It's About Trust

"But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." - Mark 13:32

In the Bible, only one person has known the exact date life on earth was to be destroyed. Noah, who was told by God to build a really big boat, eventually listened and did as God asked him to do. By trusting in God, Noah was able to save his family - and humanity - by riding out the storm in an ark filled with animals. While this isn't quite the same as Armageddon, the people of that time would have surely thought the world was coming to an end. At least, their world was.

But the kind of destruction Jesus is preaching about isn't the same as what the people of Noah's time would have experienced. Jesus is talking about the complete, unequivocal end of the world. Not just the death of humans, but a complete upheaval and change to what we consider "our world". And while Jesus gives us clues as to how to recognize it and what it may be like, in the end we're still left wondering how and when it will happen.

Like Noah, we need to put our trust in God on this one. Jesus makes it clear that even he doesn't know when it'll happen. It's purely God's show, just as creation was. And while it may be scary, as long as we believe in God and his son, Jesus Christ, we have nothing to worry about. Whether the end times are today, tomorrow, next year or in ten thousand years, we need not worry. God loves us, will protect us, and will be with us always - whether the earth is being destroyed or not.

The world is temporary, but God is not!

End

"Jesus said to his disciples: 'In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.' " - Mark 13:24-25

End times. Tribulation. Armageddon. They're words that invoke a very basic, primal response in our minds. The thought that everything around us could soon be gone. That, as with all things, there is a beginning and an end. It's been envisoned as earthquakes, meteor showers, war, famine and everything in between. And Jesus isn't changing that bright image for any of us - it'll be dark and scary. 

I'm one of those people that floats in my belief - sometimes it's positive reinforcement (a beautiful sunset, a prayer being answered), and sometimes it's negative reinforcement (often brought about after considering my own mortality). And while Jesus's warning is a very useful testament for reinforcing belief, I don't think he's saying it to scare people into believing what he's preaching. I think it's something different.

He's saying, in no uncertain terms, that God has ultimate control because God has had this planned from the beginning. That our lives - while individually unique - fit into an overall plan for humanity. A plan that eventually comes to an end (at least, an end of what we're used to). A plan that's been in place before we existed, and one that goes well past our existence.

The good news is, God love us, and wants us to be a part of the new plan - the new Kingdom of Heaven. And Jesus is how we get there. It's not hard, but it is so important that Jesus spends time talking about it. 

If only if we'd listen...

Simplistic Complexity

"One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, 'Which is the first of all the commandments?' " - Mark 12:28

"You shall not have other gods beside me. " - Exodus 20:3

For a Jew in the time of Jesus, the answer to the scribe's question should have been second nature. Even for Jews, Christians and others of our time, the first commandment (as in the first rule on the first tablet brought down by Moses from Mount Sinai) is pretty easy to remember - "You shall not have other gods beside me". If the Ten Commandments deal with fundamental truths, this would no doubt be the first - if not the most important - because it establishes God as our God - our ultimate leader, example and who we strive to please.

So how does Jesus respond? Does he respond as the typical Jew of his time would? Yes - but with additions. He certainly reiterates that God is our "Lord alone" - but instead of ending it there, he continues, describing how we live that commandment: by loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. In short, we dedicate ourselves to loving God completely. It's a very human explanation to a very God-like commandment.

But Jesus doesn't stop there - he continues, pointing out the second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. And by doing so, he summarizes the remaining nine commandments - in all their complexity - into one single instruction - love take from them. You respect them. You share in their successes, and help them through their failures.

It's a commandment that, despite it's simplicity, takes away any complexities in trying to understand what God wants us to do. If you love someone, you're doing what God is asking you to do.

Simple!

A Sign of Faith

"Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, 'Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.' And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. " - Mark 10:46-48

According to prophesy, the Messiah was to be the seed of David - that is, King David. The same David who fought Goliath, to whom many Psalms are either attributed to or written by, and whose annointing turned Samuel's oil to pearls and diamonds. So David is a pretty well known and well-respected figure to the Jews of Jesus's time.

And to have a blind man - no doubt already shunned from society - call out and identify Jesus as a descendent of David would have been both an embarrassment to the Jews and possibly blasphemy depending on who was listening.

But Bartimaeus didn't care. He was willing to call to Jesus in a way clearly identifying who he thought Jesus was, because he knew Jesus could heal him. He knew Jesus wasn't like the temple priests, the scribes, the pharisees. Jesus was wholly someone different - someone who was sent to help others believe. 

