So many of us see the “lost” people in our lives as irretrievably so. They’re out of reach. They’ve been too far gone for far too long. Your children have so much sin in their lives. Your grandkids don’t even believe in God anymore. Your husband has left the Lord and has no desire to return. Your old college roommate is in a really dark place. Your niece is in a horrible place. You’ve tried. You’ve talked to them. You’ve studied with them. You’ve prayed. Oh, my word, you’ve prayed. You’ve tried everything. You just don’t think anybody can reach her. You don’t think anyone can get to him.
Hey. Our God can reach her. Our God can get to him.
Remember our God’s promise in Ezekiel 34: I will search. I will rescue. I will bring them in. I will gather them up. Our God goes into the darkest and most horrible places to breathe his life into death. That’s why he sent Jesus, to show us in person that this is what our God is all about.
Jesus tells those stories in Luke 15 so we clearly get the picture. As long as there is one single lost coin buried in the dirt in the corner of a dark house, I will not stop until it is found. As long as there is one single lost lamb wandering alone out there in the wilderness, I will not quit until it is found. Every single coin, every single sheep, every single lost son or lost daughter.
Where is your grandson? Where is your nephew or your friend at school?
God won’t go there to get him? Jesus won’t go there?
Jesus goes through a storm across the sea into a pagan cemetery in the Gerasenes to give life to a naked man with no name tied to a tombstone. Jesus pulls Peter out of a boatload of despair and breathes his Spirit into him. He goes to an out of the way well outside a Samaritan village to forgive a sinful woman. He grabs a hated tax collector out of a tree. Why? Because Jesus says he came to seek and save the lost!
Christ Jesus went to the darkest and most hopeless place of all. He went to his own death on the cross for your loved one. He was buried in a cold tomb for three days for your loved one. He went there to seek and to save your lost! There is no place on this earth he won’t go. The early Church would say there is no place in hell Christ Jesus won’t go–didn’t go!–to seek and save the lost! He can find your missing person!
Can these bones live? O Sovereign Lord, you alone know. And you alone are able.
One of the difficulties with trying to get closer and closer to Jesus is that he is always on the move. Just when you think you’re there, right when you believe you’ve achieved nearness to Christ, he moves on you.
He jumps to be with those other people on that other side of town. Surprising. He slides over to the homeless shelter. Didn’t see that coming. He’s eating with the registered sex offender, he’s praying with the Presbyterian, he’s laughing with the Democrat, he’s hugging the prostitute, he’s preaching at the prison, he’s helping a family of immigrants.
The closer you get to Jesus, the more you think like Jesus and act like Jesus, the more you’ll begin to see people and places the way Jesus sees them. The more you’ll love and serve those people and places. The more you’ll react and respond like Christ and the less you’ll care about your own reputation or status. The more you’ll let your guard down to be with the people in the places where our Lord spends his most important time. The more you’ll gladly follow Jesus “outside the city gates” where your friends would never expect you to go.
Get closer to Jesus. Keep following him closer and closer. And see if it doesn’t change everything.
My friend Josh Ross, the preacher at Sycamore View Church of Christ in Memphis, has written a book designed to help Christians navigate another messy election season without losing our Christian witness or our Kingdom credibility in an unbelieving world. When Christians wholeheartedly adopt the ways and means of our national political parties and politicians–insults, division, threat, fear, anger, etc,. — we forfeit our legitimacy in proclaiming the love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and unity of Jesus. Josh’s book, Coreology, outlines six core principles for keeping us straight, for keeping our eyes on Jesus and focused on his mission.
We’ve already looked at three of these principles. Today, let’s consider the next one.
#4 – I will strive to become a peacemaker.
Josh begins this chapter with our Lord’s teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, blessing the peacemakers for “they will be called children of God.” He doesn’t bless those who have peace or those who talk about peace or those who wish they had peace; he lifts up those who make peace. Why? Because making peace is a very God-like thing to do. When you make peace, you’re acting like God, like one of his children.
In a world that operates on division and war, on aggression and violence, it’s hard for almost anybody to take peace seriously. I can’t think of a country or a political party that touts peacemaking as an essential component of national security, economic stability, or foreign policy. It’s not the tagline for anybody’s political ad. After all, one of the easiest and most effective ways to unite people is to create a common enemy. But peacemaking should be at the heart of what motivates God’s children as we engage the people and systems of this world. If we rally to defeat our opponents, to “own” them instead of make peace with them, we’re unable to witness for Christ. Philip Kenneson says:
“We find ourselves offering not an alternate vision of how God would have us live together that is rooted in his peace and wholeness, but merely a legislative agenda we would like to see advanced that would make us feel more at home in society.”
