Day 58: What To Do When Someone Steals Your Pencil

John 9

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

 ¹ As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

   ³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

What if.

What if we could look at the events that happen in our lives - good or bad - and say, this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in me? How very much that would change our attitude and our lives. I know it would mine.

When bad things happen, it's hard to understand why a particular trial is placed in our lives. I'm sure the parents of this man wondered why they, out of all their friends, were the ones with a blind child. I'm sure they wondered why their little boy had to suffer while all the other kids ran and played.

The awesome part of the story is that God saw the bigger picture. Because of his blindness, this man met Jesus. What seemed to be a problem was actually an incredible blessing - and the works of God were displayed in him.

I heard a speaker recently talk about how she relates Jesus' teachings to 9-year-olds. She teaches them that when the Bible says that if someone takes your awesome new pencil, you give them your super cool new eraser too. Totally and completely contrary to what we do (and what we teach our kids... stand up for yourself!), but what if we taught them to think, "How can the works of God be displayed in this situation?" You walk across a fourth grade classroom and give the person who stole your pencil an eraser too, with a genuine smile and a kind word, and I guarantee the class will see the work of God in that. Multiply that a few times, and you have an adult-sized example. (E.g., You took the promotion that I deserved? Here's a file of notes that might help you.)

It's hard. Hard when we're talking about understanding why bad things happen, and hard when we're talking about displaying God in difficult situations. But what a difference we could make if we took Jesus' words here to heart: things happen. And God can be glorified in each of them.

Day 57: Jesus Was No Harold Camping

John 8:59

New International Version (NIV)

⁵⁹ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

The this referred to here is the incredible assertion made by Jesus that "Before Abraham was born, I am!" This was a comment so powerful that they were angry enough to kill him.

What was it about that sentence that made them so angry? I wonder if they realized just how strong a statement Jesus was making here. He was saying:

1.) That he was eternal.
2.) That he was greater than human.
3.) That he was superior to one of their heroes of the faith.
4.) That he had existed prior to his life on earth.

Bold claims, to be sure. But it seems to me that if they didn't have at least some niggling thought that he could be telling the truth, they would have simply branded him as crazy and moved on along. That's what we usually do with those types of people, isn't it?

Remember Harold Camping? Most of us look at someone who has so obviously distorted the teachings of God with almost a pity. In some twisted way, I feel a little sorry for the guy. I certainly don't want to kill him.

Not so here. Jesus makes these Pharisees and teachers of the law furious enough to commit murder. You just don't react that strongly to people of no consequence. I think, in their heart of hearts, they must have realized that he wasn't a lunatic. He wasn't a liar.

He was the Lord.

Day 56: I AM

John 8:48-58

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus’ Claims About Himself

 ⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” ⁴⁹ “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹ Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.” ⁵² At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” ⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. ⁵⁵Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” ⁵⁷ “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” ⁵⁸ “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

Verse 58 is one of the most powerful verses in all of Scripture. It's one of the places where I just have to marvel at the pure genius of the Word. 

In English, one of the first thing you learn in the very basic "past, present, future". There is nothing that happens that isn't in our past, in our present, or in our future. But Jesus comes from such a different place that he can't even define Himself in those very basic terms. He IS. He just exists. He has always been and always will be. It's mind boggling, to tell the truth. And it's why he can say things like, "If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you." Wow, that's strong language. But he had the authority to say those sorts of things, because if you're not bound by the laws of nature, you don't have to be bound by the rules of etiquette, either! 

This is one of those truths that I know to be true, but I also know that I don't fully comprehend it. It's hard to imagine eternity. For me it's hard to imagine even wanting to live eternally. I have to admit that I struggle with that. But what's he's promised in this passage is we who obey him will never see death. So I have to believe that whatever eternity is like, it's an incredible reward. A gift. And it's ours.

Day 55: Just Ask Pinocchio - Lying Is The Pits

John 8:31-59

New International Version (NIV)

Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are

 ³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ³³ They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
 ³⁴ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ³⁵ Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. ³⁷ I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. ³⁸I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.^[a]”
 ³⁹ “Abraham is our father,” they answered.
   “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would^[b] do what Abraham did. ⁴⁰ As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. ⁴¹ You are doing the works of your own father.”
   “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”
 ⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.⁴³ Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! ⁴⁶ Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”


On the menu tonight: more super clear language from Jesus. How politically incorrect is it to say, "You belong to your father, the devil"?!?!?! The back and forth is also interesting here: Jesus speaks spiritually, they speak literally. He replies spiritually, they reply literally. Incredible.

