From numbers to people

I've been looking into a lot of global urban issues lately.  Poverty, disease, drug addiction, sex trafficking...for some reason these issues really touch a nerve with me.  It's not the issue itself that touches me so deeply, but rather the staggering magnitude of it.  Drug addiction is rampant in every major city in the world.  Twenty-seven million people worldwide are enslaved in human sex trafficking.  In the United States, over 15% of the population lives in poverty - that number skyrockets to over 50% in some third-world countries.

The numbers are mind-boggling.  And, for anyone who wants to make a difference in these peoples' lives, they can be paralyzing, as well.  You, me, my neighbor down the street....all of us are just one person.  How could we possibly make a difference?

We cannot fix all of the problems in this world.  But we can make a difference.  So many people, because they cannot do everything, end up doing nothing.  "Be realistic," they say.  "How much good can one person really do?"  But being realistic is the most commonly traveling road to mediocracy.

I remember a story that I read years ago about an old man and his little grandson who were taking a walk on the beach.  They came across an astonishing sight - thousands and thousands of starfish, who had somehow all been washed up onto the shore.  They were spread out on the beach as far as the eye could see.  The little boy knew that they would die out there in the hot sun, and so he quietly went down to the water and started throwing them back into the ocean, one starfish at a time.  "What are you doing?" asked the grandfather.  "There's so many of them; you can't possibly make a difference."  The little boy pick up another starfish before he responded.  "I made a difference for that one," he replied, as he threw it into the water.  He picked up another one.  "And that one, and that one, and that one."

Yes, the numbers are sad and scary and overwhelming.  No one who tries to fix the bad statistics in this world will ever succeed.  You have to get to know the statistics, learn their stories, see their joys, share in their sorrows.  The statistics have to become people.  You have to care about something before you'll ever fight for it.  How many people do you have in your life who's causes you are willing to fight for?  Or are they all just numbers?

Matthew 9:1-13

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man
 ¹ Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. ² Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man,“Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

 ³ At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

 ⁴ Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” ⁷ Then the man got up and went home. ⁸ When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

The Calling of Matthew

 ⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

 ¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

 ¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’^[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

A love affair

I've got to admit, I am most certainly not a sports person - especially watching sports.  I don't know that rivalries, or the famous names,  or the mind-blowing statistics.  I don't understand the sports culture, and honestly I don't really care to.  It's simply not my thing.  I would much rather go dancing with a friend or curl up on the couch with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate.


But that being said, I recognize that many people do not share my affinity for the written word, nor my disdain for watching televised sports.  And every now and then, their love of sports spills over into my little sports-less bubble.  Someone break a record, or there is a major upset, or a rookie makes history, and for a few days my world in invaded my friends' comments and newspaper articles and Facebook status updates.  


I think that it would be safe to say that these people love sports.  Although I do not love sports, I understand their passion, because I too, have things that I love.  Isn't it interesting, watching people doing what they love?  No one squabbles over little differences, like what clothing you wear to the game, or what food you eat while you're there, or where you go to watch the game.  They are united in their mutual love of the game.


And then I turn around and look at the Church.  The Church, which should be united in the greatest Love there ever was.  But so often, instead of love, you find silly insecurities and petty squabbles.  Why is that?  We serve the Author of love.  So why do we act like He is nothing special?


G.K. Chesterton said that we should "let our religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair."  Perhaps we have gotten so bogged down with the minutiae of what being a "Christian" should be, that we have forgotten Who Christ is.  Christianity is not a theory.  It's a love story.  The greatest love story ever told.  That being said, when people are more willing to express their love of football than they are of Jesus, I think it's time that we re-evaluate our priorities.    

John 3:16-21

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.  18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.  19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.  21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Would you go back?

Today's exploration of the Bible has led me to the book of Luke, chapter 17.  It tells the story of Jesus healing the 10 lepers.  This story has always left me with feelings of surprise, and more than a little sadness, too.  Leprosy was one of the absolute most feared diseases ever during Biblical times.  It ate away your flesh right before your very eyes, and left you a feared object of disdain, an outcast from even your own family.

And into this terrible disease Jesus walked straight in.  It was something that most people ran from in terror, but Jesus calmly let the men approach him without any sign of fear or disdain.  Not only did He mix with them, but He loved them - He loved them and He healed them.

