There is an incredible story in the Bible, repeated four times, about a crowd of people deciding which of two prisoners on death row they will set free. It was custom every year on the Jewish festival of Passover, for one prisoner to be unconditionally released. The Roman official in charge of this region of Israel named Pilate agrees to bring two condemned prisoners before the crowd for them to choose between. So picture this – two guys in chains; one of them is notorious criminal Barabbas who is a murderer and a thief. He is unrepentant and will probably go back to what he knows and keep committing violent crime; the other is a guy called Jesus who has walked from town to village healing the sick, loving indiscriminately and preaching a message of hope and life. He's had crowds of people following Him all over the country listening to His teaching and marveling at his miracles but the Jewish leaders have seized and imprisoned Him, charging Him with blasphemy because He's messing up their religious system. You'd think it'd be a straight forward decision for the crowd, yet the story takes a strange twist.
Pilate says to the crowd “You have brought this man to me accusing Him of misleading the people. And indeed having examined Him in your presence I have found no fault in this man...What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call 'King of the Jews?'”
So the crowd cried out, “Crucify Him!”
Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
So Pilate, wanting to please the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus to be whipped and then crucified.
If you could imagine yourself standing as part of the crowd, I'm sure you'd be sickened to see a good and innocent man sent away to suffer a violent and prolonged execution and horrified to see a violent criminal released back into the community. I'm sure you’d ask what kind of people would make this kind of stupid decision, hating and rejecting a man who had only ever done good. Yet the sad reality is millions of people all around the world make a similar decision every day. They gladly welcome the presence of evil into their lives, their homes and their community while rejecting the same Jesus who only offers what is lovely good and true. It’s just crazy.
So maybe there's a hundred reasons why even the name of Jesus causes you to flinch or recoil just like the crowd, but like the Jewish people 2000 years ago, do you really understand the choice that you are making and the implications it has for your life? Jesus, who is the exact representation of what God is like, loves you ferociously and only has good in store for you. Maybe it’s time to take the case to the Supreme Court and see the decision reversed. Let Jesus go free in your life.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Is God fair
No matter where you are from or what your believe in, we all want to be happy. We want to live a good life, for things to go well for us and those we love, and we deeply desire to be loved, understood and treated fairly.
We have inside us a very strong sense of justice and feel clearly that people should get what they deserve. If someone has done the wrong thing, they should not escape punishment and if someone has worked hard to do the right thing, they should receive what they are entitled to. As Aussies we really get upset when criminals walk free, and lazy freeloaders get something for nothing.
So where does God fit in the mix of things? I mean is God fair and does He give us what we deserve? Most people seem to think they've got a better chance at getting a fair go if they distance themselves from God, take control of their own destiny and try to work the power of karma in their favor. I'm a big “My Name is Earl” fan...very funny stuff, but honestly whats the go with “karma?” Everyone loves it and apparently it makes so much sense. Do good - get good in return, do bad- look out because bad is coming your way. It seems to be the fool proof cosmic justice system that ensures we all get what we deserve.
The problem with karma is that while we genuinely want fairness and justice for others, we honestly want what is better than fair for ourselves. We want to be given the benefit of the doubt and another chance to do things right. We want to get lucky and receive more than we are entitled, but when these things happen to others, we complain that its not fair.
U2 front man Bono said in a recent interview;
“The thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between grace and karma. At the center of all religions is the idea of karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you...And yet, along comes this idea called grace to upend all that...Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff. I'd be in big trouble if karma was going to finally be my judge, It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the cross, so I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.”
Grace is better than karma every day of the week. The idea of karma is hopeless because for every good thing you do, you'll end up doing 2 stupid things to undo the good you feel you deserve. Grace is God extending love, freedom, choices, power to change, forgiveness and mercy to you with absolutely no reference to what you deserve,
The truth is that God is not fair and he doesn't give people what they deserve. That's good news.
We have inside us a very strong sense of justice and feel clearly that people should get what they deserve. If someone has done the wrong thing, they should not escape punishment and if someone has worked hard to do the right thing, they should receive what they are entitled to. As Aussies we really get upset when criminals walk free, and lazy freeloaders get something for nothing.
So where does God fit in the mix of things? I mean is God fair and does He give us what we deserve? Most people seem to think they've got a better chance at getting a fair go if they distance themselves from God, take control of their own destiny and try to work the power of karma in their favor. I'm a big “My Name is Earl” fan...very funny stuff, but honestly whats the go with “karma?” Everyone loves it and apparently it makes so much sense. Do good - get good in return, do bad- look out because bad is coming your way. It seems to be the fool proof cosmic justice system that ensures we all get what we deserve.
