HEALED

We've all heard the adage, "there's no such thing as a dumb question." I'm not so sure that's really the case! I have heard some dumb questions in my 28 years so far. "Do you know you're short?" I can't begin to tell you how many times I heard that one growing up. Here's how I would have liked to respond more often than not: "What? I'm short? How did I never notice this? I must have carnival mirrors in my house, 'cause! Thank you for pointing this out to me. All this time I just thought everyone around me was freakishly tall!" On numerous occasions, I have had to answer the phone at work only to have the individual on the other end asks if we, at Sioux Falls Rubber Stamp, actually do make and/or sell rubber stamps. To be totally honest, sometimes I would like to tell them they have the wrong store; they're looking for Subway. Maybe it's just me, but I think whoever came up with this phrase didn't have to deal with people.

And then I grab my Bible and read through the stories of Jesus' life. To be honest, there are times I read these accounts of his interactions with people and wonder what's going through his mind. One such story is found in the fifth chapter of John. You may have heard sermons preached on this passage. You may have even read this story yourself. Often times this story is referred to as "The Healing at the Pool," or "Jesus Heals a Lame Man." If you are reading this, you are smart enough to realize this story is about one of Jesus' miraculous healings.

Before we get into this, some background information might be useful. To begin with, this man is lame. And lame, in Biblical times, wasn't a way of saying he wasn't cool. It means, in the most literal sense, that this man could not walk. If we read this story, we discover that he has been this way for 38 years. To top it off, I don't believe wheelchairs had been invented yet. That means this man is dependent on the mercy of others. We also find out that he spends most of his time laying by a pool; however, he isn't looking for a tan. He is hoping to be healed. And according to legend, this pool--the Pool of Bethesda--is known for it's healing powers. The Bible tells us that an angel will stir the water of this pool at any random time and heal the first to enter. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this pool isn't likely ADA compliant; which means every time the water is stirred, he is pushed aside by the less lame (literally and figuratively).

But today will be different. Enter Jesus.

Jesus opens his mouth and utters what can only seem like one of these dumb questions I referred to earlier. "Do you want to get well?" Talk about a dumb question! Every time I read this I wonder what in the world Jesus was thinking. Then my mind wanders to the lame man and I put myself in his shoes--er, I mean sandals. And I can't help but think after laying there day-in and day-out, this man would have some sort of smart remark. "No Jesus, I can actually walk. My friends and family just carry me here to so I can pick up the ladies. The sympathy card works wonders! Of course I want to be healed. I can't walk. I've been this way for 38 years." 

However, I tend to think there was more going on here than meets the eye. Given the fact that Jesus is God in the flesh, and circumstances made the answer to his question quite obvious, I can only conclude that Jesus was talking about something not so obvious. You see, God doesn't ask us questions because he lacks information. He's omniscient--that's just a big word that means he already knows it all.

Let's try to unpack this question by looking at it in a different light. Perhaps Jesus was digging deeper and asking things like: Do you really want things to change? Are you ready to leave behind all of the excuses? Can you handle the responsibilities that will become a regular part of life now? Because to be healed changes everything! Sometimes, our healing may come with a price tag. The question then becomes are we willing to pay the cost? Are we willing to do what it takes? Often times, I wonder if we may want to be healed, but aren't ready for the change that it brings.

For some of us, our ailments (physical, mental, and emotional) have come to define us. Believe it or not, there are many people who do not want to be healed. They do not want divine help with their problems. They do not want to be helped out of their weakness. They crave the attention their problems bring. They thrive on the sympathy and pity of others. They sometimes flee assuming responsibility for their own lives. People will openly turn their backs on the deliverance being offered, all because of the responsibility that will now come. Maybe putting this into everyday questions makes this easier to grasp. "Do you really want the promotion or is it just easier to complain about money? Are you ready for the responsibility and sacrifice of being in a relationship, or would you like to wallow in your self-pity?" Bottom line is this--some people just don't want to be healed. It is safer and easier for them to keep living life this way. And as Jesus, in a round about way points out, you cannot help someone that doesn't want to be helped!

