Wednesday: Conspiracy, Coins and a Choice

The Pharisees had had enough.  They had to find a way to get rid of Jesus...for good.  He had become a threat to their very being.  He had openly mocked them and made them look foolish.  Their credibility was being jeopardized.  And NOW, Jesus was saying something about tearing down the temple!  On top of that, Nicodemus, one of their very own, was even acting a bit weak.  He even seemed to want to defend this Nazarene.  Yes, he had to go.  But...how to do it?

There was a problem.  They had to get to Jesus at night.  During the day would not do.  With Passover approaching, there were too many people around that might cause a riot.  Yes, they had to catch Him at night.  The Pharisees themselves, could not be there.  It would cause a scandal.  They had to use guards to bring Jesus to them.  But their guards that didn't know what Jesus looked like.  Hmmm....Judas did!  He was one of His disciples, but they could tell he was frustrated.  They had witnessed him disagreeing with Jesus, in the courtyard.  He was the perfect person to hand Him over to them.

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Judas was discouraged.  What was Jesus thinking? Judas was only trying  to do what was best for the group...money was important.  Couldn't Jesus see that?  He needed to listen to him. After all, didn't they entrust him with the pocketbook?  Sure he dipped in it, from time to time.  Being a man of importance had it's pressures....and perks.  No one ever questioned him.  He had a pretty good set up.  Judas detested listening to Jesus' philosophy of peace, poverty and holiness.  The more he thought about it, the angrier and more dissatisfied he got.  He began to find fault with everything that Jesus did.  It seemed that it had been a long time since he had been truly happy.  All he felt was hatred and envy. His heart felt cold and hard.  If he didn't know better, it didn't even feel like his own heart anymore.

Judas knew the Pharisees hated Jesus.  It embarrassed Judas, how Jesus was so disrespectful to them.  He had seen them murmuring and through a little bit of eavesdropping, he heard how they wanted to get rid of this troublemaker.  He wondered if they would make a deal.  But the only deal that Judas was interested in came with a price.

He went to see the chief priests and scribes.   He listened, as they told him that they were concerned about Jesus' views on life.  "Exactly!", he exclaimed.  Sure, he wasn't being altogether loyal to Jesus, but finally he found some people who saw things as he did!  They proposed the offer to Judas.  It was quite simple actually.  Judas would show the guards which man was Jesus.  He would think of a signal to let them know.   In return, they handed him thirty pieces of silver. Silver...of his very own!!! He smiled widely and shook their hands.

Tuesday: Snares, a Secret, and the Spirit

Nicodemus was worried.  Something didn't set well inside.  His fellow Pharisees were trying to figure out a way to trick Jesus, using His own words.  They had asked Jesus about paying taxes, and He slipped under their snare and declared that a person should give to the Emperor what is his, and give to God what is His.

They then tried to trip Him up by asking about the law.  One scholar asked Jesus what the most important commandment was.  Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.  The next is to love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law of Moses and the Book of the Prophets are based on these two commandments."  After a time, they were ready to give up.  He was too wise for them.  It was as if He knew what they were thinking....

Nicodemus had a feeling that his comrades were all wrong.  Something was very different about this man.  He seemed to know so much about God...more than any other mortal man.  He had to find out the answers to his questions...but how?  It was dangerous for him to ask Jesus these things during the day.  One did not want the Pharisees to be angry with them...even if they were a Pharisee themselves.  He had to figure out another way.

Late that night, Nicodemus crept to the area where Jesus and his disciples were camped out.  He sat next to Him and began to talk to Him.

 "Jesus, we know that you have come from God.  No one could do the things you do, and not be."
Jesus replied, "This is true!  I'm telling you that no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again."

This was confusing.  If a man was old, how can he physically be born again?  Nicodemus asked Jesus about this.  Jesus said, "You don't understand.  When a human baby is born, it is just that...a baby, that you can see and touch.  When someone is reborn, it is a matter of their spirit.  It's like the wind...that blows wherever it wants to.  You take shape from within...by something you can't see or touch.  It is the wind of God...the Spirit of God.

Nicodemus didn't understand.  "What do you mean?  How does it happen?"

