Good morning,
Joseph, in the Old Testament, is often referred to as being the most Christ-like person in the Old Testament. As we journey with Jesus our Lord to Jerusalem, and to the Cross we look at Jesus, as He was on the Cross, saying Father forgive them, for they know not what do".
Even a casual reader will find the story of Joseph compelling. It is full of love, hope, dreams (literally), betrayal, mental and physical suffering, and, ultimately, triumph over some of the worst adversities that could befall an innocent person. It took years for the story to unfold, years that were marked by success and failure, hope and despair. He is a role model for faith, tenacity, devotion, purity, patience, and trust. Scripture says, "He [i.e., God] sent a man before them--Joseph--who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him" (Ps. 105:17-19 NKJV). Was he ever tested! Some of us can relate very well with Joseph’s tests. A few of us will relate to Joseph’s ultimate victory over his adversities.
Was Joseph tested beyond recovery? Was he tested beyond repair? Was he tested beyond hope of their ever being any change in his circumstances? If it ever became necessary to forgive, was he tested beyond the ability to forgive? Was he tested beyond the ability to "forget those things that were behind," to put it all safely, securely, away without it ever bothering him daily with thoughts of regret, or even revenge? Was he tested beyond being able to sleep at night, to toss and turn as his mind raced with thoughts of failure and feelings of hopelessness? He may have felt all these things at one time or another. Ultimately, however, he turned the corner, and came to a place where he would say, "forgetting those things which are in the past, I reach with excitement for the things that are before me." How is that possible? What was the turning point in Joseph’s life?
"And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: 'For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.' And the name of the second he called Ephraim: 'For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.'"
(Genesis 41:50-52 NKJV).
God gave Joseph two living testimonies in the form of two fine sons. Joseph recognized that both of these boys were God’s provision to help him get on with his life. These boys were a key for finding the joy of victory in forgetting his past.
God can, or He may have, give us a "Manasseh" and an "Ephraim" to bless our lives. In other words, God can give some form of blessing that will cause us to get on with our lives and put misery behind us. It is for the Holy Spirit to make forgiveness real in our lives and in our faith. For those who may have despaired, who may be held as a hostage to something in the past, who feel that they have failed in some area, God has a "Manasseh" and an "Ephraim" for you. You can both forget the past misery, despair, disappointment, hurts, and heartaches and enjoy the freedom that each brings. At the same time you can say, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." Use your "Manesseh" and your "Ephraim" to unlock the prison of your past hurts and disappointments.
Robert Louis Stevenson said, "Make up your mind to be happy - learn to find pleasure in simple things." He further said, "Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish enmities and grudges" and "Don’t hold postmortems or spend time brooding over sorrows and mistakes . . . Don’t be the one who never gets over things."
God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit are available resources to anyone who, "with purpose of heart" (see Acts 11:23), will seek the joy and freedom of "forgetting those things which are past." The key to it all is found in one sentence from Isaiah 1:19 where the Holy Spirit says, "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land" (NKJV).
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dooif2-yAoI
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 3-24-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this Wednesday before Palm Sunday. We will gather for our mid-week gathering this evening at 6 PM for a wonderful meal prepared with much love. Then we will gather for Bible study and prayer at 6.30 PM. We will be looking at Mathew 6 in our Bible study this evening. The Choir will gather at 7.30 PM for Easter Cantata Practice; the cantata will be presented on Palm Sunday at both morning services. We will gather for our annual Easter Banquet this Saturday at 5.30 PM followed by the Presentation of Simon Peter by Dr. James Geer, PhD, at 7 PM. We will gather for Palm Sunday Celebration at 8.30 and 11.00 AM and at 9.30 AM at Wesley.
Praise the Lord for the Joy which Jesus, our Savior, brings to us. He is the Joy of man's desiring. There is a great Joy in knowing Christ as our Lord. There is a greater joy in serving Him as our King. There is an extravagant joy in worshipping Him as the Risen Lord and King.
