Random Thoughts about Mark 16 on Easter

This Easter under a stay-at-home order might be more like that first easter.

Photo: Bruno van der Kraan via Unsplash

No one was expecting anything miraculous. There weren’t crowds gathered at the tomb counting down the seconds until sunrise.

No. The movement Jesus started was over, and those that were a part of it were just coming to grips with the death of it and with the death of Him.

Mary, Mary, and Salome went to the tomb to do the proper burial things. They intended to minister to Jesus’ body. I’m sure they were somber, and perhaps even anticipating some unpleasant tasks. They were thinking practical and reasonable thoughts: 

They asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb?” Mark 16:3

Of course, they were surprised to find that the stone had been rolled away. They must have been shocked to find someone else in the tomb.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. But he has risen! He is not here! See the place where they had put him. Go! Tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. It will be just as he told you.’  vv. 6-7

These three women were the first ordained evangelists. They received their ordination from a heavenly angelic being, “Go, tell…”. How wonderful! What a privilege for these women to be the first ones sent with the Easter message. It’s interesting to me that some of us still struggle with the idea of women preaching the gospel. 

Not only that, but the risen Jesus himself appeared to Mary Magdalene:

Jesus rose from the dead early on the first day of the week. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. He had driven seven demons out of her. v. 12

I imagine this was special for Him and for her. I wonder what he said. I wonder what she said. I wonder if she said anything at all. I am sure she was overwhelmed. I wonder if she was overwhelmed only because he was alive, or if he was somehow glorified or transfigured. I think it’s special that he revealed himself to her first. It’s honoring. In her culture, women were not credible witnesses in a court of law. In her culture one person alone wasn’t strong evidence. And so a lone woman was not readily believed. Still, Jesus chose to appear to her first. To me this emphasizes his connection to her. To me it validates her identity, her female-ness, despite her culture.

Interestingly, he also appeared to two other disciples “in a different form” (what??) and no one believed them either. I presume these others were male. Still, the unbelievable was hard to believe.

Then there is the Great Commission:

He said to them, “Go into all the world. Preach the good news to everyone.” v. 15

I feel like Jesus is sharing his dream more clearly than ever here. Everyone everywhere should know this good news. He died in our place, overcoming sin. He was resurrected on the third day, overcoming death. Everyone everywhere should be invited into relationship with Creator God. The path has been made clear!

And when he was done, he ascended:

When the Lord Jesus finished speaking to them, he was taken up into heaven. He sat down at the right hand of God. v. 19

So on this Easter, even though we are in an unprecedented season, let’s follow the example of his disciples. Let’s “go” everywhere and tell everyone that forgiveness is available!

All scripture quotes from the NIRV (New International Readers Version)

Waiting…

My Dog Judah Was Good at Waiting

Our black Labrador died a few years ago. One of the things I remember most about him is how he loved tennis balls. The ball was life to him. When I had it in my hand, ready to throw, I had Judah’s full attention. He was focused. He stared at it, his ears up, every sense tuned to me. Often he would very slowly sit down, even if I didn’t tell him to. He knew good things happened after a sit.

Sometimes I would set the ball down in front of him and say, “Wait”. Judah was good at waiting. He would stare still at the ball, hoping, willing it to move. He’d often steal a look at my face, to see if he could read my intent. Of course I would kick the ball and send them both in random directions. He’d come trotting back, with a spring in his step, chomping away at the dirty tennis ball in his mouth.

* * * * * * *

Today is Holy Saturday. It’s a day for waiting. The original disciples didn’t know what they were waiting for… maybe the other shoe was going to be dropped. Maybe they too would be arrested, beaten, and killed. They locked themselves in a room and waited. We of course, already know the rest of the story. But still it is good to wait. It’s good for me to focus my attention on the Master. In my waiting, I can still myself. As I wait, I can remember all the times He has been good to me. In my waiting, I can prepare myself to move and to act.

And I suppose the whole world is in a kind of waiting. Billions of us are under shelter at home orders. It is good to wait. Let’s focus on our Master and pray for Him to move.

“Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”

— Psalm 27:14 (NLT)

• Photo Credit: Joshua Hoehne via Unsplash

Good Friday

These verses are on my mind today as we remember Jesus on this Good Friday

“So Moses made a bronze snake. He put it up on a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake remained alive.”

— Numbers 21:9 (NIRV)

“But the servant was pierced because we had sinned.
He was crushed because we had done what was evil.
He was punished to make us whole again.
His wounds have healed us.”

— Isaiah 53:5 (NIRV)

“Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. In the same way, the Son of Man must also be lifted up. Then everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.””

— John 3:14-15 (NIRV)

“It was now about noon. Then darkness covered the whole land until three o’clock. The sun had stopped shining. The temple curtain was torn in two. Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my life.” After he said this, he took his last breath.”

— Luke 23:44-46 (NIRV)

It is amazing to me how God foreshadowed this all the way back in the desert, thousands of years earlier. I think there are nearly 25 or 30 other references to Jesus’ death on a cross in the Original Testament.

