You're Not You

Snickers to the Rescue

You’re not you when you’re hungry. 

We’ve all seen those hilarious Snickers commericals. You know the ones. Some cranky celebrity is whining about their situation. They use folks like Betty White, Abe Vigoda, Danny Devito, Aretha Franklin, Liza Minelli, Joe Pesci, Don Rickles, and Roseanne Barr.

That’s when a friend comes to the rescue with a candy bar. After a quick bite of Snickers, the crab suddenly calms down and transforms back into the friend they all know and love.

A Cranky Christ?

What in the world does THAT have to do with Mark 11:12-14? Well, I’m so glad you asked. 

At first glance, it looks like a hungry and cranky Christ calls down a heavenly curse on a poor little fig tree just because it fails to have any fruit. Seems like this is where one of His guys should rush in to offer our Savior a Snickers.

Hangry

I can just hear Peter saying, “Jesus, You’re not You when You’re hungry!”

At first glance, you may think the Son of God is simply hangry when He doesn’t get the snack He needs. But a deeper dive reveals that we’re not the real us when we’re pretending to be something we’re not.

The Hero from Heaven

It’s the Monday of the last week of Jesus’ life. The day before, He rolled into Jerusalem as Messiah riding a borrowed burro (Mk 11:1-10). The crowd goes absolutely crazy for the humble Rabbi/Carpenter as long awaited Hero from heaven.

This is major deal since Mark’s bio of the Lord opens with a long series of folks trying to figure out who He is (Mk 1:1-8:26). Could He REALLY be the Christ? Could He be the One?!?

Not the Messiah They’re Expecting

Eventually Jesus tells His team that He is the One whom God has promised to send (Mk 8:27-10:52). Not once (Mk 8:31). Not twice (Mk 9:31). But three times (Mk 10:33-34). 

There’s just one catch. He’s NOT the kind of Messiah they’re expecting. He’s come to bring victory through His own death and resurrection. Whatever you do, do NOT forget the resurrection part!!

Sunday ends with the Son of God getting a good look at what’s going down on the temple grounds (Mk 11:11). He just gets the lay of the land and leaves town to spend the night with the Twelve.

The Big Week ahead

We pick up the action on Monday morning of Passion week. Christ and His crew are commuting back into Jerusalem after spending the night in the ‘burbs. “The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry” (v12).

Put it this way. It’s Monday morning and the Lord is heading to work. I don’t have to tell you that this is gonna be a BIG week. It’s not just the biggest week of His ministry. This is the biggest week in history!!

We need to understand that work isn’t punishment but a precious gift from God. Our Creator gives Adam his assignment to take care of Eden BEFORE the fall (Gen 2:15). Let’s not see our job as a hard slog for the man but as an act of worship to God (Col 3:22-24).

100% God, 100% Human

With a big day ahead, Christ needs something to eat. Mark points out that “Jesus was hungry” (v12). You know what they say. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. 

It would be easy to blow right past the fact that Jesus needs something to eat. Remember, He’s not only 100% God but 100% human as well. He gets hungry when He fasts in the desert (Mk 4:2). He gets tired and thirsty after a long day on the road (Jn 4:6-7).

He Faced It All

Why is this a big deal? Simply, Jesus knows what it’s like to live life here on the Third Rock from the Sun. He’s not Superman disguised as Clark Kent. He laughs. He cries. He gets hungry. He gets tired. He sleeps. 

We can trust that He’s faced every flavor of trouble this world has to offer. The writer of Hebrews puts it like this. “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all the same testings we do, yet He did not sin” (Heb 4:15).

The Humble Fig

Looking for quick snack, Jesus spots the First Century version of a drive-thru. “He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so He went over to see if He could find any figs” (v13).

A couple thousand years before our friends at Nabisco will invent the Fig Newton, the humble fig is a common food around the Mediterranean Rim. Fig trees produce their fruit twice during the growing season. Once in late spring and later in early autumn.

The Ol’ Bait and Switch

There’s just one problem with particular fig tree. “But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit” (v13). The funny thing is that these trees produce new figs right after they leaf out. Green figs should be growing.

Because of the leaves, the tree looks great. But the fig count is a disappointing zero. It’s a case of fig false advertising. A serious case of the ol’ bait and switch.

Spoiler Alert!

So what’s going on? Christ certainly would know that there would be no figs. Spoiler alert! This little factoid should tip us off that this what’s about to happen has NOTHING to do with figless fig trees. Hmm, I wonder what it could be. Hang tight. We’ll get there.

The first clue is the word the NLT translates as “season.” This is the Greek term καιρος/kairos. Biblical scholars point out that this is NOT the agricultural term for the growing season. It describes a fixed or definite point in time.

Right on Time

This is the very same word John the Dunker drops when He prepares the way for the coming Messiah. “The time (Gr. καιρος/kairos) promised by God has come at last!” (Mk 1:15). 

It reminds us that God is never early, never late, and always right on time. And in this case, Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem at just the right time in history. God had this date circled on His calendar for eternity.

Talking to a Tree

That’s when something rather weird happens. Our Savior has something to the figless fig tree. “Then Jesus said to the tree…” (v14). Huh? He talks to the fig tree? I can just picture the Twelve wondering what’s going on.

