Ned Flanders Was Right

Ned Flanders was right.  It is all about Jesus.  There's a scene in "The Simpsons" where their nerdy next door neighbor says this to Homer.  While much of the show skewers the church, this statement is right on target.  

And some 2,000 years earlier, the Apostle Paul says the very same thing to the Galatians.  In discrediting the twisted teaching of the Judaizers, he explains how the entire OT points to and looks forward to the coming of Christ.

It's all about Jesus.

Paul pumps his brakes for just a moment and reminds his readers of his feelings for them and their standing with the Lord.  He calls them "brothers."  This is the Greek noun αδελφοι/adelphoi, which is plural and should be read as "brothers and sisters.”  

The apostle has been pounding them relentlessly over their desertion from Jesus (Gal 1:6).  He's called them fools or idiots for believing the Judaizers (Gal 3:1).  Yet, he reminds them that they are still brothers and sisters in the faith.  Through the use of this one word, the man from Tarsus let's the Galatians know they are still very dear to him.

Paul goes on to draw a parallel from human contracts and formal agreements.  "To give a human examples, brothers, even with a man-made covenant..." (v15).  In the ancient near east, they were called covenants.  It's a little different from today's contract, but there are similarities.  

A covenant is an agreement between two parties, often one king to another.  It was ratified by animal sacrifice, cutting them in two thus indicating what would happen if someone violated the agreement.  That's exactly what happens in Gen 15.  God confirms His covenant promise to Abram in just this way (Gen 15:9-11, 17).

While that's just a bit different from 21st century contracts, one similarity remains.  Once the contract is signed, it's a done deal.  "No one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified" (v15).  Despite what we see in sports today, contracts are NOT made to be broken.  They are pledges with conditions that must be met.  

Paul says it's the same with covenants.  Once a man-made agreement has been reached, there's no turning back.  There's no changing it.  Nothing is added.  Nothing is subtracted.  And if that's with a human covenant, how much more will God stand by His promises.

The apostle now applies the idea of man-made treaties to God's pledge to Abraham.  "Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring.  It does not say, 'And to offsprings' (v16).  He tells us to take a close look at God's original promises found in Genesis.  

When Yahweh graciously reaches out to this dude named Abram, He pledges to bless Abram and his offspring or seed.  Paul wants us to see that God did NOT make this promise to ALL of Abe's kids, grandkids and great grandkids.  He made this covenant with Abe and one very specific descendant.

Paul makes it as plain as he possibly can for us at this point.  When God made His contract with Abram, He was "referring to one, 'And to your offspring,' who is Christ" (v16).  Let's be clear about this.  When the Lord told Abram about the promised future blessings of his one specific descendant, He was talking about Jesus.  

In other words, the fulfillment of what is called the Abrahamic Covenant is found in Jesus.  All this talk of the Promised Land, Promised Seed and Promised Blessing is ALL ABOUT JESUS!

One of the great things about the Bible is how God provides interpretation for earlier people, prophecies and passages we read in His Word.  Many times in the NT, we see Paul and the other writers explain what was happening as they compose under the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit.  

I love a well-written and researched Bible commentary.  But there is no better authority to provide insight into Scripture than the Divine Author Himself.  

This is just part of what scholars call Progressive Revelation, the idea that later passages provide a fuller revelation of what was written earlier without invalidating the earlier text.  And the main thing we see is that the radical Rabbi from Nazareth is one true Hero of the story of the Bible.

It's all about Jesus.

Even Jesus Himself gets into the act.  That's exactly what He tells the Pharisees when they scoff at His claims.  "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me" (Jn 5:39).  

He goes on to say that even the human author of the first five books, the Pentateuch, knew he was writing about Jesus.  "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me" (Jn 5:46).

It's all about Jesus.  Ned Flanders was right.

©2012

Jay Jennings

It Runs in the Family

My New Grandson

My new grandson looks just like Winston Churchill. Okay, not anymore. But just after his delivery, Jackson was a carbon baby copy of ol’ Winnie. Round face. Chubby cheeks. Button nose. Puffy eyes. The only things missing were the hat and cigar.

Over the past seven months, he’s thankfully taken on a strong resemblance to several members of his family. People see his mom’s eyes. Other folks make out his dad’s smile. Some even say Jackson has his grandpa’s dazzling personality. But is that REALLY my place to say?

Some families have strong physical traits that run powerfully through their descendants. You know what I’m talking about. There’s the legendary Kennedy chin. Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have apparently cloned themselves in their children. And the Kardashians are famous for their…well, um…fame.

Jesus’ Closest Relatives

Did you know there was a day when Jesus talked about His family resemblance? Mark writes all about the day our Savior was hanging out with a bunch of His followers when His mother and brothers show up to see Him (Mk 3:31-34).

When Christ gets word they are outside, He suddenly drops a bomb on His nuclear family in front of the crowd. He says His closest relatives include a lot more people than just His human parents and siblings.