So, the question remains, "Do you want to be healed?"

HIDE-N-SEEK

Hide-n-seek is a game I haven't played in years. It's not like this is a hobby after you've made it through grade school. As far as I know, there aren't any hide-n-seek leagues sponsored by the city. You won't find this as an Olympic event, nor do I foresee it becoming popular with the X-games. Seeing as how I don't have any children right now, it's likely I won't be playing again for several years either. Now, I do have two adorable nephews that love to hang out and play games with me. But it seems they are more interested in technological advances like the Nintendo Wii. (And since you are now curious, yes, my 7 year old nephew can beat me at many games on the Wii.)

Growing up, hide-n-seek was a game my brother and I would often play. Of course, I was always so eager to be the one to hide (it was the far superior aspect of the game). Being the younger sibling, it was rare my older brother would allow me to hide first. But this time was different. This time he was kind enough to let me begin the game by hiding. It was only later I found out this was a ploy.

Before I get into the story, I need to set the scene. Josh, my brother, is five years my elder. Since we grew up in a house with two working parents, we were often relegated to spending quality (I use this term loosely) time with each other. I always had to tag along with my big brother, as is customary for any younger sibling. It usually wasn’t because I liked his friends or really even wanted to go with them. Rather, my motivation was to annoy and terrorize them. You may find it difficult to believe, but I used to be a bit of a punk (not so much anymore, right?). Let me give you an example. As you might have guessed, we were two typical boys growing up. As typical boys, we were prone to wrestle and fight. However, when he wound up getting the best of me, or I realized I was incapable of winning, I would become vicious. Usually I would choke him or give him a cheap shot to the groin. At this point, I would release a deafening scream which always resulted in my mother coming to my rescue, inevitably finding Josh on my chest, beating the snot out of me. After the altercation was broken up, it never failed he would get a lecture about being older and more mature. This, I always found quite amusing; which was obvious from the smirk on my face when my mother's back was turned.

Now, back to this game of hide-n-seek. On this particular day, I found the perfect hiding spot, nestled beneath a pile of blankets between the couch and the wall. It seemed like I was hiding for eternity. But I was committed to the win and would not give up. Minutes of hiding turned into hours and eventually I dozed off. Only after my parents came home and found me (quite easily may I add), did I wake.

This game of hide-n-seek is nothing new. The very first account of hide-n-seek is recorded in Genesis. We find an epic game in which Adam and Eve have set themselves against God. The reason I know this is evident by the fact that the Bible plainly tells us, "they hid from the Lord God among the trees." Now, most of us read this and probably think hiding from God is such a ridiculous notion. But, if we are willing to admit it, we play the same game today. It seems to me, this is evidenced most in our initial reaction when we screw up. We break a few of the commandments; we ignore the conviction of the Holy Spirit; we take off in the opposite direction God is leading us. And what do we do? We, just like Adam and Eve, hide in shame and fear. And just like the game between my brother and I, we will not give up. All because we have convinced ourselves the most difficult times to turn to God and embrace Him occur right after our rebellion. Often, we find ourselves running from Him, our hearts full of fear. We avoid our quiet times in prayer. We allow our Bible to sit on our night stand and collect dust. Convinced that God doesn’t want to face us at that point. All because the infraction is so fresh.

And this is not the reaction God is looking for!

You see, in the Genesis account, God was still looking and calling out for them. He still sought Adam and Eve, even though they had been tainted with sin. Even though they wanted nothing to do with God at that point. And in light of Scripture, I am reminded that when I sin against God, there is no need to hide in fear. Because of the cross of Jesus Christ that fully paid for the punishment of my sin, I may approach His throne of grace with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). I may turn to God in my time of brokenness, trusting that His grace is sufficient (Psalm 51:16-17). Even if there is discipline, it should (this being the key) bring me joy since I know that God is treating me as one of his dearly loved children (Hebrews 12:7). 