But this isn’t the first time the Lord talks to creation. Remember when He commands the violent storm on the lake to stop? “He rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Silence! Be still!’ Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was great calm” (Mk 4:39).

When you create something, you have the right to talk to it. You may not realize it but Jesus is THE Creator. I love how Paul describes our Redeemer’s role. “For though Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth…Everything was created through Him and for Him” (Col 1:16).

An Object Lesson

So what does the Savior say? “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” (v14). Why does Christ call down a curse on some poor tree for not having figs before fig season? Is Mark’s point that we shouldn’t mess with Jesus when He’s hungry?

He’s turning the figless fig tree into an object lesson about people who say one thing but really do another. Specifically, the figless fig tree is playing the role of Israel in this story. 

A Symbol of Israel

Did you know that the prophets in the Old Testament love to use the fig tree as a metaphor for God’s chosen people (Jer 8:13; Hos 9:10, 16; Joel 1:7; Zech 3:10)? Confession time. Neither did I. 

So Jesus curses the figless fig tree as a symbol of God’s frustration with the fruitless Jewish people. In the ESV Study Bible, Hans Bayer says the Lord is on the look out “for the true fruit of worship, prayer, and righteousness” among the Hebrew people.

Context Is Key

This is where context is key to understanding Scripture. What a particular passage means is directly connected to what’s around it. It provides the lens for us to see what’s really going on.

We do it all the time when we’re not reading the Bible. We don’t simply look at one sentence of an email and try to figure it out what’s going while ignoring everything else in the note. 

A Fig Sandwich

Here Mark sandwiches two passages about the figless fig tree (here and again in Mk 11:20-25) around his account of Christ cleansing the temple (Mk 11:15-24). Jesus curses the tree, clears out the house of God, and then walks by the withered tree the next day.

That tips us off that everything that happens in and around the fig tree has absolutely nothing to do with the fig tree. It has everything to do with what’s going on at the temple.

Fruitless Trees and Prayer-less Temples

In the NIV Application Commentary, David Garland writes that the empty tree represents the empty worship of the temple that is totally not ready to accept Jesus as the God-promised Hero who’s coming through Abraham and David. 

Garland goes onto say, “Time can run out for fruitless trees and prayer-less temples. Fruitlessness now when the Messiah comes means fruitlessness forever.” That’s because EVERYTHING is shifting from the temple to Jesus. From ritual religion to personal relationship.

Shutting Down the Assembly Line

The sinless Lamb of God will die as the sacrifice for our sin, rebellion, and disobedience once and for all (Heb 9:26-28; 10:10-12). Once He gives His life for us, they can shut down the bloody assembly line of sacrifice at the temple.

That’s why when Christ dies on the cross, God rips the curtain separating the Holy of Holies (Mk 15:38). How do we know it’s God that does the tearing? Notice how it the tear starts at the top!

What the Disciples Heard

The author then includes a curious little detail at the end of the Lord’s one-way chat with the figless fig tree. “And the disciples heard Him say it” (v14). You have to wonder what’s going on in their heads at all this.

How does Mark know they’re hearing it all since he wasn’t personally there? Peter told him. The earliest followers of Christ were convinced that the second Gospel could actually be called Peter’s Story of Jesus as told to John Mark.

Connecting the Dots

So what do WE do with this weird little story? Should we start talking to our plants? Are we supposed to stop eating Fig Newtons? 

Bear with me while I attempt to connect a few dots. As Christ and His crew approach the temple, the incredible activity they see is like the leaves on the fig tree. It looks fantastic. There’s just one problem. There’s no fruit. 

Fig Leaf Speedos

Let’s flip back to the opening pages of God’s story in Genesis. What clothing did our first parents throw on to hide their shame of disobeying the Creator? Yup, fig leaves (Gen 3:7). 

They thought their fig leaf Speedos will cover their sin. Not so much. Could it be that we do the same thing? Do we try and use our religious activity as fig leaves to camouflage our lack of real fruit?

Foliage with No Fruit

Going to church, serving others, reading Scripture, and praying are great. But they are NOT the goal. They’re just the means to an end. And just to be sure, the goal is love God and love others. 

If all of those activities are drawing you into a deeper relationship with Jesus and allowing you to love and serve others better, you’re just wasting your time. Or as we see from this passage in Mark, they’re just foliage with no fruit.

Texans call this big hat and no cattle. You look really good but there’s no real substance to back it up. Let’s just call it big leaves and no figs.

An Ansel Adams Photo

We don’t need to just repent from the sinful bad things we do but our sinful GOOD things too! If we’re attempting to please God by piling up a sweet religious resume´, Isaiah lets us know, “They are nothing but filthy rags” (Is 64:6).

In other words, why don’t we just drop our leaves and admit our need for God? Face facts. Without Jesus we’re nothing more than one of those empty trees in winter from an Ansel Adams photo.

True Fruit

So what’s the fruit that the Lord is looking for in our lives? Paul describes what that is to his friends in Galatia. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22-23).

Jesus tells His team the only way that happens is when we stay closely connected to Him. “Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).

We DON’T Need a Snickers

Let’s stop playing the game. Let’s stop trying to cover our barren branches with the leaves of counterfeit religious busyness. You do know our Savior won’t be fooled by our smoke and mirrors, don’t you?

