Them? Count me in!

One of my life themes is captured in the simple word GRACE.

Every good and unmerited gift from our Father in Heaven is rooted in the grace bestowed on us when Jesus said "Father forgive them, they know not what they do."

Who was Jesus talking about when he said "Father, forgive them..."  Who are the 'them'?  Obviously, it is all of us. But... that is way too easy.  When all of us are guilty for the death of Jesus, then none of us are.  Is the jail really big enough to hold all of mankind... centuries and centuries of mankind?

This could be a topic for another blog.

Instead of hiding behind the sophistry of group guilt, we need to personalize the role we played in Jesus' execution.  Of the multitude in and about Jerusalem as Jesus labored on the cross, we need to see who we were among those standing and looking on.

Let's survey the throng Jesus addressed when he said, "Father, forgive them."

Soldiers beating and mocking Jesus
Religious officers like Caiaphas
Political leaders like Pilate and Herod
An angry belligerent mob calling to 'Crucify Him'
Criminals about to die alongside of the King of the Jews
Judas who betrayed Him
Peter who denied his teacher and friend
Nine of his closest disciples that fled
One more group I'll talk about later.

This is an un-ordered list.  I have made no attempt to order the various groups based on culpability, the need for forgiveness, or the willingness to be forgiven.  This is simply a list (as complete as I can make it).

Look over the list.  Which person or group do you think you most closely fit?  Let's elaborate on the members of each group, again in no particular order.

Peter: He denied knowing his friend and master three times. He personally knew Jesus better than most anyone and had insights about Jesus that were remarkable.  Peter was commended by his Lord for recognizing Jesus is the son of the Most High.  Peter needed the grace of forgiveness.  Are you like Peter, intimately familiar with Jesus, but denying him when the pressure is on?

Roman soldiers: Jesus certainly could have been focused on showing grace to the soldiers who beat and mocked Him.  Jesus had famously said, "Turn the other cheek".  Perhaps when He asked his Father to pardon 'them', He had these soldiers in mind.  The soldiers were enjoying their work too much, but after all, they were only following orders.  Is that where you stand?  You recognize your guilt, but after all, you are only following modern society's orders.  In the 21st century, slamming the Godly is part of our our evolved understanding that goes beyond ancient dogma.

Political leaders: Pilate and Herod both had the opportunity and authority to release Jesus. Neither did. They chose what was politically expedient to advance their own careers. While this is not unusual for politicians, how many of us have chosen political correctness over truth?  How many of us have the opinion that Jesus is an innocent man, but wouldn't fight for it?

The two men hanging on the left and right of Jesus: One of these men ultimately received the gift of forgiveness, but initially, they both railed against Jesus as the crowd and soldiers did. Interestingly, these men represent people in dire circumstances of their own making. One of them recognized his own guilt and the contrast of Jesus' goodness.  The other one wallowed in his own misery biting at Jesus rather than seeking the grace that could have been his. Have you dug a pit for yourself?  Are you asking the Lord to throw down the rope to paradise, or cursing Him that you fell into your own pit.

Caiaphas, the Pharisees, the Saducees, and other self-righteous people: In some ways, these people seem the most culpable.  Jesus frequently criticized members of this group because they were righteous in their own eyes. He called them white-washed tombs.  They arrested Jesus on false charges (after spending months and months attempting to catch Jesus in verbal traps). And yet, he offered forgiveness to them as well. Are you in the category of those who are satisfied with their religious existence and place in the religious pecking order?  Do you look down on those who don't have the pristine Christianity you have? Are you sure you have received the gift of forgiveness?

Judas: He betrayed Jesus.  Metaphorically, Judas didn't swing the hammer, but he showed the soldiers where to place the nails. Did Jesus really say 'Father forgive Judas, he doesn't know what he's doing'? Yes, Jesus did. How many of us have betrayed Jesus and done something unthinkable-- unforgivable in human terms.  Yet, the gift is still there.  Judas chose not to receive the gift.  Instead of repenting, he opted to end his life to spend eternity in Hell.  What will you choose?

The angry mob: The mob mentality is as alive today as it was in the first century. We are sheep that have gone astray.  Left to our own devices, we will fall over the cliff with the entire crowd. Father forgive us, we clearly do not know what we are doing.  A week earlier, this crowd had cheered Jesus, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord"! Now they yell violently, crucify him.  Let his blood be on us and our children's children. How good is God!  In about two months from Jesus' crucifixion, many in this crowd will be among the thousands of new believers who will hear Peter's sermon at Pentecost.  If you need forgiveness because you have simply followed the crowd, grace can be yours.

Nine other disciples: Peter denied Jesus, Judas betrayed him, and nine disciples ran away. Are you scared to be with Jesus?  Do you need to be forgiven for fleeing Jesus rather than standing up for him. You know Jesus is the greatest, but you are afraid.  When Jesus greeted his disciples after his resurrection, he said 'Do not be afraid'.  Father, forgive us for our fear-- make us bold for you.