Therefore, even though we may be tempted to run from God when we sin against Him, we must realize that God’s desire is for us to draw close to Him (James 4:8).  Let us not be afraid to turn to God in this, our greatest hour of need. Remember that His sacrifice paid for our sins, and He offers us reconciliation and freedom--from whatever we have done and from fear.

JESUS, Part 3

While there was a lot of confusion as to who Jesus really was back in the day, I have to admit over 2,000 years the Jesus puddle has gotten quite a bit murkier. On one occasion, the Bible gives us a glance at the confusion surrounding this Jesus. This particular encounter (Luke 9:20) is as follows:

One day as Jesus was alone, praying, he came over to his disciples and asked  them, “Who do people say I am?”

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”

Then he asked them, “Who do you say I am?”

If you ask me, this sounds like a loaded question. Jesus, the God-Man, asking who he is. The way I see it, Jesus says this, "you have been with me and know me, do you believe who the people say I am or is there something more to me?” Then He comes out and point blank asks to them, “Who do you say I am?” No beating around the bush here (I really like that about Jesus…most of the time). 

And to this, Peter, gives a great Sunday school answer. His response reminds me of a lame joke involving a young boy in his Sunday School class. His teacher asked the class what is gray, bushy-tailed, hangs out in trees and loves nuts. To this the boy informs the class that it sounds an awful lot like a squirrel, but since they are in Sunday School, the answer must be Jesus. (I warned you it was lame.) Here, Peter gives Jesus a similar answer, quite possibly regardless of what he actually believed himself. And Peter tells him “You are the Messiah sent from God!” Now, I’m curious if Peter was fully aware what that phrase, “Messiah sent from God” even meant.

If confronted with the same question today, I fear that many of us would give a similar Sunday School response. Although it is true, that He is the Messiah sent from God, do we know the implications of that title? Do we really know more about Jesus? Have we moved beyond proper and respectful titles to find out who He really is? Do we realize this Messiah, Jesus, is much more than the savior of our sins?

Take a minute and ask yourself these questions. Who do the crowds say He is? Who do your co-workers say He is? Who do the people on the street say He is? Who does American society say He is? Who does the church say He is? And perhaps the most pertinent question of all, who do you say He is? 

If you’ve answered those to your satisfaction, by all means, continue reading.

There are many different views of Jesus. You may find this hard to believe, but some of us view Jesus the way He has been portrayed in the Jesus films. A calm, cool, collected, politically correct individual with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pale complexion. In case you hadn't heard this, let me be the first to tell you that this physical description of Jesus is not accurate. Jesus was, afterall, a Jew living in Israel. That means he looked more, well, middle eastern. Some people think he was somewhat of a philosopher, debating and philosophizing (I think I just made up a word) the issues of the day. Others view Jesus as a social activist--someone voicing the concerns for the underdog, the less-fortunate, and the non-religious. Yet some view Jesus as some sort of psychic. Others think of Him as a pacifist, or a political activist for poverty.  There are even some that believe Jesus was a homosexual because of statements made about John, the disciple, “whom he loved.” Some think of Him as a great moral teacher, while others view Him as a nut case.

Let me tell you who America thinks Jesus is. If the research is accurate, what Americans believe about Jesus is quite muddled. For the most part, they believe in the reality of this Jew who, 2,000 years ago, proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom of God, but beyond that there is much confusion.

A survey of 1,054 adult residents of the United States conducted by Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University found that 75 percent “absolutely believe” Jesus was a real person. Sixteen percent said they “mostly believe” in His historical reality, 5 percent “do not believe” and 4 percent remain uncertain.

But what we, Americans, accept about Jesus is even more complex than that. Nearly one out of five people don’t believe that Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary--60 percent said they “absolutely believe” Jesus was born to a virgin, 16 percent mostly believe and 5 percent are uncertain.