I wonder what it means when it says that the devil was a murderer from the beginning. We'll never know this side of eternity, but it's something to ponder. And the thought that lying is his "native language" is a powerful one. Oh, how I have realized that more and more in recent years. The way of the Lord truly is best. Always. Every time I have veered from the path that the Lord has laid out for us, every time I have done what I knew to be wrong, it always caused me pain in the end. Every single time. He truly does knows best, and has shared all with us. How fortunate we are to serve a God who is so inherently good!

Why is it, then, that we so often believe the lies of the devil, when we know from experience that it's going to hurt us in the end? Why do we forget so quickly what happens when we go off path? Because, I guess, the "father of lies" is bound to be good at is job.

God help us all to be aware of the devil's schemes, and to remember who He is. 

Day 54: Politically Incorrect

John 8:21-30

New International Version (NIV)

Dispute Over Who Jesus Is

 ²¹ Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” ²² This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says,‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”
 ²³ But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. ²⁴ I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
 ²⁵ “Who are you?” they asked.
   “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied.²⁶ “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”
 ²⁷ They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. ²⁸So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up^[a] the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. ²⁹ The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” ³⁰ Even as he spoke, many believed in him.

The other night I was talking to Jess about something that's been on my mind a lot lately. We see kids dealing with lots of issues, lots of temptations, but one that seems prominent in recent years is the relative truth phenomenon. If we stand up for truth - one truth, the truth - we tend to be labeled as closed-minded at best, bigots at worst.

And out kids are getting the worst of it. Society is teaching them that it's not appropriate to say that anything is wrong. And it's even worse for them to say that anything is a sin. If they do, they get stuck with labels like "brainwashed" or "backwards".

And yet, here we see Jesus making strong statements. Bold statements that were crystal clear. "If you do not believe that I am am he, you will indeed die in your sins." Certainly not politically correct, but Jesus never was much for that. What he was for was truth.

He still is. We should be as well, and we should be teaching our kids. There is one way. One truth. And the only way to salvation is still through Him.

Day 53: Light of the World

John 8:12-20

New International Version (NIV)

Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony

 ¹² When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ¹³ The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”
 ¹⁴ Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. ¹⁵ You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. ¹⁶ But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. ¹⁷ In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. ¹⁸ I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”
 ¹⁹ Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”
   “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” ²⁰ He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

I am the light of the world. What a powerful statement. As I pictured this scene playing out in the temple courts, I started thinking what would happen if I heard someone say this. I confess that I tend to be a cynic at heart, so I have a sneaking suspicion that I would automatically dismiss this person as crazy. A lunatic. And yet, instead, He was Lord.

Sometimes I think that I'm glad that I didn't live in the time of Jesus, simply because I wonder how I would have reacted to his claims in person. Would I have been like the Pharisees and teachers of the law, refusing to accept what was right in front of me. Honestly, I can't say.

On the other hand, Jesus obviously did some incredible things. Undeniably, unequivocally incredible, which is so many who did see it in person did believe.

Jesus made some bold claims in his 33 years on the earth. He's the only person who has ever lived who could make them. So when he said, "I am the light of the world," or "You do not know me or my Father," he was able to say them with authority.

One day I hope we get to see "instant reply" of these things we read about all our lives, and this is a scene I'll request. I'd love to see the expressions on the people's faces, and I'd love to hear the tone that Jesus used.

He still is the light of the world.

Day 52: Seeing People As Souls

John 8:3-11

New International Version (NIV)

³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
   But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
   ⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
   ¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.
   “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

This passage has been taught so much that I think sometimes we forget just how powerful this really is. These guys were wanting to kill this woman. They valued her life so little that they were willing to use her as a bargaining chip in their own political agendas. How do you get to that point? Well, I'm afraid it's a little bit too easy. All you have to do is stop looking at people as eternal souls.

Let's be honest: we do it all the time. We laugh at the Swamp People. We mock Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. We talk about that woman at work that makes us crazy. But the thing is that this "adulterous woman" was real, with a real heart and a real soul and real problems and heartaches.

Jesus never forgot that. He viewed every person, first and foremost, as a soul in need of love and truth and mercy. How awesome would it be if we looked at people that way? What would that look like?

Well, no one would ever come into Wednesday night Bible class and have to sit alone, because we would care enough to sit down beside them and ask how their day was. The father whose wife just left would not have to wonder how supper was going to get on the table or who was going to take care of the kids, because we would be handling that till he could get back on his feet. We would keep our mouths shut about that woman at work, because we would realize that we don't know what she's going through in her personal life. We would love people. And it would show in every element of our lives.

These Pharisees realized that Jesus was right, grudging though they were. They walked away, "the older ones first". I can only speculate why, but I imagine that the elders of the group recognized the profound wisdom in what Jesus said. We've been forgiven so much. How hypocritical if we choose not to deal with people in love, forgiveness, and mercy.