Love Overcomes Devotion #15 2/26/16

Day #15

Larry Trotte

Prayer

33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. Luke 10:33-34 NIV

Overcoming the Barrier

Ambrose, our grandson, loves to watch the original Land Before Time movie when he comes to our house. I love it, too, because it reminds me of his mommy and Aunt Christie when they were little watching it on a scratchy VHS tape instead of Blu-Ray HD. It’s a sweet movie that celebrates family and friendships and how both help us endure difficulties. The story even lifts up the ugly reality of how we separate ourselves through discrimination based on stereotypes. The lead character is Littlefoot, a Brontosaurus, known as long necks in the story. His friends are a diverse group of other types of dinosaurs including a little three horn (Triceratops) named, Sarah. When they first meet and start playing together Sarah’s father intervenes and proclaims with a sneer of indignation that, “Three horns never play with long necks.” Sarah picks up on her father’s prejudice and refuses to travel with Littlefoot and the others until later in the story when difficulty compels her to join the group.

The two verses above are from one of the truly iconic stories from Jesus’ life when he spins an impromptu parable of man who was attacked while traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. In an attempt to break down the barriers between Jews and Samaritans (and other prejudicial barriers experienced by subsequent hearers and readers) Jesus casts the antagonists in the story as Jewish religious leaders who failed to help the injured man, also a Jew. The protagonist is (gasp) a hated Samaritan who stopped to help the man who was his religious and cultural enemy. As we continue to explore our sense of self and how it directs our attitudes and actions I want to suggest that the way we identify ourselves is often powerfully influenced by the groups out of which we grow and within which we live, to wit, family, friends, social circles, political alliances, faith communities, etc. The ease with which we can fall into the herd mentality of placing people into outlying groups underscores the crucial need for us to identify our “selves” with Jesus. The more completely we give our easily influenced self over to his eternally grounded self the more we will identify with Jesus’ kingdom values as opposed to the transitory values of the groups by which we find ourselves surrounded. Those conditional values often regard others as members of a feared or hated category instead of individuals bearing the image of God and deserving of unconditional love. Three horns can, indeed, play with longnecks if we listen for God’s voice over the voices of division, break from the herd, and join them on the journey.   

Prayer

God of all people, please continue to re-form my heart so that it longs for relationship with you and all of the people you created, three horns, longnecks, and all the rest. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Love Overcomes Devotion #14 2/25/16

Day #14

Larry Trotter

Words of Love

 

37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7:37-38 NIV

 

Overcoming the Barrier

 

Yesterday we looked at how a ruler's wealth and power had forged his identity, which became a barrier to identifying with Jesus and his kingdom. Today, we see a woman who was willing to surrender her identity completely to Jesus. Let me explain. In first century Palestine, women struggled for status in their communities and had little opportunity to own property. Their identity was often connected to and defined by male relationships, father, brother, or husband. Not unlike any situation where different people come away with different impressions of the same event, each of the four gospel writers has a slightly different take on this scene, which brings greater richness to the story. The composite picture revealed by all four gospels describes the woman with an alabaster jar of perfumed ointment that was worth a year's wages. Moreover, this easily could have been the sum total of her personal assets. In fact, it was not uncommon for a woman in that culture to save her money to buy such an expensive item simply to bring a sense of status to her identity. Some would actually wear a jar of perfume on a lanyard around their necks as a way of proclaiming their worth. This woman who apparently bore a somewhat sordid reputation took a huge risk to crash a dinner party thrown by a local religious leader. The open courtyard floorplan of a typical first century home in Palestine would have given persons on the street access to the diners who would have been reclining in the courtyard, weather permitting. Still, it took a lot of steely resolve for this women to open herself up to judgment and ridicule from the religious elite by walking up to the table. What she did next was even more breathtaking. Mark's account of the story has the woman breaking the jar of perfume. All agree that she poured the contents, which represented everything she had, onto Jesus as an act of repentant worship. In stark contrast with the ruler from yesterday's devotion who couldn't part with his possessions that formed his identity, the woman freely gave up the one thing that gave her an identity for a chance to identify with Jesus' compassionate love and grace. What sharply contrasts her with the ruler is the woman's understanding of her need for grace and the courage to let go of any barrier between her and the kingdom.

 

Perhaps our barrier to identifying with Jesus and his kingdom is ignoring our need for his grace and forgiveness. There are many people who don't bear a particularly sullied reputation. There have been bumps along the way but no major failures. Yet, sin creates separation from God and requires forgiveness. Perhaps that's you. Or, maybe we have disguised our failures by blaming others or rationalizing that we simply had some bad breaks and our breakdowns weren't our fault. In either case, we're missing the opportunity to pour our past onto our very present Savior and embrace a future that never looks back. Time to, again, look into the mirror, acknowledge the reality of our failures, and pour them out on Jesus who will rejoice and not judge, forgive and not fault.

 

Prayer

 

Lord Jesus, give me the strength to allow intimacy between us so that I might see your tender compassion and surrender my identity, my very soul to you. In your name I pray, amen.