If you are only modestly good at math, you realized that only 11 of the 12 disciples were mentioned so far.  There is one more group of people that made up the throng, and the disciple John the beloved is among that group.

So far, we have considered the openly belligerent, like the soldiers, Caiaphas, and Judas, all in need of forgiveness and grace. We have also considered the indifferent, like Pilate and Herod.  The crowd and criminals were among those who joined in with herd-like mentality.  And then, there were those who loved Jesus but were too scared to stand up for Him.  How many of these groups do you fit in?

Like I hinted, there is another group.  I feel like I fall in this group.  You may as well.

The final group that Jesus may have been focused on when he said 'Father forgive them' includes one of Jesus' closest friends, the disciple John.  It also includes his mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and other women close to His ministry. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea who had prestige and privilege could also be counted in this group.

This group of people loved Jesus!  They stood with Jesus rather than hiding on his final day.  They cried tears rather than hurling curses.  Yet, they too failed Jesus and needed forgiveness. You may say-- obvious-- they were human and guilty of sin!  There was something else... a failing I see in myself. They stood and watched instead of rising to fight!

Admittedly, it was God's timing for Jesus to die on the cross.  Jesus did not advocate his disciples take up arms to battle the Chief Priest and Roman government. That said, I accuse them and myself of resigning ourselves to stand and watch rather than rising up.  Instead of standing by stunned and disillusioned, could John and the women have worked through the crowd reminding people of all that Jesus had done?  Could they have boldly expressed faith that God was still in control and Jesus the instrument for salvation?  As respected members of the community, couldn't Nicodemus and Joseph have done more on behalf of Jesus?

When the world opposes Jesus, do we stand with Jesus, but in silence and inactivity?  Are we, like John and Mary, just waiting for Jesus to die?

All of our hands are stained with innocent blood.  All of us were included when Jesus prayed, 'Father forgive THEM'!  Whatever group or groups you fall in, each of us is offered the gift of grace.  The gift is forgiveness and salvation.  In every circumstance grace always wins.  Whether you have been openly belligerent, indifferent, prone to bad behavior, scared, or unwilling to fight, grace always wins.  Father, thank you for your forgiveness. Grace wins every time.

Grace Wins by Matthew West.

Bon Mot Serenade - Day 18 - This Is Me

I once tried to explain the song This Is Me by Benny Hester as part of a devotion I was leading. I am certain I failed miserably. So I admit, this is me.  Now if you can honestly say that you've heard of Benny Hester and this song, then I think you are a rare person (and probably about 50 years old).

Assuming you are not 50, there is still something to be learned from this song. Please give me one more chance to explain it, because this is me. Listen first, or we won't get anywhere.




This song is difficult to explain because it tells three stories at once, but (I think) they are all related.

Now, I confess, I've never read or heard anything from Benny Hester explaining this song.  So everything I say will be my own interpretation.  If you or Benny Hester have a better interpretation, I would be thrilled to hear it.

Three stories about 3 men: a traveling preacher, Jonah, and Benny Hester.

The song starts with a traveling preacher at a small church in Texas.  Benny sets the scene: a small child with her mother, a couple filled with strife, and a disinterested 17 year old in a back row pew. The text for the evening, the story of Jonah.

God told Jonah to arise and go to Ninevah.  He was to preach against their wickedness.  Of course he ran the other way.

The scene shifts to Benny Hester reflecting on his mindset before a concert.  Earnestly, he seeks God's help to touch someone's life, in spite of his deep recognition of his own shortcomings.  He cries out, this is me.

The song continues to weave the story of Jonah in distress, a 17 year old suddenly engaged, and a preacher wondering at the mercy of God to use even those who run from Him time after time.

Something in the words of the traveling preacher, though missed by the couple and the little girl, touched the young man.  A longing within him rose, that he might be used by God.  The Word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.  This time he obeyed.

Then the boy, the singer, confesses this is me, the part of me that I'm so afraid for you to see.

And this is me.  And this is you.  We have been like Jonah, running from God.  Time and again we missed the mark.  Yet, we earnestly wish that God would use us to touch someone's life.

Lord, this is me.  Use me, let someone's life be touched for you.

“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” Jonah 2:8-9 (NIV)

Bon Mot Serenade

A good word and a song of encouragement.
 

Bon Mot Serenade - Day 17 - Save Me

We are Lois Lane--dangling from a rope hanging high above the streets of Metropolis.
We are Steve Trevor--captured by a Nazi Colonel bent on breaking the American soldier.
We are Polly Purebred--tied up and left on a railroad track by Simon Bar Sinister.

We need a hero--will someone come to our rescue?

