Family of Faith

Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”

– Matthew 12:48-50

Maybe for you it’s Easter, Thanksgiving or some other occasion for family gatherings. Whenever that might be, the holidays can be either a time of joy and togetherness — or one of stress, conflict and tension. In fact, stress expert Elizabeth Scott, M.S., observes that "many a happy holiday has been found by groups of people who have decided to celebrate with friends instead of family."

It's a sad but accurate commentary about what’s happening in 21st century America. And in many ways, it's also a reflection of human nature. Whenever families gather — for just about any reason at all — tensions can mount. Sometimes it's because of intrusions into precious personal space, like when the in-laws spend the night (or week) in a home that's already too close for comfort. There's also that outcast teenager who perceives their older relatives as judgmental, critical or demanding. And let's not forget those pleasant conversations over Christmas dinner about politics and religion.

If this hits too close to home, you're in good company. Jesus himself — the Son of God — was often misunderstood by those closest to him. "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family," the Savior once told his disciples.

Since even our own families can misinterpret our actions, have you ever wondered if God, our Heavenly Father, really understands all the mundane problems, annoyances and trials that we face every day? 

Luke's gospel tells us that Jesus came into this world in the poorest of circumstances — with an animal's feeding trough as his first bed. But that’s the way it had to be. From the beginning, our Creator knew that men and women were without hope because of the pitiful ways they lived their lives. So his solution was to come to Earth in human form to live out the perfect life. That meant living among us through the sin-free Jesus Christ — the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins. And eventually, he would pay the price for all of us through his painful and humiliating death: crucifixion between two common criminals.

Jesus fulfilled the soul-saving mission God had planned for him since the world’s foundation. The incredible result was that our sin-debt was paid in full. And 2,000 years later, people around the world continue accept the Savior's invitation to join his Family of Faith.

Unchained

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

– Romans 12:2

The fifth chapter of Mark’s gospel begins with the story of a man who faced some serious problems. Or maybe a legion of problems best describes his plight.

This tormented soul had been exiled from the community to live out his days in a cemetery near Lake Galilee. The man was literally overcome by demons. And so total was his possession that he could use extraordinary strength to repeatedly break the chains and smash the leg irons that confined him. 

“No one could control him,” Mark wrote. “Night and day he was in the graveyard or on the hills, yelling and cutting himself with stones.”

And that would have been the end of the man’s bizarre narrative. But then along came Jesus and his disciples from their voyage across the lake. Recognizing that Christ was God in the flesh, the demons that possessed the man begged to postpone their own eternal fate, and instead inhabit a vast herd of pigs that roamed the hillside. Jesus agreed. And the demons immediately fled from their victim.

Fast-forward now to 21st century America. Does it seem like “demons” are only found in horror movies and ancient fairytales? And when a celebrity, sports star or even a neighbor faces the consequences of alcohol, drugs, anger-management issues — or some other destructive force — we can count on their loved ones to comment that they struggled with their share of demons. Sometimes that’s a figure of speech. But actual demons really can torment people, and they do their best to make their victims’ lives a living hell.   

The fact is that everyone has their share of demons to one extent or another — even Christ-followers. And even though we’ve accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, asked him for forgiveness and then received it, we still can slide back into all those bad habits and behaviors that we thought we had left far behind. And then we slide back time and time again.

So what’s the problem? Doesn’t the Bible say that becoming a Christ-follower makes you a new creation?

It does. But our transformation is a work in progress on God’s timetable. Although it can happen immediately, shedding our personal demons often takes place bit by bit and day after day along our faith-journey. What's more, our journey’s pathway is narrow, twisting and full of unexpected hairpin turns. And it’s when we take our eyes off our destination and follow our demons instead of Jesus that we wind up in a ditch.

Let’s finish by considering the life-lesson of the apostle Paul — the unlikely Christ-follower who wrote much of the New Testament. In his 2,000-year-old lament that sounds so familiar to modern ears, Paul complains that he continues to do the very things he despises. Yet at the same time, he fails to do the things he knows he should accomplish.

If this great Apostle to the Gentiles had so many problems with sin and temptation, what hope can we have of breaking free from our own chains? Well … quite a bit! As Christ-followers, we don’t have to accept sin’s dominance in our lives. It all comes down to our ultimate trust and dependence on a Power that's much greater than ourselves.