 

 

Love Overcomes Daily Devotion #13 2/24/16

Day #13

Larry Trotter

Words of Love

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Luke 18:22-23 NIV

Overcoming the Barrier

Doing research in a subfield of psychology focusing on self and identity the research team of Lewis and Brooks-Gunn observed children between 18 and 24 months looking to a mirror. They discovered that if a smudge were placed on their foreheads, most of the children would not only notice it but also recognize that it was their face and attempt to wipe off the smudge. Other psychologists have built on their work revealing a fascinating picture of how we understand who we are and the internal and external forces that shape identity. At risk of reading more into today’s passage than appears on the surface I propose that the rich ruler who came to Jesus seeking eternal life was faced with an identity crisis. By Luke’s identification as “ruler” we understand that his wealth had secured him power and prominence.  He approaches Jesus by calling him “good teacher,” perhaps expecting Jesus to return the compliment as deference to such an important man. Jesus replies that no one is good except God alone deferring even his own identity to that of his Father, our first clue that Jesus may be alert to the ruler’s identity crisis. Answering the ruler’s question about acquiring eternal life Jesus sets him up by confirming that the man knows the commandments that any Jewish man would know. The ruler responds by saying he had kept them all since childhood. Sensing that the identity the commandments were designed to form may not have taken shape in his heart Jesus adds one last caveat to sell everything and give it away. The ruler was crushed. His wealth secured his station in life and defined his self-worth. It’s important to note that immediately prior to this exchange people were bringing their babies for Jesus to bless, which the ruler likely witnessed. Innocence, not arrogance, is the doorway to the kingdom and the ruler’s identity crisis placed him somewhere between the two.  

Where do we find our identity? Is our identity dependent upon money and possessions, work, power and influence, physical appearance? Though there are complex psychological and sociological dynamics at play in this scene, the lesson is fairly straightforward. The things in which we locate our self-identity can become barriers to our identification with Jesus and his kingdom. Good gifts such as money, possessions, relationships, influence, and others can become smudges on our lives that mask our need for true identity in Jesus. Maybe it’s time to look into the mirror.

Prayer

Revealing God, look into my heart and show me the things that compete with you for my identity. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Love Overcomes Daily Devotion #12 2/23/16

Day #12

Larry Trotter

Words of Love

 

24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 

Luke 22:24 NIV

 

Overcome the Barrier

 

Will to power is an anchor concept in German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's writings concerning the forces that drive humankind forward through life. (Will To Power is also a one-hit-wonder 80s band that famously recorded a regrettable mashup of Baby, I Love Your Way and Freebird, but I digress.) The idea is that the urge, understood as ambition, to achieve the highest position in life possible is the driving motivation for most people. He contends that there is great pleasure in achieving power and this hunger for more is primordial and primary among our urges. Frankly, the brief exposure to Nietzsche in seminary was enough for me. But, in a scene that pre-dates him by 1,900 years it is clear that the idea that our self will has a need to grow in influence over other people and our environment is significant. The context for the verse above is the disciples gathering with Jesus for the Passover meal that he reinterpreted as what we call the Last Supper. In breaking the bread and blessing the wine he described his sacrifice with the image of his broken body and spilled blood. This communion was the culmination of three-and-a-half years of preaching and teaching about the upside-down kingdom where the first are last and the last are first, how you must lose your life to gain it. And now, with the bread and wine still fresh on their tongues they lapse into a debate about who will the greatest disciple. Jesus' teachings had to have found a place somewhere in their hearts and minds. And yet, all of that is pushed aside as their need for power and pride of place asserts its dominance becoming a potential barrier to carrying the mission forward after Jesus' departure.

 

It is often said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But, clearly, the need to attain power has the same power to derail discipleship. Over my 23 years as a pastor I have shepherded over several church conflicts and watched many people struggle with giving their lives to Christ over this very issue. When Jesus invites us on the journey with him he has a basic request and that is that he drives. Handing over the keys to our lives is difficult when there is within us a need to control our own destiny and that of others. It's a paradox to which it difficult to submit. But the offer is staggering if we hear Jesus out. He asks us to surrender to him our need for power and then offers in return the same power to which he submitted. The same Holy Spirit that directed Jesus' steps and saved him from his own self will on at least two occasions (bookend temptations in the wilderness and on the Mount of Olives) will direct our steps and pull us back when we're ready to enforce our will over God's will. Ignoring that will to power is tough and can take us out of our comfort zones, but a much deeper sense of self as it identifies with and yields to God's self emerges from the discomfort. None of this is to say that ambition is patently bad. Being motivated to do our best in our work inside and outside the church is important. Jesus even addresses it in his parable of the dishonest manager. (We'll tackle that one another day.) But letting our ambition outrun God's purposes can become a barrier to discipleship. So the next time you feel the need to invoke our will over God's or someone else's, picture Jesus asking you for the keys. Go ahead and hand them over and call shotgun. You might wind up in the back seat, but it'll still be an amazing ride.

