A PLASTIC JESUS WON'T DO

Gedara was located southeast of Lake Gennasaret, in modern-day Jordan. In Jesus' time, it was part of the Decapolis (10 cities), which was a region noted for its Greek and Roman culture. Jesus visited the Decapolis on several occasions, but on the day described by Luke (8:26-39) he had just gotten out of their boat... when a naked man ran up to him, screaming, "Jesus, Son of the Most High God, what do you want with me?" The man was out of his mind. He was beside himself. He was in the hands of demons who had driven him crazy.  His community couldn't handle him and nothing could contain him- including the chains and shackles that tied him down. He had lived among the tombstones for some time, and sometimes, when he had broken his chains, he would run through the hills like a madman. Something was terribly wrong and he showed that right away by rushing up to Jesus and screaming, "What do you want with me, Jesus?" Well, Jesus drove a legion of demons out of the man and into a herd of pigs who were nearby. The pigs, in turn, rushed into an abyss where they drowned ... which prompted their attendants to run and tell the others what had happened. It didn't take long for the entire town to come running to see what had happened, and when they arrived they found 1) dead pigs and 2) a calm, well-dressed man, sitting at Jesus' feet. There they were- a man restored and pigs destroyed. The town folk didn't have much to say about the man, but they were quite upset about the pigs- so much so that they pleaded with Jesus to get out of the area.

"Jesus, what do you want with me?" Why are you knocking at my door? I'm living like royalty and I don't want to change. I'm getting by and I don't need your help. My life is complicated and I don't have time right now. I'm in love with alcohol, drugs, money, my favorite sin, and I don't want to give it (or them) up. I own a herd of pigs and I don't want to lose them. I like to sleep in on Sundays, read the paper, relax... and I don't want to get involved with a church. The good people of Gadara didn't want Jesus to disturb them anymore than the demoniac did. And neither do we! We don't mind hearing about Jesus on Sundays, but we don't want him to mess with our lives! We suspect that. if we give Jesus an inch, he will take a mile. Jesus, I'm afraid to trust you because you will disrupt my life. If that's what you suspect, you are right... because there's no end to the changes that Jesus will make if you invite him in. He wants to show you the way to abundant life. He wants to free you from self and sin and he won't give up easily.

Jesus started poking me shortly after I became a Christian and he was particularly persistent when I was on the job. When I fired our Store Manager in Topeka,  I wondered if I'd done the right thing. The company President told me that I had done Keith a favor because people who were "in over their heads" were unhappy. I wanted to believe that I was a liberator, but I couldn't shake the feeling that firing a good man without notice was unchristian. There were times when my faith gave me the strength to do the right thing. For instance, I hired a one-armed man as a stock clerk in Memphis, and when my boss saw him, he told me to fire him. "No," I said, "He's doing a fine job and I will not fire him." In addition, I came to believe that Jesus was serious when he said that I should give to those who beg- so I gave money to every street person who asked, even though it amused and irritated some of my friends. They said I was being "taken advantage of." I already know that, but I also knew that I was a beggar too. The real Jesus is disruptive. If you let him into your life, he will push you to live as a Christian- to the point where sometimes, some part of you may cry out, "Jesus, what do you want with me?" If this happens to you, praise God and celebrate because you are growing in Christ, As a dashboard figure, Jesus is harmless, but if you're chained to a tombstone, running naked in some graveyard, or just living an empty life, you need more than a plastic Jesus!

If you're in an honest relationship with Jesus, you already know that Jesus can be a tormenter! It's not just demoniacs, fat cats, drunks, and self-righteous people who resist Jesus. We all do. None of us wants to be changed. No one likes to play lead guitar behind Jesus. It's not easy to walk behind a man who is carrying a cross and it's not easy to let go. Like the people of Gedara, we want Jesus to leave us alone... so that we can go our own way, run our businesses, fatten our pigs, and struggle with our demons. But Jesus loves us too much to accept that... and he will poke and torment us until we've had enough. In my life, Jesus has been an Inviter and something of a Nagger, who kept tormenting me with life-changing questions. He would not let me go and that's exactly what I needed. But as the demoniac discovered, Jesus is also a liberator who can set us free from bondage. Jesus wants us to live a life based on love, service, and trust! He wants us to live in ways that feed our souls and serve our neighbors! He wants us to run to him so that we won't have to run from anything or anyone else ever again. Jesus wants to save us and set us free!

