"Pleasing"

"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." -  Genesis 3:6 (NIV)

I love driving past the local Chevrolet dealership here in Roanoke.  I have been an admirer of the Chevrolet corvettes for years.  I love to cruise past the dealership and look at the 'vettes all lined up, which seemingly to call out, "Pick me!  Take me home."  And much like the child who cannot take the candy, the toy, or the new pet home, I, too, am forced to keep moving along my way without that nice 'vette.

No problem.  I am a realist.  I can say in most certainty that I will never have one.  Things out of reach almost always never pose a problem for us.  Shrug it off.  No big deal.  But, what about the things within our grasp?  It is hard to shrug those things off.  And that is where things can get a little complicated.

In the story of Adam and Eve, recorded in the opening chapters of Genesis, we are shown a portrait of a gracious God who has created mankind "in his image" (1:27) for intimate fellowship with himself.  The Lord planted a garden, named Eden, and gave man dominion over the created order (1:28).  But there were boundaries.  God would provide everything Adam and Eve could ever imagine, but God reserved the right to draw parameters, namely the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (2:17).  For a while, all was well.

Then one day, Eve got into a theological debate with a serpent.  I do not know how long this debate lasted, but things changed.  Imagine that one day, your whole world revolves around the Creator, God.  Then, you find yourself here; your ears listening, not to God, but to a serpent; your eyes, not on the Creator, but on fruit.  The Bible says in Genesis 3:6 that the fruit was "pleasing to the eye".  "Pleasing", "tah-av-aw" in Hebrew, means to lust or covet, a desire of the heart.  So this was more than just a simple, "Ooooo, pretty fruit!"  It was more of "Got to have it!"

Think about that for a minute.  With God, one gets everything their hearts can imagine, within the framework of submitting to the Creator.  But, without God, we allow the lure of being our own gods to transform us into lustful, covetous creatures seeking our own pleasure.  It is little wonder that Jesus would begin his ministry in the wilderness, "correcting" the decision of Adam and Eve.  Jesus resists the devil by keeping what really mattered before him (Matthew 4:1 - 11).  In Jesus we are reminded that, whatever pleasures this life affords, God can abundantly give at his discretion.  We also are reminded that it is not worth trading for self-fulfillment.

So, we are then reminded why we need the season of Lent.  We are reminded why we need a Savior.  Left to ourselves, we choose us.  Jesus comes to bring us back to the Father.  In this journey through Lent, may we follow in the steps of Jesus.  In this journey, may we be drawn closer to the heart of the Father.  May we find him to be everything what we could never be on our own.  Lusting after 'vettes is not my problem.  Wanting to be my own god?  Yeah, that's a problem.

"Tear"

Tear your hearts, not your clothes. Return to the LORD your God. He is merciful and compassionate, patient, and always ready to forgive and to change his plans about disaster.  Joel 2:13 (GWT)

The most frequently asked question regarding the season of Lent is simply, "What are you giving up?"  It is an admirable question.  Lent, after all, is a time of introspection, reflection, and drawing close to God.  The idea of giving something up finds merit when "things" cloud out the voice of God.  Truth be told, all of us can place our fingers on those things that deflect our time and energy from our relationship with the Father.

In this passage of Scripture from the Old Testament, Joel is speaking from the context of a natural disaster.  A plague of locusts has devoured the land (Joel 1).  This is a real, physical problem that has crippled the land.  A very physical threat has left a devastating physical impact.  With the land ravaged, food is scarce.  Crops that were a source of income for families are gone.  Real problems.  Real results.  Real pain.  Israel needs help.  They need the rains to come and once again bring life out of barreness.

Joel, however sees another issue at work.  This physical problem underscores a deeper, spiritual concern.  In the same way as the land has been devasted by locusts, Joel forsees a time when Israel will face the consequences of ignoring the ways of God.  Spiritual waywardness has caused a spiritual drought, leading to a spiritual barreness of the heart.  Just like a physical rain was needed for the crops, a spiritual rain was needed for the soul.

Joel's answer was to "tear your hearts, not your clothes."  In Old Testament times, the tearing of one's clothes was a sign of deep remorse, sorrow and grief.  After the defeat of the Israelites at Ai due to Israel's sin, Joshua did this exact thing (Joshua 7:6).  The word translated "tear" or "rend" (kawrah) means to tear apart, split assunder, tear to pieces.  You get the idea.  You may understand why the tearing of one's clothes was a sign of remorse.  It is a powerful demostration.

