He Entered And Sat Down

Matthew 26:57-58 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled.  But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

            I never gave it much thought, but in the scale of spirituality, that extends all the way from Atheist to Zealot (zero to 100 on a numerical scale) there must be a measure for “Spectator”.  By spectator I mean, just as in the case of Peter at the trial of Jesus, someone who will sit down and just watch to see the outcome.  In the case of Peter he was sitting amongst the temple guards.  I guess you could call that an unfriendly crowd.  It was the first step in the steep slide for Peter to go from boasting of being willing to die with Christ to denial of knowing Christ.  The point I am trying to make is how many of us act as spectators at times in our lives?  Are we out there in the ministry field sharing the love of Jesus?  Or are we sitting down and waiting to see the outcome?  To be a spectator goes so far against the grain of what we are taught in scripture.  When we look into part of what Jesus shared in the Sermon on the Mount, as captured in Matthew 5:14-16 we know that being a spectator is not fulfilling the desire Christ has for us in our lives. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

            There are many opportunities to be the light of the world.  We all can be that light to our immediate family, to our friends, our distant relatives, our community, our place of work, and even to the world.  The opportunities are plentiful. Yet if we just stay in our seats we do not have an opportunity to share the love of Christ with anyone.  If we stay in our seats, how will those who are burdened with illness, disease, or injury know that there is a God who loves them, and cares for them?  If we stay in our seats how will those who have suffered the loss of loved ones to a random act of senseless violence know that there is a God who loves them, cares for them?  How will they learn of the God who wants to comfort them in their loss with a peace that surpasses all understanding?  We all are the city on a hill that cannot and should not be hidden.  We do not light a lamp that is the love of Christ and then immediately cover it with a basket.  The city on the hill, the light of Christ needs to be seen by a world that desperately needs to find Jesus.  When we share the love and light of Christ, the gift is shared over and over. But when we are spectators, the light remains covered; the city is hidden from view.  You are saved by the sacrifice of Christ whether you get out of the spectator mode or not.  But how many more need to hear that good news?  And if you remain a spectator, how many will not hear the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Prayer: Lord, there are times when we are timid in how and who we share our faith with.  We are hesitant to take the first big step and share with others what has been shared with us by those who cared deeply for us. We are weak and You are strong. In Jesus’ name we ask for the faith to overcome our weakness.  We ask for the strength to stand up and step out boldly in sharing the love of God with others that need to know of Your love for all mankind.  These things we ask for in the strong name of Jesus, Amen. 

I Am He

John 18:4-6 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”  They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.  When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

One of the great joys of writing devotionals is the research and prayer.  The opportunity to dive into scripture to research and learn is a true blessing.  This week I found a couple of stories in my research.  The trigger for the “digging” came from verse 6 of John 18. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.  Bible commentators have pointed to the power of the name of Jesus as being recognized, even in the time of Jesus as a powerful name. And that set me to wondering about our modern day society.  So I looked on-line and found a couple of good examples. 

July, 2010.  Held up at gunpoint, a store clerk invoked her faith to turn the desperate thief into a repentant gunman. When a man tried to rob a MetroPCS cell phone store at gunpoint in Pompano Beach, Fla., store manager Nayara Goncalves, 20, calmly talked to the man about Jesus and her faith until he left without taking any money. Goncalves said she doesn't know why she began to talk to him about Jesus. "I believe it was the Holy Spirit of God that really made me want to tell him about Jesus," Goncalves told ABCNews.com

January, 2010.  Marian Chadwick used the heftiest weapons she could find when a man tried to rob her Frisco shop Monday night - her finger and the power of God. And they worked. Chadwick owns Extravagant Necessities, a crafts boutique near Stonebriar Country Club. She was finishing a sale with her last customer of the day when a hooded man walked in, pointed a gun at her and demanded money. Chadwick told him she had none. He pounded the gun twice on the counter. "I got mad," said the 57-year old, pursing her lips. "The Texas part of me was challenged. So I pointed my finger and said, 'In the name of Jesus, you get out of my store. I bind you by the power of the Holy Spirit."  The gunman took a step back and told customer Kathy Vereen to drop to the floor. After she refused, Chadwick pointed her finger at the man and continued to chastise him. He walked out of the store cursing. He took nothing. Source is the Dallas Morning News.

I admire the faith and courage of these two women.  The Holy Spirit was obviously acting in a bold way, but the name of Jesus has power you and I can scarce imagine.  Yet we should not be surprised. We need only look at scripture to see proof of the true power of the Lord. 

First we can look in Isaiah 45 21-23 Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.  "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.  By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.'

 Second, we find more proof when we read Philippians 2:9-11.  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A deep faith places complete trust in the name of Jesus.  A faith that flows freely from the Father in Heaven whose love knows no bounds. We who are weak tend to trust that which we can grasp in our hands.  Those who are strong grasp onto what serves them the best, the name of Jesus.  I strive for that kind of faith and I hope that is also your goal.

Prayer: Father we look to many times at the physical world for answers and protection when we should be looking to you. All to often the temptation is there and we reach out and grab onto something we can touch.  Our faith is weak in those times. Help us to find the faith we need to trust in You.  Let the name of Jesus be our watchword, our source of strength and salvation. Guide us in Your love to be strong when we are weak Lord. We ask this in the name of Jesus, Amen.