Tag Archives: Teachings of Jesus

Simon, Simon, Simon (Part 2)

One of the challenges we have when we read back on the life of Simon Peter and the other disciples is that we tend to read from a perspective of what we have learned.  When I read about Simon I automatically call him ‘Peter’.  (Even as I type this I am prone to type ‘Peter’ even when I’m trying to point out the difference between this and his original name, Simon.)

But, have you ever noticed when reading through the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) that every time Jesus spoke to Peter he still called him Simon?  There is only one exception to this, which we’ll look at later.

The first time Jesus met Simon he said to him, “You shall be called Peter”.  Yet Jesus continued to call him Simon…, Simon…, Simon…

I was really surprised when I came across this.  I had grown so accustomed to knowing Simon as ‘Peter’ that I made that name-shift in my head when I read the stories about Simon or, as John often referred to him, Simon Peter.   But, by doing this re-naming as I read, I never recognised that Jesus continued to refer to Simon as Simon – even after giving him the new name of Peter.

Simon…, Simon…, Simon…

Why would Jesus do that?  Why give him a new name but continue to refer to him by the old name?  Did Simon have to grow into this new name….?  Were there things Simon needed to learn or graduate into before he could take on his new name?

Perhaps he did.  But can you imagine the doubts that could have been swimming through Simon’s mind?  Jesus gave me a new name but he still calls me by Simon, is there something I’m missing…?  Or, perhaps Simon had some sense of recognition that the new identity given by Jesus, ROCK, was too much of a stretch.  Jesus must see something in me that he would give me that name.  Peter resonates within me but I still feel that identity is too lofty for me to achieve.

I can imagine the doubts that must have run through Simon’s mind.  But what was he learning in the process?

I’ve learned through my process.  I have a vision that burns in my heart. “You shall be called Peter”.

Yet I remain in the process of learning.   Simon…, Simon…, Simon…

Simon’s New Name (Part 1)

When Jesus began his ministry the first two disciples were those that had been following John the Baptist. One of them, Andrew, had a brother called Simon.  Andrew wanted to let his brother know about Jesus so he went to get him saying, “We have found the Messiah!” and brought Simon to meet Jesus.  When Andrew and Simon arrived, Jesus said to him, “You are Simon, the son of John, you will be called Peter” (Jn 1.42; cf Mk 3.16).

Imagine how Simon must’ve felt in that moment.  This man, this Prophet, this one his brother called the Messiah just initiated an intimate encounter with him.   And, in doing so, forever altered Simon’s identity.

In that culture, men were identified as being the son of their father.  That’s why so many people are introduced as the ‘Son of …..’.   Yet, without having met Simon previously, Jesus calls out Simon’s name, “You are Simon the son of John”.

Jesus seems to jump right into the deep, personal places of Simon’s heart by giving him a new name.  Not only is he stating how much he knows about Simon, but he is also stating how well he knows Simon.  The depth of intimate knowledge Jesus has for Simon is exemplified by giving him a new name – but this is more than just a new pet name, or a nick-name like you’d get from your friends.  In this re-naming, Jesus is telling Simon, ‘I am giving you a new identity, a new direction for your life.  Not only do you have a new name, now you have a new Father.’

But there’s even more to this.  We know from other parts of Scripture that when Jesus speaks his words actually create the reality he speaks about.  So, imagine being Simon in that moment.  Not only does Jesus speak to something about his identity, but inwardly he must’ve felt something that went deeper than an intimate moment of self-awareness.  The new reality which was created as Jesus spoke would have initiated a stirring in the depths of Simon’s spirit.  He most likely would not have been able to articulate what he was experiencing, but a new reality had just been conceived in the very depths of Simon’s identity.

Have you ever had a similar experience with Jesus?  Have you felt a shift in your identity when he spoke to you about something?  I have.  There was a day many years ago when he clarified a vision – a life calling.  The clarity of that vision changed everything.  From that point to now I have attempted to work out that vision in every way possible.  When Jesus speaks something like this it cannot be forgotten, nor can it be manufactured or forced into being.  There’s an element of faithfully working toward it, but there’s an even larger element of allowing God to orchestrate all the required parts.

God Loves to Hide Stuff

I had been a Christian for a long time before I discovered how much of an adventure it could be to have a life with God.  When I first became a believer I was full of excitement and wonder at God, his love for people and the depth of meaning I was finding in so many things.  I spent hours devouring the Bible and lapping up the truths and principles I discovered within it.