And here lies the real issue with Lent.  We are so good with the physical outward expressions of worship.  We sing, pray, give in the offering, do our religous duties.  In Lent, we give up habits or give up things that are unhealthy.  In truth, Lent should force us to confront ourselves and make necessary adjustments. The real focus, however, should be on the heart, where we sometimes restrict God.  It is in the walled citadel of the heart where we need attention the most.  When we "tear to pieces" our hearts.  God has unhindered access.  We then find the spiritual rain for our spiritual barreness.

In Lent, we do the things that bring us to the heart of God.  So, maybe it is not only what you are giving up, but what you are adding.  Give up TV, FB, or internet?  Use the time for Bible reading or prayer.  Give up food?  Feed the hungry or donate money to an organization that helps the hungry and the homeless.  True repentance and sorrow does not stop with the physical demostrations.  A physical cure does not address a spiritual need.  It is in confronting who we are before God's holiness that brings meaning and purpose to the season of Lent.  Draw close to Him.  He is waiting.  Be ready... looks like rain.

"Glorify"

"Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."

- John 12:28 (NKJV)

The season of Lent in the Christian tradition is a time of reflection, introspection, self examination, and repentance. Beginning with Ash Wednesday, Lent covers the 40 days leading up to Easter.  Through this 40 days, we are confronted with who we are in light of who God is.  As Easter dawn breaks, we are aware, more than ever, of what the death and resurrection of Christ means for us.

The Sunday before Lent, observed in 2011 on March 6th, turns our focus upon Jesus' transfiguration upon the mountain.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke all bring this story to light.  In the story, Jesus takes Peter, James and John upon a mountain.  In Matthew 17, we are told, "There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus."  The purpose of this story seems to hinge on Jesus' glorification.  It both reveales who Jesus is and foretells the events that will transpire in Jerusalem with the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Upon descending the mountain, Jesus will begin the journey to Jerusalem, where he will fulfill the will of the Father.

In all three Gospel accounts, God himself, in a heavenly voice affirms the character and mission of his Son.  It is interesting that John does not follow the lead of the other Gospel writers.  The transfiguration story is not part of John's narrative.  What John does emphasize, however is the glorification of Jesus.  G.M. Burge points out that the greek word group for "glory", doxa / doxazein, is used 41 times throughout John.  This is more than the other Gospels combined (37).  So, maybe John does not need to reinforce a theme that has already been prevalent through the narrative.

What John has in common with the other Gospel writers though, is the voice from heaven affirming the mission of the Son.  In John's account, his prayer is that the Name of the Father would be glorified (12:28).   "Doxazo"  means "action involving the recognition or the bestowal of that quality or property which is manifestly excellent and highly impressive (Zodhiates).  What a prayer!  As we embark on this Lenten journey, could we be so bold as to pray this prayer?  Could the meditations of our hearts and the outworking of our faith bring "doxa" to Him?  What would my world look like if my soul desire was to give "doxa" to the Name of the Father?

Rest assured, when we pray, God answers!  In the story of Jesus, "doxa" has not only been given to Jesus throughout his ministry up to this point in the narrative, but it is promised for what is to come.  "I have glorified it" brings to mind the evidence of God in the ministry of Jesus.  Water is turned to wine (John 2), the eyes of both religous leaders and "outsiders" are opened (John 3-4), invalids are healed (John 5), multitudes are fed with small lunches (John 6), sinners receive forgiveness (John 8), and the dead are raised to life (John 11).  Yes, one who has sold out to the Kingdom will find God "glorifying" his Name through them! 

Jesus' death and resurrection would bring further "doxa" to the Father.  In this single monumental event, God would forever settle the conflict between being all powerful and all loving.  This one event forever blends the two, never to be separated.  The crucifixion forever settles the love issue, while the resurrection forever settles the power issue.  The debate is over.  Through his ministry, death, and resurrection, God's Name is given "the recognition or the bestowal of that quality or property which is manifestly excellent and highly impressive."

Through Lent, we follow the footsteps of the Savior.  As we begin the journey, we pray that his Name will be glorified in us.  If we are sincere in our prayer, we can have confidence that He will continue to do what we have failed to see all along.  Our lives have been and will be a testimony to his grace.

Well, I say, "Glory!"