What Do You See?

After Jesus was arrested, Peter followed along behind. Luke records the following:

“Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, ‘This man also was with Him.’ … And a little later someone else saw him and said, ‘You also are one of them.’ … And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, ‘Certainly this man also was with Him, for he too is a Galilean” (Luke 22:56, 58, 59 ESV).

Although Scripture doesn’t specify, Luke gives the impression that at least the first girl recognized Peter from having seen him with Jesus. Matthew’s account says that one of the three people commented on Peter’s accent. His Galilean heritage was evident in some way.

Similar events occur in the book of Acts. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (4:13). This time Peter didn’t deny it even though it brought danger to him. “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (4:19-20). The appearance of the resurrected Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit gave Peter an assurance and confidence that he didn’t have before.

Another passage in Acts is worth mentioning. Paul encountered a crippled man at Lystra. “And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, ‘Stand upright on your feet.’ And he sprang up and began walking” (14:9-10). Something about the man’s appearance revealed his faith. Was it a twinkle in his eye? A look of desperation? Was he trying to get up even before he was healed?

All that makes me wonder—what do people see when they look at you or me? Do they recognize that we have been with Jesus? Do they see that we have faith? Do they hear it in our “accent” and the words we use? Do they know that it is because of Christ that we live and act the way we do? Conversely, do our words and deeds show that our loyalties are no different from the rest of the world? Do we blend into the crowd so well that no one would suspect us of being Christians?

When we interact with other people, do we look for signs of faith in them? It seems to me that evangelism has to start there. It’s easy to go through life not even seeing the people around us—the cashier, the waitress, the mechanic—they just become blurred faces on the way to somewhere else. I know I’m often guilty of this. I suspect that if we took the time and effort to really see people, we’d see a lot more evidence of faith than we might think, whether it is someone who is searching for the truth or someone who is growing in their faith. That can then become the starting point for a deeper conversation and opportunity for connection.

My challenge for all of us is to take a look at our own lives to see what’s showing, but also to look at those around us and really see them.

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

© 2018 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Here I Stand

When I was younger, I did not enjoy reading history or biographies, but these days I find myself turning to biographies quite frequently. Somehow fiction just doesn’t compare with real life. I just finished the 2017 biography of Martin Luther by Eric Metaxas, and I would highly recommend it. I learned a lot that I hadn’t read before or had long since forgotten. (Dr. Rosell may decide to revoke my grades in his church history classes at GCTS.)

I knew that Scripture knowledge was lacking among the laity because they didn’t have the Bible in their own language, but I didn’t realize that the clergy weren’t much better. Metaxas writes:

“It was a plain fact that no one was really entrusted with reading the Bible itself, so that monks and even priests and theologians were typically kept at one or more removes from it... In contrast with his frenetic and passionate Bible reading, Luther said that the other monks did not read their Bibles very much or at all... Strangely enough, once a novice actualy became a monk, he was no longer allowed to keep his Bible. At that point, he must limit himself to only reading scholarly books” (52-53).

In his many debates, Luther’s opponents seemed to be more concerned with upholding the authority of the Pope than with seriously considering what Scripture had to say about an issue.

“Duke George himself had a private conversation with Luther... he easily solved the thorny theological question of papal authority by gruffly declaring, ‘Whether by divine or by human right, the pope is still the pope!’” (171).

“For many in attendance [at Leipzig, Johannes] Eck’s quoting [Matthew 16:18-19] to prove his point was as though he had shouted ‘QED,’ and raised his hands in triumph. Eck then said that to deny this most basic of doctrines was to side with the Bohemian heretic Jan Hus, who a century earlier was condemned at the Council of Constance and burned at the stake” (174).

