Tag Archives: cross

Tall Grass

tall grass

There is a large office building I pass by every morning on my walks, and the grass around it is in desperate need of a mow. The grass has gotten so high that much of it is at least knee-high and has gone to seed. This morning on my walk, I noticed a woman from the neighborhood trying to use a weed whacker on the tall grass on one side of the building. But I could tell she was not getting too far. The grass was too long, and the area to cover was far too large to make a dent. I didn’t see that woman with the weed whacker anymore upon my return walk home.

The plight of that woman and the tall grass gnaws at me because I know what she is feeling. She thought she could fix the problem, but the problem is simply too big for one person to tackle. How many things in life are like that? And how many things are like that in a spiritual sense, when we as Christians see sin running rampant around us? We want to do something. We want cut down and get rid of what we can. But it is just not possible for us. That is why Jesus came. The cross serves as a giant sin remover that gets rid of all that is wrong with the world, down to the very roots. We live in a sinful world. We see signs of that every day. But we are not Jesus. Only he can mow down what is messed up on this earth, spiritually speaking, and take us to the perfect paradise of heaven, through his forgiveness and grace.

Marked Path

white tree

On my vacation last month, I got the chance to hike along the infamous Appalachian Trail. One of the unique features of the trail is that at various intervals, trees are marked with a brushstroke of white paint. The white marking assures hikers that they are on the right path. The marking also serves a reminder to keep going.

For us as Christians, our journey of faith is marked too, with the sign of the cross. We may not see it on tree trunks, but we may see a cross on a steeple, on a necklace, on an intersection street sign. Keep your eyes open on the path before you for the cross of Christ to lead you to where you need to go on your walk with Jesus. His sacrificial love, his unconditional forgiveness and his humble obedience to God in his crucifixion mark out for us how we should live in word and deed for him and for one another. It is Christ’s cross that keeps us moving forward to reach the goal for which God has called us heavenward.

He Did, He Will

Red Sea

I heard the refrain “He did, he will” in church recently, and it has stuck with me. If you think about it, almost all of the Bible is an account of what God did: He created the world, he made human beings, he promised to send a Savior when those humans sinned, he rescued Noah and his family from the flood, he gave Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age, he saved the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, he brought them to the Promised Land, he cared for King David, he sent Jesus to earth to save us and unite us with him.

We have read about and celebrated all that he did. So we now have the confidence that he will. He will continue to bless us through his creation, as he did in the beginning. He will continue to forgive us and love us, as he did with his people of old. He will continue to care for us, as he did with David. He will bring us safely to the Promised Land of heaven, because of what Jesus did on the cross and at the empty tomb.

What was done in the past speaks directly to what will be for us in the future. That we can be sure of. And it is our turn to pass on that certainty, as the psalmist says, “We will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord and his might and the wonders that he has done” (Psalm 78:4). Each time we share the Scriptures with someone, we are in effect saying, “Look what he did. Know that he will!” What a strong message and hope to have within us each and every day.

Backpack

backpack

In the fall of 1990 I backpacked through Europe for two weeks while I was on a semester abroad in Cambridge, England. Above is the backpack I brought with me on that trip. Thirty-two years later, I still cannot bring myself to throw it away. And it still is in good enough shape for me to use it from time to time on my travels.

Each time I use it, I still have the urge to strap it on my back and feel the weight of it. I remember that the best advice anyone gave me was to not take too much with me because I was going to have to carry it all with me wherever I went.

I thought I had narrowed it down to the bare minimum, but spending a whole day walking around the streets of Barcelona with a backpack on made me purge a few things. The extra jeans, the extra sweater, the extra shoes were tossed, and my back felt a lot better from then on.

I come to realize now that we still carry around a lot of extra baggage that we shouldn’t. That guilt over a past sin. That grudge over some perceived or real slight. That sorrow over some missed opportunity. That anger over a mistake we made long ago. Unload it all. Toss it away. Throw it at the foot of the cross and never turn back on our journey through life. Live life with a lighter load, knowing we are forgiven and freed by Christ to experience more joy and grow as travelers who look only forward to the final destination where nothing will hold us back from him.