When I put up a fake front, I’m pretending to be something that I’m not. Our to paraphrase the commercial, you’re not you when you’re phony. We DON’T need a Snickers. What we REALLY need is Jesus.

©2020

Jay Jennings

The Superpower of Gentleness

“Correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (2Tim 2:25).

Every hero has an enemy. Sherlock has Moriarity. Harry Potter has Voldemort. Seinfeld has Newman. Every superhero has an archenemy. Superman has Lex Luthor. Batman has the Joker. Captain America has the Red Skull.

In each and every case, the enemy MUST be defeated. A fight is inevitable. The only way to win is beat them in battle. And it’s going to take every bit of our hero’s amazing abilities or superpowers to come out on top.

According to Paul, someone who follows Jesus is going to run into enemies but must have a totally different method in mind. Instead of an all-out war against their rival, the Lord’s servant should be “correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (v25). Well that’s not exactly the kind of storyline you see in the Marvel Comic Universe! The apostle tells Timothy that every believer has a superpower and it’s kindness. When used correctly on the enemy, God may not only give them the gift of changing their mind but may also be giving you a teammate in the process.

Now don’t get the idea that Paul is some comic book fan boy living in his parents’ basement. Not even close. The apostle is doing hard time on Death Row in a Roman prison (2Tim 1:16; 2:9) and his execution date is right around the corner (2Tim 4:6-7). So he’s not writing to some random guy he met at Comic-Con but to the young pastor he sees as his spiritual son (1Tim 1:2; 2Tim 1:2). In this epistle, Paul pleads for one last visit from Timothy (2Tim 4:9, 21) in order to pass the baton of spreading the message of Jesus (2Tim 2:1-4:5).

The apostle tells Tim that a mega-theme in ministry is dealing with folks outside the faith who may actually weasel their way into the church. He wrote to him about it in his first letter (1Tim 1:3-7, 20; 4:1-3; 6:2-10, 20-21). Three times here in chapter two of this epistle he tells his protege not to get sucked into a word war with these knuckleheads (2Tim 2:14, 16-17, 23-24). It’s time to grow up and put on your big boy pants and start chasing the things of God (2Tim 2:22).

A huge part of that chase is dealing with people who aren’t on Team Jesus. Paul calls them “opponents” and uses a word (Gr. αντιδιατιθημι/antidiatithemi) that literally describes a person intentionally setting themselves against something or someone. Picture a nose tackle digging his cleats in the turf right across the line from offense. It describes someone who is not only headed in the opposite direction but who’s openly hostile to what you’re trying to do. They’ll do anything necessary to stop you.

But here’s the deal. They may look like the enemy. They may act like the enemy. They may talk like the enemy. But they’re NOT who we’re really fighting. In a previous letter to his Ephesian friends, Paul provides a detailed scouting report on our foe. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). In other words, the REAL enemy is Satan and his unholy horde. Jesus wants us to realize that the person who appears to be our opponent may actually be a future teammate!

Once we understand who we’re really fighting, our strategy changes when dealing with human opposition. The idea isn’t to pound them into submission. Instead we should be “correcting his opponents with gentleness” (v25). We shouldn’t destroy but instruct. The goal isn’t to eradicate but educate. A servant of Jesus is to school an enemy but not embarrass them. You don’t beat them over the head with a ten-pound Bible. You don’t rub their nose in it. You don’t run up the score.

We do it with “gentleness” (v25). Paul drops a Greek word here (Gr. πραοτης/praotes) that can be translate as meekness and mildness. Now before you think we’re to wimp out and wave the white flag when challenged, that’s NOT what’s going on. This is the idea of strength that accommodates the weakness of another. It’s the opposite of acting harshly. We’re to be like Jesus. Instead dropping onto our planet on His first visit as the Lion of Judah (Gen 49:9-10; Rev 5:5) He came as the Lamb of God (Jn 1:29). Don’t bulldoze someone weaker than you. Overpower them with strength under control. Defeat them with gentleness.

Did you know God gives all His followers the superpower of “gentleness” (v25)? Okay, the Bible doesn’t exactly call them superpowers per se. Paul describes this package of supernatural abilities as the “fruit of the Spirit”. One of the awesome things that happens when Jesus comes to our rescue is that the Spirit of God makes His home in us. When He does, things change in a BIG way from the inside out. We begin exhibiting “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness(Gr. πραοτης/praotes), self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). I’ll take that over gamma rays or a bite from a radioactive spider.

This supernatural strength under control comes in handy as a follower of Christ. Paul says anytime someone sins we should always try to “restore him in a spirit of gentleness(Gr. πραοτης/praotes)” (Gal 6:1). The apostle makes a point to Titus how those who trust in Jesus are “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy (Gr. πραοτης/praotes) to all people” (Titus 3:2). Paul’s buddy Peter writes that every believer should be ready to tell others about our Savior, “yet do it with gentleness (Gr. πραοτης/praotes) and respect” (1Pet 3:15). God gives us the ability to overpower our opponents with strength under control.

Just as this supernatural gentleness comes from God, so does any change in our opponent. If we approach them with love and humility, “God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (v25). What?!? Repentance is a gift? You got it. Not only does the Lord provide us with the ability to be gentle, He gives our opponents the ability to turn from their sin and rebellion.

