Faith
Stupid Steve and Doubting Thomas…You are the one who Jesus loved.
Doubting Thomas…That is what we call him anyway. Traditionally the reading for the Sunday after Easter is what we call the story of doubting Thomas. I find in fascinating that we pick this reading for after Easter and that we call him by this name. Its like we only remember the worst thing about him and run with it. What is most fascinating to me in the text is Jesus doesn’t give him that name. It is what you and I have named him. We took his worst moment in the Gospels and attached that to him for his lifetime and throughout history.
I remember back to my life as a grade school/Middles school student and I am glad that I am not named weird Steve, quiet Steve, or stupid Steve…Well I suppose I could have been called all those things at one point or another in my life and actually probably far worse if I really knew what people thought of me as young person. I have called myself far worse in my head. I am glad this thing called Facebook wasn’t around and my mother has very few pictures of me to remember all the awful things I ever did as a child because back then we didnt take a picture/video of every dumb thing we ever did.
What is every time you walked around this world everyone only remembered you for the worst thing you ever did? I know some of us think that is the way we are supposed to be. You see we take our worst sin and have a hard time letting it go. We walk around day and night just holding onto that sin. We make it our name badge. We sometimes even share it with others. It might be the sin of hatred, or something truly evil we did as a child, teen, or young adult. It might be we think of ourselves as divorcee, bully, or terrible parent. We all walk around with baggage.
I will tell you this, as I remind myself on daily basis, my name is not stupid Steve. You and I are not named after our worst mistake we are called beloved. My name is the one who Jesus loved. I can try to make my name something else or try to make it more than that, but ultimately it is the name Jesus calls me. The name he gave me when he called me his own in my baptism. May we all remember what our real name is today. If you are walking around thinking of your name as something other than loved than let me remind you that your are the one whom Jesus loved!
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:24-28 ESV
Routines…New, Old and Changed
I have worn more sweat pants over the last four weeks than I think I have in my entire life. These last few weeks have been trying to figure out my routines. Things are not the same a they were before the stay at home orders. I would say in some ways it has been good and in some ways it has been difficult. Certainly things I tried to do early in the process are not happening nearly as often today. Things like wearing dress pants and dress shirt even when I have to come into the office has been lost as the weeks have gone on. Even getting up early to be in the “office” (my kitchen table) by 8am has not happened. Some things are never going to be the same.
17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the[c] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26:17, 26-29 ESV
As I was thinking about it this week I was thinking about the Lord Supper. How Jesus took something they had been doing in the Passover/Sabbath meal and tweaked it. He took something in their routine and made it that much more meaningful. I imagine the very next week when they got together for Sabbath meal they sat in awe of the moment it could never be the same. They couldn’t look at it the same way. When those disciples sat together and ate the meal together everything was different.
Lots of things we have done these last few weeks will not be the same. Hopefully you and I can consider some new routines that glorify Jesus. I know for me one of those things will to be to appreciate the power of being together in worship and most especially the gathering around the Lords table. I also pray for me that this routine of being in the word more outside of class will continue into the future. What are the things in your new routine you want to keep? What things will you cherish more? What things do you want to get back? Jesus comes to bring change, may that change help us all grow in our trust in Him.
Anticipation…from dread to hope!
Anticipation is something we deal with on a daily basis these days. It used to be with excited anticipation, but recently I think much of our anticipation is dread. We are sitting and waiting for something to go wrong. The anticipation of today is not what I enjoy. It has been a tough season of anticipation.
This January when I went to Israel I bought this Bethlehem wood sculpture. It is one my favorite things I bought there. I bought a lot of things for teaching students and families. I got coins, prayer shawls, pictures, and a rams horn, all so I could teach about Jesus to others. This item however was for me. It was supposed to be a reminder of what Jesus did for me from beginning to end.
I spent way too much on this item and if my wife knew how much it was she would have told me no. Well maybe not, but she probably would have shook her head. I couldn’t resist it though. For me this little item has been a great reminder for holy week and our struggles with anticipation. Here is what I see. I see the baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph and I see the cross. From the very beginning of all the eager anticipation of the coming of Jesus it was all meant for the cross.
Today many of us are waiting in anticipation. We are waiting for new numbers of people infected, or if a loved one is sick, or if someone in my family will pass away. Our Anticipation is something we deal with on a daily basis. It is certainly not the anticipation of joy we are used to. And yet I imagine the Angles in heaven, from the time he was born looking on with baited breath in anticipation of when it all would happen. When would God redeem his people and the whole world. I imagine they looked on in wonder, or maybe sadness and fear as it all played out. Even when God sent Jesus to the cross maybe they didn’t even fully understand everything that was going on. Fear may have even enveloped them as it did for His disciples. Maybe fear is enveloping you in these days of anticipation.
For this week I would ask you to turn off your TV and focus on something else. Focus on the cross. The cross was where our place was taken and as we enter these days ahead we will make it to the empty tomb. All of this Anticipation went from dread to hope. Maybe today as we get closer to the cross, His death and Resurrection you can look on with anticipation of the hope we have in Jesus and throw off the dread that so easily takes hold.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 8:18-25 ESV
I want a child like faith!
So one of the great things about no school is time. We have time to talk with our kids, and families, time to just sit back and reflect on our joys of being together….Ok so really I wish this previous statement were more true than not. This past week I think I may have said out loud “Children it is time for all of you to be quarantined in your own rooms with head phones on.” At one point all I heard was my daughters friends from school on Google hangouts. I heard endless giggling and talking. My daughter was walking around the house and my wife turned to me and said we really are going to have to thank Jeff for starting all of our kids onto this group chat thing. That all being said, I want to go back to that first statement. I had this moment tonight where Jesus began to teach through my daughter because I was around in these day to listen to her.
Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
Luke 18:15-17 ESV
We were sitting on the coach last night. I was tired and started watching a video called the Chosen. It is a new Jesus tv series you can stream for free. I actually really like it especially as I have been reading through the Gospels this Lenten season. The show in episode 7 shows Nicodemus coming to Jesus to hear those famous words in John 3:16. Ella looks at me as she is sitting and watching and says “Dad I have so many questions for when Jesus comes. Will he just tell us all these things or will we know?” I looked at her and said I don’t really know but I am excited too. I can’t wait to fully understand all of this. She asked if we could watch one more episode but I said tomorrow. She wants to watch all of them with me again because she missed the early ones.
I was moved by this whole moment because of her hunger for Jesus. This kid reminded me of the child like faith I so quickly lose in my life. She was so innocent in her want to know Jesus and fully understand him. To fully understand His love for us. How are you doing in your child like faith? I know I have more often than not come to reading the word as a chore or something to get through, or something to do for work. I want to be more like my younger daughter and come to it with such excitement that I can’t help but smile when I hear about Jesus. May we all find this child like faith in these coming days.
youthguysteve 