Americans have slightly more confidence that Jesus “died and physically rose from the dead,” with 63 percent saying they “absolutely believe” this central theme of the Easter story. But, surprisingly, adults in the poll were more likely to conclude that “Jesus was the Son of God” and that “Jesus was divine” for which absolute belief was at 69 percent and 67 percent, respectively than to believe the biblical accounts of his birth and death.

Are you like most Americans? Is the person of Jesus surrounded by a shroud of mystery?

LOVE

Rarely do we see Hollywood paint a true picture of the ups and downs of love (which makes it only lust). At the risk of losing my man-card, you should know that as men, we really wouldn't mind if life played out a little more like those dumb chick flicks. But, we all know that's not how it works--at least I hope we do. The nice guy doesn't always win. The damsel in distress may not find her prince charming ever (possibly because no man can live up to this ideal). It doesn't always end happily ever after. Contrary to the way love is portrayed, it isn't always rainbows and butterflies. The sad reality is that love, at times, can be pretty messy and ugly.

First and foremost love is a decision that takes commitment. It is much more than a fleeting feeling; here one minute and gone the next (but you already knew that didn't you). For love to grow, trust is required. We cannot love someone we cannot trust; it is an impossibility. And for trust, there has to be a two way street of vulnerability.

You've probably heard the old adage, "Love is blind." Well, there is a lot of truth to that one. It is much easier to overlook things when you truly love someone. Those blatant personality traits and character flaws others so easily point out disappear when love is in the mix. And all of this leads me to tell you the obvious. Love is risky. There are no guarantees...except it WILL NOT be smooth sailing and you WILL get hurt.

Anymore it seems we have grossly misunderstood love. In our culture, love is this ambiguous idea. Even without the ambiguity, trying to define love is kind like nailing jello to the wall. This is one reason I would venture to say that a majority of us aren't sure what the true nature of love is. If you ask anyone, they can probably ramble off numerous things they love. Someone might tell you they love their car (if it's a '69 Camaro, I could agree with that). In the very next breath they are discussing their love for their dog (because nobody in their right mind would ever love cats). I could even tell you a story about a teenager who loved pizza. Granted, this one isn't much of a shocker. A teenager that loves pizza isn't a rare thing. But she found it necessary to proclaim her love for pizza by getting a giant tattoo. There, permanently, on her right shoulder is a slice of pepperoni pizza. (I am sure people think some of my tattoos are weird, but come on, pepperoni pizza? I enjoy a good cheeseburger now and then, but I'm not getting it tattooed). All of this makes me wonder if it upsets God when we sing these songs proclaiming our love for him; because in all reality, we are putting him on the same level as all of these temporal things...but that's a different discussion altogether.

Sadly, there is an overwhelming majority of us that have not experienced or seen love. For many, the people who were supposed to love us didn't. Some of us had parents who were absent or abusive. Yet others have had a significant other use and abuse them. Others still had friends who took advantage of them. This list could be endless. I have been fortunate enough to have the rare privilege of experiencing this phenomenon of love. For starters, I had very loving parents. They were not perfect and I may not have always agreed with them. I didn't even always feel loved by them. To be totally honest, my father and I didn't have a good relationship until I was in college. I don't even recall hearing him tell me he loved me very often, if ever...until college. But looking back I see the boundaries, discipline, etc. were all tangible examples of their love for me. And let's be honest, a lot of that stuff was warranted considering the pain and agony I put them through during those 18 years I lived under their roof. The next place I have witnessed love has been a group I refer to as Alpha (a group of guys I went to college with). These are the kind of guys that are always there for you. They would give you their last dollar or the shirt off their back. My Alpha brothers would take a bullet for me--and I for them. I'm 99.9% certain they are the kind of friends that would hide a body for you (not that I will ever need them to do that, just to clarify). But again, most of us haven't witnessed anything like this; so, of course it makes us wonder if love really exists.