And it is amazing to me that our wonderful God chose self-sacrifice to overcome our evil. I am grateful. May the whole earth be covered with the knowledge of him, just like the waters cover the sea.

Photo Credit: Adrian Dascal via Unsplash

Maundy Thursday

Today is the day that we traditionally celebrate The Last Supper.

That means tonight we remember the night that Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane. A few years ago, Kay Charlotte and I celebrated our 20th anniversary by taking a trip to Jerusalem. We were able to go to the likely site of this garden, just across the valley, East of the Temple Mount. On the site, this church was built:

It was designed by Antonio Barluzzi, and I think it was may favorite place. Of course, it was beautiful, and the olive trees in the garden around the chapel were too. I like to think Jesus was familiar with this place. Maybe he came here again and again to pray over the course of his lifetime. I imagine that when the gospel writers record that Jesus went away to pray, that he went to places like this one.

I tend to think that Jesus was stoic and just accepted his fate– that he resolutely marched to Jerusalem, his jaw set with a grim determination to overcome evil with self-sacrifice. But his prayer in the garden shows that he was deeply troubled, even in agony. I love that he came to this place to be near the Father.  

Jesus expressed his humanity here. He asked the Father if there was any other way. The Father seems to welcome this question. There’s no record of God being angry with Jesus for asking. There’s no indication that God wasn’t pleased with his son. This gives me courage. I think I can also go to God when I’m uncertain. Maybe I can even question his instructions. Of course, Jesus submitted himself to what was to come, and glorified his Father with his obedience.

Here’s a link to the story as recorded in the book of Matthew.

Let's Remember Everyone in these Coronavirus Times

The Most Vulnerable Among Us Could Really Use Our Prayers

Disclaimer: I serve on the board of YWAM San Francisco and so my heart is tied up in the wonderful work the YWAMers do there in the Tenderloin area of the city. I am going to encourage you to pray and even support their vital work.

So I saw this video of an eerily empty and somehow peaceful San Francisco last week. The soundtrack helps it seem peaceful and not like the aftermath of the rapture or something.

I’m grateful that so many people are able to take shelter and be safe. I’m glad so many can do their part to flatten the curve of COVID-19. I’m grateful that these empty streets mean that lives will likely be saved. I’m praying that soon they’ll fill up again with hustle and bustle. I pray that soon people will have a new found appreciation for the everyday pleasures of walking the streets without masks and without having to create a six foot bubble.

However, It’s Not So Tranquil Everywhere

Sadly, taking shelter isn’t possible for everyone. My coworkers at Youth With A Mission San Francisco are seeing this first hand. Here’s what their street looks like:

“So much has changed in San Francisco since our stay-at-home orders were issued over a week ago. Many streets are empty, shops are boarded up, restaurants are working to deliver food; the city feels deserted. In the Tenderloin, the streets are packed with people who can not shelter-in, cut off from regular resources and spaces which have been forced to close.”

— Tim Svoboda, Director of YWAM San Francisco

These are difficult times for our most vulnerable. But YWAM San Francisco has not closed its doors to their neighbors. Their drop-in center is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. It focuses solely on hygiene for four guests at a time. Guests can use the bathroom and even get a shower. Thank God, because being clean is critical to staying healthy. Guests receive hygiene kits, antibacterial wipes, and a cup of soup to go. YWAM staff are vigilantly using masks and gloves and are taking other safety measures.

On Thursdays, YWAM has traditionally offered a food pantry for 300 or so neighbors to come and pick out some much needed fruits and vegetables. Now YWAMers are pre-packing bags that the needy can come and pick up at the door.

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This Is a Time for Us to Pray and a Time for Us to Give

Please join me in prayer for those that YWAM San Francisco are serving. Pray for health. Pray for safety, especially since things are tense. Pray for YWAM staff to be healthy. Pray for funds to be able to provide these vital services.

And here’s where you can be part of the answer to these prayers. Consider giving a donation to YWAM San Francisco to help them meet the basic needs of the unhoused. If you’re a US citizen and you are able, you could even give all or a portion of the stimulus check you’ll receive from the government later this month.

Click below to learn more about YWAM San Francisco’s Restoration Initiatives and then join Kay Charlotte and I in giving generously.

Inspiration from Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah

This Is Part III of III; Here’s the First Part and Here’s the Second Part

Excelling in Exile

THE EXILE TRILOGY EPISODE III

So if this is like a season of exile, and if exile can actually be good for us, how can I respond? How can I cooperate with Holy Spirit?

There are three things about the story of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (found in the first few chapters in the book of Daniel) that can help me become a person that better represents God, even in dark times.

1. IDENTITY

These guys knew who they were. Even in exile, they knew they were Hebrews. Yes, their landscape changed dramatically. Things were not the same. It was bad— they went from the promised land to Babylon. They knew that being Hebrew meant that their diet was different. They knew that being Hebrew meant that their God was different. Even after the chief official gave them Babylonian names, (Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), they knew who they were.