Josh says when all you care about is wins and losses, all you are left with are casualties. Josh quotes Ed Stetzer here:
“You can’t hate people and engage them with the Gospel at the same time. You can’t war with people and show the love of Jesus. You can’t be both outraged and on mission.”
If God has established peace by reconciling us to himself through the cross of Jesus, then we must do all we can to embody that eternal reality right now today. Christians lay down our weapons for tools of planting and harvesting. Christians build bridges, not walls. Christians see the image of our God in every man, woman, and child on this planet. Christians accept all who will come to the table of Christ. Children of God are peacemakers. Those are Jesus politics.
“The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'” ~ Matthew 4:8-10
It’s election season in the United States–tomorrow is Super Tuesday here in Texas–and a whole lot of Christians are losing their minds. And their hearts. And maybe more. I appeal to all followers of Jesus everywhere to remember that we already have a King, he has already come and defeated all our enemies, and he is reigning in all power and glory at the right hand of God. Not only is Christ Jesus our King, but he is our only King. We only have one. And he has made it unmistakably clear how we are to behave. If we act in ways he never acted, if we say things he never said, if we seek power when he never did, if we fight for perceived rights while he willingly laid his down–he’s not really our King. Not really.
“This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” ~ 1 John 2:6
I see Christians struggling mightily against flesh and blood, their eyes fixed on the here and now, desperate for worldly power so they can rule an earthly kingdom. I see Christian churches hosting political rallies and selling t-shirts in the lobby proclaiming, “Let’s go, Brandon,” the well-known euphemism for a vulgar and violent profanity aimed at the sitting President.
You know, the same President the Bible tells us to honor. And respect.
Most Christians I know would never stand for that kind of vulgarity to be displayed inside their homes, shared around their workplace, or shouted at a ballgame. But increasingly more Christians are just fine with spewing and promoting and wearing that kind of filth in the context of national politics. To get their guy elected, to get their platforms approved and their laws passed, lots of Christians are using decidedly un-Christian tactics. And they are openly eschewing the ethics of our King Jesus. I used to worry when it was subtle and under the table. Today, though, Christians and Christian leaders are publicly declaring they don’t believe in Jesus or his Way.
The pastor of the biggest Southern Baptist Church in Texas says, “I don’t want somebody who’s going to turn the other cheek. I want the meanest SOB I can find to protect this nation.” In other words, I don’t want Jesus. Salvation for this country has got to come from someone else. And Christians are applauding. If it’s about national politics and “saving” the nation, they’re happy to compartmentalize their discipleship, to fight and cheat, to insult and lie, oblivious to or apathetic toward the obvious hypocrisy that is destroying our Christian witness to the world.
“My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight.” ~ John 18:36
It’s not that we don’t know the Scriptures–of course, we do! It’s not that we’re ignorant of who Jesus is and what he came to do and how he came to do it. We all know he came not to condemn the world, but so the world would be saved through him. And we know he did it with love and sacrifice and service, he did it with forgiveness and mercy and peace. Why are the ways of Christ Jesus adequate for destroying the powers of sin and death and Satan for all eternity, but they are not enough to protect us from political opponents?
Christian brothers and sisters, let us all reflect carefully and prayerfully about the ways we are representing our Lord during this election season and what we are communicating about Christianity to a watching world. Many of our loves are disordered. Many of our priorities are misplaced. These things shape us. These actions carry far-reaching consequences. We already have a King. And he has already shown us his Way.
As the ancient baptismal confession states, let us renounce the ways of the world and of the devil, and embrace the Way of our Lord Jesus.
I want to share a few personal observations about the excellent He Gets Us commercial that aired during the Super Bowl on February 11. If you have not seen the commercial… Wait. I know you’ve seen the commercial. I know at least 123.4-million people have seen the commercial and you are one of them. In case you need to view it again before you read my comments or you’re compelled to watch it after reading, here it is:
The ad gives us several beautifully enhanced photographs of different people in a variety of settings adopting the posture of our Savior Jesus Christ, obeying the direct command of our Lord, stooping down and washing someone else’s feet. A police officer washing the feet of a Black man in an urban alley. A White landowner washing the feet of an older Native American. A Pro-Life protester washing the feet of a pregnant girl outside an abortion clinic. An oil man washing the feet of an environmental activist. A White woman washing the feet of her Indian neighbor. A Black woman at a protest over an unidentified issue washing the feet of a counter-protester. A Black and White man sitting together, each with a foot in the same bucket of water, smiling in a post-mutual-foot-washing moment. The ads ends with the dramatic tag-line, the Scriptural, historical, traditional, Christian fact that “Jesus didn’t teach hate; he washed feet.”
Powerful.
Truth.
Genius.