I'm still sorry I fired Keith, still glad that I give to bums, and now and then, when one-armed stock clerks cross my mind. I smile at how God tormented me and refused to let me go. Amen.

7 THINGS "GOOD FATHERS DO

 "My child arrived just the other day. He came to the world in the usual way. But there were planes to catch and bills to pay. He learned to walk while I was away. And he was talkin' fore I knew it, and as he grew, he'd say, 'I'm gonna be like you dad. I'm gonna be like you.' My son turned ten just the other day. He said, 'Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play. Can you teach me to throw?' I said, 'Not today, I got a lot to do.' He said, 'That's ok,' and he walked away, but his smile never dimmed and he said, 'I'm gonna be like him, yeah. I'm gonna be like him.' I've long since retired. My son's moved away. I called him up just the other day. I said, 'I'd like to see you if you don't mind.' He said, 'I'd  love too, dad, if I can find the time. You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu. But it's sure nice talking to you, dad.' And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me- he'd grown up just like me. My boy was just like me. The song? "Cat's In the Cradle." The year? 1974. The message? Forever true... because

1. Good fathers must be good ROLE MODELS! I emphasize "good" because, whether we like it or not, we're all role models...  because kids learn most of what they learn about values from what they see. So, if you miss one of their activities for work, the kids "see" that work is more important... if you dump the kids off a church while you stay home, the kids "see" that that church really isn't all that important... and if you don't treat their mother with respect, the kids "see" that she really isn't valued much. Someone wiser than me said, "What you are speaks so loudly that I cannot possibly hear what you're saying," and I've never forgotten it. In fact, I think it lies at the core of the gospel because Jesus practiced what he preached. As fathers, parents, friends, we reap what we sow... so... sow seeds of kindness, respect and love wherever you go;

2. Good fathers are PRESENT to their children because just  being present... is much of what's required. Even as God was present to the saints throughout the ages, and was present to you in your moment of need, we can be present to our children when they wonder and wander, when their eyes are filled with joy... or tears. As fathers, we must be present... because nothing good can happen if we're not. In the fall of '58, my father and I played catch for the only time in my life. One time... and I still remember it. After he had dropped a ball or two, dad said, "I'm not very good at these sort of things," which was true (he wasn't)... but he was more than good enough for me;

3.  Good fathers are STRONG ENOUGH TO BE GENTLE. This doesn't mean "weak" of course, and certainly not "wishy-washy," but it does mean that good fathers have enough maturity and depth to feel pain when their children are in pain, to listen when something important needs to be heard, and even to cry when tears are warranted, just as Jesus cried over Jerusalem . In Hosea's book, God reveals his heart... when he says, "It was I who taught Ephraim to walk. I took them up in my arms. I led them with bands of love; I bent down to feed them; I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks." Yes, our God is an awesome God and tenderness is part of his strength!

4. Good fathers are AFFIRMING! In a world filled with critics, they are their children's biggest fans. Kids need to know that, when everything else runs out, their parents are on their side. I'm reminded of the true story of an Olympian who fell in a heap during the biggest race of his life. He was lying on the track, writhing in pain, when his father began to make his way quickly down from the stands, past the guards, and on to the track, where he bent down and lifted his son up. Then the two of them, arm in arm, began to walk toward the finish line. The young man finished last that day, but he didn't finish alone... because his dad walked him.

5. Like the loving father in the story we know as the Prodigal Son, good fathers are PATIENTLY FORGIVING- YES EVEN FOREVER FORGIVING. You know the story of the Prodigal Son, so I will tell you a story of an old man and a dutiful daughter who had taken care of him for years. He told her what he wanted for his funeral, and she knew that he had told her... because she could handle it. She could handle anything, and besides, she had a gorgeous voice ... so she could sing the song that he had especially requested. Well, the day arrived, and while she was arranging things up front, her neer-do-well brother walked into the funeral home- with long disheveled hair, and his most recent girlfriend. She hadn't seen him for years and now she was incensed because everyone in the room was making a fuss over him. Then... it struck her. The special song that her father had requested was for her him! It was a love song to her brother. He had never given up on the boy. He was a good father, and she vowed that she would NOT sing the song.

