Straight Outta Your Mind

The Joint Is Jumping

Picture the scene. The place is packed. The joint is jumping. So many people that you can barely move much less eat. And they’ve all come to see you.

Suddenly you see a handful of familiar faces in the crowd. It’s your family worming their way through the mob towards you. They’ve come to show you their love and support!

(Insert the sound of a record scratch here!)

But that’s NOT why they’re here. Not even close. They’ve come to take you home. They’ve come to shut you down.

Inspiration or Intervention?

Your family thinks you’ve let things get out of control. They’re actually worried about your mental health. A sane person doesn’t go around saying the things you say or doing the things you do.

They’re not here for inspiration but intervention! 

This is the scene John Mark paints in his bio of Jesus. Yup, that’s right. There’s actually a story in one of the documents of the New Testament where Christ’s own family thinks He’s come unhinged (Mk 3:19-21).

They've come straight outta Nazareth because they believe He's straight outta His mind.

A Messy Story

Maybe you believe the Bible is just a bunch of well-edited spin to get you to swallow some whacky story about a mythical, miracle-working man of God long, long ago, in a land far, far away. I get it. But when you read it for yourself, you get a whole new understanding.

The story of Jesus is messy. The human authors of Scripture make it clear that His closest followers are not exactly the brightest bulbs in the box. His own family thinks He’s lost His everlovin’ mind. And if that’s not bad enough, they embarrass Him in front of the big crowd.

Right after Draft Day

We pick up the scene in Mark’s amazing story of the Messiah right after draft day. Jesus has just selected the original roster of His disciples (Mk 3:13-19). He calls these twelve guys in so that He can eventually send them out.

Right after Christ announces His first dozen draft picks, Mark writes, “One time Jesus entered a house” (v20). Your Bible may put these words in verse 19. A lot of translations do. What’s up with that? Just about every expert believes this phrase has nothing to do with His picking the apostles and should start the next story.

You might say, “Hold up, cowboy! You’ve said God has inspired these documents we call the Old and New Testaments. Who are YOU to play editor?!?” Valid question. Let’s chat.

Chapter and Verse

The original Scriptures ARE absolutely perfect and straight from Almighty God (2Tim 3:16). But little problems like these began to pop up whenever we start translating them from their original languages and assembling them into what we now call the Bible.

The first chapters God’s Word didn’t appear until around 1200 AD. We added numbers to individual verse 300 years after that. These digits made it SO much easier to find specific passages. If you think the Bible is hard to navigate now, just imagine what it was like before we had these address numbers? Yikes!

The point is that while God’s Word IS perfect, chapter breaks and verse numbers are not. This is one example. So Judas Iscariot’s infamous double-cross of Christ in verse 19 has nothing to what happens next.

Jesus Goes Home

We read in this new story, “One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowd began to gather again” (v20). Most First Century homes are small. VERY small. No bigger than a one-car garage or decent sized shed. Galilean homeowners would be lucky if to have more than one room.

Mark tells us how our Savior “entered a house” (v19). John MacArthur thinks a better translation is that Jesus “went home.” In other words, Christ returns to Capernaum where He’s living at the time (Mk 2:1).

This could be the home Pete and Andy’s families share (Mk 1:29). Or the Son of God possibly has His own place in this little Galilean fishing village. One thing for sure, the Lord uses Capernaum as His home office for the first part of His ministry.

Jesus Needs the Rest

If we follow the events in Mark 3, we can see Jesus could use the rest. He heals a guy at the synagogue and has a showdown with the Pharisees who eventually put contract out on Him (Mk 3:1-6).

Then a crazy crowd gathers along the lake where Christ performs a boatload of miracles…from a boat (Mk 3:7-12)! Wrap that up with His careful selection of His expansion team He will train to change the world (Mk 3:13-19).

The 99 Percent

No matter who’s house it is, Jesus isn’t alone for long. “The crowds began to gather again” (v20). Mark chooses a Greek word for “crowds” (Gr. οχλος/ochlos) that we often see used for people in the middle and lower class. A couple of thousand years later, it’s what we’ve come to call the 99 percent.

In other words, these are folks on the outside looking in when it comes to society. It makes sense when you think about it. Galilee is not exactly the dynamic center of culture and finance. We’re talking about Capernaum, a blue collar town in the boondocks of Palestine.

Here We Go Again

Word gets out that the new radical Rabbi/Carpenter is back in town. It’s not long before there’s a flood of folks at His front door. Forget about getting some rest. Christ has to get back to work.

Here we go again. It happened at Pete’s place (Mk 1:32-34). Then there was the time four guys do an end run around the crowd by slicing a hole in the roof to get their disabled buddy in front of Jesus (Mk 2:1-12).

Rocky’s Story

Just how big is this crowd? While we don’t get a head count, we do see that Christ and His crew are up to their eyeballs in ministry. “Soon He and His disciples couldn’t even find time to eat” (v20). The original text literally reads “they are not able even to eat bread” (v20 YLT).

Remember, there’s a pretty good chance this is Pete’s eyewitness account that he’s telling to John Mark. The disciple Jesus nicknames Rocky still clearly remembers how hungry he was when things got crazy in Capernaum.

Working through Lunch

The Lord knows what it’s like to be so busy that you don’t have time to grab a meal. He and the boys work through lunch…and probably dinner as well! As God in human form, Christ gets hungry. But He and His team put their own needs aside in order to serve the folks who’ve packed the place.

There are going to be times we’ll miss a meal when serving others in Jesus’ name. It’s all part of putting others’ needs ahead of our own (Phil 2:3). After all, it’s what He did for you and me.

A Juicy Tidbit

Apparently it was just this lack of lunch that sounded the alarm for the Lord’s human family. “When His family heard what was happening, they tried to take Him away” (v21). Mark is the only Gospel writer to gives us this juicy little tidbit about Jesus.

Behind Mark’s description of “His family” are a couple of words in the original language which literally mean “the ones with Him” or “those near Him.” Some other versions translate it as “His own people” (NASB, NKJV).

Those Closest to Christ

The author wants us to know that these are the people closest to Christ. It’s clearly NOT His newly selected team of disciples (Mk 3:13-19). They’re already at the house missing a meal just like Jesus.

The other clue that cinches the identity of “those near Him” is what we read in just a few more verses in Mark. The author tells us how Jesus’ own mom as well as His brothers would like to have a word with Him (Mk 3:31-32).