It Runs in the Family

Jesus says they all share a strong family resemblance. What could it be? Full head of hair? Strong nose? The ability to water ski without a boat? Possibly.

But there’s one distinguishing trait that makes Jesus’ true family members unmistakeable. His true mom, His real brothers and sisters are the folks who love to obey their heavenly Dad.

In other words, obedience to God’s will runs in the family.

Rocky’s Story

We find Christ’s description of His spiritual next of kin in the third chapter of an ancient document we call the Gospel of Mark. This is actually the personal account of Jesus’ life from Peter’s perspective, the man our Savior chose to lead His team.

Many of the Lord’s followers back in the early church were totally convinced Pete is the source. The apostle Jesus nicknames Rocky shares the Son of God’s story with his young friend John Mark. That’s how we came to know it as the Book of Mark.

Insane or in Satan?

The scene Mark describes here is, shall we say, “messy.” For those of you who think the Bible is a collection of well-edited and whitewashed stories that make everybody look like squeaky clean, think again.

Mark has already told us that Jesus’ closest family members have shown up outside the crowded house for an intervention (Mk 3:20-21). It’s time to take their big Brother home. They’re convinced He’s not so much the Christ but cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. Don’t believe me? Read it for yourself.

While they wait outside, Jesus has an interesting little debate with a team of religious muckety-mucks from the home office in Jerusalem (Mk 3:22-30). They don’t think Christ is cray-cray but instead accuse Him of collaborating with the enemy. And when I say “enemy,” they mean Satan.

Mary Calls a Family Meeting

Once Jesus sets the scribes straight, it’s time to deal with His family. “Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see Him. They stood outside and sent word for Him to come out and talk with them. There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, ‘Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for You’” (v31-32).

Mary and her boys don’t come inside. Maybe it’s too crowded. Maybe they don’t want to embarrass Jesus in front of His closest friends and followers. For whatever reason, send Him an invitation to chat in the front yard.

His Brothers Don’t Believe Him

Mark has already made it uncomfortably clear how they’re questioning the Messiah’s mental health. His closest family members have serious doubts about all His talk of the kingdom of God. At this point, His own brothers don’t believe Jesus (Jn 7:5). They even openly tease Him (Jn 7:3).

Okay, so Christ’s kid brothers aren’t buying what He’s selling. Is that such a surprise? What would it take for your siblings to believe you’re God? How about walking out of the cemetery after your own burial? That certainly did the trick for Jesus’ brothers.

A Teenage Pregnancy

And what about Mary? You remember her story, don’t you? She gets a surprise visit from an angel named Gabriel who tells her how her teenage pregnancy will result in the Son of God (Lk 1:26-38).

The next thing you know she and her hammer-swinging husband Joe on the road to Bethlehem where they turn a barn into a birthing room (Lk 2:1-7). They get a visit from some smelly shepherds who tell a crazy story about an angelic light show announcing news about their newborn Son (Lk 2:8-20).

Mary’s Treasured Memories

Eight days later, the happy couple take their brand new Baby to the temple in Jerusalem for His bris, that rather delicate surgery done on little Jewish boys (2:21-38). There they meet Simeon and Anna who understand this Child is the one God has been promising to send for thousands of years.

While Mary certainly treasures these moments forever (Lk 2:19, 51), she apparently can’t wrap her maternal brain around all of who Jesus is and what He’s sent to do. And seriously, who can blame her? Do you know any other mother who’s given birth to the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the Second Person of the Trinity? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

An Amber Alert for God’s Son

Probably the best example of her misunderstanding her Son happens when Jesus is twelve. When Joe and Mary pack up the fam and head home from Passover, they don’t notice that their oldest Boy isn’t with them until they stop the next night (Lk 2:41-51).

His human parents hustle back to Jerusalem and look for Him everywhere for three days. Imagine hearing of an Amber Alert for the Savior of the world? Eventually they find twelve-year-old Jesus in the middle of a Q-and-A with the greatest Jewish scholars of the day.

Joe and Mary tell Him they’ve been worried sick. Their Son wonders why they didn’t come straight to the temple or in His words, “My Father’s house” (Lk 2:49). That went right over their heads. “They didn’t understand what he meant” (Lk 2:50).

A Crowded House in Capernaum

Fast forward twenty years later to the scene at the crowded house in Capernaum. Has Mary somehow forgotten all these amazing memories? No, but maybe doubt and time began to corrode her trust in God since then.

Don’t think that’s possible? Pretty sure that could ever happen to you? Ever hear the story about God miraculously leading the Israelites out of Egypt with a fiery funnel cloud while splitting apart the Red Sea for a shortcut?

Frosted Flakes and Doubting Thomas

No way they could ever doubt God after that, right? Wrong. It wasn’t long after that God’s chosen people were whining about the free Frosted Flakes He served them every morning (Num 11:6).