Most people seem to believe this whole two-year campaign is aimed at non-Christians to give them a more realistic view of our King. In dozens of these ads, Jesus is depicted as homeless, as a refugee, as persecuted for his non-conformist actions, as being an outsider in his own community–all of this is true according to the Gospels and are critical facets to the biblical picture of our Lord–to show non-believers that Jesus understands them. He gets us.
But I believe this whole campaign, and particularly this Super Bowl commercial, is aimed at the Christians. It’s a dramatic way to remind us of the identity and the priorities of the King we claim to follow, and to rightly judge those among us who talk and act toward the outsiders, the foreigners, and the marginalized in decidedly un-Christ-like ways.
In almost all the pictures in the ad, it’s very clear who in the photograph has the power and who doesn’t. It’s obvious who’s got the advantages, the rights, the money, and the law. And in those pictures, it’s the person in power who is washing the feet of the one who has no power. These are moving images of people you and I can relate to–pictures of us–setting aside our rights, putting down our megaphones and protest signs, forgetting our claims and beliefs about law or justice or political party platforms long enough to obey our Lord and serve the needs of others. Meet the needs of others. Just like Jesus commanded us to do.
That last night at dinner with his disciples, Jesus got down on his hands and knees and washed their feet. He was their Lord and Teacher, the Gospel says. He was by far the most important person in the room. But he made himself the least important person in the room when he washed their feet. He gave up his power and authority and assumed the posture of a servant. He served. He met needs. He “showed them the full extent of his love,” it says. And when he finished, he said, “Wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
The commercial is reminding Christians that this is our King and this is his Way. Like Jesus, we are called to reject the ways of the world, to reject the ways of power and authority and threat and division–snap out of it!
Jesus didn’t teach hate; he washed feet.
Most of those getting their feet washed in the commercial are representing, generally, groups of people who have been hurt by Christians and, in a lot of ways, in the name of Christianity. Christian values. Again, generally speaking, these groups have experienced hate from those who claim to be acting out of loyalty to Christian principles and Christian rights. The ad is for Christians, calling us to return to love and grace, forgiveness and mercy, service and peace–the authentic Christians values.
If this ad has anything to say to non-Christians, maybe it’s offering hope that there are still some Christians in America who love and serve and forgive and show mercy in the name and manner of the One we follow. Maybe it could even be an apology on behalf of the King’s subjects.
It’s a wonderful commercial, effective on so many levels at presenting Gospel truth in a compelling way.
And, yet, lots of Christians hate the ad. Predictably, I suppose. Sadly. These Christians, ironically, fail to realize they are not judging the ad, the ad is judging them. Most of those expressing displeasure with the ad fit into the categories of people depicted doing the foot-washing. Evidently, these Christians do not like being portrayed as Jesus-figures of love and service in a world of violence and division. Why do they hate the ad? Because they see themselves as what they know deep down they should be but, because of their misguided loyalties to worldly kingdoms and worldly ways, they can’t.
I know which of the pictures made me flinch. I know which photograph caused me immediate concern and put a big balloon-sized question mark above my raised eyebrows. I know exactly which picture did that to me. It was only one. And it got me. It judged me. It convicted me. It took a couple of minutes, but it corrected me. It reset my priorities. I’m thankful. Praise our Lord.
We don’t judge great art; great art judges us. Your reaction and response to the ad reveals a lot, I think, about you. The Super Bowl ad says Jesus Gets Us. He does. That ad gets us, too.
For too long, too many Christian churches and whole Christian movements and denominations–Christians like us–have framed the existence and purpose of the Church with being in a fight. That’s our dominant metaphor: we’re in a culture war. We’re always fighting something or fighting against someone or a group of someones. We’re always being attacked, we’re always under siege, always in danger of losing something or having something taken away. It’s been our running theme. We’ve got to fight. We’ve got to fight. If we don’t fight, who will?
Fight?
Our Lord Jesus looked Pilate right in the eye and said, “My Kingdom is not of this world; if it were, my servants would fight.”
What if we finally gave up that whole idea? What if we laid down our defense mechanisms? What if we framed our relationship to the world and to our neighbors and to our enemies in ways that lined up better with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ? What if we laid down our power and our rights and our weapons so we could love others, even if it costs us? Especially if it costs us!
What if we really believed that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness? I know, laying down our weapons and rights in order to love sounds like a recipe for making the Church weak. But, in fact, Nothing. Could. Make. Us. Stronger.
If we just had a little faith. Just a tiny amount.
Please, Lord.
The situation is that our lives and this country and the whole world is even more troubled than anybody thought. And the people around us know right now, more than they’ve ever realized in your lifetime, that the answers cannot be found in government or science or technology. The answers will never be found in politics or parties or protests or platforms. It won’t work. It’s never worked! They’re looking for the way, the truth, and the life right now more than they ever have. And you’ve got it all in Jesus Christ!
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