I read a story some time ago about a man working in New York City at a very stressful marketing job. He was asked to take 3 days off and spend time among the people of the city probing them with questions about some of the products that they were marketing. It had been cold and wet in the city for the past week as a cold winter storm had been blowing through. Then, one morning, the man woke up on the first of his three days off, to bright and sunny skies. As he got ready for the excursion out amongst the people he reached into his pants pocket and found a $100 dollar bill. As he walked out, enjoying the sunshine in Central Park, he stopped at a hot dog stand for lunch. The hot dog vendor had run out of change so he gave the man his lottery ticket and told him that if they won he would split ½ of it with him. Later that day as he was talking with people, when he met a beautiful woman who asked him to escort her to dinner; he said sure! When the woman arrived to pick him up she was in a stretch limousine and it turned out that she was the queen of some small European city-state, heading to a United Nations dinner with the President of the United States. As they are driving to dinner he flipped on the TV in the car as the numbers are being given for that night's lottery, with an estimated grand prize of 35 million dollars. There he was, on his first day off, arriving at the nicest hotel in New York, with a beautiful queen on his arm, realizing that he just won the lottery, thinking that it just does not get any better than this.
Sometimes we feel as if we are walking on cloud 9, and our emotions could be classified as nothing short of pure joy! Life is not always a negative experience.
All of us have experienced days when everything actually goes right, and we are in a good mood, full of happiness and life. We have all experienced times when we think, “Wow! I am just glad to be alive to enjoy this moment!” Life can be joyous and we should not feel bad when we do get to celebrate and shout for joy, but we also need to remember that joy is a gift. “Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God” James 1:17 Joy is a gift from God! God wants us to have a jouful time here on earth! When we have joy, when we are given a good and perfect gift from above, our first response should be to give credit where credit is due. Give the Lord the credit he deserves for sending some joyful experience your way. Psalm 92:4 “You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.”
As a third-century man was anticipating his pending death, he penned these last words to a friend, "It’s a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians--and I am one of them."
When the Lord gives us the gift of a joyful time in life, let us enjoy it whole- heartedly. Deuteronomy 27:7 “Rejoice before the LORD your God.”
Karl Barth once said, “It must be said that we can have joy, and therefore will have it, only as we give it to others… there may be cases where a man can be really merry in isolation. But these are exceptional and dangerous.” When we have joy, when we are in the middle of God’s gift of joy, we need to also pass that on to others. Proverbs 15:30 “Smiling faces make you happy, and good news makes you feel better.” Our world is full of hurting people, sad people, and people who need to experience some joy in their lives. When the Lord blesses you with joy let that experience spill over into your friend’s lives.
John 15:10 – 11 “When you obey me, you remain in my love… I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”
In His Joy,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx9Yi9eaTAs
Praise the Lord for this Wednesday before Palm Sunday. We will gather for our mid-week gathering this evening at 6 PM for a wonderful meal prepared with much love. Then we will gather for Bible study and prayer at 6.30 PM. We will be looking at Mathew 6 in our Bible study this evening. The Choir will gather at 7.30 PM for Easter Cantata Practice; the cantata will be presented on Palm Sunday at both morning services. We will gather for our annual Easter Banquet this Saturday at 5.30 PM followed by the Presentation of Simon Peter by Dr. James Geer, PhD, at 7 PM. We will gather for Palm Sunday Celebration at 8.30 and 11.00 AM and at 9.30 AM at Wesley.
Praise the Lord for the Joy which Jesus, our Savior, brings to us. He is the Joy of man's desiring. There is a great Joy in knowing Christ as our Lord. There is a greater joy in serving Him as our King. There is an extravagant joy in worshipping Him as the Risen Lord and King.
I read a story some time ago about a man working in New York City at a very stressful marketing job. He was asked to take 3 days off and spend time among the people of the city probing them with questions about some of the products that they were marketing. It had been cold and wet in the city for the past week as a cold winter storm had been blowing through. Then, one morning, the man woke up on the first of his three days off, to bright and sunny skies. As he got ready for the excursion out amongst the people he reached into his pants pocket and found a $100 dollar bill. As he walked out, enjoying the sunshine in Central Park, he stopped at a hot dog stand for lunch. The hot dog vendor had run out of change so he gave the man his lottery ticket and told him that if they won he would split ½ of it with him. Later that day as he was talking with people, when he met a beautiful woman who asked him to escort her to dinner; he said sure! When the woman arrived to pick him up she was in a stretch limousine and it turned out that she was the queen of some small European city-state, heading to a United Nations dinner with the President of the United States. As they are driving to dinner he flipped on the TV in the car as the numbers are being given for that night's lottery, with an estimated grand prize of 35 million dollars. There he was, on his first day off, arriving at the nicest hotel in New York, with a beautiful queen on his arm, realizing that he just won the lottery, thinking that it just does not get any better than this.