This isn’t the only place we see this idea of repentance as a gift. When Peter describes to the guys at the home office in Jerusalem how God is doing His patented crazy saving thing among non-Jews too, church leaders realized, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance (Gr. μετανοια/metanoia) that leads to life” (Acts 11:18). In the same way God’s Spirit gives believers the power of gentleness, He also gives us the power of repentance. Think of it this way. We can’t turn from our mess and turn to God without His divine help.

So what exactly is repentance, anyhoo? For most of us who grew up in traditional or fundamental churches, it conjures up images of red-faced preachers trying to scare us into heaven with sermons of hell’s fire and brimstone. “Turn or burn!” While purchasing eternal fire insurance certainly should be at the top of our spiritual to-do list, that’s not exactly a true understanding of the idea.

A closer look at the word “repentance” in the original language reveals the compound word μετανοια (metanoia). It literally means “after (μετα-/meta-) thinking (-νοια/-noia).” Repentance is a change of mind. It’s thinking again about something and coming to a new conclusion. Once God opens my eyes to His truth and my sin, I come to a new conclusion. I now see me as He does. I desperately need help. I desperately need a Savior. The result is a 180. I spin from my own hot mess to the holy Son of God. And it’s all a gift from God.

Jesus doesn’t bully anybody into belief. Sure, He does have a habit of blindsiding folks. Just ask Paul (more on that in a moment). But instead using threats and intimidation, He loves to overwhelm us with His overflowing goodness. It’s “God’s kindness that is meant to lead you to repentance(Gr. μετανοια/metanoia)” (Rom 2:4). In other words, Jesus is so incredibly wonderful to us that we have a massive change of heart and mind. It’s what inspired John Newton to write the famous line in his hit tune Amazing Grace: “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.” God’s grace is SO amazing that we turn from the counterfeits we’ve been chasing and make a beeline to our Savior!

The apostle knows this is the reality of repentance because it is HIS reality! Before he was missionary Paul, he was known as murderer Saul. The man from Tarsus absolutely hated the followers of Jesus and made it his life’s purpose to wipe them off the face of the planet. He hunted them down. He tortured them. He dragged many to prison (Acts 8:3). He murdered others. The dude was so ruthless toward what was known as the Way that he happily ran the coatcheck table at Stephen’s stoning (Acts 7:58; 8:1). Paul openly admits every bit of it (1Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13; Phil 3:6; 1Tim 1:13).

But before Saul could execute his next black ops search-and-destroy mission in Damascus, the resurrected Jesus blinded the young Pharisee in order to open his eyes (Acts 9:1-6). In an incredible act of divine kindness, our Savior gave him the gift of repentance. He graciously allowed the man devoted to terrorizing the church the chance to think again about what he was doing from God’s perspective. The result led to his “knowledge of the truth” (v25) about who Jesus is and what He has done. In this case, Jesus’ gentleness transformed an assassin into an apostle!

Back in Paul’s letter to Timothy, the apostle tells the young pastor how God’s gift of gentleness to us combined with His gift of repentance to our opponents may eventually be “leading to a knowledge of the truth” (v25). When the apostle uses this phrase, he’s talking about understanding truth with capital T. He’s talking about a relationship with Jesus, the embodiment of the ultimate truth (Jn 14:6). “Knowledge of the truth” is one of Paul’s ways of describing a relationship with Jesus.

The apostle’s talking about salvation. In his previous letter, he describes how God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Tim 2:4). Later Paul uses a very similar idea when talking about how false teachers love to target certain women in fragile situations who are “never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (2Tim 3:7). In other words, they find easy marks and distract them from true salvation in Jesus with all sorts of religious mumbo jumbo.

The Lord certainly calls us to take on our opponents but not in the way you would expect. We’re to use the supernatural superpower of gentleness He’s given us. What we don’t see is what He may be giving them as well: the superpower of repentance. Instead of a very predictable knock down, drag out battle between good and evil, the enemy may well have a change of heart and mind. They may come to their senses and come to Christ. If that happens, our opponent may suddenly become our teammate. 

But that only happens when we unleash our superpower of gentleness.

Loosening My Kung Fu Grip

"And Peter said, 'See, we have left our homes and followed You.' And He said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life'" (Lk 18:28-30).

These three verses provide an epilogue to Jesus' conversation with the rich young ruler (Lk 18:18-27).  Christ's call to cash in his chips and follow revealed the man's idol: his own wealth.  Jesus then pointed out how it's easier to smush a 1500 pound camel through the eye of a sewing needle that for a rich person to squeeze himself through the gates of heaven.  The Lord pointed out that the only one capable of making that happen is God Himself.

At this point, Peter speaks up (v28).  Let's face it, when Pete says something, there's a 50-50 chance he's going to make a fool of himself.  Pastor Mike Lee says that it often seems like that the only reason Peter opens his mouth is to change feet.  But here, Simon says the right thing.

In response to the rich ruler's retreat, Rocky speaks up for all of the twelve.  It's just another example from the Bible of Peter's role as leader of the apostles.  It's a role he will retain even in the wake of his betrayal of the Lord.  He was part of Jesus' inner circle along with the Sons of Thunder.  Peter was first among equals among Christ's twelve.

The Rock reminds Jesus of all that His own disciples have left in the rear view mirror in order to follow.  "See we have left our homes and followed You."  Actually the word "homes" is not in the original text.  Pete actually says they have left "one's own" or “everything belonging to us" (Gr. adjective idios).

