You have been invited to spend the evening with twelve good friends. People that you love deeply and trust implicitly. As the evening goes on, it is decided to have pizza delivered. Everyone will chip in a few bucks. As you go around collecting money from each person, someone’s wallet is missing. There have been no comings or goings since everyone arrived, so someone in the room must be the thief. How do you feel at that moment, wondering which person you can no longer trust? The joy and intimacy previously felt quickly turns to feelings of shock, surprise, sadness, anger. How can this be? You have walked over mountains and through valleys with each other. There isn’t a group of people you trust more. Until now.    

We are in what Christians call Holy Week. It is the time between Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday. Today is called Maundy (Latin: mandatum, which means command. See John 13:34.) Thursday, the day that Jesus sits down with His guys for one final meal together, the Last Supper, at which He introduces a new covenant, a new commandment, and also shows great humility by washing the feet of his disciples. That was the topic of yesterday’s writing.

The gospels tell us that Jesus wanted to find a place away from the hustle and bustle of busy Jerusalem, full of people for the Passover, to have dinner with His twelve, soon to be eleven, closest buddies. According to Luke 22:11 (also Mark 14:14), the location of this meal was in the upper room of a guest house (Greek: kataluma). This word kataluma is only found in one other place in the scriptures; Luke’s version of the birth story (2:7). I believe this word has tremendous significance. I wrote about it during Advent. Click here to read that blog post. 

At this Passover meal, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper (often now called communion or eucharist, depending upon your faith tradition). After offering the cup, Jesus drops this bomb. Luke’s version puts it this way – “But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me at this table” (22:21). Imagine the shock and horror in the room. Luke tells us this – “And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this” (22:23). Unbeknownst to the other eleven, Judas had already been scheming to sell Jesus to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver.

Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” depicts just that; consternation among the twelve disciples when Jesus announces that one of them would betray Him. Due to the medium the mural was painted on, environmental factors and intentional damage, the original painting is quite worn. But just envision yourself in that room, about now, two thousand years ago.

The meal would not have been at a banquet table; rather, sitting on the floor or on cushions. But da Vinci gets his point across, everyone is saying “Hmm, who is it? It’s not me!” When in fact, we all betray Jesus at times.

Postscript: All four gospels have accounts of this Passover/betrayal narrative. I encourage you to take a few minutes to read each one – Matthew 26:14-57; Mark 14:10-53; Luke 22:1-54; John 13:1-38, 18:1-14. Each is slightly different, not to contradict one another, but instead, each gospel writer wrote from a different perspective to a different audience. Assuming we remain factual, you and I likely would tell something we witnessed in a slightly different fashion than would someone else. Neither wrong. Neither better. Just different.  

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We live in a world that benefits those in power. The saying is that the rich get richer and the poor somehow get poorer. The same can be said of power. The mighty seem to become mightier while those not in power become more insignificant.

And, sadly, all too often this next statement is true as well – “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This quote comes from the 19^th century British politician Lord Acton who wrote a series of letters to Mandell Creighton, a bishop in the Church of England. In looking at the Inquisition, Bishop Creighton felt that there seemed to be a tendency to be unnecessarily critical of authority figures, thus he leaned toward “going easy” when writing about the corruption and abuse of power of past popes. Lord Action disagreed vehemently. He believed that all men, regardless of status, should be judged using the same morals standards, especially in light of the reality that power tends to corrupt.

The sinful nature that every one of us is born with, gotten from our first parents, way back in the garden, arcs toward self-centeredness. In my opinion, it is this self-centeredness that pushes us toward wanting to be superior to others. In a dog eat dog world, you either eat or get eaten. Yet, there is a very different way!

Kings in the ancient Middle East, and many kings and leaders today, have absolute power, ultimate authority. Often large and in charge, with little or no concern for those under their authority. Absolute power. Before you write this idea off as only being for those in high places, allow me to say that the most people have some authority, some level of power, over at least one other person. Parents have authority over their children. Bosses have authority over those who work for them. Teachers guide students. Coaches lead athletes. Pastors serve churches. Neighborhood bully knocks around the scrawny little kid. Political party that holds a majority. Community leaders. Business owners. The list goes on.

All of us, whether we acknowledge it or not, in one way or another, are susceptible to “power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” It is in our DNA. Yet, there is a very different way!

Regardless of our position in life, we are called to lead, serve, and follow, in a way that is right and just, walked out in a posture of humility. In the Old Testament, Micah, the first prophet to predict Jerusalem’s downfall, answers the question of what should we bring to the LORD (Micah 6:6-7) in a somewhat surprising way – “No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8).