He healed them.  He removed this terrible pestilence from their bodies and gave them back their lives.  He gave them back their families, and their friends, and, one may even argue, their humanity.  I imagined myself in their positions.  I imagine the whisper of hope that I felt when I saw Jesus coming from afar.  I think of the overwhelming memories of my old life that flooded me when I headed to show myself to the priest, and the shock of finality when he pronounced me cleansed.

The first thing that I would have done, once I realized that my life had been restored to me, was to rush to the One who had given it back to me and thank Him as profusely as I knew how.  I imagine that's what most of us would do.  So why didn't the lepers do that?  The Bible says that out of the 10 men that Jesus healed, only 1 returned to thank Him.  And the one who returned was not even a Hebrew - he was a Samaritan.

This story makes me wonder...would I really go back to thank Jesus?  Or do I just think that I would?  Would I only thank Him if He healed me in person, if it was convenient for me?  Or is my life truly a life of gratefulness, a life where I give glory and honor and thankfulness to the One to whom it is due?  What about you?  Would you be the one who went back?  Or would you be among the many who took Jesus' blessings as a matter of course, never thanking Him for the miracles that He had done in their lives?

Luke 17:11-19

11 Now on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.  12 As He was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met Him.  They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"  14 When He saw them, He said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And as they went, they were cleansed.  

15 One of them them, when he saw that he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.  16 He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked Him - and he was a Samaritan.  17 Jesus asked, "Were not all 10 cleansed?  Where are the other nine?  18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?"  19 Then He said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

Plans and pants

The great theologian A.W. Tozer once said that "God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible.  What a pity that we plan only the things that we can do by ourselves."

I have to admit....I'm a planner. Some people suffer from procrastination - but I suffer from the opposite extreme.  I have outlines done months in advance, rough drafts completed weeks in advance, and final submissions  finished days in advance.  I cannot remember the last time that I worked on a project the day - or even the day before - it was due.

Sometimes this is really nice.  I've never had to pull an all-nighter for anything, never missed a deadline, and am rarely stressed about my workload.  But other times, it's more of a curse than a blessing.  Let me give you an example.  I'm in the middle of an intensive English camp with my students right now - I have them 2 hours a day every day for 2 weeks.  And I am planning it to death.  Every day I'm spending at least 5-6 hours preparing for the 2 hours of class that I have - not to mention the weeks that I spent getting ready beforehand.

And then, despite all of my planning and preparation, plans always seem to change.  I go from feeling completely in charge and prepared to flying by the seat of my pants.  Times change, topics change, people change, and I am left nowhere close to in charge.  But sometimes I get the feeling that God likes it that way.  When we are not in control, that means that He can be.  He can be the guiding force behind all of our grandiose plans and hopes for the future.

So I guess when the push comes to shove, we all have a choice.  We can either plan our lives to death, and probably do pretty great things.  Or we can let God plan our lives, and do impossible things.

James 5:13-18

13 Is anyone among you in trouble?  Let them pray.  Is anyone happy?  Let them sing songs of praise.  14 Is anyone among you sick?  Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.  15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.  If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.  16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are.  He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.  18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

In His steps

I recently finished reading, for the third time, In His Steps by Charles Sheldon.  First published in 1897, In His Steps has been a phenomenal hit, selling over 30,000,000 copies since its original publication date, and ranks as the 9th best-selling book of all time.  It begins with a pastor in the fictional town of Raymond who challenges his pastorate to do nothing for an entire year without first asking the question "What would Jesus do?," and then following His probable course of action, regardless of the consequences to themselves.  The rest of the book is devoted to the stories of the people who take "the pledge," and the results that those resolutions have in their town, their country, and beyond.  

At the beginning of the year we always speak of "resolutions."  But I'll wager that the vast majority of us have never met anyone in our entire lives who was willing to take such a resolution as the one found within the pages of In His Steps.  The book is fictional, of course, and I am by no means trying to pass it off as a real-life historical account of actual events.  But perhaps it still remains in the annals of great fictional writing because it records all too well what would happen if people in the modern world actually lived their lives "in His steps."  The results of the parishioners of Raymond taking this pledge include public shame, loss of wealth and status, familial alienation, and physical pain and suffering.  Sheldon does not pull any punches when he depicts the worst of humanity - and what Christians must sacrifice if they truly want to win humanity's worst to Christ.