It is a reminder of how these twelve men walked away from not just their homes, but everything in order follow this amazing Man from Nazareth.  Professional fishermen dropped their nets and left their business behind.  A tax collector turned his back on his incredibly profitable occupation (and repaid with interest!).  They had left it all behind.

Jesus responds to Peter's statement with an encouragement (v29-30).  First, He talks about what they all have given up in more detail.  These men have left their homes, wives, brothers, sisters, parents and children.  And they didn't do it simply to hang out with some homeless and untrained Rabbi/Carpenter.  They did it "for the sake of the kingdom of God."  Somehow, someway they understood that something bigger was at stake.  And they were willing to leave it all behind.

Jesus announces here that this call to leave it all behind is not just for these twelve closest followers.  Are we willing to leave it all behind?  I'm afraid that we Americans are more like the rich young ruler than the blue-collar bunch that Jesus' assembled.  According to some statistics, 21st-century Americans are among the top 2% of the wealthiest people who have ever walked on the planet.  How many of us are willing to leave everything to follow Jesus?  House?  Family?  Job?  Cars?  401k?  I think it's time to move on.  It's getting rather uncomfortable, don't you think?

After affirming everything that His followers give up, Jesus goes on to give an overview of the benefits package (v30).  Those willing to forsake everything for the sake of the kingdom get unspeakable blessings, both in this life and the life to come.  Don't miss that Jesus speaks of receiving "many times more in this time."  Don't miss the math.  God's blessings will be multiplied "many times more!"

I would hardily disagree with those preaching a prosperity Gospel that Jesus is promising earthly riches.  It may happen.  But the blessings of God are so much more than that, so much more robust than that, so much deeper than that.  They include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).  Most importantly, it is the blessing of God Himself.  He is our portion (Ps 16:5).  He is our great reward.

Jesus alone is worth leaving all.

Then Jesus points us to the most mind-blowing retirement package the universe has ever known.  He promises that we'll see those blessings continue once we pass from this life into the life to come.  Much ink has been spilled on heavenly and eternal blessings.  Christ is reminding His followers that it's worth it.  It's VERY MUCH worth it.  He doesn't deny that they've given up a lot.  But they have only begun to scratch the surface on what's to come.  And they don't have a clue of what will happen in the coming months and years.  Their minds couldn't hold it all.

This passage reminds me of the statement that hands clinging tightly to earthly possessions are not open to receive the blessings of God.  Too often we have a kung fu grip on things that have absolutely no eternal value.

Let it go.  Put it down.  Let the Lord fill your palms with His unspeakable and overflowing goodness.  We can only receive when we loosen our kung fu grip.

Jesus alone is worth leaving all.

No Fear!

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2Tim 1:7).

“No Fear!” You’ve probably seen it on the back window of a pickup truck, the back of a t-shirt, or on skateboard. It’s actually a brand focused on folks who love extreme sports like BASE jumping, rock climbing, or windsurfing. It’s all based on taking adventurous chances and hanging your life out over the edge. It’s radical. Rebellious. High risk, high reward. 

But long before anyone pulled on the first wing suit and jumped headfirst off a cliff, a man named Paul wanted us to know Jesus calls His followers to live an extreme life of no fear. “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (v7). In the final months of his own life, the apostle writes to his protege Timothy. With his own death on the doorstep, Paul encourages Tim to go for it. God has given each one of us His gifts. Don’t be shy. We’re to use them with courage, with power, with love, and with focus. 

No fear!

If you’re familiar with the little book of 2nd Timothy, you know it’s really not a book at all. It’s a letter from one friend to another. From a mentor to a student. From a spiritual father to his spiritual son. A real letter from a real person in a real place to another real person who’s dealing with real problems. This is no pie-in-the-sky-sweet-bye-and-bye, warm and fuzzy fable. 

Paul writes from prison. Specifically, from Death Row. History tells us he’s a dead man walking in Rome’s notorious Mamertine Prison. The apostle knows full well his appointment with the executioner is right around the corner (2Tim 4:6-7). His conscience is clear and he has no regrets (2Tim 1:3). He desperately hopes to stoke the fire of Tim’s faith in his own final days (2Tim 1:6). You see, the hotter our faith in Christ burns, the more our fear of failure fades.

No fear!

Paul begins by reminding Tim, “For God gave us not a spirit of fear” (v7). In other words, let’s begin by talking about what He did NOT give us. Specifically, fear. This isn’t the usual Greek word for fear (Gr. phobos). Instead, he pulls the wrapper off a shiny new term we don’t see anywhere else in the entire Bible. It’s deilia, which describes a a shameful lack of courage, cowardice, or timidity. It comes from a root word meaning dread. 

This is the kind of fear that freezes us in our tracks. Fear that freaks us out to the point that we don’t do anything. Fear that immobilizes. It’s certainly okay to do the wise thing and analyze the situation. We need to do that. But when analysis becomes paralysis, we’ve got a problem. Let’s be clear. I’m talking directly to the dude who’s hands on the keyboard right now. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve failed to act because of a lack of courage or confidence. 