Over time much of that excitement waned.  I didn’t grow cold, hard or disinterested (at least I don’t think so); but I lost much of the sense of wonder at God’s word.  I had gone to seminary to study the Bible.  I learned some Greek and a bit of Hebrew so I could understand the rich heritage and context behind the original texts.  But somehow in that process I lost the thrill of discovering what God has for me.

Then, I came across a verse that opened a whole new understanding of how God operates.  Yes, operates.  Not just how he speaks to us, but how he relates to us, how he reveals things to us, how he leads us.  Proverbs 25.2 states, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but it is the glory of kings to search out a matter”.   When I read this I stopped in my tracks.  I felt as if I’d just opened my eyes and was seeing, for the first time, what had always been right in front of me.

God hides stuff.  I understood that Jesus spoke in parables – he had a purpose for not disclosing everything to everyone all at once.  He wanted the hungry to come looking for the deeper meaning behind what he taught.  I got that.  But, for some reason, I didn’t transfer that understanding to God.  I just didn’t expect that God would ‘hide’ things.  After all, he is within me and through his Spirit he is revealing himself to me.  But this verse challenged a lot of my assumptions.

God likes to hide stuff.  But he doesn’t hide things from us, he hides things for us to find.  When I was a kid my mother, when giving us a special gift at Christmas or birthdays, would create a treasure hunt to add a bit more excitement into her giving us the gift.  I still remember going from room to room figuring out the clues she’d left until I finally found the console stereo turn-table at Christmas of 1980 (I know, showing my age again).

So, why is it so hard to accept that God would hide good things for us to find and discover?  Searching for the hidden treasures of his kingdom demonstrates that I’m hungry, that I’m expectant, that I have a hope and a faith that there is more available than I am currently experiencing.  Searching for what he’s hidden displays a trust that he has placed things within my reach and he is leading me toward himself as the ultimate treasure.  After all, he is the rewarder of those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

It is the glory of God to conceal but it is the glory of kings to search it out.

God’s Will & Jesus’ Teaching

I really like the way Jesus taught. Frequently I come across something Jesus said that makes me smile. So often he would say something that would be stated a challenge to some, but to someone else, the same statement was an invitation.

One instance is from John 7.16 where he said, “My Teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will he will find out whether my teaching comes from God.”

Jesus was responding to the peoples’ amazement at his teaching. In his humility, he said that what he spoke wasn’t something he came up with himself, but had originated with God the Father. The challenge was that anyone who wanted to explore more of this teaching would be invited to pursue God’s will to do so.

What I find interesting about this invitation is the way it challenges us to test while, at the same time, invites us to pursue the will of God. But the only way we can truly know the will of God is to do what Jesus taught – then we’ll come to know whether his teaching comes from God.

Again, it comes back to the necessity of our lived experience that enables us to prove the will of God.

It is not through agreeing with what we’ve heard, or even saying that we believe what we’ve heard that validates the teacher, but only by putting into practice what we’ve heard. Only by testing the teaching can we stand over our belief or agreement in the teaching.

Love, Fight or Flight

Jesus used a story about a man who was attacked, beaten, robbed and left injured on a roadside. The ones we would expect to have mercy and help were the ones who didn’t stop to help him. The reasons (excuses) implied in the story could well have been related to their religious traditions.

Even if we give them the benefit of doubt, and presume they didn’t act because they believed their action would put them in some form of danger, difficulty or inconvenience; at best we can see their worldview was flawed because they chose not to help someone in need, even though they had the opportunity to do so.

The other side of this can be found in John 16.2 when Jesus warned his followers of the harm that would likely come to them at the hands of others. He says, “…a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.”

Now we have a group of people who are completely committed to God – so much so, that they are willing to kill another person and consider it a service to God.  In this instance their worldview makes it permissible to inflict harm on another person because of the difference of belief, teaching or practice of devotion to God.

In the first instance (Lk 10.31) the religious worldview chose to ignore someone who had been harmed, but in the second instance (Jn 16.2) the religious worldview chose to inflict harm.   Both operated from a worldview that was based in some form of devotion to God and both felt they were justified in their decision.  BUT, Jesus made it clear that both were wrong.  In Luke 10.37 he said they didn’t demonstrate love and in John 16.3 he said those people don’t know him or the Father.

While it may be easy to hear of these two negative extremes and respond with something like, “Oh, I would never do that.” It may be helpful to take time for critical reflection.