His Brothers Aren’t Buying It

The amazing thing is that those who knew Jesus best aren’t buying that He’s the long promised Messiah. His own brothers aren’t going for it (Jn 7:5). The only family member who believes at this point is His weird leather-wearing, bug-eating cousin John who lives alone in the desert (Mk 1:4-11).

Think about it. What would it take for you to believe your big brother is God in the flesh? For Jesus’ family, it all changed the Sunday morning He came walking out of the cemetery. Resurrection from the dead tends to make believers out of hardcore skeptics. Just ask Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1-9).

Dr. Luke goes out of his way to list “Mary the mother of Jesus…and the brothers of Jesus” (Acts 1:14) among the 120 people attendance at the upstairs prayer meeting with the apostles after the Son of God headed home to heaven.

From Doubters to Disciples

God transforms Jesus’ family from doubters to disciples. One of those younger brothers is James. He will eventually take the lead of the local church in Jerusalem and writes the earliest document in what we now call the New Testament.

Then there’s His other brother who goes by the name of Jude (Jude 1). God’s Spirit will also inspire him to write a little letter to Jesus’ followers that bears his name.

But that doesn’t happen until AFTER their Brother’s crucifixion and resurrection. On the day Mark describes, it’s a VERY different story. They’ve come with their mother “to take Him away” (v21).

Grabbing the Son of God

I gotta tell you, that description really doesn’t do justice to what His family came to do. Mark uses the Greek verb κρατεω/krateo here. It means to seize, grab, take control, conquer, arrest, restrain, or even rule over someone or something.

The word describes holding on tightly and not letting go. It insinuates force, power, and strength. Matthew picks this term when writing about King Herod’s arrest of John the Baptizer (Mt 14:3).

Putting a Leash on the Lion

Christ’s family hasn’t come to gently put their arms around Him and guide Him to safety. They’re here to grab Him and put an end to all this. In their minds, this has gone on long enough.

Just a little tip…seizing Jesus is NOT happening unless He allows it. It’s not a good idea to put a leash on the Lion of Judah. It’s like the scene in the movie “Man of Steel” where the cops put Superman in handcuffs. “Supes” wears those cuffs only because he wants to.

God Does What He Wants

One of songwriters in the Psalms has a little lyric that goes a little something like this. God only does what He wants to do (Ps 135:6). In the highest heavens. Here on planet Earth. In the deepest parts of the ocean.

Hey man, if death and the grave couldn’t hold Him, what chance does anybody have? That includes you, me, and His own family. Seizing Jesus and trying to control Him is a big mistake. A VERY big mistake.

Out of His Mind?

John Mark then lets us in on the dirty little secret on why Jesus’ relatives are here to break up the party. “‘He’s out of His mind,’ they said” (v21). It’s one thing for Christ’s enemies question His sanity. But His own family? We’re talking about the blessed mother Mary here, not to mention His very own siblings!

Surely this must be some kind of mistake. Somebody must have jacked up the translation. Did some evil atheist slip this in to sabotage Scripture?!?

Nope. This is exactly what went down. It’s more proof that the documents we’ve assembled as God’s Word haven’t been edited and sanitized to make Jesus’ first followers and closest family members look good.

Out to Lunch?

If I’m Mary or James or Jude, I’m scheduling an editorial meeting with Mark to get this dropped from the final edition. But here it is. That’s because the story of Scripture has just one Hero. And His name is Jesus.

The original Greek in this verse leaves little doubt His family’s assessment of our Savior’s mental health. Mark describes how they think He is “out of His mind” (Gr. εξιστημι/existemi). It’s a compound word which literally means to be “out of (Gr. εξι-/exi-) the proper place (Gr. -στημι/-stemi).”

It’s a nice way to say you’re completely out of your mind. Out to lunch. Off your rocker. Whacked out. Out of touch with reality. That’s why Jesus’ family came for Him. Let that sink in for a minute.

A Poached Egg

A boatload of Bible experts back that up. Matthew Poole believes the Son of God’s human relatives “took what He did to be the product and effect of a natural infirmity and imperfect head and disordered reason.” An imperfect head. Such a nice word for bonkers.

McLaren says Mary and the family have come to take Jesus home “where He might indulge His delusions without doing any harm to Himself.” Barnes pulls no punches with his take. They thought He was “delirious or deranged.”

C.S. Lewis writes that for Jesus to do what He did and say what He said, He must be a liar, lunatic, or Lord. Those are the only options. Or in Lewis’ own words, “on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg.”

Crazy…about Jesus!

Christ isn’t the only one in the New Testament that people accuse of being crazy pants. One Roman governor thought Paul was a religious fruitcake for following doubling down on Jesus as God (Acts 26:24). The apostle tells the Corinthians that if his enemies accuse him of being crazy, they’re right. He’s crazy about Jesus (2Cor 5:13)!

Have you ever seen someone so committed to the cause of Christ that you thought they had gone off the deep end? Maybe they weren’t. Maybe YOU’RE the one who doesn’t have a grasp on what God is up to.

Family Feud

Maybe this is exactly what Jesus is talking about when He warns that trusting in Him as Savior and Lord has the real potential to split families apart (Mt 10:34-39). He should know. It certainly happened to Him before His death and resurrection.

Just about every follower of Christ can tell you that you’re own family can be the hardest to reach with the Gospel. Just ask Jesus. His own family didn’t believe Him until He punched death in the throat. Until then, they thought He was cray-cray.

Stacking the Kindling

Here’s some great advice from the Life Application Bible. “Family members require the most patience. They see you are your worst when your guard is down.” Jesus Himself knows how frustrating it can be to share God’s grace with your own family.

Hang in there. Keep your cool. Keep loving them. Remember, it’s NOT our job to convert anybody. Let the Holy Spirit do His thing. Matt Chandler calls it stacking the kindling. That way, whenever He ignites them, they’ll burn hot and bright!

A Check up from the Neck up

Jesus feels your pain. He knows what it’s like to have the ones closest to you reject you. His family didn’t just doubt Him in the beginning, they thought He was in need of a check up from the neck up.

Our job is to love them. Show them grace. Shower them with forgiveness. Pray for them. You never what God might do. He might just work a miracle right before our eyes. Wouldn’t THAT be crazy?!?

©2017

Jay Jennings

Working at the Family Business

“Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit their good service are believers and beloved” (1Tim 6:2).

