Reference: John 7:37-39
This passage deals with the very basic principle of being thirsty. It’s something we all can relate to, just craving some refreshing liquid to quench the parching thirst we’ve acquired after a period with no refreshment.
Stop and think about it for a second, if you hadn’t had anything to drink for hours and hours and were desperately thirsty, what drink would you hope was ready and available?
In this passage from John’s gospel, Jesus tells everybody that anyone who is thirsty should come to him to drink. If this were to happen today, I think we’d all wonder what type of sports drink or energy drink does he have. Is it filled with caffeine or alcohol or fruity deliciousness or what? Well, it’s filled with none of these things. Jesus isn’t talking about actual water or physical thirst, but rather spiritual thirst. And as we begin to understand that’s what Jesus is talking about, we realize how spiritually thirsty perhaps we truly are, right here, right now.
For an example of extreme thirst, I’m going to show you a short clip from one of the greatest comedies of the 1980s, Three Amigos.
Clip
Now I knew I wanted to use this clip for a while in relationship to this text, but I wasn’t sure how to interpret the three examples in this clip. This is what I’ve come up with, but I’m sure it could be taken a few other directions.
In one way, Steve Martin’s character Lucky Day seems to be where most people are often at, we are spiritually thirsty beyond all thirst, we reach for our canteen and find there are only a few drops to relieve are thirst. Most likely the canteen is dry because we have not returned to the well recently enough to fill our canteen, but we get just enough to make it back to the well.
In another way, Martin Short’s character, Ned Nederlander seems to be where many people are at. Those who go to the well even less frequently, and when they’re really in a bind, in total need of water, there is absolutely none there, just sand. Nothing to quench our thirst, nothing to give relief, just dry, painful, coarse sand.
Then there’s Chevy Chase’s character, Dusty Bottoms, who when he reaches for his canteen, finds it as full as it’s ever been, so full that he can spit out water, dump it all over his face, and toss it aside because it is more than he needs. How often do we wish this is where we were in life. Able to be so spiritually filled that we don’t need to worry about filling up our jug, instead we just toss it to the side.
While the order of this sketch is perfect for comedic timing, it is the exact opposite of what is often true in our own lives.
In the waters of baptism we are filled to the brim with so much spiritual water that as Jesus says, Streams of Living Water are flowing within us, but we act like Dusty Bottoms, we cast aside the abundance, not sharing it with others, not even keeping our canteen when we’ll undoubtedly be thirsty again, we cast aside our spiritual water because we don’t think we need it. Then when we realize we do need it, we go back through the desert and search for it, and then find it and put it up to our mouth and discover that the water is gone and now sand remains.
And then we clear out the sand and find that miraculously there are still a few drops remaining to quench our thirst and we realize we need to return to the well to fill up on our spiritual water, so that living water can flow through us once more, maybe after tasting the bitterness of sand when we hope for a cool refreshing drink, we may realize just how important this water is, and we stop taking it for granted, and begin to show others where they can fill up their canteens.
Baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection provides us with this spiritual water that we so desperately need. Our well comes from hearing the words of Gospel truth that Christ died once for all, to save sinners from sin, death, and the devil. We are constantly being filled to the brim and our heavenly father is more than willing to pour out His Spirit with living water again and again to keep us hydrated, in Him.
Delivered May 13, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Why Would I Want Your Burden Jesus?
Delivered July 2, 2008
Reference Matthew 11:25-30
This text has always been one that is quoted by my friends and family and myself when others around are having a rough time with life. When people are weary, burdened, heavy laden etc. Jesus invites them to come to Him and find rest in Him, because his yoke is easy and his burden is light. Until last week, I found this to be unequivocally true and a very necessary and comforting message to hear, but then I started thinking a bit about Jesus burden and realized something. His burden is absolutely not light. How can a person of the Triune God come to earth, become human, take on the sins of the whole world as a burden, while not sinning himself and still say that His burden is light. It doesn’t make sense. Jesus Christ had the heaviest burden of any person of any time ever. Why in the world would I take his yoke upon myself, his yoke can’t be easy. And so I began for the first time in my life to truly struggle with this text.