  • Have we ever chosen not to act when we could have done something to help another person who was in need?
  • Have we ever distanced ourselves from someone because we were uncomfortable with their opinions or personality?
  • Have we ever inflicted harm (emotional, psychological, physical or spiritual) on another person because we did not agree with their position on something?

We’re familiar with the defence mechanisms of Fight or Flight.  In relationships we employ these through the manoeuvres of Attack or Withdraw.  It is important to remember that these mechanisms are based in fear.  If we operate from fear, we are not operating from love.

The first group mentioned above operated in Flight.  They were, in some way, afraid of what would happen if they got involved so they withdrew from the situation.  The second group operated in Fight.  They were afraid of someone expressing their love for God differently from their own and their means of dealing with this fear was to attack (or kill).

Neither expression is borne out of love.  Love does not kill; love does not ignore people in need; love does not fear.  Perfect love casts out fear.

 

I Do Not Give As the World Gives

I do not give as the world gives. (John 14.27)

While he was explaining the role of Holy Spirit after his resurrection, Jesus interjected a statement about giving the disciples His peace – “My peace I give you”.  Then he followed by telling them, “I do not give as the world gives.”

So, even though Jesus wasn’t discussing the differences between his Kingdom and the world’s system it was a point he felt needed to be restated.

I do not give as the world gives.

This is one of those statements that I’ve glossed over so many times without stopping to think about what Jesus was actually saying; “I do not give as the world gives“.

I’m now faced with a lot of questions: How does “the world” give?  What is the world able to give?  How do I receive when the world gives?  How am I changed, improved when I receive from the world?

This is one of those statements that provide insight into what Jesus meant when he said in a later conversation, “I have more to say to you but you cannot bear it now” (Jn 16.12).  I’m sure he had a lot more he wanted to say, a lot more information he wanted to impart to his followers but, for whatever reason, they were unable to handle the ‘more’ he had for them.

I do not give as the world gives.

The pregnancy of this statement spurs my mind to race along with my spirit in a whirlwind of faith-filled hope that I might possibly grasp a portion of what he means. “I do not give as the world gives.”

Imagine what that could mean….

… When I give there are no refunds or exchanges because my gifts are perfectly suited to the one who receives them.

… When I give, I do so simply because I love and because my Father first loved you.

… When I give, I only give what is good – because I am all loving and always good. I and my Father only give good gifts.

… When I give, what is given actually increases in size, scope and magnitude.

… When I give, I can do it in such a way that the thing given is received in seed form. To receive and grow in what I’ve given all you need to do is incline your heart toward me, even ever-so-slightly, and Holy Spirit will cause that seed to spring to life within you.

… When I give, I keep things interesting for you. There are some things I will give more quickly because I know that you need them (Mt 6.32) but there are some things that I will conceal in order for you to search and discover them on your own (Pr 25.2).

… I do not give as the world gives but neither will I give you everything all at once or at the first request.  Some things you will be surprised that I’ve given them to you.  Some things you need to prepare your heart in order to receive them.  Some things you need to be hungry enough to be prepared to receive that for which you ask.

 

Come, Hear, Do (part 3)

The man who heard Jesus’ words but did not put them into practice had not come to him. Compare this to the man who came to Jesus, heard Jesus’ words and put them into practice; he is like the man who dug a foundation for his house.

This man knew he was building something valuable, and he understood the importance of building correctly.  The process of digging is difficult, messy, and time consuming – but worth the effort.

In a construction project the ground works are a vital part of the job.  But it is also the messiest, dirtiest part of building.  This can be frustrating because the works can go on for a while with, seemingly, no visible sign that anything is actually being accomplished.  Pipes and cables must be trenched for services to the site. The ground must be levelled. But before any of that can be done the site must first be cleared of any obstruction.

Coming to Jesus for his instruction can sometimes be a little bit like the effort of digging the foundation.  In our process of coming to him, we sometimes realise there are obstacles in the way – obstacles we’ve put there or allowed to grow.  Sometimes we uncover things about ourselves we weren’t aware of before. It can sometimes be messy.

Coming to Jesus can be time-consuming.  Sometimes Jesus doesn’t “answer” when we want him to or when we think he should.  Sometimes, we seek Jesus because we want to hear his words on a matter but he appears to be silent.  In those seasons, rather than jump to false conclusions, we must continue to seek him so we learn to hear is heart, not just his words.