Then there’s our old buddy the Apostle Thomas. Here’s a dude who has a front row seat to watch the Son of God perform one miracle after another for three years. Yet Tommy Boy has serious doubts about his friends’ bizarre story of Jesus’ resurrection when he’s not there to see it for himself (Jn 20:25).

Jesus’ Mom Needs a Savior

Maybe you come out of a faith tradition that puts Mary on a pedestal as the perfect mom. She never doubts or questions her oldest Son. But the truth is that Jesus’ own momma was very human. She needed a Savior just like the rest of us (Lk 1:47; Rom 3:23; 6:23).

When it comes to her faith, I’m guessing she’s a lot like you and me. She had her good days. She had her bad days. There were times when her trust in what God was doing through her family ran deep. Other times not so much. This appears to be one of those days of doubt.

When Your Faith Wobbles Wildly

Do you freak out when your faith wobbles wildly? Hey, I’m not afraid to admit it. But the most important thing about your faith is the object of our faith. A weak faith in something or, in this case, Someone strong makes all the difference.

A strong faith in a weak object is a total waste of time. For instance, I might believe with every fiber of my being that I can dunk in my Nike LeBrons.

The Ultimate Object

There’s just one little problem. Me. I’m 5’ 10” and could barely touch the rim when I was in high school. Forty years later, my hops have not improved. No matter what I believe about a pair of high dollar kicks, they won’t do the trick.

But trusting in Jesus is always a sure thing. It’s why Paul tells his friend Timothy, “If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful” (2Tim 2:13). Whenever we place our weak faith in the ultimate Object, it’s a slam dunk!

Jesus’ Family Tree

Back inside the house, Christ doesn’t get up and go outside to talk to His family. Instead He asks the standing room only crowd a couple of questions. “Jesus replied, ‘Who is My mother? Who are My brothers?’” (v33).

One of the favorite pastimes in Galilee is taking a chainsaw to Jesus’ family tree. He didn’t exactly come from the good side of the tracks. It’s an easy target. Even Nathanael, one of His own disciples questions, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (Jn 1:46).

Critics in His own hometown love to bring up Jesus’ blue-collar background and trailer park tribe. “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And His sisters live right here among us” (Mk 6:3).

A Strong Resemblance

If I’m in the room, my answer to Jesus’ question about the identity of His family would be those folks outside. But Jesus’ isn’t looking to see who might have His family roster memorized. In reality, Christ wants to know what marks somebody as one of His close family members. Who shares a strong family resemblance?

Before anybody in the house can answer, the Lord fills in the blank for them. “Then He looked at those around Him and said, ‘Look, these are My mother and brothers’” (v34). Matthew tells us that Jesus points to His dozen disciples when He says this (Mt 12:49).

Jesus Connects the Dots

The Message makes it clear. “Right here, right in front of you—My mother and My brothers” (v34 The Message). You gotta figure folks are scratching their heads when He says this. Mother? Brothers? WHAT?!? I thought Your fam is in the front yard? These knuckleheads don’t look anything like You!

That’s when Jesus connects all the dots. “Anyone who does God’s will is My brother and sister and mother” (v35). In his version of this very same story, Dr. Luke quotes Christ as saying that His closest family members “are those who hear God’s Word and obey it” (Lk 8:21).

Notice that obeying the will of God means not just hearing it but doing it. Our obedience to God is in the application, not just the head knowledge of what He says. According to Jesus’ kid brother, knowing what to do without actually doing it is a waste of time (James 1:22-24).

Looking Like Our Heavenly Dad

Jesus wants us to know that obedience to our Father in heaven is what gives us the unmistakable family resemblance. Forget hair color, height, or sense of humor. We suddenly look a whole lot like the Son of God when we do what His Dad says.

As a matter of fact, the Lord is saying that the ties to our spiritual family are WAY stronger than to our blood relatives. That’s certainly great news for anyone who’s human family puts the funk in dysfunction. In case you’re wondering, that would be all of us.

The Savior’s Spiritual Family

The writer of Hebrews talks about our Savior’s amazing spiritual family. “So now Jesus and the ones He makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them His brothers and sisters” (Heb 2:11).

A guy named Paul backs that up in a letter to believers in Rome. He says that God the Father personally selects His kids in advance to become like His Son. And that Jesus is “the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Rom 8:29).

Our Ultimate Big Brother

If we’ve placed our trust in Christ, He’s our Big Brother. Not only that but our Dad is making us look more and more like our oldest Brother every single day. Let that sink in. We participate in that process every time we do what God says.

Jesus tells the packed house that doing what God wants is what really makes His followers favor the family. That means there’s nothing that we can do to resemble our Big Brother and Heavenly Dad more than willing submission and obedience.

Loaded with Laws

Just what does that mean? Have you seen the Bible? It’s loaded with laws and commands. Jewish scholars have counted 613 commandments in the OT. According to some, the NT has another 1,015 rules and regulations.