And so I began to study a few things, and the understanding I gained was this:
The burden Jesus carries to the cross is not his burden. It is ours. He took it from us and gave us his burden, his yoke; which are easy and light, whereas our burden and yoke are heavy and strenuous due to sin.
Jesus speaks to those who are burdening and wearying themselves by putting demands of the law on themselves because they think that’s what is needed accomplish salvation, and Jesus is speaking to those who are being loaded down by other people telling them what they need to do to gain salvation. He is saying, Come to me to all of you. I have a better solution.
Burden exists because of sin, and constantly striving to be saved by what we do. Jesus says to us, no take my burden. Take my nonexistent burden because I have never sinned, and I’ll take away your burdens. Christ says “I will make my burden heavy so yours can be light.”
And this is all done that we may rest. Christ does not come to give us more commands. He does not come to pile on more burdens. He comes to silence them. He comes to give this all to us as a gift – to give relief and rest – to take away our burdens and weariness.
Earthly life may not be easy, but access to salvation is. It is accomplished in Christ’s death and resurrection.
For a connection to the text, we are going to watch a short clip from the first Lord of the Rings movie, “The Fellowship of the Ring”
The fellowship is in trouble. Gandalf, their leader was recently taken from them. They’re all quite sad and uncertain what to do next. They’ve found their way into the safest place they could find, perhaps the safest place left in Middle Earth, Lothlorien. Where the Lady Galadriel speaks to the 8 remaining members of the fellowship.
Watch Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring extended edition, disk 2, from 48:15-51:30.
It’s always interesting when movies quote Scripture. In this case Galadriel quotes John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” She knows they are weary and burdened. They are burdened with sorrow for losing Gandalf, but moreover, they all feel as though the salvation of Middle Earth depends upon them. And if they fail, it will be to the ruin of all. And they’re right. The pressure comes internally from themselves and externally from all who know of their quest.
And yet she tells them that they will sleep in peace.
All of the members of the Fellowship were feeling the burden and weight of accomplishing deliverance from evil for all people. Their purpose is to destroy the One Ring, but how can they now, without their leader?
If this were a straight allegory, Galadriel would take the ring, destroy it herself and all would live happily ever after, but this is not the case, there is still 8 or 9 hours of movie to watch!
If you continue watching for a few minutes, Galadriel lets Frodo know it’s all on him. He’s carrying the ring. He must find a way to destroy it or no one will.
This just goes to show how our God is so great. How he humbles himself to take our burdens and exchange our heavy burden for his light burden. How he secures salvation for us, instead of giving us advice on how to get the job done ourselves. We can’t get the job done ourselves.
God intersects our lives in the person Jesus Christ to complete salvation for us by dying on the cross and bursting forth from the empty tomb on the third day.
Because of this we know that we can indeed come to our Savior and Lord and truly find rest.
Reference Matthew 11:25-30
This text has always been one that is quoted by my friends and family and myself when others around are having a rough time with life. When people are weary, burdened, heavy laden etc. Jesus invites them to come to Him and find rest in Him, because his yoke is easy and his burden is light. Until last week, I found this to be unequivocally true and a very necessary and comforting message to hear, but then I started thinking a bit about Jesus burden and realized something. His burden is absolutely not light. How can a person of the Triune God come to earth, become human, take on the sins of the whole world as a burden, while not sinning himself and still say that His burden is light. It doesn’t make sense. Jesus Christ had the heaviest burden of any person of any time ever. Why in the world would I take his yoke upon myself, his yoke can’t be easy. And so I began for the first time in my life to truly struggle with this text.
And so I began to study a few things, and the understanding I gained was this:
The burden Jesus carries to the cross is not his burden. It is ours. He took it from us and gave us his burden, his yoke; which are easy and light, whereas our burden and yoke are heavy and strenuous due to sin.
Jesus speaks to those who are burdening and wearying themselves by putting demands of the law on themselves because they think that’s what is needed accomplish salvation, and Jesus is speaking to those who are being loaded down by other people telling them what they need to do to gain salvation. He is saying, Come to me to all of you. I have a better solution.