Sometimes we feel as if we are walking on cloud 9, and our emotions could be classified as nothing short of pure joy! Life is not always a negative experience.
All of us have experienced days when everything actually goes right, and we are in a good mood, full of happiness and life. We have all experienced times when we think, “Wow! I am just glad to be alive to enjoy this moment!” Life can be joyous and we should not feel bad when we do get to celebrate and shout for joy, but we also need to remember that joy is a gift. “Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God” James 1:17 Joy is a gift from God! God wants us to have a jouful time here on earth! When we have joy, when we are given a good and perfect gift from above, our first response should be to give credit where credit is due. Give the Lord the credit he deserves for sending some joyful experience your way. Psalm 92:4 “You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.”
As a third-century man was anticipating his pending death, he penned these last words to a friend, "It’s a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians--and I am one of them."
When the Lord gives us the gift of a joyful time in life, let us enjoy it whole- heartedly. Deuteronomy 27:7 “Rejoice before the LORD your God.”
Karl Barth once said, “It must be said that we can have joy, and therefore will have it, only as we give it to others… there may be cases where a man can be really merry in isolation. But these are exceptional and dangerous.” When we have joy, when we are in the middle of God’s gift of joy, we need to also pass that on to others. Proverbs 15:30 “Smiling faces make you happy, and good news makes you feel better.” Our world is full of hurting people, sad people, and people who need to experience some joy in their lives. When the Lord blesses you with joy let that experience spill over into your friend’s lives.
John 15:10 – 11 “When you obey me, you remain in my love… I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”
In His Joy,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx9Yi9eaTAs
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 3-23-10
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the way the Lord of the earth and the heavens ushers in the seasons. Praise the Lord for the season of Spring. The temperature last Sunday reached to about 75 - it was balmy and beautiful. I had a note from our friend in Oklahoma that they had 9 inches of snow this past weekend. Laureen spent an extended weekend in Washington with Sunita and Andy. She has a very blessed time. She got back home yesterday, safe and sound.
One of the readings for last Sunday was taken from Psalm 126. The Psalm depicts the Joy in the journey for the people of the Lord who are redeemed by the Lord. Joy characterizes the Christian journey. Joy is not the absence of sorrow; it is the ability to have faith and be thankful in the midst of all circumstances. According to C. S. Lewis, joy is as unpredictable as the One who gives it; so C.S. Lewis titled his autobiography, "Surprised By Joy".
Joy is the outcome of the Christian life. We don’t generate it. The Lord does. None of us have joy within ourselves. It is neither inborn nor self-generating. People seek to attain joy through entertainment, which offers a temporary, artificial joy or satisfaction. The vast entertainment industry in our nation is a sign of the depletion of joy in our culture. Many people act like bored kings in need of a court jester. It is foolish to think that it is possible to find joy from entertainment. Joy is not a commodity and it cannot be purchased. We do not need mere distraction from our stressful lives; we need a cure. The only cure comes from a living relationship with Christ. Our need for joy is legitimate, but how that need is met often is not.
The joy spoken of in Psalm 126 is past, present, and future. “We were filled with laughter” and “songs of joy” in verse 2. In verse 3: “we are filled with joy”. Verse 6 says that we “will return with songs of joy” vs 6.
The joy that was lavished on Israel gave the nation a reputation for blessedness. “Then it was said among the nations, ‘the Lord has done great things for them’.” (Psalm 126:2) The “nations” refers to the heathen gentiles, who became convinced that Israel had something special that set them apart—a God who took care of them. God allowed them to be taken captive to preserve their ethnic and spiritual identity, then returned them to the land of promise. So great was this act of restoration that all nations heard about it. God’s deliverance makes unbelievers stand back and take notice. The psalmist deliberately stated that it was “the Lord” who “brought back the captives to Zion” (vs 1)—not king Cyrus of Persia, who is credited by history with the release of the Jewish captives. In 538 BC Cyrus signed an edict releasing the Jews, allowing them to return to their homeland. In Proverbs we’re told, “The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord”. Humanly speaking, the Persian king allowed Israel to return; but it was all part of God’s plan. The psalmist gave credit where credit was due. The Lord declared in Psalm 46, “I will be exalted among the nations” (vs 10).