Jesus smiled.  "You are a respected teacher of the law, and you don't know these things?"  He looked Nicodemus straight in the eyes and said, "I'm only telling you these things because I have seen them...and I know them firsthand.  You should know better!  Instead of accepting My words, you procrastinate and ask more questions!  If you won't accept the plain words I tell you about things of this earth...how can you ever accept the things that I tell you about heaven?  No one has ever gone into the presence of God, except for the One who came down from that Presence...the Son of Man.  Just like Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, the Son of Man must be lifted up. The ones who look up to Him and trust Him...they will gain a real life, eternal life."

Then Jesus told Nicodemus, "God loved the world so much that He gave up His only Son, that whoever looks up to Him and puts their trust in Him will never totally die and gain that eternal life.
The problem with the world is, that God has sent a Light into the world, but people don't like it.  They would rather run into the darkness, because if they went into the Light, they would see their flaws and disobedience.  It's easier to remain unaware.  They hate the Light.  But those that are trying to live in truth and reality, love the Light and welcome it and want others to know that it is God actually doing the works through them.

Nicodemus began to feel a stirring inside his heart.  This man Jesus was different.  How could he get the other Pharisees to see?  Would they ever see?

Monday: Change Cheaters and Children

The temple was full of people.  The outer courts was a busy place.  This is where they sold sacrifices and exchanged the money that had images of emperors and kings, with the Tyrian type of currency. This was the only kind of coin acceptable in the inner courts of the temple.  The businessmen had a good racket going on.  The Jews that brought their own sacrifices to the priests were told that they were unacceptable and had to buy new ones.  The priests would then resell the unacceptable ones to other people.  In order for the Jews to pay their taxes, they forced them to exchange their currency for the Tyrian kind.  The money changers would then charge them an unfair exchange rate.   They then charged the priests a high rate to exchange them back for the Roman coins.

Suddenly a loud noise disrupted the activity.  The people saw this man Jesus begin to overturn the money changers' tables!  He knocked over the benches of the people selling doves, and began to yell, "My house is supposed to be a house of prayer...and you are making it into a den of robbers!!"  The people looked at one another in amazement. Some began to whisper  and move silently away.  Others stayed close to Him.

After a time, the blind and lame began to make their way to a now calmer Jesus.  He gladly healed them.  Some nearby children began to shout, "Hosanna to the Son of David!"  The Pharisees who had been keeping a keen eye on this enigma, said to Him, "Did you hear what those children are saying?"  Jesus looked at them and replied, "Yes.  Haven't you ever read, 'From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise.'?"  Jesus was speaking about one of the psalms.

The priests and scribes silently walked away.  They had a feeling this man was going to be trouble.

Palm Sunday: A Path, A Palm and A Promise

The crowd was thick.  They were lining the sides of the path to Jerusalem, straining their necks to get a glimpse of Him.  The One who would save their people.  This Jesus from Galilee was on His way to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration.  He had performed so many miracles...this simple carpenter from Nazareth!  Who would have thought it possible?

Here He comes!!  He was riding on something...what was it?  A donkey?  Why didn't someone give Him a great steed to ride?  This was almost embarrassing.  The least they could do was make the path more comfortable.  Some threw their cloaks down  for the colt to walk on.  Others began cutting palm limbs from the nearby trees.  That was appropriate...palms were a symbol of victory, of triumph.  This Jesus must be the Messiah to bring the Romans to their knees!  Finally, they would be vindicated!  Their countless years of torture and pain were coming to an end!

Here He is!!  Nothing especially handsome to look at...but no matter...He had to be the Redeemer that God had promised so many years ago.  They had been waiting for so long.  Even though His demeanor was unassuming, surely He would get tough when it came time to fight.

They were so excited, they began to sing a song of praise, "Hosanna!!!  Hosanna!!  Blessed is he, who comes in the name of the Lord!"  The people looked at each other and smiled with joy.  Things would never be the same again.

Riding Shotgun

I call shotgun! Since I can't drive, that's the way it is.  I get to be the co-pilot; the sidekick; the partner; the support system.  With my husband and my friends, that seems to be the pattern.  It may seem less than satisfying to some, but I don't mind...I'm in pretty good company!

See if these names bring a sidekick to mind:

Fred and _______
Laverne and _______
Lucy and _______
Andy and _________
Tom and ________
Batman and ________
Sonny and _____

In the rules of kickdom, the sides always support their partner....they do what they can to lift them up, and encourage them.  Their job is to help bring out the best in them.