But Sheldon also shows the beautiful side of following in Jesus' footsteps, the reason why these characters chose to live so sacrificially in the first place.  He depicts love and fellowship, peace and tranquility, a purpose of life and a bearing of one another's burdens nearly unheard-of in this modern day and age.  He depicts people who sacrifice not because they have to, but because they want to.  They want to give their lives to the Lord, because they have found that life is so much more fulfilling when they do.  

Do you want to suffer for the Lord?  Do you truly desire to walk in His steps?  Every Sunday morning, countless Christians sit in churches all over the country singing about how wonderful God is; and then the vast majority of them go home and promptly forget.  Don't be in the majority.  As a new year has dawned on us, I want to issue a challenge to you.  Commit yourself to truly living your life the way that you think Jesus would want you to.  Find other people who are willing to commit, as well.  Hold each other up and seek Christ with all your heart.  I promise you, you will not regret the results.  

1 Peter 2:19-25

19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.  20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it?  But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.  21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.  22 "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth."  23 When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats.  Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.  24 "He Himself bore our sins" in His body on the cross,  so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by His wounds you have been healed."  25 For "you were like sheep going astray," but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 

Eyes wide shut

Life is full of contradictions, isn't it?  Full of unexpected surprises - both good and bad.  Full of twists and turns in the road that you weren't expecting and have no idea how to navigate.  You go through your life thinking that you know your family, you know your friends, you know yourself.  You know how you will act when crisis comes.  You are living life with your eyes wide open.  Or so you think.

But then crisis hits.  And you don't react the way you thought you would.  Your family behaves irrationally.  Your friends betray you.  How does this happen?  How could we be so sure of future behaviors, and be so wrong?  We live our lives thinking that our eyes are wide open, when in reality they are wide shut.  In a way, this is even worse than knowingly living in ignorance.  A fool who thinks he is wise is much more dangerous than a fool who knows he's an idiot.

Does that ever scare you?  It certainly scares me.  The thought of living in unintentional ignorance makes me want to drop everything and fall on my knees right now.  But perhaps that's the whole point. We were never made to live life on our own.  God wants us to fall on our knees in desperation.  He wants us to depend on Him completely.  He wants us to trust in and obey Him.  And we should want that, too.  Because He's the only one who can truly open our eyes to what's going on around us.  Without Him, they will always just be staring wide shut.

Matthew 26:40-46

40 Then he returned to His disciples and found them sleeping.  "Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?" He asked Peter.  41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."  42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, then may Your will be done."  43 When He came, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.  44 So He left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.  45 Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinner.  46 Rise!  Let us go!  Here comes my betrayer!"

First fruits

It's the beginning of the year.  It always starts off with such promise and expectancy.  The first few days of January are when people make resolutions to change their habits, improve their relationships, and better their lives.  January first, for me, is always tinged with an almost palpable air or excitement.  It's a day that promises to the world that the next 365 days will be different, better, than the last 365 days were.

So why is it that 360 days later, we find ourselves making the same old resolutions we did last year?  Over and over again, year after year, we promise ourselves the same old things on January 1st, and then never follow through on them.  We repeatedly resolve to make better habits, but the only real habit that we're making is the habit of breaking our resolutions to ourselves.

And what do these resolutions usually involve?  Lose weight, get in shape, make more money, be a better friend.  Small wonder that we never keep our resolutions.  We are told in the Bible to "seek Him first, and then all these things will be added."  How is your relationship with the Lord going?  Are you seeking Him first?  Are you chasing after Him, and letting Him determine the course of your life?

In Leviticus, the Lord commands us to give Him the first fruits of our labor.  This goes beyond wheat and oil.  God wants the first fruits of everything - including our very lives.  So instead of a new year's resolution, here's a new year's challenge: give God your first fruits.  Seek Him early and daily, and let Him take over your life.  You'll be amazed at how many of those previously broken promises to yourself come true when God is guiding you.

Leviticus 23:9-14

9 The LORD said to Moses, 10 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest.  11 He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath.  12 On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect, 13 together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil - a food offering presented to the LORD, a pleasing aroma - and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine.  14 You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God.  This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.