We are given comforting assurance in the words of verse 5, “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” To “sow in tears” is a reference to death. It was a common way of referring to burial; even Jesus used this imagery when He described death as "a seed buried in the ground which will sprout into new life" (John 12:24). The grave is not the final word. We can rejoice, even in the face of death, because we have hope for restoration, the promise of eternal life. Sorrow is our sowing, and rejoicing will be our reaping.
Verse 6 assures us that, though we weep, we will rejoice. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus sowed tears for a world lost in sin. In another garden, He destroyed the power of sin by conquering death. Homecoming and harvest are God’s promises to His people. God weeps with us, so that we may someday rejoice with Him. Because of Jesus, death is not the end of life. “Because I live, you shall live also”, Jesus said. “I am the resurrection and the life; they who believe in Me shall never die.” God took the worst deed of history, the Cross, and turned it into the greatest victory ever known. There will be an end to mourning. God will wipe the tears from our eyes. “We will come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.”
The image in these words is of harvest time. Sheaves were bundles of grain, usually wheat or barley, cut and bound together. Harvest was a highlight of the year, a time of great blessing and joy.
We often discover joy in the midst of sorrow. During the most painful times we become aware of a spiritual reality larger than ourselves, that enables us to hope. Henri Nouwen wrote, “My grief was the place where I found my joy.” We may undergo hardship, but God will have the last word. This means we can rejoice even when our wishes are not realized.
Joy is not an escape from sorrow. We foolishly think we can achieve joy by eliminating the things in life that hurt us. We are experts in constructing futile strategies for achieving joy. Yet, when we come to the end of our resources, we realize that joy is what God gives, not what we can attain by our work. True joy enables us to face reality, because we do so with the assurance that God is working in our lives, even the things that cause us pain, to bring about His perfect will.
In His JOY.
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSw7CcAXPWk
Praise the Lord for the way the Lord of the earth and the heavens ushers in the seasons. Praise the Lord for the season of Spring. The temperature last Sunday reached to about 75 - it was balmy and beautiful. I had a note from our friend in Oklahoma that they had 9 inches of snow this past weekend. Laureen spent an extended weekend in Washington with Sunita and Andy. She has a very blessed time. She got back home yesterday, safe and sound.
One of the readings for last Sunday was taken from Psalm 126. The Psalm depicts the Joy in the journey for the people of the Lord who are redeemed by the Lord. Joy characterizes the Christian journey. Joy is not the absence of sorrow; it is the ability to have faith and be thankful in the midst of all circumstances. According to C. S. Lewis, joy is as unpredictable as the One who gives it; so C.S. Lewis titled his autobiography, "Surprised By Joy".
Joy is the outcome of the Christian life. We don’t generate it. The Lord does. None of us have joy within ourselves. It is neither inborn nor self-generating. People seek to attain joy through entertainment, which offers a temporary, artificial joy or satisfaction. The vast entertainment industry in our nation is a sign of the depletion of joy in our culture. Many people act like bored kings in need of a court jester. It is foolish to think that it is possible to find joy from entertainment. Joy is not a commodity and it cannot be purchased. We do not need mere distraction from our stressful lives; we need a cure. The only cure comes from a living relationship with Christ. Our need for joy is legitimate, but how that need is met often is not.
The joy spoken of in Psalm 126 is past, present, and future. “We were filled with laughter” and “songs of joy” in verse 2. In verse 3: “we are filled with joy”. Verse 6 says that we “will return with songs of joy” vs 6.
The joy that was lavished on Israel gave the nation a reputation for blessedness. “Then it was said among the nations, ‘the Lord has done great things for them’.” (Psalm 126:2) The “nations” refers to the heathen gentiles, who became convinced that Israel had something special that set them apart—a God who took care of them. God allowed them to be taken captive to preserve their ethnic and spiritual identity, then returned them to the land of promise. So great was this act of restoration that all nations heard about it. God’s deliverance makes unbelievers stand back and take notice. The psalmist deliberately stated that it was “the Lord” who “brought back the captives to Zion” (vs 1)—not king Cyrus of Persia, who is credited by history with the release of the Jewish captives. In 538 BC Cyrus signed an edict releasing the Jews, allowing them to return to their homeland. In Proverbs we’re told, “The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord”. Humanly speaking, the Persian king allowed Israel to return; but it was all part of God’s plan. The psalmist gave credit where credit was due. The Lord declared in Psalm 46, “I will be exalted among the nations” (vs 10).