The problem with karma is that while we genuinely want fairness and justice for others, we honestly want what is better than fair for ourselves. We want to be given the benefit of the doubt and another chance to do things right. We want to get lucky and receive more than we are entitled, but when these things happen to others, we complain that its not fair.
U2 front man Bono said in a recent interview;
“The thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between grace and karma. At the center of all religions is the idea of karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you...And yet, along comes this idea called grace to upend all that...Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff. I'd be in big trouble if karma was going to finally be my judge, It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the cross, so I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.”
Grace is better than karma every day of the week. The idea of karma is hopeless because for every good thing you do, you'll end up doing 2 stupid things to undo the good you feel you deserve. Grace is God extending love, freedom, choices, power to change, forgiveness and mercy to you with absolutely no reference to what you deserve,
The truth is that God is not fair and he doesn't give people what they deserve. That's good news.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Can a person change?
Now when it comes to film review, I'm no Tom Sebo, but I just watched the movie “Ghost Town” on DVD, and I liked it! There's a great line given between the two leading actors that really caught my attention. “...What do you think I'm just going to change?...In all your life, have you ever actually known anybody who has changed at all...ever?”
What a great question! Can people change for the better? Can addictions be broken? Can patterns of living and thinking be radically altered? Can an angry person find peace? Can an arrogant, self obsessed individual learn to love and live for the good of others? Can manipulative and controlling people overcome their insecurities and learn to let go? Can inner demons be confronted and overcome? Or are we stuck with our lot in life, trying at best to manage, mask and justify our dysfunctions?
It seems that for the vast majority, their pattern of living is almost set in stone from the time of their youth. Once people reach their 20's, most of their decisions about attitudes, lifestyle and world view are locked away. So to look inside and understand who you are and why you do the things you do, and then to choose to confront, address, and change the things that are unhealthy is a monumental thing. Yet this kind of change is not only very necessary but absolutely possible. The evil we struggle against is not external but actually inside us in the form of bad habits, insecurities, fear and lies that have been believed. Unless this evil is confronted it will destroy us and those we love.
Deep and lasting change takes place in someone's life, around the wholehearted pursuit of three things: To genuinely seek to know and understand God; To understand the Good news about what God offers us right here and now; and to pursue a deep and honest understanding of yourself. These three must be pursued together and continuously, because to stop pursuing any of the three, makes change impossible. To do the hard work of the soul and be willing to face up to who you really are is a very rare thing, but it allows the whole process of change to begin and shines the light on the broken parts of you that need intensive surgery. To understand God connects you to radical love that fuels and resources all change in your life. To discover that He has genuinely good news for you stirs within you the desire to live and reach for more.
The people in this world that we admire the most are not necessarily those who have achieved great things, but those who have faced their demons, dealt well with their stuff and have emerged out the other side bigger, deeper stronger and with something to say. These people are the real heroes. Personal growth and change is necessary, possible and beautiful.
What a great question! Can people change for the better? Can addictions be broken? Can patterns of living and thinking be radically altered? Can an angry person find peace? Can an arrogant, self obsessed individual learn to love and live for the good of others? Can manipulative and controlling people overcome their insecurities and learn to let go? Can inner demons be confronted and overcome? Or are we stuck with our lot in life, trying at best to manage, mask and justify our dysfunctions?
It seems that for the vast majority, their pattern of living is almost set in stone from the time of their youth. Once people reach their 20's, most of their decisions about attitudes, lifestyle and world view are locked away. So to look inside and understand who you are and why you do the things you do, and then to choose to confront, address, and change the things that are unhealthy is a monumental thing. Yet this kind of change is not only very necessary but absolutely possible. The evil we struggle against is not external but actually inside us in the form of bad habits, insecurities, fear and lies that have been believed. Unless this evil is confronted it will destroy us and those we love.
Deep and lasting change takes place in someone's life, around the wholehearted pursuit of three things: To genuinely seek to know and understand God; To understand the Good news about what God offers us right here and now; and to pursue a deep and honest understanding of yourself. These three must be pursued together and continuously, because to stop pursuing any of the three, makes change impossible. To do the hard work of the soul and be willing to face up to who you really are is a very rare thing, but it allows the whole process of change to begin and shines the light on the broken parts of you that need intensive surgery. To understand God connects you to radical love that fuels and resources all change in your life. To discover that He has genuinely good news for you stirs within you the desire to live and reach for more.
The people in this world that we admire the most are not necessarily those who have achieved great things, but those who have faced their demons, dealt well with their stuff and have emerged out the other side bigger, deeper stronger and with something to say. These people are the real heroes. Personal growth and change is necessary, possible and beautiful.
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