We are called to model the service and humility of Jesus. Mark 10:45 tells us this – “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, to give his life as a ransom for many.” And in Philippians, the apostle Paul writes – “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (2:8).

Whereas world leaders are often high and mighty, Jesus is low and humble. He is a different kiond of king. What kind of king gets down on his knees and washes feet? Who does that anyway? Does absolute power corrupts absolutely grab a towel and a basin?

I will ask again: who does that? Only one does – King Jesus. The One who came to serve the world. And He calls his followers to do the same.

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If there is one constant in life it is change. Change is inevitable. Change happens every day all around us.

It is day then it is night. The sun can be shining one minute and the next minute it is pouring down rain. You have a good job, one that you really enjoy, only to find out that the company is losing its contract, potentially leaving you unemployed. Yesterday you were healthy, today the doctor tells you that you have cancer.

You thought your marriage was “happily ever after” only to have your spouse tell you it is “happy no more.” You’ve raised your children and now look forward to enjoying life with your spouse only to have them die unexpectedly. Your sweet cuddly five-year old soon becomes a teenager. Your empty nest becomes un-empty as your ailing parent moves in with you, zapping you of freedom and energy. You look in the mirror and the person looking back at you somehow is older than you remember.

Do you ever feel like a chameleon, always having to change colors to adapt to your surroundings? Did you know that the primary reason chameleons change colors is not for camouflage? They do not need to hide from most predators since they can run in excess of twenty miles per hour, which helps them avoid most dangers. The primary reasons chameleons change colors is to reflect their mood and to adjust to temperature variations. Reminds me a little of the mood ring fashion fad in the 1970s. If you are older than Gen Xers, you probably remember them and might have even owned one; rings ornamented with a hollow quartz stone filled with temperature-sensitive liquid crystal that changed colors depending upon the wearer’s mood.   

Sometimes the game changes, sometimes the rules of the game change, sometimes both change, many times with little advance warning. Most of us do not like change but change can be healthy. Change often forces us to mature and grow, to be (or become) flexible, and change often pushes us past our comfort zones into places we previously thought impossible. Change can also be painful and discouraging, causing us to question and doubt. Like the chameleon, we are all forced to change and adapt to the ever-changing environment around us.

Despite the chameleon-like change that is in the world, we have a God who never changes. The theological word for this is immutable, which is defined as unchanging over time or unable to be changed. God Himself tells us that He does not change. In Malachi 3:6 we read, “I the LORD do not change.”

Elsewhere in scripture we read these encouraging words, found in 1 Peter 1:24-25, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” (Also see Isaiah 40:6-8, Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17.)

So, today, and as you look into the future, you can trust God in all things, all the time! He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is all-powerful and sovereign (omnipotent), all knowing all the time (omniscience), and He is everywhere at once (omnipresent).

In an ever-changing chameleon world, we have a never-changing God!

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At some point in your life, you have probably had the health of your heart tested to help doctors detect potential cardiac problems. Electrocardiography is the process that records the heart’s electrical pattern of depolarizing and repolarizing during each heartbeat by placing electrodes on the patient’s limbs and chest. The record of this pattern is called an EKG or ECG (electrocardiogram) and it shows the series of waves that relate to the electrical impulses which occur during each beat of the heart.

Just over one year ago, I had one such “point in my life” moment requiring several EKGs which uncovered a heart irregularity, but also helped answer a previously unanswered question. If you would like to read that story, click here.    

Life is often that way. In the course of a single day, we can see our emotions bounce all over the place. If we hooked our daily “emotion meter” up to an EKG machine, it would very likely show a similar wave pattern as the pattern of our heartbeat; a never-ending series up highs and lows, peaks and valleys. We tend to be “high” when times are good and “low” when things are not so good. This pattern can leave us exhausted, worn down, and stretched to the point of breaking.  

While we tend to change minute by minute, God, in His three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He never changes. You’ve probably heard the saying that the only constant is change. While that is true of us and all the things around us, the opposite is true of God – He is consistent; always good, always loving, always all-powerful.

Scripture is full of verses that tell us of God’s unchanging and unchangeable nature. Here are just a few: In Malachi 3:6, the Lord says this of himself – “I the LORD do not change.” We read these words in James 1:17 – “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” And Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

So, no matter what your EKG printout looks like, no matter how uncertain your life is, or how changing the world can be, you can always trust in God’s never-changing and never-ending love and faithfulness.