 

Prayer

 

Lord Jesus, don't give up on me when I insist on my way when yours is clear. Please insist that I let you drive and I'll sit wherever you think is best. In Your name, amen. 

Love Overcomes Devotion #11 2/22/16

Day #11

Larry Trotter

Words of Love

24 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.

Jeremiah 7:24 NIV

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Luke 9:57-58 NIV

Overcoming the Barrier

Both of our daughters seemed to embrace independence early on. When Lauren, the older, learned to tie her shoes she wanted to tie them every time, which was great, unless we were in a hurry. And of course, if you tried to help, her emerging self will protested vigorously. When our younger daughter Christie was two or so she learned to do buttons. Again, it’s precious to watch them work on those fine motor skills, until you’re late for church and you try to intervene. I’ll never forget one particular Sunday morning when her mom tried to take over button duty when it looked like we night not be ready until the following Sunday. When Lynn reached down to finish the buttons Christie cried, “Do self! Do self!” We laugh about it, now, and still use that line when someone tries to help us. But the fact is, nobody likes to have their will usurped. As Freddie Mercury sang, “I want it all and I want it, now!”

The People of Israel to whom Jeremiah prophesied from around 626 B.C. to 585 B.C. wanted to continue doing things their way on their timetable and were unresponsive to God’s appeals through the prophet to turn back to him to secure their future. However, their stubborn resolve to their own self will caused them to stop making progress as God's people  But God sees the bigger picture and knows what’s best though it may not be apparent to those trying to follow. This is at the heart of Jesus’ strong words to would-be followers in Luke 9. He was pointing out that to follow meant giving up control over our life, our comforts and conveniences. We can’t follow Jesus from a position of “do self.” It needs to be “You do it, Jesus.” That doesn’t mean Jesus has no appreciation for or gifts and skills or our responsibilities. He just knows that if we can’t give up control, if we can’t submit our will to his, there will be trouble down the road when the demands of discipleship increase. Our self or will, if that helps with understanding, is part of what makes us unique. However, when our “do self” won’t yield to “You do it, Jesus” it becomes a barrier to the power beyond us and critical divine timing that allows us to do infinitely more than we could ever do on our own.

Prayer

God of patience please bear with me when I want my way and I want it now. Teach me to submit to your will and be patient while things unfold. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Love Overcomes Daily Devotion #10 2/20/16

Day #10

Larry Trotter

Words of Love

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. Luke 4:16

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25

Overcoming the Barrier

Don Williams is one of the great country music artists of all time. His smooth voice and thoughtful songs set him apart from the crowd. In 1980 he released a love song called I Believe In You that laments the temporal nature of so many things in which people place their trust:

        

            I don't believe in superstars

            Organic food and foreign cars

            I don't believe the price of gold

            The certainty of growing old (Roger Cook/Sam Hogin)

But each verse that proclaims what he doesn’t believe in is followed by a chorus that says, “But I believe in you…” It’s sweet and carries a lot of truth, including another verse to which I used to nod in agreement. But when I went back to church and began to take faith seriously I heard the song again and stumbled over these lyrics:

           Well, I don't believe that heaven waits

            For only those who congregate

            I like to think of God as love

            He's down below, he's up above (Roger Cook/Sam Hogin)

I think a lot of people would shout “Amen” to the notion that you don’t have to go to church to believe in God and live a life of faith. And who would argue that God is love? You could, however, argue about the nature of that love. People routinely argue over who is and isn’t eligible for God’s love. People are marginalized and sometimes die as a result of that argument. Jesus came to show us that God loves everyone. Quite frankly, I didn’t believe in that idea until I began to congregate because I didn’t think God could love me. It wasn’t until I became a part of a worshiping community that I heard that Jesus’ love is absolutely unconditional and every ugly chapter of my life could be redeemed by his love that overcomes every barrier. But I’m not sure I would have come to that realization on my own. I needed to hear it preached, explore it in Bible study, and feel it in a loving community.

Jesus, himself, “congregated” as the above verse from Luke points out. It “was his custom” to go to church (the synagogue). As a boy he loved to go to the temple to study the Scriptures and undoubtedly continued during those 18 years about which the Bible is silent. Moreover, the writer of Hebrews points out the importance of “meeting together” to encourage each other which points out another problem with isolation. Not only do we miss the nurturing fellowship of other believers, but they also miss us. Our presence in worship, study, and fellowship blesses others. In First Corinthians 12 Paul uses a creative metaphor of the human body to tell us that each believer is unique and adds a gift that cannot be duplicated by anyone else. The fellowship is incomplete when we’re not present. When believers come together we re-create the body of Christ on earth. And while we are a part of that body in isolation, we don’t participate in the fullness of his body that emerges from community. So, while I don’t believe that heaven waits for only those who congregate, I do believe that heaven is imminently and uniquely present when we do.

Prayer

God of love, thank you for gathering us in communities of faith and for making a space for me. Help me to take my place so that the circle remains unbroken. In Jesus’ name, amen.