they don't have a place in the Christian community, nor should they ever be something acceptable to humanity in general.

I've struggled with the guilt and shame game. I fold to it like a weak chair under pressure. As soon as someone uses that "buzzword" on me...you know, the ones like "you should have...", "why didn't you...", "would you just do it?"... "If you were really a good Christian/mom/wife/woman/daughter/friend, you would...", "I thought you knew me better than that...",  I run from guilt and shame like they are an epidemic, so when I can't avoid, I give in way too easily.

Something I have learned over the last couple years is that no one ever has the right to guilt or shame me. I realized how much of a sucker I am for it. I make mistakes, but that doesn't mean someone calls it out in front of an audience, or tells me to do something in a manner that is superior in front of others. I get pushed around as a mom I think almost weekly. "Well, you really should be with your daughter more." "You only have 18 years with them, so maybe you should spend more time with her." Yes...I get it. They grow fast. I'll wish I had more time. But when you're at the breaking point of mommy-hood and need some mommy-time, I would say the "quality time" will turn a little emotional. Not to mention the "you feed that to your child?!" and the "maybe she needs a sibling" comments - whether they're undertoned or blunt, I've heard them.

Then there is the guilt and shame game among Christians. I believe that this is the ugliest kind because while you want to believe that Christians are "good people", you find it cuts a lot deeper when they don't offer that grace and love to others like Christ did for us. I know so many people who have endured guilt and shame over the schools they choose (or can afford) to put their kids in, the struggles they have and happen to let someone in on, the ways they keep a house, the habits they contend with, the lifestyles they choose (or are forced into), and the list goes on and on and on. And I have to be blunt here in saying that I've heard it most from Christians towards other Christians.

I'm not sure where the carte blanche came for Christians to judge others, but I don't remember reading that in the Bible I have...maybe I'm missing something. You are correct in recalling Matthew 18, where Christ tells us how to deal with conflict, but directly after that section comes the forgiveness story, and boy- is that one powerful.

Jen Hatmaker has become a very loved writer of mine. In her book, "For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World with Impossible Standards" (the title alone should be enough to get you to read this...), she has an entire chapter devoted to Christians who destroy each other, and what it is doing to our world. We are losing this battle, friends. Why? Because we are picking the wrong fights, scaring people away from ever walking into a church, and hurting each other in the process because we are set on our opinions and being what we think are Christ's advocates. One thing we're missing - LOVE. We can have our opinions. We can speak truth. We are called to do these things. But must we slam people to the ground with it?

When a stranger walks into church and is seeking something, the last thing they want is to feel the judgement, wrath, shame and guilt from people who don't have their own lives together. Welcome them. Love them. You don't have to agree with them to love them. You don't have to bash the school they send their kids to. You don't have to comment on the cigarette smell that is coming off of them. You don't have to point out that they are the one you saw stumbling out of the bar last weekend. You know where Christ stands on things. And yes, we know where you stand on things. But give these people some love and grace. The minute we guilt and shame them, they are gone, and will probably never consider a church again. What if Christ didn't offer you the love and grace? What if what brought you to church was want pointed out all of your faults and downfalls? I'd run, and I did for a time.

Let's end this guilt and shame game. Let's look to love and grace and allow Christ to do the rest. We stand strong on His truth and we will never move from it, but let's not bash it over the heads of seeking people. People who know the truth and reject it, that is another story. But the bystanders who are trying to figure this whole Christ-follower thing out, help them figure it out - in LOVE.

Moms - stop throwing guilt on other moms. I know you are supermom and can be with your child 24/7 for 18-30 years, but I'm not supermom. I give in to fruit snacks and french fries as lunch on occasion. (Keep your comments right there.) I'm aware my child is the only one, and if I want to share our future plans with you, I will. But notice the craziness it took me to get this one here! (Really?! - People have to ask if I'm "naturally having" more?)