If that’s not intimidating enough, Jesus’ little brother James goes so far as to say that if we break one law, we’ve broken all of them (James 2:10). I don’t know about you, but I won’t make past breakfast.

The Top of the To-Do List

That’s what makes the Good News such great news. “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the One He has sent” (Jn 6:28-29). At the top of our Heavenly Dad’s to-do list for us is this: Place our trust in His Son.

Jesus is the only one who’s ever lived to have a perfect record of obedience to His Father’s rules. He batted 1.000. Got ‘em all right. Every single do and do not. Christ did for us what we could never do for ourselves.

Jesus’ Perfect Obedience

Our Savior invites us to place our trust in His perfect obedience. He lived the perfect life that we’ve failed to live. He died the death for our sin and rebellion that we should have died. And if that’s not enough, He rose to a glorious new life that we don’t deserve.

Trusting in Jesus also means following His leadership. We unlock that overflowing life He made available (Jn 10:10) by doing what He says. Guess what? The more we do, the stronger our family resemblance to our Big Brother and Heavenly Dad.

Love God and Love People

A couple of different times, folks approach the radical Rabbi/Carpenter and ask Him to what obedience to God looks like. The Lord responds by summing up God’s law in two simple commands: Love God and love people (Mt 22:37-39; Mk 12:30-32). Notice I said “simple” and not “easy.”

Just before He heads home to heaven, Jesus doubles down on the command to love. “Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples” (Jn 13:34-35).

Did you catch the way we are to love? “Just as I have loved you.” Our Savior loved us by serving us (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45). Paul tells his Philippian friends how the King of Kings left the heavenly throne room to became a slave in order rescue you and me (Phil 2:6-8).

To Love Is to Serve

God calls me to love others by serving others. That means putting their needs ahead of mine. It means forgiving them since God has already forgiven me of SO much. Showing them the same kind of amazing grace God’s shown me. Hey, it runs in the family.

It also includes sharing the incredible message of our awesome Big Brother with others. Remember, nobody’s good enough to get into God’s family on their own. We all need a Savior. God the Father is always looking to adopt new kids to reshape into the image of His Son!

It Runs in the Family

Meanwhile back in the Galilean living room, imagine the reaction to what Jesus has just said. The Lord has just given everyone there a sneak preview of His Dad’s soon-to-be growing family.

Jesus’ closest kin is not limited just to blood relatives. It will include those who do what His Father wants. You see, obedience to God’s will runs in the family.

©2017

Jay Jennings

One Size Does NOT Fit All

“Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity” (1Tim 5:1-2).

Back in the sixties, cities across America thought they were smart to build multipurpose stadiums. They could use these modern coliseums for football one day, baseball the next, and a concert the day after. One size fits all. There was just one little problem. These joints were just terrible places for any sport. Multipurpose stadiums turned out to no purpose stadiums. One size does NOT fit all.

In a letter to a young pastor and protege, Paul encourages Timothy not to take a one-size-fits-all approach in dealing with folks in his congregation. “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity” (v1-2). Because the church is made up of individuals, you deal with them as individuals. Because a church is a family, you treat folks like family. Age appropriately. Gender appropriately. One size does NOT fit all.

The apostle has spent a lot of time talking to Tim about cleaning up the mess made by a bunch of spiritual snake oil salesmen (1Tim 1:3-7; 4:1-3). They distracted the people from following Jesus with all sorts of mumbo jumbo that sounded religious but had nothing to do with the Gospel. Refocus the church back on Christ and His overflowing goodness (1Tim 1:12-17; 2:3-7; 4:3-4). Get folks praying again (1Tim 2:1-2). Fill the leadership vacuum with godly men and women of integrity (1Tim 3:1-13). Paul then gives Tim a series of important instructions when it comes to serving God’s people as their pastor (1Tim 3:14-4:16).

Paul shifts gears at this point in his note to Tim. He moves from church-wide warnings and instructions to dealing with individuals. Instead of heavy handed rules handed down from some corporate cookie cutter, the apostle wants the young pastor to remember that the church is a family. And not just any family, but God’s family. Want to know how to treat each other? I don’t care how your own family put the funk in dysfunction. Interact the way a healthy and loving relatives would. With love. With grace. With respect. With integrity. Age appropriately. Gender appropriately. One size does NOT fit all. 

As a rookie pastor, Tim is probably going to have a difficult time when trying to correct the older men in the church. So the apostle starts by saying, “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father” (v1). The word behind “rebuke” is epiplesso, which literally means to strike sharply upon or beat on something in order to change it’s shape. Picture a blacksmith pounding on metal with his hammer. 

Here Paul uses it for strongly reprimanding or beating up someone with sharp words. Some translations add “sharply” (NASB, AMP) or “harshly” (NIV, NRS, NLT). That’s exactly how you are NOT supposed to interact with older men in your church. Someone in leadership may need to correct them, but be very careful in how you do it. Don’t try to beat them into submission just because you’re in charge. You may be in a position of leadership or authority, but that doesn’t give you the right to be a human bulldozer. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. 