Burden exists because of sin, and constantly striving to be saved by what we do. Jesus says to us, no take my burden. Take my nonexistent burden because I have never sinned, and I’ll take away your burdens. Christ says “I will make my burden heavy so yours can be light.”
And this is all done that we may rest. Christ does not come to give us more commands. He does not come to pile on more burdens. He comes to silence them. He comes to give this all to us as a gift – to give relief and rest – to take away our burdens and weariness.
Earthly life may not be easy, but access to salvation is. It is accomplished in Christ’s death and resurrection.
For a connection to the text, we are going to watch a short clip from the first Lord of the Rings movie, “The Fellowship of the Ring”
The fellowship is in trouble. Gandalf, their leader was recently taken from them. They’re all quite sad and uncertain what to do next. They’ve found their way into the safest place they could find, perhaps the safest place left in Middle Earth, Lothlorien. Where the Lady Galadriel speaks to the 8 remaining members of the fellowship.
Watch Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring extended edition, disk 2, from 48:15-51:30.
It’s always interesting when movies quote Scripture. In this case Galadriel quotes John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” She knows they are weary and burdened. They are burdened with sorrow for losing Gandalf, but moreover, they all feel as though the salvation of Middle Earth depends upon them. And if they fail, it will be to the ruin of all. And they’re right. The pressure comes internally from themselves and externally from all who know of their quest.
And yet she tells them that they will sleep in peace.
All of the members of the Fellowship were feeling the burden and weight of accomplishing deliverance from evil for all people. Their purpose is to destroy the One Ring, but how can they now, without their leader?
If this were a straight allegory, Galadriel would take the ring, destroy it herself and all would live happily ever after, but this is not the case, there is still 8 or 9 hours of movie to watch!
If you continue watching for a few minutes, Galadriel lets Frodo know it’s all on him. He’s carrying the ring. He must find a way to destroy it or no one will.
This just goes to show how our God is so great. How he humbles himself to take our burdens and exchange our heavy burden for his light burden. How he secures salvation for us, instead of giving us advice on how to get the job done ourselves. We can’t get the job done ourselves.
God intersects our lives in the person Jesus Christ to complete salvation for us by dying on the cross and bursting forth from the empty tomb on the third day.
Because of this we know that we can indeed come to our Savior and Lord and truly find rest.
Friday, May 30, 2008
But I Don't Want To...
Delivered May 30, 2008
Reference Jonah 1
Jonah isn’t exactly anybody’s favorite Bible story character is he? Well maybe for the humor involved, but in all reality, isn’t Jonah just a whiney little brat. God tells him to go to Nineveh, he says no and runs in the other direction. He’s swallowed by a great fish, he’s spit out onto the shore. He finally does what God tells him to and then he gets mad at God for not smiting the Ninevites and wants to die. He’s just a bit over dramatic don’t you think.
For a humorous parallel illustration of Jonah, watch Seinfeld, season 5 episode 3 - The Puffy Shirt.
Watch from 10:11-11:46
So Kramer’s girlfriend is what Seinfeld coins as a low-talker. Somebody that talks at such a low volume that you can’t hear what he or she is saying.
In Jerry’s interest at being pleasant and agreeable, he nods and says sure to whatever the low-talker “says” and He ignorantly agrees to wear the puffy shirt on national TV, which I believe was the first artifact from a television show to be showcased in the Smithsonian institute.
The puffy shirt, the ridiculous ruffled, frilled up, pirate shirt. And in Jerry’s hope to escape, knowing that he’ll be heckled endlessly for wearing this shirt, and being the “First pirate” he utters in desperation, but I don’t want to be a pirate.
Amazingly it would seem that Jerry appears better than Jonah in his actions. Jonah hears the Lord loud and clear and runs the other direction in effect saying, much like Jerry, “But I don’t want to go to Nineveh” while Jerry, doesn’t hear a word the low-talker says, agrees to something not so pleasant and goes through with it.