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It is that time of year again. We have already turned our clocks ahead. The first day of spring was earlier this week. Patio furniture is being cleaned and carried outside. Opening Day for Major League Baseball is a week away. Grills and smokers are being fired up. But it is that time of year for something else as well. It is that time of year when we seem to be obsessed with one thing!

Today much of the country will be focused on one thing and one thing only – the first round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, affectionately known as March Madness. This year’s madness features 67 games at 14 venues over the course of three weeks. The Women’s March Madness is also now a widely anticipated and watched event, with its first round tipping off tomorrow. Both the men and women had four play-in games earlier this week to fill out their respective 68 team tournaments.  

The brackets were announced on Sunday and since then sports talk programs have broken down the tournament with the so-called experts ad nauseam. Advertisers are using March Madness themed ads to get us to buy their products and services. The tournament even has its own jargon and terminology – The Big Dance, Cinderella, Selection Sunday, Bracketology, First Four, Bracket Buster, Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four, and the four teams that just missed out on making the tournament are called the First Four Out.  

As a nation, we are obsessed with this tournament. Millions of people are pouring every ounce of energy into researching the teams and trying to pick the winners and the upsets. Even people who do not regularly follow college basketball fill out a bracket.

However, sadly, when it comes to our commitment to following Jesus, that pursuit sometimes pales in comparison to the energy and effort we put forth in trying to fill out our brackets. Pursuing Jesus is not a casual, go through the motions, kind of thing. The Bible makes it clear that pursuing Jesus is an all-in activity.

The Bible is full of references to earnestly seeking God. We find these words as the opening verse in Psalm 63, “You God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole body longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” In 1 Chronicles 16:11 we read these words, “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” And later, in that same book we are told, “Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God” (22:19).  

Psalm 119 begins, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart” (vv.1-2). And v.10, “With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments.”

Not only are we called to earnestly seek after God, but Scripture also tells us that if we do so, we will find Him. The number of verses that give us that promise is lengthy, here are just two. Proverbs 8:17 tells us this, “I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.” And in Deuteronomy 4:29 we find these words, “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and all your soul.”

In instructing his disciples not to worry about physical necessities, Jesus says this in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” This implies a life in full submission to the rule and reign of God, an uncompromising trust in his providence. It is to pursue the first three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer (6:9-10). I always encourage you to always read the verses I mention in context. The just referenced “seek first” verse comes near the end of a longer passage (6:19-34).

So, are you pursuing God with the same one-thing obsession and passion as you have when completing your bracket? If you seek after God with an all-in attitude, you will find Him. And that is “nothing but net” every time!  

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Can you think of a time in your life when you knew what to do but you just didn’t do it? You had all the right information but you failed to use that information. Or maybe you started well but over time it became easier to fall back into old habits, and the end result was less than desirable. Think of New Year’s resolutions. Many people make them, they even begin on that journey, but truthfully, few really ever get where they had hoped to go because the ongoing commitment is lacking.

The same is often said of dieting and exercise – we often begin with good intentions only to slip back into old ways, and soon you find ourselves once again overweight and out of shape. Restoring a broken relationship. A daily Bible reading plan. Learning a new language or how to play an instrument. Those too sometimes fizzle out over time.    

The Christian life is often that same way. We begin our faith journey in the Spirit (Romans 8:9), but so often as the months and years go by we try to accomplish by the flesh (on our own) what we once relied on the Spirit for. Maturity does not come by self-effort.

It is true that to become more like Jesus – spiritual maturity – we need to turn from our own ways, doing things differently than in the past (Ephesians 4:20-24). But the power to do that does not come from within us. Rather, it comes by the grace of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. It can only come from God’s Spirit living in us and through us (2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 2:13). It takes a day after day after day commitment.

To the early Christian community in the province of Galatia (in modern day Turkey) who were beginning to rely on themselves rather than God, the apostle Paul asked the following question. The same question can be asked of Christ-followers today.  

“Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!” (Galatians 3:2-4, MSG).

Just as plants need proper soil conditions along with the right balance of sunlight, shade, and water to grow and bloom, we need proper soul conditions, which is more of the Holy Spirit and less of us, to grow and bloom and become all that God intends us to be.

So, today being the first day of spring, the time when many of us begin thinking about what we will plant in our gardens and flower beds, are you content to only grow a little doing it your way, by your own efforts, or do you desire to blossom into all that God wants you to become by allowing the Spirit to grow you?

I recently wrote a blog post titled, “Spring is Coming,” in which I encourage all of us to ask God for new life, new growth. Click here to read that post.

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