Do you ride shotgun?  Did you know the Bible encourages us to be a sidekick?  1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us:  "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

So many people feel invisible.  They feel as if they do not make a difference.  Maybe their jobs are not in management, and they don't get to call all the shots.  Maybe their lives seem out of control, and they feel they have no voice as to what happens to them.

We may not always get to choose what happens to us, or where we're going...but we always have a choice on how we treat the people that God places in our paths.  The people that He gives us to partner with in day to day activity...whether that be family members or co-workers.  We are all called to be encouragers.  We are supposed to hold each other up and bring out the best in people.  We are called to be a sidekick.

So when you feel like you are an Ethel and want to be a Lucy....remember...Lucy would not be as funny without Ethel; Fred would be nothing without Barney (how many of you thought "Ginger"?) ;)  Laverne only lasted one season without Shirley; Andy would be lost without  Barney (no relation to the previous Barney);  Tom would be chasing his tail without Jerry; Batman would be half a superhero without Robin; and Sonny without Cher?  Well...you saw what happened there.

Ride shotgun....encourage someone in Jesus' name today!!

Broken and Blooming

The other morning, when I took the dogs out, I noticed a sweet smell coming from somewhere close by.  Our avocado tree was blooming profusely.  It really surprised me, as last year, there was nothing.  The previous year's crop of avocados was so large, that it literally broke our tree.  It was so heavily laden with avocados that the branches could not hold up under the strain of them, and many branches were either broken or dead.  That was months and months ago.  Finally, it is beginning to bloom again.

Isn't that like us, at times?  We become so heavily laden with the burdens of life that our souls become broken from the strain...and at times, they seem to die.  To look at us, our lives are a mess.  Brokenness and barren limbs everywhere...no signs of life to the naked eye.

But God is always at work.  He is living deep inside, waiting for us to hand our heavy burdens to Him.  Jesus is always there to renew us and refresh our withering souls with the Living Water of His Holy Spirit.

Do we carry reminders?  Yes, we do.  But through the deep remnants of our battle scars, there is a sweet smelling bloom of new life beginning to form.  A lovely fragrance that rises up to the heavens  as incense to our LORD, glorifying Him and thanking Him for His ever present faithfulness.

Matthew 11:28-30  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The Empty Mailbox

                                                                                      

Confession time.  I love Charlie Brown.  Even as a child, I did.  Perhaps, like many others, I felt that I could relate to him...an underdog of sorts.  (No pun intended, Snoopy.)  Every year I would watch Charlie look in that empty mailbox for a Christmas card, or a Valentine...and nothing.  Poor Charlie.  It was so sad that he could not see how special and lovable he was.

Today is Valentine's Day.  For some reason, this year I am more aware than ever, of how many people out there that are feeling just like Charlie.  They don't have a 'special someone' to get all "hearts and flowers" over.  They feel very alone, and, like Charlie, wonder why "we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it".

Valentine's Day is all about love.  We use hearts, lace and flowers to symbolize it, but in reality, those aren't exactly the correct images to use.

History tells us that Valentine was a priest who lived in the third century.  He lived under the rule of Emperor Claudius the second.  Claudius devised an edict that young people were not allowed to be married.  He felt that soldiers fought better if they didn't have to worry about a wife and family.  Valentine thought differently, and secretly performed marriage ceremonies.  He was caught and imprisoned, and eventually, beaten, stoned and decapitated for the sake of his stand on Christian marriage.  Just before his death, he had written a letter, that was delivered to a friend's daughter. That is where the term, "from your Valentine" came about.  Hardly Hallmark material.

True love is a wonderful thing...but to believe that it is all roses and sunshine, is unrealistic.  It is hard work.  It is a day to day choice of loving someone despite the circumstances that surround us. True love involves sacrifice.  We don't think of ourselves first.  We make our choices based on what will benefit the ones we love.  This applies to the person we love, our children, or even our friends.

The book of John tells us about real True Love.  John 15:13 tells us, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  Sacrifice.  Death.  Christ gave the ultimate sacrifice for us.  He loved us that much.  When we feel like Charlie Brown...alone and unloved...remember that.  You are unique and special and loved.  Loved enough to die for.