Why?

why

Gideon answered him, “But sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” Judges 6:13

I always marvel when a Bible verse jumps out at me and sounds so modern and indicative of our current state. How many of us have asked Gideon’s question (aloud or to ourselves) at one point or another in our lives? “Why has all this happened to us?” COVID, political unrest, mass shootings, high prices, job instability, supply chain delays, the war in Ukraine. The list could go on, not to mention any personal problems we may have within ourselves or with those in our families. “Why, God, why?”

The question of “Why?” when it comes to life’s troubles is nothing new, we realize, but that still does not take the initial uneasiness away when we, like Gideon, know in our heart of hearts that God is with us. God responded to Gideon’s question in a myriad of ways, revealing his power and strength over the things of this world. We need to open our eyes, as Gideon did, to the ultimate reign of God all around us, even if we cannot see it all the time. God is not out to get us. Sin and the devil are the ones still at work to cloud our vision and bring us to despair. But their hold on us and on all the world will come to an end when Christ returns to bring us home to heaven.

Christ himself asked “Why?” from the cross. “Why have you forsaken me?” he said to his Father (Mark 15:34). He experienced complete abandonment on Calvary that we might never have to face the hardships of life on our own ever again. There is an end in sight. Jesus assured us, “In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). No trouble can take away the triumph that Christ achieved when he rose from the grave. So take every trouble to Jesus and let him restore in you the sure and certain hope that there is nothing you and God cannot handle together.

Stooping Down

stooping down

When the Resurrection Gospel from Luke 24 was read this Easter, a word stuck out for me that hadn’t before: The word was stooping. When Peter ran to the empty tomb of Jesus, he had to stoop down and look in to see the linen cloths but no Jesus. He had to physically lower himself to see what had happened. I don’t know about you, but stooping down is not something I like to do very often, whether it is to pick something up off the ground or get something from the back of a bottom shelf. It is an uncomfortable position and can make you feel awkward. So it must have been for Peter, but he was more than willing to stoop down to discover the empty tomb for himself.

I think of times when Jesus stooped down in his life. He got on the ground to wash his disciples’ feet. He bent down in the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He was hunched over when he was whipped by the soldiers. But the most dramatic way in which he stooped down was when he came down from heaven and took on human flesh to save us by dying on the cross.

We cannot imagine how far our Savior had to go to humble himself to save us all from sin and death. Jesus came down to us so that we might be raised up to him. No more stooping is necessary from either Christ or ourselves. We will stand in glory with him and lift up holy hands in praise to him, who is exalted evermore.

Our Journey with Christ

Jesus walking

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Ashes are placed on our heads in the form of a cross and sorrow comes from our hearts for the things we have done to disobey our God.

During these 40 days (not counting Sundays), we journey in spirit with our Savior toward the cross. Our minds remember the suffering and betrayal he endured for us and our hearts ache for him because we have put him in this position because of our sins.

The journey with Christ in Lent leads us to a desert where he overcomes temptation. It takes us to a road lined with palms of praise. It takes us to the temple where he turns the tables of the money-changers. It beckons us to an Upper Room with his disciples where he shares he body and blood in bread and wine. It takes us to a garden where he is arrested. It takes us to a courtroom where he is charged with blasphemy. It takes us to his death on Calvary.

His journey points to times in our journey when we face temptations, when we are filled with praise, when we let money rule our lives, when we gather with fellow believers, when we are tried and convicted in the court of public opinion for our perceived slights. Those are the ups and downs of Christian living. But in the end it is Jesus alone who paves the way for us all by his death on the cross for a journey to heaven that will bring only blessing and joy. Welcome to Lent.