What an important reminder this is of the power of our words. That little ditty from the playground is a lie. “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” What a crock! Words hurt. They cut and cut deeply. We should all remember the damage we can do with what we say. 

Instead of hammering away in harshness on an older man in the church, Tim is to “encourage him as you would a father” (v1). Paul uses one of my all-time favorite Greek words here: parakaleo. It’s a compound word that can be used in a wide variety of incredibly positive ways. It literally means to call someone to your side or to speak while walking alongside someone. In various places, authors of the NT use it to cheer, urge, implore, ask, request, and invite. 

Parakaleo is from the same root word describing the Holy Spirit as our Comforter and Counselor, Parakletos, (Jn 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). Just as the Spirit wants God’s best for you and me, a pastor encourages senior saints in the congregation. This is the idea of relationship, friendship, and longterm investment. Not a drive-by rebuke. 

Similarly in verse 2, Paul tells Timothy to treat “older women as mothers” (v2). Some spoiled teenage brat may bark back on their mom on the Dr. Phil show, but that’s not the way a child of God is to treat the woman who raise them. Tim had godly women in his life growing up, his grandmother Lois and mom Eunice (2Tim 1:5). No doubt the apostle is reminding his sidekick to interact with the more mature women in the Ephesian church in much the same way as he did with his mom and memaw. This is Paul’s way of saying, “Word to your mother.”

The big principle here is to treat the senior saints in your church the same way you would treat your parents. Just in case you forgot how that’s supposed to go down, God included the parent/child relationship back in His original Top Ten. “Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you” (Ex 20:12). Respect the older men and women in the congregation the same way God commands us to respect our parents. Give them the honor they deserve. 

Now this doesn’t mean you do everything they tell you. But it does mean we dismiss them out of hand as being old fogies and totally out of touch. They have a huge advantage when it comes to experience. They’re not chronologically challenged. Let’s be honest, balancing the wants and needs of a congregation with a broad range of ages isn’t easy. Don’t just blow off comments from the older members of the congregation. Certainly don’t tell them that if the music’s too loud, they’re too old. You might be surprised how they’ll respond when you cast vision for why your church does things a certain way.

Back in verse 1, Paul instructs Tim to treat “younger men as brothers” (v1). Again, don’t throw your weight around just because you have a plaque on your door or a title on your business card. The last thing you need to do as a pastor is cut yourself off from your friends and set up your office in the ivory tower. Remember you still need Jesus just as much as anybody else your age. Some of us might like the idea of dealing with the younger dudes like our brothers. You have childhood memories of noogies and wedgies. Yeah, that’s NOT what Paul’s talking about. You need their prayers and support, ESPECIALLY if you’re in leadership.

Finally, those in authority must interact with “younger women as sisters, in all purity” (v2). Don’t miss those three words at the end. “In all purity.” The Greek word here is agneia, which means a whole lot more than wearing a clean shirt and socks. This term carries strong sexual overtones. It can mean virginity or chastity. Paul’s talking about complete and total sexual propriety when a leader is around younger women. 

You absolutely have to be above and beyond reproach when it comes to your interactions with young ladies. Robertson is right. Nothing will disqualify a young pastor more quickly than his conduct with young women! Don’t give even a hint of moral misconduct. A member of the opposite sex in your church is NOT your target. Stop it. She’s your sister. Treat her with respect and honor.

Eventually cities tore down most of the multipurpose stadiums when they realized one facility couldn't serve every sport. Football, baseball, and entertainment all have unique requirements. One size does NOT fit all. In the same way, we shouldn’t treat everybody the same way. We treat them as individual believers. We deal with each person age and gender appropriately. I don’t treat my dad like my kid brother or my mom like my big sister. Remember, our church is our family. One size does NOT fit all.

Greetings from Caesar's Palace

“Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especial those of Caesar’s household” (Philippians 4:21-22).

Back in a previous millennium before the days of email, texting, Facetime, and Facebook, you would drop a postcard in the mail and let folks back home know about your vacation. These handy dandy cards came with some sort chamber of commerce picture of the place and a “wish you were here!” cheesy greeting. Let’s face it, most of the time you didn’t REALLY wish they were on vacation with you. The point was to make people insanely jealous. 

Well our man Paul may be in Rome, but this is no vacation. He may be staying in Caesar’s Palace, but he’s not in the penthouse. Most likely, the apostle is in the basement. In the dungeon. He writes to his friends back in Philippi to make sure they tell everyone there that he says “hello!” He wants them to know that he’s far from lonely. Despite being in a Roman prison, but God has placed all sorts of fellow Christ followers around Paul. Greet believers wherever you are. There are more around you than you realize. The simple act of reaching out to fellow followers will let you know you’re never really alone.

