Laughable Exceptions

S - "While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from Jairus' home and said, “Your daughter has died! Why bother the teacher anymore?” Jesus heard what they said, and he said to Jairus, “Don't be afraid, merely believe!” Jesus did not let anyone go with him except Peter and the two brothers, James and John. They went home with Jairus and saw the people crying and making a lot of noise. Then Jesus went inside and said to them, “Why are you crying and carrying on like this? The child isn't dead. She is just asleep.” But the people laughed at him. After Jesus had sent them all out of the house, he took the girl's father and mother and his three followers and went to where she was. He took the twelve-year-old girl by the hand and said, “Talitha, koum!” which means, “Little girl, get up!” The girl got right up and started walking around. Everyone was greatly surprised. But Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened. Then he said, “Give her something to eat.”” Mark 5

O -  The tragedy Jairus hoped to prevent happened anyway. In the face of earth's most crushing inevitabilities Jesus tells him (man, father and community leader) to refuse fear and merely believe. Later, with death in full bloom, he tells a crowd of mourners to think and act differently about the little girl's condition. They suspend their grieving long enough to laugh at Jesus and his ridiculous conclusions. In the end everyone but Jesus is surprised. He is the resurrection. He is vibrant irrepressible life. With him nothing is impossible.

A - These dynamics play out repeatedly on earth. Jesus' thinking and living is very different from the way earth trains its own. From daily bread to demons and from inevitabilities to impossibilities he calls all to his very different ways. "Then Jesus started telling people, “Change your thinking! The kingdom of heaven has come near. (Matthew 4)" "I tell you for certain we know what we are talking about because we have seen it ourselves. But none of you will accept what we say. If you don't believe when I talk to you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I talk to you about heavenly things? (John 3)" Will I accept and pursue the transformed thinking Jesus calls us to? Will I believe him about earth and not just about heaven? I'll join Jairus and put my confidence in Jesus.

P - Lord who is eternal, resurrection life,

I admit my desperate need for transformed thinking on a daily and hourly basis. I will believe you about earth and not just about heaven. I am so very grateful that you and all your kingdom is very near. You lead and I'll follow.

Merely believing,

Steve

Right-Minded Begging

S - "When the men taking care of the pigs saw this, they ran to spread the news in the town and on the farms. The people went out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they also found the man. The demons had gone out of him, and he was sitting there at the feet of Jesus. He had clothes on and was in his right mind. But the people were terrified. Then all who had seen the man healed told about it. Everyone from around Gerasa begged Jesus to leave, because they were so frightened.   When Jesus got into the boat to start back, the man who had been healed begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him off and said, “Go back home and tell everyone how much God has done for you.” The man then went all over town, telling everything that Jesus had done for him." Luke 8

O - The town's people had become accustomed to a naked, demonized human being living in the graveyard.  This no longer frightened them. Jesus arrives and the man is restored, clothed and in his right mind. Both the people and the man will beg Jesus.  The people will beg Jesus to leave their region. The man will beg to go with Jesus.  He will honor the people's request and redirect the man's. No doubt the town will recover from the encounter, but man never really will. This begs the question, were the town's people in their right minds? 

A - The full story records a third time Jesus was begged and it's actually the first time in this encounter (cf. Luke 8).  The demons beg Jesus to go into the pigs and he lets them. There was no doubt that the demons would leave, the only variance was their destination. Their begging and the begging of the people was based on fear and their own solution to it.  The man's begging was based on the person of Jesus and a desire to follow him coupled with a willingness to be redirected. This is the begging I want to do … sincere, passionate, clear, completely reliant … opened hearted expressions to him who is life and who loves us all without flicker.  I have begged Jesus on many occasions and will no doubt do so again.  I'm hoping for a begging which comes from being in my right mind.

P - Lord of all and Lord of me,

Am so grateful that you have great compassion for us all, especially when we're confronted and overwhelmed with circumstances.  In all such encounters my begging, pleading, praying will not be based on some perceived recalcitrance on your part. Instead, I'll choose the confident reliance that your person, power, brilliance, mercy and nearness deserve. I'll choose and rely on you to empower.  I want to follow and I'll accept all redirection you give.

Responding to you in my right mind,

Steve

Confidence in Unavoidable Failure

S - "Children, I will be with you for only a little while longer. Then you will look for me, but you won't find me. I tell you just as I told the Jews, “You cannot go where I am going.” But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my followers. Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “You can't go with me now, but later on you will.” Peter asked, “Lord, why can't I go with you now? I would die for you!” “Would you really die for me?” Jesus asked. “I tell you for certain that before a rooster crows, you will say three times that you don't even know me. Don't let your hearts be troubled! Have confidence in God and have confidence in me." John 13 & 14 TS

O - Jesus understands that his closest friends cannot and will not go with him to the greatest sacrifice the world will ever know. Neither can they follow him to his Father at this time. In spite of well-intended and deeply felt commitments none of them will be able to fulfill what their hearts wanted to. They will all abandon him but he will never abandon them - never. At the point of this unwanted and yet unavoidable failure in their relationship with Jesus, he tells them and he tells us “Don't let your hearts be troubled! Have confidence in God and have confidence in me."

A - I have lived this exchange, this cannot, did not failure in my relationship with Jesus. My intentions were more than clear and heart felt. Other times, they've been anything but well intended. Nevertheless, he never abandons me. In fact, he doesn't even love us so that we'll love him back. He wants us to love him back but that's not why he loves and wants us. He loves and wants us because he does - full stop! He wants us all to have confidence in him and in his Father - not in ourselves; even our best intended selves. He will go on to tell his followers that apart from him we can do nothing (John 15). At our worst, at our best and everywhere in between he says “Don't let your hearts be troubled! Have confidence in God and have confidence in me." I'll believe Jesus today while it is called today and be confident all day long.

P - Lord Jesus,

Thank you for being amazing all the time - not just when I'm at my best. Thank you for loving and wanting me all the time - even at my worst. I admit that without you I can do nothing. I commit to loving all the followers so that the world will know that all are wanted by you, that you came from God and that I'm really following you.

I love you back,

Steve