Family business. It is the best of times, it is the worst of times. On the bright side, you’re working with people you love and trust. You have the same values. You see the world through the same lens. Then there’s the dark side. Family problems become business problems. Reunions become staff meetings and vice versa. And one relative can leverage another in order to slack off. Dysfunctional families can lead to a dysfunctional family businesses.

While there’s a growing amount of research out there, did you know that Paul wrote about the tricky employer/employee relationship in family business almost 2,000 years ago? In a note to his protege Timothy, the apostle deals with it in the context of the Greco-Roman economy of master and bondservant. “Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit their good service are believers and beloved” (v2).

Paul’s point is that every follower of Jesus is now members of God’s family. The Father adopts all believers into His family. This changes things at work if our Savior rescues both you and your supervisor. The Lord transforms your workplace into a family business. Just remember, you and your boss may be brothers but that’s no excuse to not bring your best. 

The original context of the original passage is all about the dramatic change in relationship between first century masters and slaves. Around the Mediterranean Rim at the time, slavery was the norm. Some historians estimate 30-40% of Italians served as slaves around the time of Christ. On one hand, it was very different from our view of this awful institution. Greco-Roman slavery was not race based like it was in the American South. Many times it was a way to pay off outstanding debt. But on the other hand, it was still terrible and often brutal. Think you’re having a bad day at the old salt mine? Well, at least it’s not a REAL salt mine!

There was something racing through the Roman Empire that was changing the institution of slavery. The Gospel of Jesus. The tsunami of grace that began in Galilee transformed both masters and bondservants as they hear about Christ’s invitation into God’s kingdom. Your employment status or place on the org chart didn’t a difference. Everybody needs Jesus. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

As a result, first century churches were filled with both believing masters and slaves. It’s curious that apostles like Paul didn’t call for an end to forced servitude. Maybe it’s because they knew that once God changed their hearts, it would change everything. The Gospel would eventually bring down slavery from the inside out. It’s tragic that it took so long for that to happen. It’s even more tragic that human trafficking is still a problem 2,000 years later. Another gut-wrenching example that we live in a broken world and we’re the ones who broke it. As it was before, there’s only one solution. And His name is Jesus.

Paul gives his boy Tim specific instructions for “those who have believing masters” (v2). He’s talking about the slaves and owners who follow Jesus and attend the church in Ephesus. The apostle uses one of the most important words found in the New Testament here. It’s the Greek word pistos. The term describes one who trusts. In this case, the object of trust is the resurrection Rabbi from Nazareth. 

Dr. Luke uses this very word when writing about Tim when he first meets the apostle formerly known as Saul. Timothy is “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer (Gr. pistos)” (Acts 16:1). Just a few verses back up the page in this same letter, Paul tells the young pastor that a “believing woman (Gr. pistos) has relatives who are widows”, she is responsible for their care (1Tim 5:16). When the risen Jesus mysteriously and physically appears to a very cynical Thomas, Christ encourages him, “Do not disbelieve but believe (Gr. pistos)” (Jn 20:27).

These slaves don’t trust in their job performance to save them. These masters know their not entering God’s kingdom by winning “Boss of the Year.” Their only chance is by trusting in who Jesus is and what He has done for them. Same for you and me. Christ lived the perfectly sinless and totally obedient life that I failed to live. He died the brutal death for my sin in my place that I should have died. He rose to the spectacular new life that I don’t deserve. I place my trust in His performance on my behalf. It’s a breathtaking trade of our total failure for His absolute perfection (2Cor 5:21). Martin Luther liked to call it “The Great Exchange.” Our belief is only as strong as its object. There’s no stronger object of our faith than Jesus. 

Once an employee believes in Christ, he or she “must not be disrespectful” to the boss. Paul uses a verb here (Gr. kataphroneo) which means to treat scornfully or look down on. It literally means to “down (kata-) think” on somebody. It’s putting them down in your mind. We disrespect when we disdain, disparage, and despise someone. It’s tearing down someone else so we’ll rise in the rankings. There’s no upside when we down think.

In His most famous sermon, Jesus told us not to fool ourselves into thinking God and money can share the top spot of our affection. Eventually, “he will be devoted to the one and despise (Gr. kataphroneo) the other” (Mt 6:24; Lk 16:13). Our Savior also told His crew not to keep kids away from Him. “See that you do not despise (Gr. kataphroneo) one of these little ones” (Mt 18:10). Earlier in this note to Tim, Paul told the rookie pastor, “Let no one despise (Gr. kataphroneo) you for your youth” (1Tim 4:12). There’s no upside when we down think.

I’m sure you would never disparage your boss. Not you. I know you would never grumble or complain what they’ve asked you to do. You would never gossip or snipe. You’re not the one who would second guess your supervisor’s decision, are you? We’re talking about somebody else, right? You’re not the kind of slacker who would take advantage of the fact that your manager loves Jesus so you can cut corners on the job. Yeah, I didn’t think so either. You and your boss may be brothers but that’s no excuse to not bring your best.

If the previous verse about giving your own manager “all honor” (1Tim 6:1) didn’t get your attention, Paul goes on to talk about how working for a fellow believer changes things even more. It becomes a family business “on the ground that they are brothers” (v2). Just a couple of years before, the apostle wrote to his buddy Philemon about a runaway slave named Onesimus. It seems the Big O ran into the apostle in Rome and is coming home a changed man. Paul tells Phil that his fugitive employee is “no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord” (Phm 16).

If God’s grace can change the slave/owner relationship back in the first century, think what it can do for you and me. Remember, Jesus changes everything. That includes work. For those who are blessed to have a believing boss, “they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved” (v2). When you find yourself in that sweet situation, it’s time to cut it loose. It’s time to crank it up. You’re working with your brother. You’re working for your brother. At this point, it really doesn’t matter the industry or the craft. You’re working in the family business. Don’t forget. You and your boss may be brothers but that’s no excuse to not bring your best.

Respecting the Boss

“Let all who are under the yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled” (1Tim 6:1).

At some point, just about all of us have had a bad boss. Our manager may never rival Miranda from “The Devil Wears Prada.” They may not be as inherently evil as  Montgomery Burns of “The Simpsons.” It explains the twisted popularity of “The Office” and Dunder Mifflin Regional Manager Michael Scott. Do you remember Scott’s famous philosophy of leadership? “Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.”