Sometimes it is the process of seeking Jesus that helps me realise just how much I need to come to him.  It is in the seeking that I learn the depth of my longing, the necessity of the burden, the scale of my desire.  It is in the seeking that I learn how important it is for the soil of my heart to be cleared from obstructions so when I do hear the words spoken by Jesus, they can be planted in good soil.

Come, Hear, Do (part 2)

Jesus continued the lesson with a story about someone who builds his house on the ground, not digging and setting a proper foundation.  The correlation is that this person hears Jesus’ words but doesn’t put them into practice.

Why would someone who hears the words of Jesus choose not to put them into practice?  What is going on in the heart or mind of someone who would decide that the teachings of Jesus are not worth attempting to integrate into their life?

Could it be that the person simply has no regard for the teaching of Jesus?  Is it possible that they don’t have respect or honour for Jesus?  Could there be an issue of pride or the inability to receive instruction?

Maybe it could be any combination of these, but notice what Jesus pointed out.  The one who builds his house on the ground did not actually come to Jesus.  So, this person has missed out on step 1 (anyone who comes to me) and step 3 (put my words into practice).

This makes what Jesus says all the more interesting.  If the person didn’t come to Jesus how did he hear the words of Jesus?  Did he hear the words through a 3rd party? Did he hear the words because he happen to pass by?

It’s impossible to know – after all, this is only a parable.  But by saying this Jesus seems to indicate that those who come to him (seek him) will be more inclined to put into practice the teachings they hear from him.

Let’s think about this for a minute.  We do not usually seek something or someone unless we recognise a need for what that person has to offer.  If we seek out a doctor– we’ve recognised a need.  If we seek out an architect – we’ve recognised a need.  If we seek out a friend or loved one – we’ve recognised a need, albeit a different type of need.  Seeking Jesus is what we do when we’ve recognised we have a need.

Why would anyone seek, if they don’t recognise they have a need?   At the same time, if someone doesn’t seek, it is likely they are unaware of their need.  So, the person who builds their house on the ground does so because he is completely unaware that there is a better way.

I’ve heard this story talked about in church for many years and it’s almost always spoken of with more than a hint of judgment about the one who built the house on the ground.  As a child I was even taught a song about this story and the man who built his house upon the ‘sand’ was immortalised in the song as being ‘foolish’.

Perhaps, I’ve been too quick to judge the man. Perhaps this man is simply an allegorical version of so many of my friends who, for whatever reason, have not come to Jesus and are unaware of the wisdom, freedom and life of his words.  Do I judge them?  No, I have compassion for them.  I look for ways to introduce them to this great teacher called Jesus.  I look for ways to help them realise that he is the one who can meet their need.

Come, Hear, Do (part 1)

Why do you call me Lord and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house , who dug down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When a flood came…. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.

Jesus asks a great question at the start – Why do you call me Lord and do not do what I say?  He knows that if someone calls him Lord, then that person should also be committed to the teachings of his Lord. It raises the question of motive – why are you calling me Lord at all?

I like that Jesus doesn’t say to them: “Stop calling me Lord!”  Jesus rarely gave commands when the real issue was centred on someone’s choice of following.  Following is always a choice.  Jesus always invites, always entices, always demonstrates what life can be like, but never demands that someone follow.

Once someone decides to follow, then the instructions come.  But, as in the story, the instructions and directions are spoken for our benefit.

Notice the three-step process Jesus mentions:

  1. Anyone who comes to me
  2. Hears my words
  3. Puts them into practice

Coming to Jesus is a crucial part of hearing his words. Too many people hear Jesus’ words through a 3rd party – that can be a helpful for people but sometimes the meaning, intent and relevance of the original words are lost in translation. We each need to come to Jesus to hear his words, to learn his heart, to understand his ways and to experience his nature.

Jesus invited people – all people – to come to him (Mt 11.28) and to seek his Kingdom (Mt 6.33).

The Father also promised that anyone who comes to him would find him, when we seek him with all our heart (Jer 29.13). The Bible even promises rewards to those who seek him (Hb 11.6).

The second part is hearing Jesus’ words.  You might think that hearing Jesus’ words would be natural if we come to him, but this isn’t always the case. It often happens that someone comes to Jesus but spends the whole time doing all the talking. Sometimes we come with a heart so full of our own concerns and worries that we feel we need to ‘pray’ for these concerns.  While praying is important we must also learn how to listen.

Jesus told us that Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth by speaking to us the things he hears from Jesus (Jn 16.13-14).