Remember the scene. The apostle has spent nearly five years locked up after an angry mob nearly kills him at the temple in Jerusalem (Acts 21:27-36). He does time in Jerusalem (Acts 21:37), Caesarea Maritima (Acts 23:33-35), and, after one of the worst Mediterranean cruises on record, Rome (Acts 28:14-30). While he’s there, Paul writes a series of letters to churches in Colossae, Ephesus, and his buddy Philemon. Sometime before his release, he fires off one more note to some of his favorite folks on the planet. The church in Philippi. He’ll never forget his first crazy days when he brought the message of Jesus to Europe (Acts 16:12-40). He wants to make sure everyone there knows he’s doing just fine, thank you.

Paul wraps up this letter by telling the Philippians to “greet every saint in Christ Jesus” (v21). He certainly wants to make sure all his friends know that he says “hey” from Rome. But there’s more here than a generic shout out to his buddies in Macedonia. The apostle actually commands the church to make a point of greeting and building a relationship with each and every saint. The grammar in the original language is very specific. He could have very easily told them to greet all the believers. But he didn’t. The man from Tarsus instructs them to individually interact with each follower of Jesus. 

It’s important to remember that churches are made up of individuals. Jesus lived and died for every person who walk through the front doors of your foyer. Every. Single. One. For you. For me. For the lady in the Lexus. For the dude in the Dodge. For the weird woman and strange man who sit in the back. Paul tells us to “greet every saint in Christ Jesus” (v21). The verb “greet” (Gr. aspazomai) means to literally embrace or draw to oneself. It’s the idea of treating someone affectionately. We’re not talking about some casual, mail-it-in kind of “howdy.” Interestingly, in his letter to the Roman church, the apostle instructs them, “Greet (Gr. aspazomai) one another with a holy kiss” (Rom 16:16). You can argue all you want about cultural context, but it seems pretty clear to me that public displays of affection among the followers of Jesus should be the standard. 

If someone is a fellow believer, reach out to them. We’re not to pick and choose who we’re to greet. We’re not scouting the room, trying to pick out who we’re going to hug. If they’ve placed their faith in who Jesus is and what He’s done, that’s all we need to know. Don’t leave anyone out. This isn’t just about the people who like you or look like you. Jesus has bulldozed all the racial barriers. He’s crushed all the cultural walls. He’s knocked down every economic roadblock. If they’re saints, greet ’em up! And we’re not just talking about the awkward “meet and greet” part of the worship service.

Paul’s not the only one who sends his best. “The brothers who are with me greet you” (v21). We already know that his protege Tim is hanging with him in the Eternal City (Phil 1:1; 2:19-23). No surprise there. The apostle met the young gun in Lystra (Acts 16:1-3) on his second tour of the Mediterranean Rim. Tim joined Paul’s posse just before rolling into Philippi. These bros may include Epaphroditus, the fellow the Philippians sent to help the apostle in prison (Phil 2:25-29). There’s a good chance there are probably more guys than are mentioned by name. Paul writes about “most of the brothers” with him (Phil 1:14). This could include Aristarchus, John Mark, and Jesus Justus (Col 4:9-11). Chances are Tychicus and Onesimus would have already hit the road delivering letters to Colossae, Ephesus, and Philemon. 

“All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household” (v22). It’s also clear that there are other followers of Jesus there. Now that they’ve greeted the saints back in Philippi, Paul passes along the greetings of the other saints in Rome. When he describes “those of Caesar’s household” (v22), he’s not just talking about members of the royal family. According to John MacArthur, this also “would include courtiers, princes, judges, cooks, food-tasters, musicians, custodians, builders, stablemen, soldiers, and accountants.” This would include the very prison guards assigned to keep an eye on the apostle. Earlier, he talked about the irony of how God is using his time behind bars as a means to spread the grace of Jesus in Rome. “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (Phil 1:12-14). 

When Saint Paul talks about saints, he’s not talking about Drew Brees and the Who Dats in New Orleans. “Saints” literally means “holy ones.” While holiness certainly carries the idea of sinlessness and purity, the best idea here is that these followers of Jesus are different. You can tell them apart from everyone else in the Roman world. They live differently. They love differently. They work differently. How about you? Are you a “saint?” Are you a “holy one?” Do you stand out from the rest of the culture? When folks look at you, do they say “who dat?”

So how in the world has Paul made so many friends in Rome? Sure, he’s been in the slammer for a couple of years in the city, but that’s not the entire reason God has provided a wonderful support system for His apostle. You see, Paul has already written a letter to the church in Rome a few years back. Ironically, he told the Roman church that visiting the capital of the Empire was on his bucket list (Rom 15:22-29). He has a boatload of friends in Rome. In his letter to the Roman church, he says “hey” to not just Prisca and Aquila, but to 24 other individuals as well as two full families (Rom 16:3-15). No doubt that a lot of these same folks were wanted to send their greetings to folks back in Philippi.