It’s no surprise that horrible bosses are nothing new. They’ve probably been around since the very first prehistoric performance review. That’s why Paul gives Pastor Tim specific instructions for folks with both good and bad bosses in first century Ephesus. “Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled” (v1). A closer look at this verse shows us that submitting and supporting your supervisor is a great way to serve our Savior.

Don’t forget the whole reason Paul is writing to his protege Timothy. Around 64 A.D., the apostle was working to get the Ephesian megachurch back on track when he had to make a road trip to Macedonia. He hands Tim the keys as lead pastor and gives him instructions to continue straightening out the mess (1Tim 1:3). A crew of false teachers wormed their way into church leadership and sidetracked believers from the main thing of following Jesus with a combo of wacky myths, bottomless family histories, vicious lies, and downright demonic doctrine (1Tim 1:4-7; 4:1-2). 

Chances are their teaching not only did serious damage within the church but in the workplace as well. It doesn’t take much to imagine that their message stoked the fires of hatred on the job. Why else would Paul include these distinct and definite directions for how we deal with our boss? If it wasn’t a problem, why is it in here? What a powerful reminder this is to pastors, preachers, teachers, elders, and all spiritual leaders. What we teach has an impact on how folks are shining God’s light and spreading His salt the other six days of the week. 

After a discussion of God’s view of leadership (1Tim 3:1-13; 5:17-25), Gospel style assisted living (1Tim 5:3-16), and personal instruction on the role of pastor/teacher (1Tim 3:14-4:15), Paul goes out of his way to talk to Tim about the working stiffs in the Ephesian church, or as he calls them, “all who are under a yoke as bondservants” (v1). What just a New York minute. What does all this talk of yokes and bondservants in the first century have to do with grinding out the 9 to 5 in some cube farm? Absolutely everything. Because submitting and supporting your supervisor is a great way to serve our Savior.

Let’s be honest. Most of us have never seen a yoke, much less worn one. The word here is zugos, which describes a bar of wood joining the necks of two draft animals to enable more effective pulling of heavy equipment. Picture the Clydesdales hauling the beer wagon. Writers of the New Testament only use it as a figure of speech meaning a burden, bondage, or overly complicated rules and regs. I guess you could say that each April when you attempt to file your taxes, the yoke’s on you. Okay, maybe not.

Jesus used this term to describe the incredibly difference between trying to save myself from through performance and trusting in what He has done for me. “Take My yoke (Gr. zugos) upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke (Gr. zugos) is easy, and My burden is light” (Mt 11:29-30). When Galatian believers began trying to earn God’s favor by following rules, Paul warns them, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke (Gr. zugos) of slavery” (Gal 5:1). Once Jesus lightens our load, the last thing we should do is pick it again!

Being “under a yoke” is a metaphor in the NT for a slave. Just in case you may have missed who he’s talking about here, Paul calls them “bondservants” (v1). He uses a Greek word (Gr. doulos) which in very simple terms is a job description. It’s one who serves the will of another. Basically, he’s talking about a slave. We need to get something on the table right from the get-go. This form of slavery significantly different from the horrible history of the American South.

We need to understand that the Greco-Roman economy revolved around slavery. Historians have a hard time getting their hands on numbers, but some people estimate that slaves made up 30-40% of the population of Italy around the time of Jesus’ birth. It was NOT based on race but often on economic status. People would voluntarily serve someone else as a way to work off a debt. 

While some slaves were blue collar and did backbreaking physical labor. At the other end of the slave spectrum were butlers, teachers, doctors, and lawyers. Paul’s traveling buddy Dr. Luke may fit this description. The apostle wrote a personal note to his good friend Philemon after bumping into his runaway servant Onesimus in Rome (Phm 10-16). There’s a good chance that their owners provided these sorts of slaves with food, clothing, and a place to stay. 

Don’t miss the fact that the King of Kings willingly rolled up His supernatural sleeves to become the Servant of Servants. Jesus got up off the throne of heaven in order to come to our rescue. He “emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant (Gr. doulos)” (Phil 2:7). Christ made it clear that He “came not to be served but to serve” (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45). The night before He died, our Savior washed the grimy feet of His posse as a humble example for us of how we should willingly serve others (Jn 13:1-17). 

There is a parallel to Greco-Roman slavery for those of us living in the 21st century. Quite simply, Paul is talking about people who go to work. Employees. Salary, hourly, or commission, it doesn’t matter. Dayside or nightshift. Part time or full time. Blue collar or white collar. Stay-at-home mom or telecommuting dad. Even if you’re a self-employed entrepreneur, you have a responsibility to your customers and clients. The CEO answers to the board. Presidents report to the stockholders. If you work for a living, you work for somebody. On some level, just about every one of us is a bondservant in this sense of the word.

Each working stiff is to “regard their own masters as worthy of all honor” (v1). Paul uses a verb here (Gr. hegomai) you can translate a couple of different ways. A lot of times it means to weigh the facts, count, and consider something (Phil 2:3, 6, 25; 3:7, 8). But it can also describe having authority or influence, possessing the ability to make a authoritative decision, or govern something or someone. The writer of Hebrews encourages his readers always “remember those who rule over (Gr. hegomai) you” (Heb 13:7 NKJV) and “obey those who rule over (Gr. hegomai) you” (Heb 13:17 NKJV).

No matter where you fit in the org chart as an employee, you always have authority over who you respect. If you’re the boss of anything, it’s your own actions. You’re the one who decides who is worthy of your recognition. You lead, guide, and direct the respect you give. You have that kind of influence. You possess that sort of power. That being the case, every follower of Jesus is to “regard their own masters as worthy of all honor” (v1). In other words, submitting and supporting your supervisor is a great way to serve our Savior.

Don’t miss a couple of important points Paul makes here. First of all, the recipient of our respect is to be our “own masters” (v1). It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have a high opinion of other supervisors. But it does mean to realize who’s MY boss. Ultimately, I’m working for Jesus, something the apostle has already told Ephesian believers in a previous letter (Eph 6:5-8). The focus of my regard is my own manager. 

Second, our supervisor should receive “all honor” (v1). Not some. Not half. Not most. ALL honor. Don’t hold back. Remember, you have control over this. Notice that the apostle doesn’t say, “Once your boss deserves your best, give them your best.” Christ’s call on each on of His followers is to respect our bosses no matter what. Remember, submitting and supporting your supervisor is a great way to serve our Savior.