So in my season things have radically changed. The numbers of diseased and dead climb higher as the economy heads lower. I need to remember who I am. I can remember that I am on my way to Christlikeness. The uncertainty of my circumstances doesn’t have to turn me into someone else.

2. LANGUAGE

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were put in a Babylonian school to learn the language and other subjects. It was a three year program and once they graduated, they would serve the king. These young men excelled. God gave them knowledge and understanding. He even gave Daniel a supernatural ability to interpret dreams. At the end of their education, they graduated at the top of their class, and became advisors to the king. 

It seems to me that there’s a lot of new language around us in these days. There are terms like shelter in place, stay at home, quarantine, lock down, and self isolation. There’s the science of ACE2 receptors and a whole new language of charts, graphs, and flattening the curve. There’s a lot to know. I’ve even had to relearn how to wash my hands! We too can excel at learning about this new reality, this new language, and these new customs. 

3. COURAGE

As the story goes, they faced a test. The king built a giant gold statue and commanded all the people to bow down and worship it. Of course, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah would not. They were brought before the king, and even under the threat of death, refused to bow. They said to the king:

“…We might be thrown into the blazing furnace. But the God we serve is able to bring us out of it alive. He will save us from your power. But we want you to know this, Your Majesty. Even if we knew that our God wouldn’t save us, we still wouldn’t serve your gods. We wouldn’t worship the gold statue you set up.”

— Daniel 3:17-18 (NIRV)

This infuriated the king. He ordered his fiery furnace to be heated seven times hotter than normal. He ordered the boys to be bound and to be thrown into it. The flames were so hot, that the men who threw them in were consumed. Yet Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were not. They could be seen amongst the flames, walking with a fourth figure that “looked like a son of the gods”, according to the king (v. 25). 

Their courage changed things. When they came out of the furnace, they were no longer bound and they didn’t even smell like smoke— that’s how thoroughly they were protected. The pagan Babylonian king praised God saying,  

“No other god can save people this way... No one may say anything against him...”

— Daniel 3: 29-30 (NIRV)

I feel like I’m being asked to face this with courage. First, I’m thinking about our health. Several times in this last month, I’ve woken up in the middle of the night convinced that I’ve caught the COVID. I am not sure if these are merely fever dreams or actual fever. The stealthy nature of this virus has got me a little spooked. The idea that one can have it without knowing until it’s too late is weighing on my subconscious. I’m worried I might have it and unknowingly infect Kay Charlotte or others. 

Not only that, but I’m feeling a financial vulnerability too. Kay Charlotte and I are faith missionaries and we don’t receive a salary. So many wonderful friends and family have given generously to provide for our needs. I know some of those faithful givers are financially impacted by this. And it’s likely that our world won’t go back exactly the same once we get through. That may mean hardship for many of our supporters and for us.

I suppose you too are concerned about health and finances in these difficult days. So courage then. It’s not the absence of fear, it’s continuing forward with the expectation that Jesus will meet us in the fire.

Image Credit: John Salvino via Unsplash

Maybe Exile Can Be Good for Us?!

This Is Part II of III; Here’s the First Part and Here’s the Third Part

Maybe this Can Be Good for Me

EXILE TRILOGY EPISODE II

What If How I Respond to this Season Can Shape Me into Someone Who Is More Christlike?

So if this corona virus season of social distancing and stay at home orders are a little bit like exile, maybe something good can come of it. Maybe this exile can be worthwhile. Maybe it can make me into a better reflection of who Jesus is. Ok, I’m not suffering-suffering, but I think this difficulty can shape me in positive ways. Just like working out shapes me, just like denying myself shapes me, maybe this stay at home season can make me a better human. 

Hardships can create endurance. There’s something about struggle that creates an opportunity to become stronger. Of course, that same point of struggle can be a place where I give in and become self-indulgent. Many times in these last few weeks, I’ve felt myself balancing on that knife’s edge of struggle. I have often misstepped and given into selfishness. Instead of extending grace, I snap at Kay Charlotte. Instead of maintaining discipline, I gobble up another brownie, in an attempt to feel better, at least for a few minutes. But I’m also finding that I can make better choices. I’m reminded of Paul’s words:

“And that’s not all. We also celebrate in seasons of suffering because we know that when we suffer we develop endurance, which shapes our characters. When our characters are refined, we learn what it means to hope and anticipate God’s goodness. And hope will never fail to satisfy our deepest need because the Holy Spirit that was given to us has flooded our hearts with God’s love.”

— Romans 5:3-5 (VOICE)

See also James 1:2-4 

God is using this background anxiety I’m feeling. God is shaping me in my growing stir-craziness. I can cooperate with Holy Spirit and resist that part of me that wants to give in. I can let it shape my character. I can learn endurance. And COVID 19 has given me a unique opportunity to grow in exile.