Loving Strangers

Forty years had passed since they had escaped from Egypt. That was not the original plan. A journey that should have been completed in a few weeks lasted for decades. Moses certainly imagined things would go differently. Still God had been faithful. Neither their clothes nor their sandals had worn out. They always had food to eat and water to drink. Their enemies had been defeated time after time. Now they were on the verge of entering “the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you” (Deuteronomy 27:3b).

On the banks of the Jordan River, Moses prepares the people for their triumphant entry. He urges them once again to be faithful “to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (10:12b). He calls them “to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees” (10:13a). He reminds them “the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations” (10:15).

In the midst of his parting message, Moses says something quite interesting: “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing” (10:17-18). Furthermore, “you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt” (10:19). The people of God are called to love the people God loves.

The Sunday before Passover Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem like a triumphant king. The people shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” (John 12:13). Many expect to Jesus to ride right into the palace, to run the Romans out of the country, and to restore Israel to its former glory; but Jesus is not there to serve himself, orchestrate a coup, or engage in wish fulfillment. Jesus has come to show God’s love to the world.

Paul explains it to the Ephesians like this: “Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us…. In his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us…. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us” (2:13-14, 18). And so it continues; the people of God are called to love the people God loves—particularly strangers and foreigners. 

Scandalous Love

“There was a man who had two sons.” That’s the way Jesus begins one of the most familiar of all his parables. Indeed, it is so familiar that most people fail to appreciate how shocking it must have sounded to those people who heard him tell it for the first time.

It is true that most people still place a high value on family relationships; but in first century Palestine, family identity was at the core of your personal identity. It provided your connection to the rest of the community. It conferred your role in the history of God’s people. Being part of a household insured your life, especially in a country occupied by a foreign military force. In this culture it was essential that everyone in the household be fully devoted to each other’s wellbeing.

For a child (particularly, a son) to approach his father and ask for his share of the inheritance would have been not only an insult; but a threat to the family’s very existence. In an era when our children live all over the world, it is hard to imagine how scandalous it would be to hear that this same child chose to pack up and move off just a few days later.

As Jesus continues the story it becomes more clear that this rebellious son did recognize his father’s loving and generous spirit. As he recalls the evidence of his father’s gracious generosity, he’s convinced that even being one of his father’s hired workers would be an improvement over his current condition. As the story unfolds and his recollections prove true, his initial rebellion seems even more mysterious and perplexing, if not incomprehensible.

Then just as the story seems to be reaching a happy conclusion, Jesus shocks his audience again. Now the other son—the elder son—the “good” son—refuses to participate in the celebration of his younger brother’s return. Without apology, he expresses his contempt for both his brother and his father. This is a different form of rebellion; nevertheless, it is a clear expression of his failure to appreciate the depth of his father’s love for him.

Jesus leaves the story unresolved. The party is in full swing. The father has explained the situation to his older son; but there is no indication how he will respond. Immediately Jesus begins the next story.

I imagine the crowd shaking their heads as they puzzle over what they have just heard.  “How could…why would anyone respond like that to such a loving and gracious father?” Perhaps that is just the question Jesus hopes we will ask ourselves as we consider the ways we have rebelled against God’s love.

A Question of Authority

     You’ve heard it before, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Nevertheless, publishing companies invest lots of time and talent into the design of book covers that will, at least, increase the likelihood that you will not only pull their text of the shelf, but will actually consider paying the price to carry it home.

     Of course, the art department has a role to play in making one work stand out among the rest, but you may have noticed a marked increase in the number of review excerpts included on book jackets. They want you to know that other people have read and enjoyed this particular tome.

     Particularly with works of non-fiction, you may find the first few pages dedicated to short testimonials from “experts” (or if not “experts,” at least, celebrities) in the field. They routinely mention the significance and importance of this particular contribution to the field; or the author’s advance of the conversation; or something like that.

     If there are enough positive comments, and they are made by people you admire or respect; you must admit it increases your consideration of a purchase. While the bold title and interesting art work may have prompted you to pick up the book, the combined testimony of critics and colleagues goes a long way toward convincing you to seriously consider what this writer has to say.

     With more and more people filling pages, web sites, and air waves with their own particular (and quite often, peculiar) messages, it makes sense to take the time to consider the source. Do they have a vested interest in promoting their particular narrative? What are the likely results of their suggested course of action? Who are their allies and what are their goals? Are their values aligned with what you know to be true?

     The more challenging question, though, is could you respond confidently to someone who questioned you about the declarations you make, the decisions you take, the actions that define your life. Who gave you the authority to do the things you do?

Joy to the World

Joy can seem astonishingly elusive—even during these days leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The announcement of the angel—“Behold, I bring you good news of great joy…”—echoes in your ears; but you struggle to force a smile when anyone wishes you, “Merry Christmas.” If there is any word that comes close to describing your state of mind, it is “anxious.”

The flood of catalogs filling your mailbox and sales inserts spilling from your newspaper, remind you of all the things you don’t have (but wish you did). Still you know you won’t get much sympathy as you sort through all the letters asking you to respond to the great need of the “less fortunate” in the community and around the world.