In addition, I hadn’t realized the extent of papal power over secular authorities. There is a reason it was called the Holy Roman Empire. Luther wrote:

“In name the empire belong to us, but in reality to the pope... We Germans are given a clear German lesson. Just as we thought we had achieved independence, we became the slaves of the craziest of tyrants; we have the name, title, and coat of arms of the empire, but the pope has the wealth, power, the courts, and the laws. Thus the pope devours the fruit and we play with the peels” (186).

In the modern Western world, it’s hard to imagine the a world without national and personal independence. We value our freedom of religion and freedom of expression, but this a bit of a historical anomaly. Most nations and most time periods have simply not had the freedoms we enjoy.

“Many historians have put Luther forward as the first to put ‘individual conscience’ before the authority of the church and empire. But ironically, he was not at all asserting the freedom of the individual to do as he pleased. He was asserting the freedom of the individual to do as God pleased—if and when the church or state attempted to abrogate that freedom. Luther was asserting the modern idea of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience for the first time in history... Luther called upon every Christian to cease the petty obedience to church that was nothing when compared to the freedom and joy of actually obeying God” (221).

Martin Luther wasn’t perfect and he got some things wrong, but I have to admire someone who took a stand for what he believed Scripture taught even though it got him condemned as a heretic by the official church and put him at risk of being burned at the stake. Many today would rather be popular than theologically correct. We can easily choose to let people hold onto lies that will bring eternal condemnation rather than risk our reputation before men.

We have benefitted from Luther’s work: we have the Scriptures in our own language; we have a multitude of churches to choose from; we can join in musical worship of many different styles; we have the right to disagree with theologians, and many other freedoms. So what will we do now?

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV).

© 2018 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Less Than

Lately God seems to be focusing my attention on the theme of humility. I wrote some about this back in November, but it has returned to center stage. Recently I read in Dennis Jernigan’s book Daily Devotions for Kingdom Seekers: “Humility keeps us supple and pliable in the hands of the Master Potter.” Not too long after that I started reading Andrew Murray’s book Humility. He wrote:

“Let him consider how all lack of love; all disregard for the needs, feelings, and weakness of others; all sharp and hasty judgments and words, so often excused under the plea of being outright and honest; all manifestations of temper, touchiness, and irritation; all feelings of bitterness and estrangement, have their root in nothing but pride, that only seeks itself.”

That really puts a point on things. Really thinking about the reasons behind our experiences of judgment, irritation, and frustration can reveal the painful truth of indwelling pride. We all tend to think our own time, work, abilities, and beliefs are more important or better than those of other people.

Murray goes on to say:

“…self has nothing good in it, except as an empty vessel which God must fill. Its claim to be or do anything may not for a moment be allowed. It is in this, above and before everything, in which the conformity to Jesus exists, the being and doing nothing of ourselves, that God may be all.”

We must be emptied of self in order to be filled with Christ.

“The root of all goodness and grace, of all faith and acceptable worship, is that we know we have nothing but what we receive, and bow in deepest humility to wait upon God for it.”

All good gifts that we have come from God. Why then do we boast (even if it is just inwardly) about what we have received (1 Cor. 4:7)?

“If humility is the root of the tree [as seen in Jesus], its nature must be seen in every branch, leaf, and fruit.”

We are to be abiding in Christ, and He embodied humility (Phil. 2:5-8), so we too should exemplify humility if we are being conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29).

“If we learn that to be nothing before God is the glory of the creature, we will welcome with our whole heart the discipline we may have in serving even those who annoy or irritate us... No place will be too low, no stooping too deep, and no service too miserable or lengthy, if we simply have the opportunity to share and experience the fellowship with Him who spoke, ‘I am among you as he that serves’ (Luke 22:27).”

Perhaps I’m the only one, but I know that pride is something that trips me up frequently. Yet humility doesn’t come from working harder to be humble. It comes only from focusing less on myself and more on my Savior. The more I seek Him and endeavor to obey what He calls me to do, the less I will be concerned about what anyone else may say or do or think about me.

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned” (Romans 12:3 ESV).

© 2018 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.