In our society, where lust is supreme, love is not very natural. For that reason, it only goes to say that love is not easy. Yet, loving others is the most important thing we must learn to do. A few words of Jesus' come to mind: "Everyone will know you are my disciples because of your love for each other." However, loving each other will remain an impossibility until we can learn to love ourselves. Herein lies the issue. We might love certain things about ourselves, but we all have our hang-ups. There are certain things we would change if we could. Each and everyone of us has a skeleton (or two or three) in the closet. We have all done things we are ashamed of. None of us is perfect. And that is why so many of us are constantly attempting to earn love and approval from others--and from God. But love isn't earned. Love isn't based on a transactional system (i.e. I give Papa John's $10 and I receive a delicious pizza.) Love is freely given. We will never be able to love until we can come to the realization that each and every one of us is an imperfect person in need of redemption--and loved by God. Once we reach this realization, it puts all of us on a level playing field.

No wonder this whole idea of love is so unsettling for many of us. No wonder it is so difficult for us to put into practice. No wonder we aren't sure it is the greatest of these--faith, hope, and love. We don't know what it means or looks like. I might be going out on a limb here, but I'd venture to say that for almost all of us, loving people will be the most difficult task for us this side of eternity. But, there is hope...and love is worth it. While the risks are great, the rewards are even greater! Even with the pain and rejection experienced in this lifetime, I am discovering that to love is far less painful.

JESUS, Part 2

When I envision Jesus, I picture something different than the blonde haired, piercing blue eyed figure I see in many of the Jesus movies. I picture Jesus to be much more—how should I put this--Middle Eastern than Eastern European. And I’m pretty sure he probably didn’t have blue eyes. Why do I believe all of this? If you read the Bible, you will see that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. And 2000 years ago, I would venture to guess that you didn’t find an awful lot of Caucasians living in the Middle East.

So who do I see Jesus as? Take a seat, grab a cup (or two) of coffee or tea (and none of this decaffeinated garbage), because it may take a while to show you who I see Jesus to be.

I’m going to be a typical Christian and say that one of my favorite authors has got to be C.S. Lewis. And more specifically, his novels, The Chronicles of Narnia, are my favorite.

In one of these books Lewis infers through the Christ figure of Aslan, that Jesus is not tame. In case you haven’t ever read these books, Aslan is a lion and although he talks and allows the children to pet him from time to time, he is definitely not tame. And that seems about par for the course. Granted, my experience with lions is pretty much non-existent, but I don’t see lions as being very tame, so I will just agree with him on this point. No matter how much we think Jesus is tame, the fact remains that he is not. On the contrary, He is probably quite the opposite. (Continuing with the lion analogy) He is not like your typical house cat. He doesn’t sit on your lap. He isn’t—to my knowledge—litter-box trained. He does not wear a collar with a tag identifying who his owners are.  Jesus is not tame!

To fully understand what C.S. Lewis meant by that, I have to admit that I decided to look up the word tame in my handy dictionary. It means “reduced from a state of native wildness especially so as to be tractable and useful to humans.” Another definition offered is: “to be made docile or submissive (yeah, I had to look up a couple words in those definitions too).

Jesus cannot be reduced. Jesus is not docile or submissive--except to the Father.  You can try all you want to make Him conform and fit in these tidy, neat boxes, but you may have some trouble. We will never fully comprehend Him. We cannot always understand what He does and why He does it. In other words Jesus is not under our control. He defies many of our notions and beliefs about who He really is. Although He may be difficult to understand, that is no excuse to not try.

JESUS, Part 1

Living in South Dakota, we can see snow for as much as six or seven months out of the year. And since I have such distaste for snow and the cold, I have to do something to stay warm during those months (while moving seems to be the most plausible solution, I can’t tell you why I haven’t). I have found the best option is a hot-tub. Although I do not own one, nor have I ever owned one, I have always made it a point to befriend someone that either has one, or has access to one (I know, I’m shallow).