The apostle reminds you, me, and Tim that anytime we have a “spirit of fear” (v7), it didn’t come from God. Don’t miss that. Not. From. God. Well, if it’s not from our wonderful Heavenly Dad who only gives good gifts (James 1:5, 17), then who’s the source? You get three guesses and the first two don’t count. I’m pretty sure we can pin this one on Satan. Yup, that’ right. The devil. Jesus Himself said our enemy’s number one mission is to “steal and kill and destroy” (Jn 10:10). I can’t think of a better way to short circuit the overflowing life Christ has for us than to freeze us in fear and doubt.

Before we move on and look at what God does give each one of Jesus’ followers, let’s not forget we worship One who is lavishly generous. He is the Great Giver. Paul drops a word here we translate as give (Gr. didomi) which means to entrust something of advantage or benefit, furnish, supply, assign, grant, bestow, or invest. It’s giving something of value, like depositing money with a banker. Let’s review just a few of His blessings. God gave us a fabulous universe to enjoy. He gave us life. The Father gave His Son for us. His Son gave His life for us. His Son gave His Spirit to us. His Spirit gave His gifts to us. The Great Giver gave and keeps on giving. And He wants us to be generous givers in His image.

Specifically, God gives us the Triple Crown of “power and love and self-control” (v7). In other words, God’s gifts are to be used with courage, with power, with love, and with focus. Don’t by shy in using them. Don’t doubt that God can use you. Don’t hesitate when you can do something good for someone else. And when you do, be focused with His gifts in order to do the most good. Power. Love. Self-control.

No fear!

“Power” (Gr. dunamis) is absolutely one of Paul’s favorite words. It seems like you’ll find it on just about every page of his letters to believers in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Colossae, and Thessalonica. Interestingly, he doesn’t use it when writing his personal notes to Titus or Philemon. Only Timothy. Apparently Tim was timid. He clearly didn’t feel very powerful. I know there are plenty of times I don’t exactly feel like a tower of power myself. But remember, God didn’t give us a wimpy spirit. That’s just the enemy up to his devilish dirty tricks.

The Lord preps us for a life of fearless love. Once again, the apostle uses another one of his go-to terms: agape. This is far from a warm and fuzzy feeling. While there’s certainly an emotional side to it, God calls us to love that does. A love in action. A love with legs. Jesus tells His posse how we’re to follow His loving example of service and sacrifice. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35). It takes courage to love like He does. That’s why He gives us His spirit of fearless love.

Last and certainly not least, God pours into us a spirit of “self-control” (v7). Various translations can’t really decide exactly how to express the Greek word here (Gr. sophronismos). “A sound mind” (KJV, NKJV, YLT). “Self-discipline” (NIV, NRS, NLT). “Sound judgment” (HCSB). “Sobriety” (Douay-Rheims). It describes a calling to soundness of mind, moderation, coming to your senses, or even the curbing of desires. It’s a compound word that literally means “a rescued mind.” 

When God gives me spirit of self-control, my emotions are no longer running the show. I’m not simply doing only what I FEEL like doing. I’m doing what I KNOW I should do. God’s Spirit rescues my mind and produces His fruit in my life. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23). It’s anything but reckless. This spirit focuses His love and power in my life. Instead of being an random sprinkler, He mades me a firehose of fearlessness.

There are plenty of folks who are hooked on the adrenaline rush of extreme sports. You can have hang gliding, helicopter skiing, and parkour. Listen to Paul’s advice. There’s nothing more radical than leaning into God’s spirit “of power and love and self-control” (v7). Take the leap. I dare you.

No fear!

Human Root Rot

“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (1Tim 6:10).

Anyone with a green thumb (Confession time: I am NOT one of them!) will tell you about the dangers of root rot. It’s a condition found in both indoor and outdoor plants. Rotten roots affect and infect the entire plant. Trunk. Branches. Leaves. Fruit. Root rot is both untreatable and fatal. Curiously, it’s caused by overwatering. Think about that. What kills the plant is actually something that should be good for it. 

Did you know that you and I can suffer from a form of root rot? It doesn’t come from standing out in the rain or taking long showers. If you’re like me, your parents were loud and clear that both of these are bad. No, human root rot is caused by a passion for cash. An obsession for possession. Greed. Or in the words of Paul, “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (v10). Just like in plants, rotten roots affect our entire being. It causes all sorts of problems. It leads me further and further away from Jesus. What kills us is actually something that can be good for us. The sad part is, we do it to ourselves. It’s a self-obsession that results in a self-inflected wound. The love of money is human root rot.

Paul’s words in this verse are often misquoted. Well, not so much misquoted and incompletely quoted. You’ve heard folks say, “Money is the root of all evil.” Money by itself isn’t evil. According to Moses, wealth is a gift from God (Dt 8:18). He blesses us to be a blessing to others. It’s the LOVE of it that gets us in big trouble. Things get WAY out of whack when we use people to love money. We’re to use our money to love people. Jesus went out of His way to say we’re not worship wealth. “You cannot serve both God and money” (Mt 6:24). Gold makes a terrible god. 

What you and I see in English as “the love of money” (v10) is actually just one word in the original language (Gr. philarguria). This compound term literally means “brother (phil-) of the shiny (-arguria)” or “lover of the silver.” It describes greed and avarice. If it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that bling, that’s a sure sign that you’ve got a bad case of human root rot. 