Whether you’re a good worker or not goes a lot farther than your next performance review or job reference. A big part of honoring my boss is “so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled” (v1). In other words, how well we work reflects on the One we worship. Do you realize that when claim to follow Christ, your coworkers and customers keep their eyes on you? When we’re slackers or have a bad attitude, it negatively impacts how others see God and His Gospel.

This is a HUGE reminder that our work is worship. What?!? Worship? How can THAT be worship? Where’s the band? Where are the words on the screen? Where’s my favorite Chris Tomlin tune? Yup, our work is an expression of our love for Jesus. In a letter to the Colossians, Paul tells working folks that “whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Col 3:23). You don’t need a worship leader. You don’t need a guitar. You don’t need a seminary degree. Sometimes all you need to worship is a job to do and to do it well. 

So if a first century bondservant is to give all of his honor to his master, don’t you think a 21st century employee should respect his or her boss? If so, here’s where the rubber meets the road. Do you respond immediately and enthusiastically when told what to do at work? Do you smile to your supervisor’s face but grumble behind their back? Do you roll your eyes and push back when given your next assignment? Does your manager feel like their inconveniencing you by asking you to do your job? Are you a self-starter? Do you need constant supervision? Listen, I hate typing these questions as much as you hate reading them!

Christ calls us to respect our bosses whether they’ve earned it or not. We’re to honor our manager whether they are followers of Jesus or not. A huge part of being a follower of Jesus is properly submitting to authority. And that includes the workplace. ESPECIALLY the workplace! Remember, submitting and supporting your supervisor is a great way to serve our Savior.

Bringing Home the Bacon

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially for the members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1Tim 5:8).

My employers are very thoughtful. Every two weeks they give a lovely little thank you note for working. It’s a wonderful little thing called a paycheck. I may bring home the bacon but it’s not all my bacon. I’m not talking about the sizable slice the government takes out (that’s another verse and another rant for another day). Whether you’re working hard or hardly working, what you earn isn’t just for you. Bachman Turner Overdrive sang, “Taking care of business, it’s all mine!” Well as a followers of Jesus, it’s NOT all mine. We’re taking care of business when we’re taking care of others.

Here in Paul’s first letter to Timothy, the apostle has some important application of the Gospel for the young pastor and his Ephesian church. Smack dab in the middle of a big chunk about Gospel style assisted living (1Tim 5:3-16), he drops a warning that stops us in our tracks. “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially for the members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (v8). In other words, when I diss my fam, I diss my faith. Yikes!

Let’s cut to the chase. I can’t say I follow Jesus and then fail to provide for my family. If that’s true, I may talk the talk, but I’m not walking the walk. Failing to make a plan and support the ones I love trashes the name of Christ. Turning my back on family financially tells the world I’m the most important person in my little corner of the universe. God has blessed me with a job so that I can be a blessing to others. I may bring home the bacon, but it’s not all my bacon.

Don’t forget the whole reason Paul fires off this note in the first place. It’s the middle of the first century. About 64 A.D. We’re only thirty years after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The apostle has work to do over in southern Europe in a region known as Macedonia. He is probably making followup visits to the churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea (Acts 16:9-17:15). In the meantime, he’s handed the reigns of leadership in the Ephesian church to his spiritual son Timothy (1Tim 1:1-3). 

Tim’s got quite a mess on his hands in E City. A crew of spiritual con artists have distracted folks from following Jesus with all sorts of goofy “myths and endless genealogies” (1Tim 1:4). Sprinkle in some dangerous occult practices and doctrine that’s nothing short of demonic (1Tim 4:1). Step one, remove the congregational cancer. Step two, replace them with humble, godly team of new leaders (1Tim 3:1-13). Step three, refocus the message on God’s goodness of the Gospel (1Tim 3:14-4:4). Step four, apply the Good News in practical ways (1Tim 5:15-6:20).

A big chunk of letting the rubber meet the road in this letter involves caring for widows. You might be shocked when you realize Paul spends 16 verses. That’s 25% of the application section! Now I’m not saying that the situation in your church and city are anything like what Tim faced in Ephesus. But if the Holy Spirit nudged the apostle to devote that much of his content to the issue, it’s something we need to pay attention to, don’t you think? 

Here in the middle of his description of Gospel style assisted living, Paul backs up and gives the big idea when it comes to caring for others. “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for the members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (v8). This is so much more than simply making sure we’re taking care of mom and memaw. This is realizing you’re not flying solo through life. Others need you. Others depend on you. My paycheck is NOT all mine. As a follower of Jesus, taking care of business means taking care of others. 

Someone who trusts in Christ should “provide for his relatives” (v8). Paul uses a Greek word here (Gr. pronoeo) that has a couple of interesting meanings. First, it describes caring for someone with the implication of ongoing responsibility. Second, the term also means to think about something ahead of time so you can respond appropriately. That’s actually the literal translation of proneo. “Pre (pro-) think (-neo).” It’s to plan ahead of time. Do you have a strategy or system in place that involves supporting those God has placed in your life? 

This means my work is so much more than simply punching a time clock and cashing a check. Having a plan means having a budget. As Dave Ramsey likes to say, do I spend every dollar on purpose on paper before the month begins? I think Snoop D-O-Double G had the right idea when he rapped, “I’ve got my mind on my money and my money on my mind.” Let me be clear, I’m NOT saying this is about making it rain and rolling with a posse while dropping mad rhymes for Death Row Records. Don’t love money and use people. Use money to love people. We can’t do that if we don’t have a plan. Make a plan and then work the plan. Remember, failing to plan is planning to fail. Make a budget. (Did I REALLY just use Dave Ramsey and Snoop Dogg in the same paragraph?!?)

When someone doesn’t plan and provide for their family and those God has placed under their care, “he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (v8). The original Greek word here is arneomai, which means to denounce either by words or actions. Disown, disavow, or disregard. Refuse, reject, or renounce. Jesus warns, “Whoever denies (Gr. arneomai) Me before men, I will also deny (Gr. arneomai) before My Father who is in heaven” (Mt 10:33). It’s the word Matthew chooses to describe Pete’s three-peat denial of Jesus (Mt 26:70-72). Just so there’s no doubt here, denying your faith is toward the top of the “Things a Follower of Jesus Should Not Do” list. When I diss my fam, I diss my faith. 

Why is that? What in the world does my paycheck have to do with my the Gospel? Only everything. I may have earned my pay, but I certainly didn’t earn my salvation. What I’ve really earned is punishment. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). Because God graciously gives and shares with me, I graciously give and share with others. I give because I’ve been given. I bless because I’ve been blessed. The buck does NOT stop here. So when we turn our back on our family, we’re turning our back to Jesus.