Jesus also said that his words are spirit and they are life (Jn 6.63) so rather than carrying the burdens of worry and stress, hearing Jesus’ words will bring life-giving perspective to the concerns of daily living.

The third part of Jesus’ lesson is to put into practice the words he has spoken.  This can sometimes sound easier than it is.  Jesus has provided a range of instructions in the Bible that are to guide us: Love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and Love your neighbour as yourself…; Give to everyone who asks of you…; Bless those who curse you…; Heal the sick…; Go, teach people what I’ve commanded you…; Love one another…

These are simple, but can be challenging as we learn how to pursue them.  Yet, the challenge can never become an excuse for not putting them into practice – “Why do you call me Lord, but do not do what I say?”

The heart of the matter is that we are on a journey, the further we go, the more we learn. The deeper we walk in relationship with Jesus, the more we learn his heart, the way he speaks and, just as importantly, we learn how to hear.  In this process of learning to listen a desire is formed in us to want to put his words into practice.

 

Fullness Measured by Overflow

In the Kingdom of God things are measured and accounted for differently than they are in the ‘natural’.

In the natural, the more things you hold onto the more you retain. But in the Kingdom, the more you give away what you have, the more you get in return.

When I hear the expression that someone is full of the Holy Spirit, my mind often creates an image of a tall glass or jug that is so full of liquid that it can’t be picked up without spilling. When I was a kid, I remember testing my skills at seeing how much milk I could pour into a glass without it spilling over. This usually ended up with me cleaning up spills after being reminded by my mother of the waste and mess caused by my experiments.

When we think of being ‘full’ after eating a big meal the meaning behind what we’re saying is that we need to stop eating or we’ll make ourselves sick.

When I put fuel into my car to fill up the tank I want to be careful to stop when the tank is full or the fuel will splash out of the tank and be wasted.

In these examples fullness always has a limit. Fullness usually stops short of being completely full, because if it exceeds the limits of the container there are negative consequences. To cater for this, most containers are now manufactured with a safe “fill-level” so the contents of the container do not come into risk of damage, waste or cause the container to become over pressurised.

How much of this type of thinking has affected the way I understand what it means to be full of Holy Spirit?  Do I unconsciously put limits on what it means to be filled with Holy Spirit?  Do I somehow put restrictions on Holy Spirit and reduce the fill-level that can be achieved within me?

The Bible doesn’t seem concerned with the concept of over-filling, but refers to fullness in an unlimited way.  For instance, Jesus came to give life in abundance (Jn 10.10). But what does this abundance look like? How do we move from a mind-set of restriction to a mind-set of potential and abundant provision?

But the Bible takes the idea of abundance a step further. In Luke 6, Jesus speaks of the overflow that we receive when we obey his teaching and ‘give away’ what we’ve learned.

Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down shaken together and overflowing will be poured onto your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Luke 6.38).

The context is in reference to our willingness to forgive others and in doing so, we will receive mercy. But understood within the concept of overflow we begin to see that God is revealing to us a principle of his Kingdom: The more we give what God has given us, the more he gives us in return (Mk 10.29-30).

When we wisely use what God has given, he rewards us with an astounding level of increased blessing and responsibility (Lk 19.17).

When we choose to seek first His Kingdom and his righteousness, even to the extent of forsaking deep, personal and emotional ties, we will receive a multiple benefits of his Kingdom in this life.

God’s generous nature and willingness to be extravagant is shown in numerous examples throughout Scripture. When God gives, he does so with extreme generosity.   When he gives, he watches to see how we will put his gifts to use – and he is ready to give even more as we do.

So, when I think of being full of Holy Spirit, I’m learning not to think in terms of restriction. I’m learning to believe that fullness of Holy Spirit is measured by the overflow. How much of Holy Spirit am I able to contain? Well, that depends on how much of Holy Spirit I am able to give away.

If I give love and peace to others – even those who are not extending love and peace to me – the promise is that God will fill me with an even greater experience of his love and peace. If I am kind and gentle to others, the promise is that God will give me an increase in kindness and gentleness. This regular flow of the characteristics of God’s nature alters my own make up, transforming my character so that, through my participation with him, I am being changed into his likeness.

If I am regularly pursuing him for the infilling of his Spirit, then I have more of him to give away. The more I give of what he’s given me, the more he continues to give – a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and overflowing being poured into my lap.

 

Sean Copeland  01/Nov/15