We are given comforting assurance in the words of verse 5, “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” To “sow in tears” is a reference to death. It was a common way of referring to burial; even Jesus used this imagery when He described death as "a seed buried in the ground which will sprout into new life" (John 12:24). The grave is not the final word. We can rejoice, even in the face of death, because we have hope for restoration, the promise of eternal life. Sorrow is our sowing, and rejoicing will be our reaping.
Verse 6 assures us that, though we weep, we will rejoice. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus sowed tears for a world lost in sin. In another garden, He destroyed the power of sin by conquering death. Homecoming and harvest are God’s promises to His people. God weeps with us, so that we may someday rejoice with Him. Because of Jesus, death is not the end of life. “Because I live, you shall live also”, Jesus said. “I am the resurrection and the life; they who believe in Me shall never die.” God took the worst deed of history, the Cross, and turned it into the greatest victory ever known. There will be an end to mourning. God will wipe the tears from our eyes. “We will come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.”
The image in these words is of harvest time. Sheaves were bundles of grain, usually wheat or barley, cut and bound together. Harvest was a highlight of the year, a time of great blessing and joy.
We often discover joy in the midst of sorrow. During the most painful times we become aware of a spiritual reality larger than ourselves, that enables us to hope. Henri Nouwen wrote, “My grief was the place where I found my joy.” We may undergo hardship, but God will have the last word. This means we can rejoice even when our wishes are not realized.
Joy is not an escape from sorrow. We foolishly think we can achieve joy by eliminating the things in life that hurt us. We are experts in constructing futile strategies for achieving joy. Yet, when we come to the end of our resources, we realize that joy is what God gives, not what we can attain by our work. True joy enables us to face reality, because we do so with the assurance that God is working in our lives, even the things that cause us pain, to bring about His perfect will.
In His JOY.
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSw7CcAXPWk
Monday, March 22, 2010
Brown's Daily Word 3-22-10
Good morning,
It is officially Spring. The hundreds of crocuses in front of the parsonage say AMEN to that! We walked three miles yesterday, soaking in some Springtime sweetness and warmth before the Spring rains begin today. The Lord blessed us with a bountiful weekend. Our monthly gathering at the Grace Cafe at the Wesley UMC last Saturday was great blessing. The food was sumptuous. The fellowship was sweet. Eunice gave her testimony; it was beautiful and touching. Jeff spoke on Christians dealing with depression and overcoming in and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Yesterday our youth served their Spring Chicken barbeque, which was a huge success a (and a lot of fun).
Praise the Lord for His awesome power. He reigns and He rules. He is upon the throne. In the midst of the politically economically topsy-turvy world we rise up to worship the Living Lord.
The Gospel Reading for yesterday was taken from John 12:1-11. This account is sandwiched in between some (not all) of the religious leaders planning to arrest Jesus and put him and Lazarus to death and Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem by the welcoming crowds with palm branches and shouting “Hosanna!” You may also recall that, in chapter eleven, Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. Now, in chapter twelve, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary threw a party for Jesus and his disciples—probably out of their deep appreciation for the raising of Lazarus back to life.
The story of this meal is most unusual — in fact it is radical because Mary, in a surprising way, took center stage. In those days, it was unheard of for a woman to act as Mary did on this occasion. Women were not to be on center stage, especially in the presence of men! Not only did Mary crash this dinner party by taking center stage, but she did a most radical thing. She opened the seal of a pint-sized jar containing very expensive perfume and proceeded to pour it all over Jesus’ feet. As if that was not enough, she went on to wipe his feet with her long locks of hair.