If that isn’t bad enough, Paul says someone who turns their backs on his family “is worse than an unbeliever” (v8). You don’t see it in the English translations, but the words “faith” (Gr. pistis) and “unbeliever” (Gr. apistis) are really variations of the same word in the original language. Once again, the apostle stresses placing our trust in Jesus to do for us what we could never dream of doing for ourselves. We place our trust in His perfect life that we failed to live. We place our trust in His death on a cross for our sin that we should have died. We place our trust in His resurrection to new life that we don’t deserve. That’s what we believe. That’s the point of our faith. 

So you can sum this up “he has denied what he believes and is worse than an unbeliever.” Or “he rejected the trust he has in Christ and is worse than one who has never trusted in Christ.” Or as the Message paraphrases it, “Anyone who neglects to care for family members in needs repudiates the faith. That’s worse that refusing to believe in the first place” (v8 The Message). If you claim to follow Jesus, folks want to see what that looks like. They want to see how you live it out. Whatever you call it, faith or belief or trust, it MUST have a response. Jesus’ kid brother James like to say that faith without any kind of action is dead as a doornail (James 2:17, 25). 

Please don’t misunderstand me. The Bible is NOT calling for some sort of hippie commune. He calls us to be responsible with His blessings. He’s put them in our hands and in our care in order to bless others. The first church readily sold off their resources for the good of others, but that was only to help “as any had need” (Acts 2:43-45). We need to pull our own weight. And we need to keep our eyes peeled for those who are struggling. A big part of taking care of business in God’s kingdom is taking care of others.

Paul warns folks in Thessalonica to get busy and get to work. Apparently believers there were so convinced Jesus was coming back any day now that they quit their jobs and let the church support them (1Th 3:6-11). The apostle and his team showed the Thessalonians what hard work looks like. If you’re able to work, get to work. “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (1Th 3:10). Don’t be a financial burden your friends and family. That giant sucking sound better not be me draining the trough dry when I’m able to roll up my sleeves and get to work.

A practical application of my faith in Jesus is what I do with my paycheck. Do I understand my responsibility is to more than just myself? Do I budget and plan so that I can maximize God’s blessing to my family, to my friends, to my church, and to those who can’t care for themselves. It starts at home. If I fail to provide for my family, I’m not just giving a stiff arm to my Savior but it’s worse than rejecting Him in the first place. My paycheck is NOT all mine. As a follower of Jesus, taking care of business means taking care of others.

God's Work Zone

 “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

There are few things I hate more when I’m driving than work zones. Hey man, how in the world am I supposed to make good time when I’m suddenly faced with a giant flashing arrow, a sign warning “Left Lane Closed Ahead” and a line of orange cones disappearing into the horizon? There IS one thing worse. No workers in the work zone. Few things get my undies in a bundle more than a construction zone on the highway when the crew has the day off. Hey, I’m not opposed to anybody getting a day off. But why am I merging into one lane when there’s not a single hard hat along the highway? 

There’s one work zone that’s fully staffed 24-7-365. That’s the life of every follower of Jesus. Paul tells his friends back in Philippi that God never stops, never takes a break, never takes a day off when He’s working in our lives. There are no cones. No orange barrels. No Jersey barriers. But this is God’s work zone. It’s non-stop. He’s always up to something. Nothing is wasted. As a matter of fact, He even works to gives you and me the desire to and energy to please Him. Once Jesus comes to the rescue, your life is God’s work zone. 

The apostle reassures his readers that it’s not up to each of us to save ourselves. We may have gotten just a wee bit worried that it was up to us after reading the previous verse. We’re told to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). I don’t know about you, but I would be shaking in my boots if God left it up to me to earn my way into heaven. It would not end well. Instead, Paul tells us to explore what it means to be on the receiving end of God’s grace. If salvation were a car, we wouldn’t really enjoy our new ride until we took it out on the road to see what it will do. We work out our faith by exercising our faith muscle through obedience. It’s only when we do what Jesus commands that we truly experience the abundant life He has for us. 

One verse later, the man from Tarsus reassures us “it is God who works in you” (v13). We’ve already read what God starts in us, He will finish (Phil 1:6). God’s the ultimate closer. He’ll wrap things up every single time. Just as sure as He’s always closing is that He’s always working. Paul uses the Greek verb energeo, which means to be powerfully effective, be active, produce, cause, or be in action. It focuses on the energy, power, or force involved. God doesn’t just punch the clock. He simply mail it in when He’s on the job. He works and works HARD. He gives it His full supernatural attention. The verb form of energeo is in the present tense. You can easily read this as “God who is currently working in you right here, right now.” His work isn’t a one-time event. He’s not a short-term contractor. He’s doesn’t just punch the clock 9 to 5. If you’re a follower of Jesus, our Savior has His supernatural sleeves rolled up at this very moment. “It is God who works in you” (v13). And He’s working while you read this.

All throughout the Bible, we read how our God isn’t afraid to get His hands dirty. He pulls the first full six-day work week in the history of the universe and then takes Saturday off (Gen 1:3-2:3). Paul tells the folks over in Corinth, “There are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone” (1Cor 12:6). The writer of Hebrews prays that God would “equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb 13:21). And the apostle says he wouldn’t be where he is without heaven’s descending one-way love. “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain” (1Cor 15:10). All awesome examples of our God at work.

There’s interesting aspect of God’s work is His impact on our desire to do what He wants. He’s plugging away “both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (v13). The translators of the NLT do an awesome job of getting this idea across. It’s God who’s “giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him” (v13 NLT). He does simply just leave you and me swinging in the breeze after coming to our rescue. Who would blame Jesus for kicking back and waiting for us to get off our tails to obey Him? Hey, He did go out of His way to leave paradise, live the perfectly obedient life we failed to live, died a bloody death on the cross we should have died, and rose to a glorious new life we don’t deserve. That sure sounds like a full career to me. But He doesn’t stop there. He works overtime to give us the want-to. 

But wait, there’s more! Kinda like one of those cheesy Ginsu knife commercials where they throw in the Bamboo Steamer. God doesn’t stop there. He stokes us with the power to also do what He tells us. This is where His Holy Spirit does what He does best. The Third Person of the Trinity is the power behind Christ’s resurrection (Rom 8:11).  Jesus tells His followers not to make move until the Spirit powers them up for the mission of spreading His Gospel (Acts 1:8). God’s Spirit is a total game changer. Once the Spirit falls, the Good News washes across the Mediterranean like a supernatural tsunami. Imagine what the kind of power the Holy Spirit gives you and me.