We see a slightly different form of the word a few other times in the NT. Jesus tells His crew that it’s impossible to serve both God and money, “the Pharisees, who were lovers of money (Gr. philarguros)” made fun of Him (Lk 16:13-14). In his followup letter to Tim, the apostle warns that just before Jesus returns for His encore, folks will become “lovers of self, lovers of money (Gr. philarguros), proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy” (2Tim 3:2). Looks like Christ will make His second coming during an election year. But I digress. Earlier in this letter, Paul uses a negative form of the word to tell Tim how an overseer must not be greedy and “not a lover of money (Gr. aphilarguros)” (1Tim 3:3).

Did you know there’s something MUCH more valuable out there than straight cash, homey. Relax, this isn’t an infomercial pitching precious metals like gold or silver. The apostle Christ called Rocky says our Savior paid something much more costly for our sin. “You were not ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1Pet 1:18-19). When it comes to currency, there’s nothing more costly. Our salvation may be a free gift we could never earn or buy (Eph 2:8-9) but it is ridiculously expensive. It cost Jesus everything.

Just as too much water causes serious problems for a plant, greed is the “root of all kinds of evils” for you and me (v10). Paul puts on his horticultural hat and uses the Greek word rhiza, which describes the underground part of a plant. It’s the structure of vegetation we can’t see that is its lifeline. The roots suck up water and nutrients from the soil to interact with the sunlight captured by the leaves. Don’t worry. This won’t be on the final. When Jesus cursed a fruitless tree, the disciples couldn’t believe their own eyes when they saw later how “the fig tree withered away to its roots (Gr. rhiza)” (Mk 11:20).

But the term also symbolically describes the cause, reason, origin, or source of a something. It’s the problem behind the problem. The disease causing the symptoms. The writer of Hebrews says anytime we fail to appreciate God’s descending one-way love, we provide just the right kind of soil where a “root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble” (Heb 12:15). When my heart turns greedy and ungrateful, it results in “all kinds of evil” in my life (v10). I can either treat the symptoms or pull the real problem out by the root.

If I don’t deal with the real cause, this bad root causes bad fruit. Paul tells the Galatians all about what the putrid produce of root rot. “Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” (Gal 5:19-21). But when God’s Spirit goes to work, He produces a bumper crop of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23). The grace of Jesus and His Holy Spirit are the remedy for human root rot.

How bad will this root rot? According to Paul, “It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (v10). Some folks become so fixated on cash that they lose their way. Their chase of money leads them a long way from the Lord. Does that mean people can actually lose their salvation? Say it ain’t so! Well, this obsession with money reveals that God had never saved them in the first place. Or they could be followers of Jesus who get so distracted by the dollars that they take a long and painful detour in their journey. Don’t believe that’s possible? You may want to have a little chat with someone who’s earned the nickname of the prodigal son (Lk 15:11-32).

Not only have some people “wandered away from the faith” (v10), but they suffer from self-inflicted wounds. They have “pierced themselves with many pangs” (v10). Today we worry about people who harm themselves through cutting, picking, and suicide. The love of money results in self-mutilation. When we worship our bank account over Christ, our biggest enemy is the person in the bathroom mirror. Nobody else. I’m not saying the Evil One won’t bait the hook. But he can’t make you take the bait.

A couple of thousand years later, a group called The O’Jays sang a little ditty about human root rot called “For the Love of Money.” It’s an incredibly catchy tune about a terribly terminal condition. Get your groove on and sing along with them…

Money, money, money, money, money. 

Some people got to have it. 

Some people really need it.

Listen to me y’all, do things, 

do things, do bad things with it. 

You wanna do things, do things, 

do things, good things with it.

For the love of money, 

people will lie, Lord, they will cheat. 

For the love of money, 

people don’t care who they hurt or beat. 

For the love of money, 

a woman will sell her precious body 

for a small piece of paper. 

It carries a lot of weight. 

Call it lean, mean, mean green almighty dollar.

"For the Love of Money" by the O'Jays

Listen to Paul. Listen to The O’Jays. Avoid human root rot. 

Rejoice. Repeat.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

Let’s face facts. Life can blindside you. It can kick the stuffing out of you when you least expect. Knock the wind out of you. 

But according to Paul, there’s one thing life can’t take away. Our joy in Jesus. 

I want to make it clear this isn’t going to be one of those turn-that-frown-upside-down and pretend nothing’s wrong pep talks. 

An unexpected sucker punch hurts. No question about it. But God gives us something no one can steal. His joy. 

So no matter the situation, the instructions are clear. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (v4). 

Rejoice. Repeat.

The apostle doesn’t just suggest joy. This isn’t a recommendation. He’s not making a proposal. Nope, it’s a command. 

A closer look at the grammar of the original text is in what scholars call the imperative. Paul doesn’t simply hint that joy might be a good idea. He orders it. 

Who in the world does this dude think he is to order me to rejoice?

I saw you roll your eyes. That’s okay. I would too. But let’s dive a little deeper at the context of this seemingly crazy command. 

First of all, the one doing the writing is Paul. You may have heard of him. 

Wrote most of the New Testament. Traveled the Mediterranean Rim telling everyone who would listen about Jesus. 

His passion for the Gospel ticked off enough people that he ended up in prison. And that’s where he is as he writes this little letter. 