Mary’s action of anointing and wiping Jesus’ feet in public was an act of loving extravagance, and spontaneous generosity. Webster’s dictionary defines extravagance as, “Spending more money than one can afford, or spending foolishly, carelessly or wastefully; using too much of anything involving expense; going beyond what is reasonable, justified or normal; exaggerated, overemphatic.” The expression of Mary’s deep love and gratitude for Jesus was carefully planned and calculated. Hers was a love that was full-to-overflowing with spontaneous, unmeasured giving towards Jesus in response to all that he had done for her and her family. Her loving extravagance and spontaneous generosity towards Jesus was an act of sacrificial giving. Mary was not content with convenient “minimal requirements,” or half-hearted gesturing. She went all out. By anointing Jesus with all of the perfume, nearly a whole year’s wages worth, she symbolically was giving herself completely in loving service of Jesus. Her loving, sacrificial example of serving Jesus in this way teaches us that we cannot fix a price on unconditional love. In true love there is no such thing as waste. True love moves us to act with extravagance and generosity as Mary did.
Mary’s extravagance and generosity was a prophetic act of courage and deep understanding. It was an act of courage precisely because it was so radical, so out of the ordinary, going far beyond the acceptable customs of that day. In a man’s world, it required a tremendous amount of courage on Mary’s part to crash that dinner party and anoint Jesus’ feet. Women were supposed to be unseen and unheard; their place was in the kitchen or behind the scenes. Only rarely were they shown in positions or roles of power, influence, and leadership. In her actions, Mary had the courage to express who she really was, and to be her true self as a faithful disciple of Jesus.
Sometimes we also might be inspired by Mary to have the courage to step beyond the confining, and stifling boundaries of the traditional customs of our day in order to express who we really are and to be our true selves in order to be faithful disciples of Jesus. Mary’s extravagant and generous anointing of Jesus’ feet was a prophetic act in which Mary, as Jesus rightly stated, did it to prepare him for his burial, which was just around the corner. Mary was given the insight to see that Jesus’ days on earth were numbered; he would soon face his own death. This was her way of preparing Jesus for that sad event. It was her way of saying good-bye to him. Yet, there may also be another prophetic meaning to Mary’s action. It may well be that Mary, in doing this action, was foreshadowing what Jesus himself would do with his disciples when he washed their feet. Understood in this light, we have here a prophetic act that underscores the truth of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus — namely, to live a life in humble service of others. Jesus, though he was the Messiah and “true God,” revealed that He was not a remote dictator on a throne in some luxurious palace. Rather, He revealed His nature in His humble service of others, such as in simple acts of washing his disciples' feet and leaving this example for every would-be disciple of his to follow. So, Mary foreshadowed a true discipleship of humble service toward others.
John, commenting on Mary’s act, noted its immediate consequence, as “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” John provided this little detail to point us to a deeper, more symbolic meaning. The perfume’s fragrance filling the house and lingering there for a while may very well be a symbol of the beauty and joy of our loving relationship with Jesus which lingers and fills our lives with fullness and meaning. The pleasant fragrance of that lingering perfume may remind us that our life in Christ is not intended to be stinky, dull or boring. Rather, it is intended to be chock-full of meaning, joy, beauty and adventure.
The lingering fragrance of the perfume may also point us to the sweetness of deeds of loving kindness. We never know how our acts of loving extravagance and spontaneous generosity will influence others. Some would say that such actions linger on long enough to make a big difference. Our acts of loving extravagance and spontaneous generosity may even change the Church and world. You never know… especially when Christ our Saviour is able to work in us, with us, and through us.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA_bo8DSOwg
It is officially Spring. The hundreds of crocuses in front of the parsonage say AMEN to that! We walked three miles yesterday, soaking in some Springtime sweetness and warmth before the Spring rains begin today. The Lord blessed us with a bountiful weekend. Our monthly gathering at the Grace Cafe at the Wesley UMC last Saturday was great blessing. The food was sumptuous. The fellowship was sweet. Eunice gave her testimony; it was beautiful and touching. Jeff spoke on Christians dealing with depression and overcoming in and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Yesterday our youth served their Spring Chicken barbeque, which was a huge success a (and a lot of fun).
Praise the Lord for His awesome power. He reigns and He rules. He is upon the throne. In the midst of the politically economically topsy-turvy world we rise up to worship the Living Lord.
The Gospel Reading for yesterday was taken from John 12:1-11. This account is sandwiched in between some (not all) of the religious leaders planning to arrest Jesus and put him and Lazarus to death and Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem by the welcoming crowds with palm branches and shouting “Hosanna!” You may also recall that, in chapter eleven, Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. Now, in chapter twelve, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary threw a party for Jesus and his disciples—probably out of their deep appreciation for the raising of Lazarus back to life.