So what in the wide world of sports do we do with all this? First, we’re God’s work zone. He saves us and keeps on saving us. Second, remember God is always up to something in your life. It doesn’t always feel like it but He is. Third, the Lord is working away in each and every one of His followers. I have to admit there are a few believers  I find it difficult to believe. And I’m sure there are a lot of folks who look at me and scratch their heads too. Anywho, He’s doing His thing no matter what we see. Fourth, His Spirit gives each of us the desire and the ability to do what God wants. Do you have any desire to obey Jesus’ commands? Well, you can thank Him for that. He also gives you the ability to actually obey. That’s because once Jesus comes to the rescue, your life is God’s work zone. 

God Gives You the Day off

Did you realize that God is very serious about you taking a day off? He knows you need the rest. He knows you need to pump the brakes of your busy life. And a big part of getting this rest is resting in Him. That’s why He created the Sabbath. He’s so serious about the Sabbath that He put it in His Top Ten. So when Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem and finds the people ignoring God’s divinely decreed day off, he hits the roof (Neh 13:15-22). What should be a day kick back and focus on the LORD is a day devoted to looking for bargains. Jerusalem’s gates are open and the city is open for business. But the governor shuts the gates and shuts it all down. This isn’t about rule-keeping but about remembering just how much God faithfully loves His people. He loves you so much that He gives you a day off. 

The scene is Jerusalem. The time is somewhere around 430-420 BC. God has worked to bring home about 60,000 of His chosen people in three waves. First under Zerubbabel (Ez 2:1-2). The second under Ezra the scribe (Ez 7:6). The third under a cupbearer-turned-governor named Nehemiah (Neh 1:11-2:11). Nehemiah serves God and His people for a dozen years in Jerusalem (Neh 5:14). His supervision of the city walls reconstruction project is at the top of his resume (Neh 1:3; 6:15). At the end of his 12-year leave of absence, Nehemiah heads back home to his job as the royal wine steward under the king of Persia (Neh 13:6). But he makes a return trip to the Promised Land to check up on things. 

Nehemiah quickly discovers the situation in the city is falling apart. One of the priests has turned over one of the temple storage units to one of Jewish enemies as his deluxe apartment in the sky (Neh 13:4-7). The angry governor personally kicks Tobiah’s stuff to the curb (Neh 13:8). Because there’s no room to store their food supplies, the Levites and singers leave the temple and head home to get a second job (Neh 13:10). Nehemiah appoints new supervisors over the storerooms and restocks the pantry (Neh 13:11-14).

After all the the chaos at the temple, you can bet Nehemiah was looking forward to kicking back on the Sabbath and setting his heart on the goodness of God. But as the sun goes down Friday night, he notices vendors setting up. “In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day” (v15). Just when God’s people should be winding down, business starts picking up. 

Nehemiah is serious about the Sabbath because God is serious about the Sabbath. He uses the word describing this weekly day off (Heb. shabbat) 10 times in verses 15-21. This holy day goes back to Creation week when God wrapped up His six-day work week to enjoy His supernatural handiwork. “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that He had done in creation” (Gen 2:3). It’s not like our Creator needed the time off. He certainly wasn’t tired. But He gives a pattern to follow. God takes the day off to rest. We’re to take day off to rest.

Fast forward from Creation week to the Exodus. For 400 years, the Egyptians made sure that the Jews never got a day off. Seven days a week, the Israelites went to work as slaves. Generation after generation of God’s people knew nothing of a day off. Ever. Once Yahweh springs the Hebrews from captivity in Egypt, He graciously gives them Saturday off every week. It’s a key part of the Big Ten chiseled in stone for Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex 20:8-11). Just as God took the day off at the end of Creation, He gives His people a day off each week after working 400 years without one. 

He declares each Sabbath Saturday to be holy. The best way to understand this is that is should look VERY different from the other six days of the work week. We’re to rest from our work. We’re to rest in Him. God loads the Bible encouragement to find our rest in Him and Him alone (Ex 33:14; Ps 4:8; Ps 23; Ps 37:7). Jesus makes it clear that we can experience a level of relaxation in Him that can’t be found anywhere else. “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Mt 11:28-30).

Back in Jerusalem, Nehemiah warns the sellers to back off (v15). He also gets in the grill of the movers and shakers of Jewish society, “the nobles of Judah” (v17). They had better realize that they are trashing their God-given day off. “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?” (v17). He uses the Hebrew verb chalal, which means to pollute, defile, desecrate, or dishonor. What should be a wonderful and restful day set aside for setting our hearts on God and His goodness has become a clogged toilet of selfish consumption and consumerism. For Pete’s sake, they had already made a covenant promise not to be Sabbath breakers with local vendors (Neh 10:31). The governor reminds folks that this is exactly one of the reasons God sent them into Babylonian exile in the first place (v18; (Jer 17:19-23, 27).

Things come to a head one Friday night at sunset. Since the Sabbath officially starts when the sun goes down on Friday (Lev 23:32), Nehemiah gives the order to shut the city gates to keep out all the Gentile vendors from setting up shop (v19). And nobody gets in until sunset Saturday. The next thing you know, sellers start lining up and camping out just outside the walls (v20). At this point, the governor has had enough and makes it clear that this stops right here, right now. “Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you” (v21). Just in case you’re wondering, Nehemiah is not offering to pray over these merchants. He warns them that he will personally kick some booty if they don’t pack up their junk and hit the road. He’s more than happy to engage in a little Sabbath sundown showdown. In the words of the great prophet and theologian Elton John, Saturday’s alright for fighting. Message delivered loud and clear. These local vendors wanted no piece of that action. This was not a problem any longer. 