There’s an old joke that asks about the difference between Presbyterians and Baptists. According to the punch line, Presbyterians will say “hello” to you in the liquor store. Paul encourages you and me to reach out and embrace the support structure that God has placed all around us. We don’t do life alone. We have brothers and sisters to encourage us, love us, and hold us accountable. Remember, following Jesus is a team sport. We’re not flying solo. There are no Lone Rangers for Christ. Reach out. They need you. You need them.

Hey, Jude

Being a kid brother is hard. But what if your big brother is Jesus. We’re not just talking about following in the footsteps of the best kid in the family, but the sinless Son of God! Put yourself in Jude’s place for just a moment. One of four brothers. According to Matthew and Mark, Joe the carpenter and his wife Mary had four boys. Jesus, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3). Being the kid brother of Jesus would be tough enough. But one of your other older brothers ends up running the home office of the faith. James pastors the original mega-church in Jerusalem and writes a book of the Bible. If that’s not enough, your parents also gave you the same name (Gr. Ioudas) as the most notorious backstabber in the New Testament. That may explain why he now goes by the nickname Jude. Really, can you blame him? I mean how in the wide world of sports do you live up to all THAT?!?!

It would be easy to wallow in a pool of your own pity. But not Jesus’ kid brother. Not Jude. He places his trust in his Lord and Savior. That just happens to be the same boy you shared a bedroom with growing up in Nazareth. In many ways, this is one of greatest proofs of Jesus’ divinity in my mind. What would it take for you to think that your big brother was God? Yeah, see what I mean. Satan, perhaps. Certainly not God. And Jesus’ family wasn’t buying it in the beginning either. John tells us, “For not even His brothers believed him” (Jn 7:5). That would certainly include James and Jude. But in many ways, it was worse than that. Jesus’ family actually thought He was off His rocker. At one point, they tried to bring Him back home because, in their words, “He is out of His mind” (Mk 3:21).

But something changed. Something VERY big flipped the switch of faith for His family. We know that Jude, his brother James, as well as their mom Mary believed that Jesus was divine. Or should we say, IS divine. When Jesus walked out of the graveyard after His crucifixion and burial, it rocked James’ world. When you’re big brother is resurrected, it kinda changes everything. The Apostle Paul says brother Jim believed when he came face-to-face with the risen Christ (1Cor 15:6). The writers of the Bible don’t let us in on Jude’s conversion. Not hard to believe that happened after a chat with his brother Jim. 

You see, Jude isn’t trusting in Jesus his big brother. He’s trusting in the fact that He’s his Savior. He’s trusting in the fact that He’s his Lord. He’s trusting that Jesus lived the perfect life that Jude failed to live (again, who else is going to believe their big brother was perfect?!?). He’s trusting that Jesus died the brutal death for Jude’s sin that he should have died. He’s trusting that Jesus rose to a new life that Jude doesn’t deserve. 

Hey, Jude. Tell us about your big Brother.

Keep the Main Things the Main Things

Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 6:23).

Not too long ago, Elvis Costello asked the musical question, “What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding?”  A couple of thousand years before, Paul told his friends in Ephesus that peace, love and faith are a VERY big deal.  In many ways, they are the main thing when comes to following Jesus.  The apostle begins signing off his note to the Ephesians by writing, “Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (v23).  Peace.  Love.  Faith.  He hits the highlights of his letter.  Peace.  Love.  Faith.  These are the main things.  As he wraps things up, he summarizes the big ideas.  Peace.  Love.  Faith.  

Keep the main things the main things.

Too many times I blow right past the opening and closing lines in Paul’s letters.  I want to get to the good stuff.  I want to get to the meat.  But the apostle doesn’t waste any words.  This IS the good stuff.  This IS the meat.  So let’s slow down.  And let’s dig in.  Because Paul uses these parts of his epistles in very important ways.  They almost always contain the big ideas.  The main things.  His letter to the Ephesians is no different.

From a prison cell in Rome, the apostle wishes “peace to the brothers” (v23).  This is so much more than a call for folks to stop fighting.  He uses the Greek word eirene, which means harmony, welfare, freedom from anxiety and tranquility.  In many ways, Paul is referring to the wonderful old Hebrew term shalom.  Throughout the Old Testament, this word describes the perfect rhythm of God’s original created order.  Think back to the way things were in Eden before we jacked up the whole deal.  Everything flowed together in divine synchronicity.  God created His handcrafted paradise for Adam and Eve to enjoy.  Other than one tree, our first parents could eat and savor every bit of God’s unspoiled goodness. And don’t forget about the fact that clothes had not been invented yet.  This is the perfect rhythm of our Creator’s original design.  Shalom.  Peace.  It’s completeness.  It’s contentment.  It’s the absolute opposite of the chaos that our sin brought on the scene.