But this attitude of whining, complaining at what they are supposed to do is very much an underlying theme and problem for many of us today.
I believe a growing attitude in America has become, “I’m only going to do what I want to do.” People don’t want to be encumbered by anything other than their own personal agendas and I would count myself among that crowd. I don’t want to help you with your snow shoveling, I have 9 seasons of Seinfeld to watch, why would I help you?
No matter what we want to do or don’t want to do, Christ does what is right in the lives of his people, regardless of our complaining and whining.
And the Lord is impossible to run from. Which Jonah found out the hard way. What I take away from Jonah’s story is that God will put you where he wants you on this earth, whether you like it or not. You can resist, but to what point and to what end? Resisting God’s will got Jonah swallowed by a great fish. And we know from Scripture that resisting the Holy Spirit can be detrimental to our eternal salvation.
Perhaps the word of the lord doesn’t come as clearly to any of us as it did to Jonah, and then again perhaps it does. But it is comforting on some level to know that while the word of the lord may come and we may not hear it clearly, the Lord doesn’t stop speaking. He is ever persistent with his word. As Christ says in Matthew, Mark, and Luke “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
So it is good to know that while we may miss God’s words from time to time, they will always remain, just as he promises to always remain with us, Amen.
Reference Jonah 1
Jonah isn’t exactly anybody’s favorite Bible story character is he? Well maybe for the humor involved, but in all reality, isn’t Jonah just a whiney little brat. God tells him to go to Nineveh, he says no and runs in the other direction. He’s swallowed by a great fish, he’s spit out onto the shore. He finally does what God tells him to and then he gets mad at God for not smiting the Ninevites and wants to die. He’s just a bit over dramatic don’t you think.
For a humorous parallel illustration of Jonah, watch Seinfeld, season 5 episode 3 - The Puffy Shirt.
Watch from 10:11-11:46
So Kramer’s girlfriend is what Seinfeld coins as a low-talker. Somebody that talks at such a low volume that you can’t hear what he or she is saying.
In Jerry’s interest at being pleasant and agreeable, he nods and says sure to whatever the low-talker “says” and He ignorantly agrees to wear the puffy shirt on national TV, which I believe was the first artifact from a television show to be showcased in the Smithsonian institute.
The puffy shirt, the ridiculous ruffled, frilled up, pirate shirt. And in Jerry’s hope to escape, knowing that he’ll be heckled endlessly for wearing this shirt, and being the “First pirate” he utters in desperation, but I don’t want to be a pirate.
Amazingly it would seem that Jerry appears better than Jonah in his actions. Jonah hears the Lord loud and clear and runs the other direction in effect saying, much like Jerry, “But I don’t want to go to Nineveh” while Jerry, doesn’t hear a word the low-talker says, agrees to something not so pleasant and goes through with it.
But this attitude of whining, complaining at what they are supposed to do is very much an underlying theme and problem for many of us today.
I believe a growing attitude in America has become, “I’m only going to do what I want to do.” People don’t want to be encumbered by anything other than their own personal agendas and I would count myself among that crowd. I don’t want to help you with your snow shoveling, I have 9 seasons of Seinfeld to watch, why would I help you?
No matter what we want to do or don’t want to do, Christ does what is right in the lives of his people, regardless of our complaining and whining.
And the Lord is impossible to run from. Which Jonah found out the hard way. What I take away from Jonah’s story is that God will put you where he wants you on this earth, whether you like it or not. You can resist, but to what point and to what end? Resisting God’s will got Jonah swallowed by a great fish. And we know from Scripture that resisting the Holy Spirit can be detrimental to our eternal salvation.
Perhaps the word of the lord doesn’t come as clearly to any of us as it did to Jonah, and then again perhaps it does. But it is comforting on some level to know that while the word of the lord may come and we may not hear it clearly, the Lord doesn’t stop speaking. He is ever persistent with his word. As Christ says in Matthew, Mark, and Luke “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
So it is good to know that while we may miss God’s words from time to time, they will always remain, just as he promises to always remain with us, Amen.
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