6. Good fathers are INTENTIONAL ABOUT BEING GOOD FATHERS, even as they are about anything else they really believe in. In his book, Good Call, Jase Robertson talks about being an intentional and loud Christian- deliberate and bold- and the same thing can be said about being a father. Let me close with an anonymous poem, "Walk a little plainer, daddy, said a little boy so frail. I'm following in your footsteps, and I don't want to fail. Sometimes your steps are very plain. Sometimes they are hard to see. So walk a little plainer, for you are leading me. I know that once you walked this way many years ago, and what you did along the way, I'd really like to know. For sometimes when I am tempted, I don't know what to do. So, walk a little plainer, daddy, for I must follow you. Finally...

7. Good fathers LEAD THEIR FAMILIES in a faith journey... because matters of faith are real and powerful, and because the grace and strength to be a good father... comes from their relationship with God the Father in the first place! If we invest in matters of faith, we will have a broader and deeper truth to offer our children, and we will know what it means to be fully human. Fathers, if we put matters of faith first, we will give our kids a wonderful gift and they will see life in ways that are truly transforming. The world will always tempt them and beat up on them, but without faith, it may well have its way with them. So... let your children see that you put your trust in God and build your life around his word. If you don't, they won't... but if you do, they will... and our Father in heaven will be pleased.

I've learned to accept that, through the years I played my cards as well as I could. I gave what I was able to give and I know that no one can ever do more than that. So, I am not drowning is a sea of guilt. However, if I could go back in time some how, I would surely be a better father than I was. I wouldn't travel like I did. I wouldn't try so hard to be a "big shot." I would be far more present to my kids, far more involved, and much more intentional about being a dad. I never had much trouble being gentle, loving, and forgiving, but I wish I had stayed at home. Amen.

FORGIVENESS MUST HAVE A FACE

"When I was a kid, I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn't work that way... so I stole a bicycle... and asked him to forgive me." Well, there are 100s of jokes about forgiveness- the one above is by Emo Phillips- but today I want to talk about forgiveness in a serious vein because forgiving lies at the very heart of what it means to be a Christian! 

Jesus' entire ministry was dedicated to forgiveness. He lived and died with forgiveness on his mind, and it seems to me that the most quintessential thing we can do as Christians is to FORGIVE others. Friends, if you want to do what Jesus did, go and forgive someone, and do it again and again and again- 70 times 7- as a way of life! A forgiving spirit is a Christian spirit. So let me offer a few thoughts that may be helpful:

1. Forgiving others is a choice! It's not a feeling. It is a decision that our faith demands. Forgiving others, especially those who need forgiveness most, is not easy... but if you're waiting to feel like forgiving another person, you may be waiting a very, very long time;

2,  Forgiving others will make you healthy! Yes, it's true. For those who are scientifically minded, let me say that forgiving others helps lower blood pressure, improves sleep quality, reduces depression, lowers risk of drug abuse, and allows YOU to move on with your life, which is a big plus;

3. Forgiving others restores our relationship with GOD.  Resentment is a deadly spiritual cancer which will block our spiritual growth. If we're burdened with resentment, we won't pray, study, or serve God as we

should, and we will deprive ourselves of the joy that God wants us to experience;

4.  Forgiving others... fulfills the new Commandment. As Christians, we are called to love each other AS  Christ loved us, and while this includes a lot of things, it MUST include forgiving one another. To talk about Christ-like love without talking about radical forgiveness would be nonsensical;

5.  Forgiving sin has NOTHING to do with tolerating evil! When one of us hurts or offends another (and it's just a matter of time), we will forgive one another's debts, but that does NOT mean that we condone the behavior involved. Things like abuse, harassment, bullying...cannot be tolerated, and finally;