The apostle isn’t sitting seaside sipping on a drink with an umbrella in it. He’s doing hard time in Caesar’s supermax in Rome. Somehow, someway, he has the joy of Jesus in the joint.

You may think he’s encouraging his readers to get over their first world problems. Well, his friends back in Philippi aren’t exactly living the life of leisure either. 

Dr. Luke tells us how the Gospel of Jesus turned the city upside down to the point of rioting and mob violence (Acts 16:12-40). Think Ferguson and Baltimore. 

A quick check of the map in the back of your Bible tells us Philippi is in Macedonia, just down the road from other churches in Thessalonica and Berea. 

In one of his letters to the Corinthians, Paul lets us know what the Lord was up to in the region despite a massive economic downturn. 

“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part” (2Cor 8:1-2). 

Did you catch that? “A severe test of affliction…their extreme poverty.” Despite all of that, they had “abundance of joy!”

An epistle from Paul in prison. Written to a people in poverty. Still think this joy of Jesus is some sort of joke? No, I didn’t think so either.

The pages of this letter drip with joy. The apostle mentions it one way or another 14 times. 

So for those of us who’ve been reading along, this idea of doesn’t come out of left field. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (v4). 

As a matter of fact, it’s a variation on what he said to kick things off at the beginning of chapter three. “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord” (Phil 3:1). 

Just in case you weren’t paying attention the first time, Paul hammers that nail two more times here in chapter four. 

Rejoice. Repeat. 

“Rejoice” is the Greek word χαιρω/chairo. It means to be exceedingly glad, delight, be happy, or fully enjoy a state of blessing. 

The verb isn’t just a command. It’s also in the present tense. Paul’s order isn’t just a one-and-done gladness. 

It’s not something we do once, check off the list and never have to worry about again. The heart of this command is  to be exceedingly glad in God…and stay that way!

As you might imagine, joy in Jesus is one of Paul’s favorite topics. The apostle tells the Thessalonian church just down the road from Philippi, “Rejoice always” (1Th 5:16). 

He writes to his buddies in Rome to “rejoice in hope” (Rom 12:12). In other words, there’s no reason to let your circumstances get you down for long. Jesus is coming back. And He’s coming back for you!  

But as followers of Christ, we shouldn’t force feed our euphoria down everyone’s throats. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15). 

The joy of the Lord is one of the major themes throughout the entire Bible. Don’t make the mistake of thinking the OT is nothing but wrath and judgment of an angry God. 

Joy is on page after page from Genesis to Malachi (Lev 23:40; Dt 12:12; 1Sam 2:1; 1Chr 16:31; Ez 6:22). 

Yahweh tells His chosen people to party down as a way of remembering His goodness toward them. “You shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you” (Dt 12:7). 

The Psalms is a discography of God’s greatest hits. It’s no surprise that it’s full of songs of joy. Pharrell’s “Happy” may be a nice little tune. But compared to the Psalms, “Party Rock Anthem” pales in comparison. 

King David drops one of my favorite lyrics in the Psalm 37. “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps 37:4). 

In other words, when we find our joy in God Himself, He’ll make sure to give you more of Him! Dive into the deep end of your relationship with the Lord! There’s no better place to be! 

As a matter of fact, Paul just told us how he’s put everything else on the back burner of his life in order to get more of Jesus (Phil 3:7-11). 

The apostle doesn’t want anyone to miss the joy so he says it one more time. “Again I will say, rejoice” (v4). The command so nice he says it twice. 

Robertson believes he  repeats the order of joy for emphasis in spite of discouragements. In other words, it’s never a bad idea to keep reminding each other of the joy we have in Jesus when the getting blindsided by a broken world. 

It’s one of the big reasons we need each other as we follow Christ. I’m desperate to have others getting my eyes off my problems and onto my Savior. Maybe you don’t. I know I do. 

But how in the world does Paul have the gall to COMMAND me to rejoice? How is that possible? 

Did you realize that God’s Spirit is actually producing joy in you right here, right now? You see, joy ranks number two in the fruit of the Spirit just behind love (Gal 5:22-23)! 

So we don’t have to stir up phony happiness. There’s no chance of longterm joy without Him. God grows His joy in you and me. And He keeps growing it. That gives us the ability to rejoice and repeat. 

This isn’t just a phony the-glass-is-always-half-full-and-somebody-is-going-top-it-off attitude. Paul calls us to a joy “in the Lord” (v4). 

A moment ago, Paul told Euodia and Synthyche to stop their Philippian Family Feud and “to agree in the Lord” (Phil 4:2). 

When we agree in who Jesus is and what He has done for us, it won’t be long before the fighting stops and the party begins. When our joy is connected to our Savior and not our circumstances, it never stops. 

Just in case you’re keeping score, here’s a list of places NOT to find your joy. Not in marriage. Not in sex. Not in kids. Not in career. Not in vacations. Not TV (especially NOT in reality TV!). Not in movies. Not in drugs. Not in alcohol. 

God designed us to find our longterm joy in one place. In one Person. In. The. Lord.

Once again, our friends over in The Message have a fabulous fresh take on this verse. “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean revel in Him!” (v4 The Message). 

Celebrate God. All the time. Really party in your heart because of who He is and all He’s done. And when you get done, do it all over again. 

Rejoice. Repeat.

©2015
Jay Jennings