Christians - "They will know we are Christians by our love." Not from our judging. Not from our hunting them down and dragging them in. Love.

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." - Galatians 5:13

"Do everything in love." - 1 Corinthians 16:14

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." - 1 John 4:16

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." - Ephesians 4:2 

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." -1 Peter 4:8

"We love because He first loved us." -1 John 4:19

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." -John 15:12

"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." - 1 John 4:12  

Do you really need any more verses to make it clear to you? Let me know.


 

First Love

I know many people who just don't get a kick out of Valentine's Day. I used to be one of them, and I have to be honest in saying that I thought having a husband would change my perspective on it, but really, that hasn't been the case.
Don't hear me wrong! I love my husband and I love our "married people" moments together, but the ultimate satisfaction is not and never will be found in him. Not only is that a lot of pressure to place on a person, but it is the completely wrong reason and way to pursue a relationship with another human.
As it is written, "Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and all else will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33), this also applies with relationships, big time! When we put our all, and our hearts into people, we will be missing out on the happiness our heart can truly have.

Today, at MCRC we talked about the famous Ephesians 5:21-33. You know, the one that makes people squirm and that society is always fighting against. God's plan for relationships is all laid out here. The whole premise of a wife "submitting" to her husband make the feminist throw an outrage. The fact that a man has to love his wife (and only 1 woman) is sure blurred in the culture we dwell in. But do you actually know where those words, "submit", "respect" and "love" come from? Do you know their meanings in this context?

First of all, to understand the grand plan, we have to realize that this relationship thing goes both ways. Wives must CHOOSE to respect their husbands, and husbands must CHOOSE to love their wives, no matter how stupid a guy might be, or how stubborn a woman can get. This is an everyday choice. This is where our society falls incredibly short. There is this stigma of "well, if you don't like it, just get out of it." Unfortunately this is becoming the norm - both in the secular world and in the Christian world.

Secondly, there is mutual respect. When you get to know the others around you, whether this be a married relationship, friendships, coworkers, authorities, etc. this should be an easy thing to do. We see the disrespect that happens all around us - most recently and most well-known about is with law enforcement, as Pastor Todd talked about this morning. Do you know what that person goes through everyday? Or what they face when they get home? Or how that kid is bullied in school? Or what that kid faces when they go home? When you can stop dehumanizing everyone and see them for the hearts they really are, you can respect so much more.

When you see the pressures on your husband to provide for a family and be the "cornerstone" (as the word "head" here means) to the foundation of your family, you can begin to appreciate who he is. When a husband can see his wife for all that she has to put up with on a daily basis, with raising children, dealing with "backseat mothering" (this is my phrase for other moms telling you how to raise your children), getting meals put together, etc, he can really put into perspective what it is like for her and respect her.

We CHOOSE (that word we love to hate) to do this.

Lastly, there needs to be a common motive. If Christ is not your number one, your everything, your first and only TRUE love, you should not pursue a person to be that for you. It is so, incredibly unfair and you will be a year down the road, disappointed and left more alone than you thought you were before. No husband and no wife should have to be expected to meet the needs of your heart that only God can. That relationship will be absolutely miserable for you all. Christ MUST be in the center of it. When you are disappointed in your spouse, where would you run? Usually your friends or "someone else". This is toxic. When you run to God instead, that is something that can grow.

Friends, PLEASE hear me for what I am saying. Chase after God full force, and He will fulfill the needs He knows you have. Life will be much happier when you do and realize this!

Singles - as you wait patiently on the Lord to provide, remember He knows what you need right now. What are you doing to pursue Him fully to show your heart for Him rather than trying to cram a person into that lonely space? I can tell you that having a spouse is wonderful, but if I hadn't straightened out my relationship with Christ and realized His priorities for me, our marriage would be an absolute mess. When He feels like you're ready, He will provide. If you doubt that, you have more work to do. Wait while being active for your True Love - Christ. He will be my first love always and forever. It is everything.