Bombings and beheadings overseas, riots and demonstrations across the country, and shootings in the streets you drive every day, leave you feeling hopeless when the carolers sing of “peace on earth.” Even the relationships with the people you’ve shared your life with for years seem strained and unsettled.

You move slowly as you start your day—going though an inventory of your aches and pains. You listen carefully to the ads that punctuate the morning news with the promise of some new drug that will alleviate your ailments. As the announcer continues to list all the possible side effects and contraindications of the cure he is promoting, doubt that there is any possibility of healing adds to your distress.

Nevertheless, as a community of faith, we gather excitedly, stand expectantly, and wait patiently for the one who proclaimed, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

May you discover indescribable joy as you affirm the great gift God has given you—the gift of life through faith in Jesus who was born in Bethlehem and is coming again.

The Way of the Cross

For most of the time I have been serving as a pastor in the United Methodist Church I have heard conversations, read books and attended conferences addressing the decline of the church in general and the denomination in particular. I have been asked to consider myriad causes, scores of diagnoses, and more remedies than I can recall. Much of what I have seen and heard has been helpful. Most of it is heartfelt. Still there are times when I wonder if most of those doing the assessment of our current condition are failing to acknowledge the primary source of our malaise.

Soon after Peter proclaims that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; he scolds Jesus for explaining what that will mean for him: opposition, suffering, death. In spite of Peter’s well-meaning expression of concern, Jesus is unwavering—and even extends the implications of his identity and the mission to which has been appointed to include all who would choose to follow him: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

Years before his death in 1963, A. W. Tozer identified “a notable heresy [which] has come into being throughout our evangelical Christian circles—the widely accepted concept that we humans can choose to accept Christ only because we need Him as Savior and we have the right to postpone our obedience to Him as Lord as long as we want to!

“I think the following is a fair statement of what I was taught in my early Christian experience….

“‘We are saved by accepting Christ as our Savior; we are sanctified by accepting Christ as our Lord; we may do the first without doing the second!’”

“The truth is that salvation apart from obedience is unknown in the sacred Scriptures. Peter makes it plain that we are ‘chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit for obedience’” (1 Peter 1:2).

If you are concerned about the decline of the church, let me ask you to pray that more people will not only accept Jesus as their savior; but will also allow Jesus to be their Lord and resolve to take up their cross and follow where Jesus leads.

Learning to Relax

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States.”

That’s really unfortunate, but the CDC goes further to report, “For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.” Factors that contribute to the risk of death by drowning include a lack of close supervision and a lack of barriers around pools and other bodies of water.

Still the number one factor the CDC lists is the “lack of swimming ability.” They also are quick to point out, “Research has shown that participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning among children aged 1 to 4 years.”

I don’t know if my mother knew all of this when we were growing up or not. She was a public health nurse, so I suspect that she did. Nevertheless, she enrolled us in swimming classes at the YMCA when we were very young. I don’t even remember learning to swim. I just remember loving to swim. And I still love it.

As a former American Red Cross certified Water Safety Instructor I loved teaching kids to swim. They were so excited as they learned one skill, which led to mastering another, which led to undeniable proficiency in moving through the water from one side of the pool to the other.

One the first things I had to teach my students was that the water would hold them up. They could float. One at a time I would take a student from the side of the pool, ask them to roll on their back while I held them loosely by the shoulders. I would tell them to relax, and pretty soon I could show them my hands were no longer holding them up. They were floating.

Sometimes this didn’t last too long. They would become anxious, tense up, and start fighting the water. I would step in, lift them to the side of the pool, and let them catch their breath so we could try it again in a few minutes.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:29). Makes me wonder how many people would feel less like they are drowning if they quit struggling so hard and received the rest Jesus has offered to give.

A Cup of Cold Water

For some people the summer offers an opportunity to ease off on the throttle, slow down a little, and enjoy the scenery. Still there are many people who continue to live life wide open, hurrying from one place to another, overwhelmed by the feeling of being constantly behind.

The stress can take its toll. Pretty soon, in addition to feeling exhausted, you begin to see other people as an interruption, if not a threat. You begin to question yourself—your motives—your values. Even if you are certain the things you are doing are helping make the world a better place for you and your family, you begin to wonder if it’s worth all the effort.

When you begin to doubt whether you have the strength to take another step, you are also in the position to appreciate the value of even the smallest gesture of encouragement.

A cup of cold water doesn’t mean much when you’ve been sitting on the couch for an hour or so; but if you’ve been out weeding the garden in the hot sun, it is refreshing nectar and you are delighted to receive such a gift.

I wonder how our world would be transformed if more of us looked for those people who need a cup of cold water—a word of encouragement—a sign of appreciation for the work they are doing to make the world a better place. I know it is much more effective to reward good behavior, than it is to punish bad behavior. More importantly, it is a much more gracious way to live.

As he comes to the close of his message to the Hebrews, the writer reminds each of us: “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” (13:1-2).  

Let me encourage you to encourage others, welcome them, and look for ways to show them hospitality; and I’ll be praying that others will offer you that cup of cold water at just the right time.