We are the supporting characters in an animated adventure, earnestly crying out for our hero to appear in the nick of time.  Just like Lois Lane, Steve Trevor, and Polly Purebred, episode after episode we seem to get ourselves in trouble.

Our enemy is constantly laying traps. Somehow, we never get wise, we always fall into them.

What did the psalmist say?

Save me from my enemies, for you are just! Rescue me! Bend down your ear and listen to my plea and save me. Psalm 71:2 (TLB)

I think you know who our hero is, but who is our real enemy? Lex Luthor... Adolph Hitler?

Roman 7:19-20 make it clear that WE are the enemy.  We are the arch-villains-- our own nature of sin battles against us AND our hero, constantly putting our lives and souls in peril.

For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (NIV)

In spite of our follies, if we cry out, HE will save!

Bon Mot Serenade

A good word and a song of encouragement.

Bon Mot Serenade - Day 10 - When I Arrive

Frustration and doubt are familiar feelings for anyone starting something new.  I've created a website with some neat capabilities for people wanting to find songs that correspond to specific Bible passages or topics: Grace Rocks Song Concordance  I've also done some writing, in this blog and a superhero novel for older teens and adults.  A creative person has to pause and wonder if that time was spent wisely, when no one sees my website, and no one reads my writing.

Is any one out there?  My writing is like the tree that falls in an uninhabited forest.  Did I make a sound if no one reads it?  Again, is any one out there?

Bryan Duncan shared some of his music through Twitter last week.  I was listening through the album The Last Time I Was Here when I heard the song 'Once I've Arrived'.  I had to camp out there.

His words struck me.

Somewhere beyond here
Is a dreamer's promised land
Faith is the road where without fear
I believe I'll understand
(Once I've arrived)

Once I've arrived... Where am I going, where are you going?  We think we've arrived  when we achieve a preconceived notion of success.  Maybe success for me is a best-selling novel.  How do you define success?  More importantly, how does God define success?  In God's eyes, where will we be when we have arrived?

In Genesis 12, Abraham was called by God to leave his father's house and journey to a land God would show him: a place of promise.  For Abraham, 'once I've arrived' was defined by where God took him.

Hebrews 11 summarized Abraham's faith.  Even though he didn't know where he was going, Abraham obeyed.  Upon arriving in the promised land, he lived as a stranger awaiting the fulfillment of God's promises.  The land itself did not signify Abraham's arrival, rather he looked to a future fulfillment in a city built by God.  Jesus is the foundation of that future city.

How will I know when I have arrived?  When I am right where God wants me to be, and living faithfully in that truth.  That means not letting discouragement cause me or you to settle for less than God's promise in our life.

One final note on Abraham's father, Terah.  We do NOT know if God called Terah to go to Canaan.  We only know, that he had it in his heart to move from his homeland and go to Canaan, himself along with his family.  But, he didn't make it all the way, instead he decided to settle in Harran.

We will never arrive if we settle for less than God's best.

Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:16 (NIV)

Once I've Arrived by Bryan Duncan from Christopher Redner on Vimeo.

Bon Mot Serenade - Day 2

'Keep on, keeping on'.  I was probably 8 or 10 years old when my childhood pastor used that phrase.  He was a man with a gentle spirit.  He was loved deeply by the congregation.  I recall he came to our Sunday School class and told his story.  He was badly scarred on his face from burns caused by an accident involving gasoline. But he overcame, was faithful, and ministered in a wonderful way.

The youth at our church (and the leaders as well) were challenged with this question: where do you want to be in your spiritual life by this Christmas?  My personal answer is to be faithful in the little things.  In other words, to keep on keeping on.

NF, who is part of the Air1 Positive Hits Tour #PositiveHitsTour, captures that idea in his new song.  He actually talked about getting into God's Word as part of his personal mandate to keep on.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 (NIV)




Be sure to check out NF on the Air1 Positive Hits Tour. Get more info at Air1.

Bon Mot Serenade

I won't mention any names, but a certain home-school mom is well known for falling asleep at the school table.  In fact, dictation is a subject that usually results in nodding off mid-sentence.  Now my kids and I (whoops, did I spill the freshly sharpened pencils out of the proverbial school box?) would never blame that mom for being sleepy.  She gets up early to jog and begin the day, she stays up late grading papers and washing clothes.

At any rate, this mom that I have not named, is a picture of our Christian churches working so hard day and night, yet asleep in the light.  My passion for Christian music of all genres began with my introduction to Keith Green's song Asleep In The Light.  This song first appeared on his album No Compromise.

For the next month, I want to share a song a day to listen and reflect upon (ENJOY) and a bon mot (literally, good word) from God's Word.

The first entry is a classic transformation song (see Romans 12:2) by Keith Green. It's time to wake up church!

This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:14 (NIV)

 
Keith Green - Asleep in the Light from theblessedhope on GodTube.

See more on Keith Green's music in the Grace Rocks Song Concordance

gracerockmedia.com