“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” asks Paul. “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

In Search of Excellence

But as it is written, "What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived -- God has prepared these things for those who love him." 

-- 1 Corinthians 2:9

It’s one of history’s best-selling and most-influential books on business, as well as the most widely-held library book in the United States from 1989 to 2006. But some critics say its content is flawed and that the hype fails to live up to expectations.

First published in 1982, In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best Run Companies explores the common management methodologies of 43 profitable and innovative corporations. And data analysis reveals that the authors’ choices have largely held up over the years. However, Forbes magazine points out that some of the profiled companies — like Wang Laboratories and Atari — actually shrank or went bankrupt. The balance sheets of Xerox and NCR were also less than stellar in the 1980s — the era that the book covers. And an article in Fast Company magazine suggests that In Search of Excellence used faked data to make its case.

Maybe some of these companies weren’t so excellent after all. But that’s the way it is with anything created by human hands and ingenuity. In one way or another, it’s all destined to disappoint.

Let’s contrast this somber fact with heaven, one of God’s creations that will far exceed mankind’s preconceived notions and expectations. The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians that 14 years earlier, he had a remarkable glimpse of what all Christ-followers will one day experience for eternity.

“Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body,” he reported. “But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.”

The Bible doesn’t provide a complete description of the afterlife, but what it does tell us is amazing. For example, we’ll be reunited with fellow believers and celebrate with them in joy. And Revelation tells us that God’s city is 1,400 miles long and just as wide and high, with walls 200 feet thick. Notably, there won’t be any churches  because we’ll have a personal relationship with Jesus and God. And no one will need the sun or the moon — or any kind of light for that matter — because God’s glory will be the light, and the Jesus will be its lamp. Revelation 21:3 tells us, "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.’”

 

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can look forward to an eternity of joy with our Creator. What’s more, we can look forward to a total absence of everything negative in the human experience. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sadness. There will be no more crying or pain,” we read in Revelation. “Things are no longer the way they used to be.”

Describing heaven on this side of eternity is largely futile because its mere existence overpowers anything that we can ever hope to imagine or comprehend. So until we get there, rest assured that it will exceed our expectations many times over. It’s in heaven that we’ll finally discover true excellence.

Choosing Hope

“I myself am the resurrection and the life,” Jesus told her. “The man who believes in me will live even though he dies, and anyone who is alive and believes in me will never die at all. Can you believe that?” 

– John 11:25    

One of the great things about the English language is that a single word can mean so many different things. For example, we might say that we love going to church, we love our children and we’d love for our favorite football team to win the Super Bowl. 

The same is true for the word hope. We say that we hope COVID-19 goes away. We hope we’ll make it to the office on time. And we also put our hope in Jesus for our eternal salvation. But why should we hope for that? Isn’t Jesus just one of many religious figures out there? 

During his brief time on earth, Jesus cured the sick, raised the dead, forgave sins and became a living sacrifice to pay the price for all the wrongs of the world — just as God planned it at the foundation of the world. His resurrection from the grave — just as Jesus had predicted — proved his power over death. He fulfilled prophecies written centuries before his birth. And 2,000 years later, Jesus' words continue to change lives and deliver hope.

Jesus is quite literally hope personified. And he’s also the only way to God. In John 14:6, Jesus proclaims that no one can come to the Father (God) except through him. And when his disciple, Philip, asked to see the Creator, Jesus reassured him that God was much closer than he suspected. In fact, very close: 

"Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?" asked Jesus. "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father?'" 

This is great news because Jesus' death and resurrection make eternal life available for EVERYONE who puts their faith in him! Christ won’t close the door on those who seek and ask. And unlike man-made religions, the true way to God isn't about keeping certain rules, saying special prayers or eating (or not eating) particular foods. Instead, it’s about having a personal relationship with Jesus, accepting what he's already accomplished and letting him live within. Religions are about doing. But our hope in Jesus is about what’s already done. 

To borrow the title of an old-time Gospel song, this news is nothing less than Blessed Assurance. We know without a doubt that Jesus has taken care of our past, present and future through his sacrifice on the cross. And in a world dominated by tragedy, sorrow and uncertainty, he's the only reason that we can choose hope.