Save or Toss?

boxes

Over the years, I had kept a large archive of proofed copies of past manuscripts in my office, so I would have documentation of what I had changed or edited if anyone would ask about them down the road after publication. The collection of these past versions of manuscripts eventually filled 11 cardboard boxes that stacked up in the corner of my workspace as a kind of monument to my hoarding tendency. Finally, a co-worker of mine suggested I move the boxes out of my office and into storage, which I did. In the process, I realized that I had not touched those boxes in over two years and that I no longer needed the physical copies since the electronic copies of all my projects are safely stored on my computer. Now my office looks a lot cleaner and my mind is not as cluttered by the worry that someday someone might need something from one of those boxes.

This experience made me recognize that we hang on to many things far too long that we need to simply get rid of or move on from. Most people do not remember the time you made fun of someone in grade school. So why should you still let that linger in your brain? God does not keep a record of that, so you shouldn’t either. You confessed and you’re forgiven. End of story.

The keeping of paperwork of past projects also symbolized to me that I was holding on too tightly to my own achievements and my own personal desire to prove my worth to others. But as the song by Keith and Kristyn Getty says, “My worth is not in what I own, but in the costly wounds of love at the cross.” Anything I have amassed here on earth cannot fully capture me and who I am. Only my place as God’s forgiven child through Christ’s death and resurrection will allow me to stand firm in this world and the next. So I keep what is connected to Christ and I let go of the things of this world. Then my soul is at peace.

The Carpenter’s Son

carpenter

Is not this the carpenter’s son? Matthew 13:55

There is something very telling about the people in his hometown calling Jesus the carpenter’s son. First of all, it suggests a familiarity with him. They knew Jesus well. They knew his father and his family. It also reveals a normal quality about Jesus. He did not stand out in the crowd, but was one of the people, a regular kid, if you will. It also connects Jesus to a trade. It is assumed that Jesus was trained by Joseph in the art of carpentry and that this is the path that Jesus will follow in his work life.

That is why the townsfolk are so astonished when they hear “their” Jesus speaking so eloquently and with such wisdom and authority on spiritual matters in the synagogue. This was not the Jesus they expected. Jesus was showing them that he was not the regular kid from down the block anymore. His ministry had begun. He had a story to tell of God’s plan and a people to save through his death and resurrection. This was far from the carpenter’s life the community had in mind for him.

But was it? It is no mistake that Jesus was born in a wooden manger crafted by hand to hold straw, and it is no coincidence that Jesus was nailed to a wooden cross, fashioned with two beams. Christ’s connection to wood and carpentry bookend his perfect life on earth for our redemption. So it is no surprise that Christ continues to craft and fashion a life for us that is designed to serve a purpose for him. And it is no wonder that he said he is preparing a place for us in heaven, a room and space for us to dwell in unity with him forever.

So the question, “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” becomes for us not a dismissal of Jesus, but a declaration of hope in the One who building and creating a new thing. What great masterpieces are in store from Christ, our Carpenter!

Left Turns

left turn

When driving, making left turns are some of the most difficult maneuvers to undertake, especially on a busy road with traffic flying at a fast pace from both directions. Making a left turn often requires skill and boldness and quick thinking. At the heart of it all, making a left turn can take risk. That is why, for a time and at the bemusement of my friends and family, I avoided making left turns at all costs, even if it took me longer to get somewhere. I just didn’t want to take the risk. I have since returned to making left turns and have gained the strength to making the extra effort and possessing the patience to perform the task I once was averse to.

This experience made me realize that Jesus never avoided taking “left turns,” if you will. He took risks and did not turn the other way when lepers cried out to him for healing, when a blind man pleaded for mercy, when Pharisees came to him with questions. He did not take the easy way out and turn away from the cross, but turned directly toward it with all the difficulties and pain that appeared along the path toward it.

Jesus was a risk-taker and he wants us to be risk-takers, too. He does not want us to turn away from those who need our help. He does not want us to avoid talking to those who have questions about our faith. He does not want us to stop from carrying our cross for him. Not taking left turns is not an option in the Christian life. In fact, taking left turns, taking risks and chances is what Christianity is all about. Start making more left turns today.