When I first started writing this blog, I was fairly shy about my faith. I've certainly had my moments when I was willing to express it - but it was usually in a safe place with fellow believers. I wasn't ever the type to share my belief with anyone who passes by - and certainly not through the channels of social media. After all, what if I risk offending a friend? What if people start thinking I'm one of those people - start developing preconcieved notions about who I am, what I believe and what I think about others? 

While it's been a bit of a struggle on my part, I've tried to take a page from Bartimaeus's book - that I shouldn't care what other people may think or assume about me because of what I believe. That I too should be demonstrating my belief - confirming it day after day - because it's who I am, and how I choose to live. And in doing so, I've learned a lot about my own faith - I've been forced to look things up that I didn't understand, read more into bible passages to figure out the setting, and try to "seek the meaning of divine words which is hidden from others" - including myself.

Thankfully, so far, no one has yet told me to be silent. :)

Me First!

"James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, 'Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.' He replied, 'What do you wish me to do for you?' They answered him, 'Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.' " - Mark 10:35-37

James and John have been around Jesus for awhile. And while they certainly were extraordinary men, they still were human and still had weaknesses. In this case, James and John were feeling like they were pretty special - and thought that should be recognized when they make it to Heaven. After all, they've been in the weeds with Jesus, turning away from their old life and following Jesus in a new life. Why shouldn't they be afforded this special privilege?

I find that, some days, I do that too. That there must be something special waiting just for me, because of all the good things I say and do while I'm here on earth. 

But when it comes down to it, there was only one person - ever - that was more special in the eyes of God than anyone else. That person was his only son, Jesus Christ. It's a hard thing to swallow - especially on those days when you feel like you've gone the extra mile. But in the eyes of God, we are all equal - all his children, doing our best to help each other out. And when we do go that extra mile, we should take comfort in how pleased God is with us - and how we've helped out someone and made them feel special, or just helped them get by. 

It may show them just what's waiting if they do the same.

The Best Things In Life

"Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, 'You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.' At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. " - Mark 10:21-22

I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that I can sympathize with the man Jesus instructs. After all, I have yet to sell all my things and give it to the poor. But I think, while Jesus instructs this man to sell everything, he did so because of what these possessions meant to the man:

Everything.

For someone who sees "things" as a mark of accomplishment - a way to openly demonstrate your success, your capability in life, then being asked to get rid of it all would seem like the hardest task, the most impossible chore. But maybe, as the man pondered if he can get rid of it, how he'll ultimately do it, and what he absolutely can't part with - he'll see the hidden meaning in Jesus's request.

That they're just "things". "Things" that have no meaning when it's all over. "Things" that may provide satisfaction now, but should not be the sole focus in life. That focusing too much on "things" may start to make those things more important than God. And once that happens, it's very hard to turn away and let go of those "things" for something much more real - and something that's everlasting.

It's tough - and it's something we need to be constantly aware of. That our primary focus in life isn't on getting more "things", but understanding God and loving each other.

 

It's Not Easy

"As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, 'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'" - Mark 10:17

I often get caught up in the day-to-day rush of life. The wake up-work-home-kid stuff-home-bedtime-relax-bed routine that seems to dominate our little family of five. And so it's easy to focus on "doing enough" to feel like I'm giving God some time in that routine. That saying prayers at meals and at bed time is enough, and that the rest of my life can go on when those activities are over. 

Unfortunately for the man talking to Jesus (and for us), it's not that easy. It isn't an equation that we can simply solve for - that our life + some fraction of God will be enough. Rather, we need to weave God into our lives at all times - from the moment we wake up to the moment we close our eyes. And it's hard - it takes work, constant reminders, and (to borrow a phrase) constant vigilance to always put God first. It's a challenge that we will certainly fail at some days, but one that we must continue to strive for, for the reward is far greater than the effort.

And we just might find that, by doing so, we won't be as focused on the reward - but rather, we'll be able to see and absorb life with a vividness we have yet to experience. That, by putting God first, we can see and experience His glory in all aspects of life,  in areas that had once seemed mundane, boring or routine. It allows us to receive the reward now and later - something Jesus knew quite well and wanted us to experience for ourselves.

As for the man in the story - we'll find out soon enough what he had to do to change his life. And for him, it might have been too hard. Hopefully, we can learn a lesson from his mistakes.

Additional Note: I apologize for the unexpected week off in posting to my blog. I was a bit under the weather all last week, catching a pretty nasty cold that had me pretty worn down by the end of the day. Thankfully, after almost two weeks with it, I'm feeling better!