The story of this meal is most unusual — in fact it is radical because Mary, in a surprising way, took center stage. In those days, it was unheard of for a woman to act as Mary did on this occasion. Women were not to be on center stage, especially in the presence of men! Not only did Mary crash this dinner party by taking center stage, but she did a most radical thing. She opened the seal of a pint-sized jar containing very expensive perfume and proceeded to pour it all over Jesus’ feet. As if that was not enough, she went on to wipe his feet with her long locks of hair.
Mary’s action of anointing and wiping Jesus’ feet in public was an act of loving extravagance, and spontaneous generosity. Webster’s dictionary defines extravagance as, “Spending more money than one can afford, or spending foolishly, carelessly or wastefully; using too much of anything involving expense; going beyond what is reasonable, justified or normal; exaggerated, overemphatic.” The expression of Mary’s deep love and gratitude for Jesus was carefully planned and calculated. Hers was a love that was full-to-overflowing with spontaneous, unmeasured giving towards Jesus in response to all that he had done for her and her family. Her loving extravagance and spontaneous generosity towards Jesus was an act of sacrificial giving. Mary was not content with convenient “minimal requirements,” or half-hearted gesturing. She went all out. By anointing Jesus with all of the perfume, nearly a whole year’s wages worth, she symbolically was giving herself completely in loving service of Jesus. Her loving, sacrificial example of serving Jesus in this way teaches us that we cannot fix a price on unconditional love. In true love there is no such thing as waste. True love moves us to act with extravagance and generosity as Mary did.
Mary’s extravagance and generosity was a prophetic act of courage and deep understanding. It was an act of courage precisely because it was so radical, so out of the ordinary, going far beyond the acceptable customs of that day. In a man’s world, it required a tremendous amount of courage on Mary’s part to crash that dinner party and anoint Jesus’ feet. Women were supposed to be unseen and unheard; their place was in the kitchen or behind the scenes. Only rarely were they shown in positions or roles of power, influence, and leadership. In her actions, Mary had the courage to express who she really was, and to be her true self as a faithful disciple of Jesus.
Sometimes we also might be inspired by Mary to have the courage to step beyond the confining, and stifling boundaries of the traditional customs of our day in order to express who we really are and to be our true selves in order to be faithful disciples of Jesus. Mary’s extravagant and generous anointing of Jesus’ feet was a prophetic act in which Mary, as Jesus rightly stated, did it to prepare him for his burial, which was just around the corner. Mary was given the insight to see that Jesus’ days on earth were numbered; he would soon face his own death. This was her way of preparing Jesus for that sad event. It was her way of saying good-bye to him. Yet, there may also be another prophetic meaning to Mary’s action. It may well be that Mary, in doing this action, was foreshadowing what Jesus himself would do with his disciples when he washed their feet. Understood in this light, we have here a prophetic act that underscores the truth of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus — namely, to live a life in humble service of others. Jesus, though he was the Messiah and “true God,” revealed that He was not a remote dictator on a throne in some luxurious palace. Rather, He revealed His nature in His humble service of others, such as in simple acts of washing his disciples' feet and leaving this example for every would-be disciple of his to follow. So, Mary foreshadowed a true discipleship of humble service toward others.
John, commenting on Mary’s act, noted its immediate consequence, as “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” John provided this little detail to point us to a deeper, more symbolic meaning. The perfume’s fragrance filling the house and lingering there for a while may very well be a symbol of the beauty and joy of our loving relationship with Jesus which lingers and fills our lives with fullness and meaning. The pleasant fragrance of that lingering perfume may remind us that our life in Christ is not intended to be stinky, dull or boring. Rather, it is intended to be chock-full of meaning, joy, beauty and adventure.
The lingering fragrance of the perfume may also point us to the sweetness of deeds of loving kindness. We never know how our acts of loving extravagance and spontaneous generosity will influence others. Some would say that such actions linger on long enough to make a big difference. Our acts of loving extravagance and spontaneous generosity may even change the Church and world. You never know… especially when Christ our Saviour is able to work in us, with us, and through us.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA_bo8DSOwg
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
