Resurrection Sunday

Bright light, empty tomb,

                Conquering death He rises;

                                      Savior, Lord of all!

"if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved"  (Romans 10:9, ESV).

Triumphal Entry: A Personal Reflection

As Jesus entered Jerusalem on a colt, His disciples celebrated with great rejoicing.  They even laid their own coats or cut down palm branches to line the path the colt was taking into town.  The air was electric as the people rejoiced and praised God “for all the mighty works they had seen” (Luke 19:37 ESV). And yet only a few short days later they were reviling Him and calling for His crucifixion. 

The fickleness of the human heart seems to sometimes verge on the insane, one day there is great celebration for a man’s life but a few short days later the same celebrants are now calling for his execution.  There is much psychological and theological fodder in just this one record, but I’m concerned for how my own heart exhibits the same fickleness. 

Today my take-away from this record is a stark reminder of how I had once celebrated the entry of Jesus into my heart and life; but now, many years later I have to confess that over time that joy has been tarnished, if not completely supplanted, by the cares and concerns of this life.  As the psalmist wrote, I also lament, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit” (Psalm 51:12 NKJV). 

I must continue reminding myself of the great works God has already wrought in my life. Even though bills increase while my pay decreases, God is still sovereign.  Even though my children cause worry I’ve never encountered before, God is the Father of all of us and will not leave nor forsake us.  While my finite perspective is indeed limited and often frustrated, God’s perspective is vaster than the human mind can begin to comprehend. 

So on this Palm Sunday 2011, my reflection and prayer is to have joy restored in my soul because that’s what I see as lacking in our culture and in my life.  We have more luxuries than at any other time in our history, yet life seems joyless and gray.  But the joy that comes from God will renew our vigor for living and will draw people to Jesus as the one antidote to the very prevalent fear and worry permeating our culture. 

May the triumphal entry of Jesus into our hearts and lives grow day by day. 

A New Year's Resuolution Revisited

About a week ago I was thumbing through my journal and stumbled upon this entry from December 31, 2010: “What will be my resolution this year?  Most likely to not let other’s moods, demeanors or treatment of me affect my mood or my outlook on life.”  I must confess disappointedly, I have blown this resolution to smithereens on several occasions since January 1, 2011. 

Morose and sullen personalities often rub me the wrong way and I react by becoming morose or sullen myself.  But how can I shine as a light when I so easily allow my light to be doused by the extinguishing blackness of others?  It is in that blackness that the light most needs to shine.   The light of Christ emanating out of a person’s life pierces through the suffocating darkness of another person’s soul.  It is this light that dawns into an otherwise perpetual night in many a heart. 

People that are surly or unruly with me often cause me to draw away so as to shelter myself from the abuse. Given that it’s not a physical abuse, should I still draw myself away from them?  With the light of Christ discussed above also comes a warmth that can chase the chill of darkness away from the surly and unruly.  But if that light is purposely withdrawn, not by the Lord, but by the Christ-follower, then how are the surly and unruly to ever experience the grace of God?    It may very well be this grace that provides the warmth needed to melt the cold heart of stone to reveal the vulnerable and fearful flesh underneath. 

And yet, of course, there are those with the hearts of stone that are so stubborn that it may take several light-carrying Christ-followers invading this person’s life to finally chip enough stone away from their heart to open it up to God’s grace.

Endurance, though, is the challenge.  What if I invest much of my life and yet see no results?  To that ever-burning lament, I would remind the suffering Christian warrior of Philippians 2:14-16: 

Do all things without grumbling or questioning that you may be blameless in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the Word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.  (ESV)

So take heart, dear sojourner, you are not alone, many of us are desperately trying to chip away at stoney hearts and coming away with more bruising than chips on the floor (think about that, it’ll come to you).  But God will eventually prevail, even in all our frustrations, to reveal Himself to the heart of stone that still has a spark for the Truth.