The crisis ends with Nehemiah telling the Levites to guard the gates and keep the Sabbath (v22). Once things settle down, the governor prays to the One who loves His people so much that He provides this day of rest. “Remember this also in my favor, O God, and spare me according to the greatness of Your steadfast love” (v22). At the end of each of his specific reforms here in chapter 13, Nehemiah humbles himself before God (Neh 13:14, 22, 29). Here he sets his focus on the LORD’s loyal and long-lasting goodness toward His people. This is the awesome Hebew term chesed. It describes God’s faithful, lovingkindness, and unfailing love. It’s the active and never-failing love connected with God’s covenant promise to His people. This love is based on God’s faithfulness not our obedience. His undeserved goodness. The term we see in the New Testament for this very same idea is grace. Tullian Tchividjian likes to call it God’s descending, one-way love. We worship God not because we’re good but because He is. Nehemiah prays to the ever-loving, ever-faithful God who’s behind everything that’s happened in the resettlement and rebuilding of Jerusalem. 

You might get the idea that Nehemiah is some sort of religious fanatic and bully when it comes to keeping the Sabbath. But this is NOT about following the rules. This is about knowing that God wants His best for us. He made us and knows we need rest. He made us for a deep relationship with Him. Observing the Sabbath is a huge part of that. A little more than 400 years later, Jesus would make it clear that God created the Sabbath for man, not the other way around (Mk 2:27). He tells the religious police that they are totally missing the point if they think rule-keeping on the Sabbath and temple worship is the big idea. “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here…For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath” (Mt 12:6, 8). What’s even better, there’s an ultimate Sabbath in our future (Heb 4:9-11). 

God loves you so much that He gives you a day off. He loves you so much that He wants you to spend that day off with Him.

What God Starts, He Finishes

I love to start. I hate to finish. Well, I don’t so much hate to finish as I quit when a project gets hard. For years, my life was filled with all the stuff I started but dropped when they weren’t fun anymore. Books. Crafts. Jobs around the house. When the going got tough, I got going alright. I got going doing something else. Nehemiah has a front row seat to watch God at work. And whatever He starts, He finishes. Take rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem for example. For 141 years, the city’s fortification was a pile of rubble. But something crazy happens once God gets ahold of the wine steward to a pagan king. He gives Nehemiah the vision of what could be. he gives Nehemiah the vision of what should be. God consistently reminds the cupbearer that He’s got him and this project firmly in His grip. Nehemiah gets involved and places his trust in the LORD to get it done. And just 52 days after God’s people start rebuilding the walls, it’s done. That’s because whatever God starts, He finishes.

As the Hebrew work crew begins to wrap up their final day on the job site, don’t think that this project has been smooth sailing. Far from it. Nehemiah has led God’s people through discouragement, fatigue, famine, a mortgage meltdown, the threat of terrorist attack, as well as repeated intimidation and sabotage from enemies on every side. But each and every time, the governor turns to God in prayer (Neh 1:4-11; 2:4; 4:4-5, 9, 14; 5:19; 6:9). While the work is harder than he realizes, he repeatedly turns to the One who does the real heavy lifting. Nehemiah trusts that whatever God starts, He finishes.

It’s late summer of the year 445 BC. A quick check of the calendar tells us it’s the “the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul” (v15). Interestingly, this is the only time this month is ever mentioned in the Bible. If you don’t have a Hebrew calendar (I know I don’t!), this is late September. There’s a buzz in the air. There’s excitement among the construction crew. This is it.  “So the wall was finished” (v15)! The huge stone walls are done. The massive wooden gates hang in place. It’s the end of the project! Pop the cork on the champagne!! This is a big day in the history of God’s people. A hundred years or so back, Daniel predicted this moment would come (Dan 9:25). It’s an important step in God’s mega-story of coming to the rescue of mankind. 

Nehemiah lets us know that the job is wrapped up. He chooses to use the Hebrew verb shalam. If it looks like the term shalom, you’re on to something. It means to complete, to be whole, to be restored, to be at peace, or to be perfect. It describes a state of completion and fulfillment, wholeness and unity. The walls are finally complete and restored. The people of Judah finally have a sense of peace and wholeness. What God did for Jerusalem, He promises to do for you and me. Jesus gives you and me an incredible sense of wholeness, completion, and restoration.  In Him, we’re no longer anxious but have peace. Don’t fall for the myth of Jerry Maguire. Your boyfriend or girlfriend can’t complete you. That job belongs to Jesus. Whatever God starts, He finishes.

Incredibly, the Jerusalem wall project wraps up “in fifty two days” (v15). Yeah, you read that right. Fifty. Two. Days. The work kicked off earlier in the summer on the fourth of Ab (July/August) in 445 BC. Let’s step back and put this into historical perspective. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the walls way back in 586 BC. After the city lie in rubble for 141 years, God breaks Nehemiah’s heart with the breaking news about the broken walls (Neh 1:1-3). Just 10 months later, God uses this wine-steward-turned-governor to rebuild the walls in just 52 days. And some people believe there are no miracles in the book of Nehemiah. Please.

So just what happens when the word gets out that the work is done? Glad you asked. “And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem” (v16). It’s the day their enemies had been dreading. Nehemiah uses very similar phrasing to when people previously get wind of what’s going down in Jerusalem (Neh 2:10, 19; 4:1, 7; 6:1). And when he refers to these folks as “our enemies” (v16), he’s using this as a junk drawer term to describe everyone who opposed and persecuted the people of Judah. Just a refresher on the roster of the those playing for the other team, we’re talking about Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites. Remember when they laughed at Nehemiah and said it couldn’t be done (Neh 4:1-3)? The job was too big, they said. Well, the city is no longer a local joke. They’re not so cocky anymore. Or in the words of The Message, “our enemies totally lost their nerve” (v16 The Message). The walls are up. The smack talk has stopped. 

It wasn’t just the completion of the walls that stuff a sock in Sanballat and this toadies. They knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was a whole lot more than bringing in a new governor. “For they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (v16). These enemies realize Nehemiah’s different because Nehemiah’s trust is in the LORD. And there’s another interesting tidbit when you look at the original language. The author literally writes “this work was done by our God” (v16). He didn’t help. He wasn’t assisting. God did the work. Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and their gang certainly understand that. It’s interesting that some of the people testifying to God’s direct involvement in the wall project are His enemies. Now THAT’S what I call working in mysterious ways!

What a great lesson in being ready and willing to be used by God. Once again we see that Jesus isn’t looking for ability, but availability. Nehemiah’s cupbearer to a pagan king. What in the world does he know about a massive civil engineering project like rebuilding the city walls of Jerusalem? But God’s people can do accomplish mind-blowing goals when they allow God to use them. Nehemiah’s God-given vision for Jerusalem has come true. Don’t let the size of the work keep you from what the LORD leads you to do. We can always count on God to get it done. Because what God starts, He finishes.