6.  Forgiveness MUST have a face! I cannot forgive in the abstract. I cannot forgive all sinners everywhere; I can't forgive the Nazis for murdering the Jews; I can't forgive Andrew Jackson for the Trail of Tears; and I can't forgive people who haven't sinned against me. I feel bad about these things, and I'll work to make the world a more compassionate place, but I can't "let go" of someone else's pain. Forgiveness must have a face... which brings me to Corrie ten Boom's famous story. According to Corrie, "It was in a church in Munich that a saw him- a balding, heavy-set man in a grey overcoat, a brown, felt hat in his hands. People were filing out of the basement where I had just spoken. It was 1947 and I had come from Holland with the message that God forgives... And that's when I saw him, working his way forward against the others. One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a visored cap with its skull and crossbones. It came back with a rush- the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the room, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister's frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. This man had been a guard at Ravensbruck where we were sent. "You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk," he said, "I was a guard there, but since that time I became a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well ... 'FRAULEIN, WILL YOU FORGIVE ME?' And I stood there- I whose sins had every day to be forgiven- and could not. Betsy has died in that place. It couldn't have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out, but it seemed like hours, as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I ever had to do. For I had to do it! I knew that and still I stood there, with coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion. It is an act of will and that will can function regardless of the temperature of my heart... And so woodenly, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. 'I FORGIVE YOU BROTHER,' I CRIED, 'WITH ALL MY HEART.' For a long moment we grasped each other's hands. the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God's love so intensely... as I did then."

The healing, liberating, and life-changing power of forgiving and being forgiven by another! Can I get an "amen"?

A HYPOCRITE'S PRAYER

You don't have to know much Scripture to know that Jesus didn't have much tolerance toward hypocrites because they pretended to be something they were not. They were always acting, playing a role that was meant to deceive others and perhaps even themselves. In his day, actors wore masks. They would hold a mask in front of their faces and pretend to be a person they were not. They were called "hypocrites," and on stage, it was all good fun. Some of the actors were excellent pretenders, but off-stage, in a world that relies on trust and authenticity, pretending that you're something you're not... is not worthy of applause. Instead, it merits our condemnation, and that is exactly what Jesus did. He ate with sinners, but he condemned hypocrites. He forgave adulteresses, but he condemned hypocrites. He cried for those who had lost their way and he liberated those who were "demon-possessed," but he condemned hypocrites. There are too many verses condemning hypocrisy to mention in detail, but a couple of examples will be cited. In Matthew 23:27, we find these words: "Woe to you... you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of bones of the dead and everything unclean." Jesus also has harsh words in Matthew 7:5: "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Let's be frank: hypocrites annoyed Jesus... and they annoy everyone else. They annoy us because they're phony, and because they lay burdens on us... burdens that they, themselves, do not carry. Sadly, hypocrites also separate themselves from God's forgiving love because all meaningful relationships are based on integrity and trust.

My biggest problem then... is the plank in my own eye. You are not to blame, neither is the world, or my bad luck. In my quest to be understood, accepted. and even loved, the problem is me, my ego, my fear of being real, my hypocrisy! I learned the art of "acting" to get by, and now I find that it keeps me from the very thing I need most... which is to be known and loved anyway. I need to "get real," I confess it and offer this prayer: O God, help me live with integrity in everything I say and do. Let me be true to myself, and in that way... free, Give me the courage to practice what I preach. Give me the courage to be vulnerable and the grace to love those who are vulnerable. Teach me to be authentic, Lord, and use the experiences that you give me to shape me into something real.  Let me be what I profess to be, so that I might receive the acceptance I seek. If I preach about mercy, make me merciful, and let it be the same with forgiveness. If I boast about being in your hands, God, let me show that I believe it... by living boldly and daring to love the unlovable, and Lord... if I say that I love my neighbors, show me how to be a neighbor. Lord, let the face that I show others... be my face... so that, for better or worse, others will know the real me. My tears and laughter, Lord, let them be real. O God, let me experience the deep joy of knowing that Christ died for me- for the real me, I mean- just as I am.

"Being me" has never seemed quite enough somehow... but it was enough for Christ, who died for me and who beckons me to throw my masks away and die to him. Believing this... is real freedom... and besides, the masks that I carry have become too heavy to bear.  Amen.