During several of my college years, I fortunately had a friend that worked in a hotel during our breaks. This particular evening was typical for December. It was a cold (more than likely well into the negative digits with the wind-chill) and snowy.  A few friends and I decided to meet up at the hotel and spend the evening relaxing in the hot-tub. One by one, as we showed up, we took over the hotel lobby and began chatting about the new Lord of the Rings movies. I’m not sure what time it was, but I do know it was well after our agreed upon meeting time (I’m a stickler for promptness). As you can probably guess, we were still waiting on one of our friends and his fiancé to show up. We waited. And waited. And we waited some more.

Finally, through the cold, foggy glass I saw the headlights of what appeared to be an unmistakably red Dodge Stealth. As it pulled into the parking lot, I thought it would be befitting of me to meet the tardy couple halfway. As two individuals got out of the car, all bundled up in their bulky winter coats, hats and gloves, and began strolling to the front door, I proceeded to cut them off and so kindly inform them that they were late. As I walked through the door and neared the two up them, I began to, in my most stern voice, inform them how much trouble they were in for said tardiness. Just as soon as I had spoken those words, the couple took their gaze off their steps and made eye contact with me, something profound occurred to me. This couple was not the couple we were all waiting for.  It was then I decided it would be best to make my way back into the lobby, quite red from embarrassment, and keep my mouth shut. Afterall, that was the second time that week I had a case of mistaken identity. The other occurred earlier in during the week at Scheels. The short version is as follows: I had spent several minutes searching the aisles for something that must have been important (reiterated by the fact that I likely don’t have it anymore and can’t recall what it was). Finally, after I had just about given up I spotted a Scheels employee in the unmistakable yellow button up shirt and khaki pants. As I approached said employee and asked where to find this most important item he turned around with quite a puzzled look and informed me he had no clue. Turns out other people in town are highly capable of wearing a yellow button up shirt and khaki pants.

Why did I tell you these stories? I think it was because I was trying to make a correlation with the church and its mistaken identity of Jesus.

It seems to me, the church has confused Jesus with Mr. Rogers. According to the church today, the man on the cross and Mr. Rogers are so similar you almost can’t distinguish between the two. Don’t get me wrong, Jesus can be nice, he can be calm, cool, and collected, but that is only a part of who he is. It seems to me, nobody would have a problem with a Mr. Rogers-esque guy…at least not enough of a problem to crucify him!

Let me tell you why Jesus is not like Mr. Rogers. Let’s start with the obvious, Mr. Rogers is white and whether you believe it or not, Jesus was Middle-Eastern and Jewish. Mr. Rogers always had nice things to say and never caused a stir. And then there is the fact that Mr. Rogers lives in a perfect world made of puppets and trains; a world in which everyone always learns their lesson and takes it to heart. A world where everyday is a “beautiful day.” A world quite the opposite of the one in which you and I live. The world of Mr. Rogers is very disconnected from reality and I can’t relate to it at all. And for that, Mr. Rogers becomes a man I cannot relate to. But Jesus…Jesus is different. He didn’t stay in his perfect world. He took on flesh, became a man, and stepped into our screwed up world, in order that he might relate to us and inevitably save us.

You see, the Jesus I read about in this book we call the Bible, is nothing like Mr. Rogers. Jesus isn’t always prim and proper, like Mr. Rogers (although I have heard rumors about him being an ex-marine with tattoos covering his arms—Mr. Rogers, not Jesus). Well, let me rephrase that…Jesus isn’t exactly like Mr. Rogers. There may be some similarities, but not nearly enough to confuse the two. Mr. Rogers is a nice guy, who wears a blue cardigan (I don’t ever picture Jesus in a cardigan—especially a blue one), always makes sure his shoes are tied, speaks with a kind voice, and always smiles. Jesus may exhibit similar characteristics (with the exception of the shoes since he wore sandals) from time-to-time, but that is by no means the entire picture of who Jesus is.