If you thought that it was a big deal that Justin Timberlake brought sexy back, check out what Jesus has done.  He’s bringing peace back.  He’s bringing shalom back.  He’s bringing God’s perfect rhythm back.  That’s why it’s one of the main things in Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus.  Right out of the chute, the apostle tells his readers, “Grace to you and peace (Gr. eirene) from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:2).  This peace isn’t just an idea.  It’s a Person.  Jesus “himself is our peace (Gr. eirene)” and has smashed the walls divided all races, religions and cultures (Eph 2:14-15).  Christ showed up and “preached peace (Gr. eirene)” to both insiders and outsiders (Eph 2:17).  This makes a ton of sense when we look back at what the prophets said about the Messiah to come.  Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah announced that He would be the “Prince of Peace (Heb. shalom)” (Is 9:6).

The Prince of Peace isn’t just the embodiment of God’s peace, He gives us peace as a gift.  He gives us His peace so that we can begin to live in that perfect rhythm of God’s original creation.  We see the impact of this peace on our church.  A big part of walking in a manner worthy of Jesus’ calling on our lives is living “bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Gr. eirene)” (Eph 4:1-3).  An important part of God’s armor are the cleats which make us ready to share “the Gospel of peace (Gr. eirene)” (Eph 6:15).  Yeah, peace.  It’s kind of a big deal.

Keep the main things the main things.  And one of those things is peace.  God’s peace.

Next, Paul encourages his readers to realize and practice God’s “love” (v23).  Another one of his main things.  This is the Greek noun agape.  If you’ve been around the church for any length of time, you’ve heard this word.  The problem is that God’s idea of love is nothing like our culture’s definition of love.  Movies (especially romantic comedies) have corrupted the idea of love as simply the emotion of a deep and warm fuzzy feeling.  But that’s NOT God’s definition of agape.  This love is a choice that’s put into action.  This is a love that does.  This is a love with hands and feet.  Love isn’t just a feeling.  Love is a verb!  As a matter of fact, the verb form of love is agapao.  Want the greatest example of love the universe has ever seen?  “God shows His love (Gr. agape) for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).  Love doesn’t just feel.  Love does.

Love is one of the three main things in Paul’s letter to his friends in Ephesus.  Let’s hit the highlights.  “In love (Gr. agape)” God handpicked us for adoption into His family (Eph 1:4).  We used to be among the Walking Dead but God brought us to life in Jesus “because of the great love (Gr. agape) with which He loved (Gr. agapao) us” (Eph 2:4-5).  God gives us His Spirit so that we have a chance to wrap our minds around “the love (Gr. agape) of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Eph 3:16-19).

Once we’re blown away by God’s love, we can’t help but love.  We’re to imitate God by walking “in love (Gr. agape) as Christ loved (Gr. agapao) us,” living a life of self-giving and sacrifice (Eph 5:1-2).   Over and over and over, Paul tells married men to follow Jesus’ example of love in action.  “Husbands, love (Gr. agapao) your wives, as Christ loved (Gr. agapao) the church...husbands should love (Gr. agapao) their wives...He who loves (Gr. agapao) his wife loves (Gr. agapao) himself...let each one of you love (Gr. agapao) his wife...” (Eph 5:25-33).  Yeah, so do you get Paul’s point?  Love is kind of a big deal.

Keep the main things the main things.  And one of those things is love.  God’s love.

The apostle makes the very important point that God’s love doesn’t travel by itself.  Elvis Costello missed on this one.  It’s “love with faith” (v23).  Paul uses the word pistis, which means trust, belief and assurance.  He’s encouraging us to place our faith in the only truly reliable Person to ever walk the planet.  Jesus.  We place our trust in the fact that He’s done for us what we could never, ever do for ourselves.  We place our faith in His flawless faith.  He was faithful to live the perfect life that I completely failed to live.  He was faithful to die the brutal death for my sin that completely deserved to die.  And He rose to a breathtaking new life that absolutely do not deserve.  I place my faith in who He is and what He’s done.  That’s why Paul writes, “By grace you have been saved through faith (Gr. pistis).  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8).

Our faith in who Jesus is and what He’s done becomes the one thing that draws us together no matter our backgrounds.  We’re to be unified in “one Lord, one faith (Gr. pistis), one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph 4:5-6).  God uses human leadership to build up His church so that “we attain to the unity of the faith (Gr. pistis)” (Eph 4:13).  Paul tells us to never forget to take our “shield of faith (Gr. pistis)” into battle as protection against Satan’s attack (Eph 6:16).  You see, our faith isn’t based on how much faith we can muster.  It’s not based on the strength of our faith.  Our faith is completely dependent on the Object of our faith.  That’s Jesus.  He’s totally and unshakably faithful even when we’re not (2Tim 2:13).

Keep the main things the main things.  And of those is faith.  Faith in Jesus.

Elvis Costello was close.  Very close.