SABBATH

While there are some questions I have always had about our observance of the Sabbath, this is not a platform I am going to use to debate which day is the true Sabbath. Because, honestly, it doesn't really matter. Deuteronomy 5:12-15 lays the foundation on which we base the Sabbath. If we read these four verses, a very simple understanding of the Sabbath comes to light. The Hebrew word translated as Sabbath literally means "the day of rest." It is that simple translation that gives significance to the Sabbath. It is to be set aside as a day of rest. I know, this is rocket science right? Come on, it doesn't take a scholar to come to that conclusion. Yet, that simple design for the Sabbath still seems to evade most of us.

It's interesting to note here that despite all the warnings about honoring the Sabbath, God himself rarely gives examples of what constitutes 'work.' But, as is usually a given with humanity, we took it upon ourselves to take the place of God by try to define what exactly was meant. Back in the day, the Pharisees were no exception to this rule. They took it upon themselves to take God's original decree 'to honor the Sabbath' one step further. Actually, they took it 'forty minus one' steps further (so there's no misunderstanding, that's a religious way of saying 39). From that one command, they established 39 rules that must be followed in order to maintain the integrity of keeping the Sabbath holy. In doing see today, it seems we came up with quite a burdensome list ourselves. The result has been that today, we inadvertently associate all of these unspoken 'rules' with the Sabbath.

At the heart of Jesus' teaching about the Sabbath in Matthew 12 (along with a few other passages), we find that in the scheme of things, Sunday should really be no different from any other day. Well, I guess the exception to that is that we take advantage of the rest it offers. There is nothing special, sacred, or even holy about Sunday. Jesus himself said no day was more holy than another. When then do we make such a big deal about this particular day?

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying we abandon church, our worship services, or other important things we do on the Sabbath. What I am saying is this: Let's keep the main thing, the main thing! It's time we shy away from making it about appearances. Does God really care if I'm clean-shaven, wear my Sunday best, have the car washed, or heaven forbid mow my lawn? It's as if we think doing certain things or avoiding other things only on Sunday will make us more spiritual. To think that is what is at the heart of the message God has given us with the Sabbath is to miss the point. None of the things I mentioned will make us more or less holy. Nor will they offend God. God will not strike anyone with lightning for mowing their lawn after church...maybe (He is God so I can't give you money back guarantees).

All of these associated rules with the Sabbath might fool ourselves. Shoot, it might even fool a few others, but we aren't slipping anything past God. He will never be fooled with our facades, because "man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart."

During my sophomore year of college, I volunteered at the homeless shelter. On one occasion I sat down to have dinner with one of the men staying there. After a bit of small talk, we started to open up to each other quite a bit. He began sharing his life story and pouring his heart out to me over an overcooked pork-chop, some lukewarm beans and watered down pink lemonade. Over the course of the next 45 minutes, I discovered how he had been laid off from a well paying job several years ago. The short version of everything else that happened is as follows: the income his family depended on dwindled away since he was driven into a state of depression and found it difficult to find work; inevitably his family packed their things up and left him.

Even while all of this transpired, this man informed me that through the whole ordeal, he never lost his faith. He continued to attend church until he began to see it in a much different light. Because of his tattered clothes, unkempt beard, and God forbid the smell, he felt shunned. This homeless wandered no longer fit in at church. You see, he had a job working for Boeing--the company that makes airplanes--that paid quite well. Without that income, he could no longer afford a shower or food, let alone the three-piece suits, fine jewelry, and nice cars everyone else at the church could. The point to all of this is that the Sabbath is not about appearances. God is not impressed by the name brand clothes we wear or the BMW's we drive (yes, that was a jab at myself). It has never been about cleaning ourselves up and coming to meet with God! Instead of striving to change our outward appearance, we should focus on transforming the state of our heart.

Furthermore, we should begin striving to change every other day of the week to look more like the Sabbath (minus that whole resting thing because work needs done and bills need paid). As I said earlier (and to be quite honest, Jesus said it first thousands of years ago) it's time we quit turning the Sabbath into a show. How about we make every other day of the week look more like the Sabbath, rather than struggling to make it different from every other day of the week.