I find the events of Wednesday of Holy Week to be humbling. Basically they reveal how much the disciples, Jesus’ closest and best students, still struggled to integrate his teachings into their lives. They were his followers, they were supposed to listen to and obey him, and yet they still messed things up.

This is the day that one of Jesus disciples got fed up with how Jesus was doing his thing and decided to be a catalyst for more extreme action by betraying Jesus. Perhaps Judas the Iscariot – one of the Sicarii or dagger-man, a splinter Jewish extremist group that promoted violence and murder as a means of overthrowing the Romans – was fed up with Jesus’ creative nonviolence. His political views eschewed how he listened to and obeyed his teacher. He wanted a swift rebellion, and perhaps thought the only way to spark such action was to betray the very man he claimed to follow.

This is also the day when a woman broke her treasured alabaster jar of perfume over Jesus’ feet. The disciples, conditioned to Jesus’ teachings about serving the poor, were offended at her extravagance, asserting that the perfume could have been sold for money to give to the poor. Jesus though admonishes the disciples and called her act beautiful. The disciples had become so wrapped up in the literal interpretation of his words that they missed the spirit of love and devotion that his teachings were based on.  

So it humbles me to realize that even Jesus’ closest followers didn’t always get the listen to and obey Jesus thing right. How could I be so arrogant to assume that I even barely have it figured out? But it is also comforting. Jesus still loved his disciples and stuck with them – even though they messed up over and over again. I know I let my biases, my cultural proclivities, cloud how I hear and follow the words of Jesus. But I also know that Jesus loves me anyway, and that even my imperfect attempts to listen to and obey him are sufficient.  

On the Tuesday of Holy Week, the Bible records Jesus telling his followers what the Kingdom of God is like. But of course, in his typical fashion, he turns everything upside down. What the world treasures and values has no place in God’s Kingdom – what the world deems acceptable and perfect is often empty and corrupt.  

So he tells us that in the coming kingdom, people will be living their lives in their normal pursuit of the things the world values but when the Son of Man comes they will see how hollow and full of pain that way of life truly was. The rulers of the nations of the earth will fear the coming of God’s Kingdom because it means their power-plays and oppression of others will come to an end. For in God’s Kingdom, it is when we embrace imperfection and upside-down living that we find joy and abundant life.

Jesus compares this abundant life to a great banquet thrown by a King. The rich and powerful of the land shun the invitation to join in on this King’s upside-down way of life. But true to form, the King extends the invitation to the poor and the suffering of the land. The oppressed and the powerless are treated as honored guests in this Kingdom. The old corrupt ways of the world have no place there.

And he tells the story of an absentee landowner that gave his workers talents (money). When he returned, he punished the one worker who refused to break the Jewish law against charging interest on his money. Jesus says in the oppressive spirit of the world, yes, the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer, but that is not the way it is supposed to be. The landowner may have punished the worker for sticking to his values, but to Jesus it is these very value-driven people whom he will welcome into his kingdom – those who when he was hungry gave him something to eat, when he was thirsty gave him something to drink, when he was a stranger invited him in, when he needed clothes clothed him, and when he was sick looked after him.

To live in the Kingdom of God, it is required that we embrace imperfection. That we resist the siren calls of wealth and power (earned at the expense of others, the destruction of creation, and the oppression of the poor). That we turn the world upside-down and value the things Jesus values instead – caring for the suffering, providing healing for the sick, food for those who hunger, and welcome to those without a home. Everything our culture rallies against we must swallow our pride and embrace. Everything the world scoffs at as imperfect, we must treasure for that is the Kingdom of God.

Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.  “It is written,” he said to them,” ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” Matthew 21:12-13

The Temple was the center of worship for the Jews. In the scriptures, we are reminded over and over again that true worship is more than rituals, fasting, and sacrifices – it is also about helping those in need, treating people fairly, and welcoming all. So after “triumphantly” entering Jerusalem and reminding people that the Messiah comes to serve and welcome all nations, Jesus proceeds on the Monday of Holy Week to the Temple. But as he enters the temple he sees systems set in place for aiding in sacrifices that apparently were taking advantage of the poor – overcharging them and cheating them on exchange. I’m sure as the scattered Jews trickled in for Passover some people saw them as easy targets to be exploited – all in the name of worship. And Jesus is outraged. He comes in, turns over the tables, and says that stuff about how this should be a house of prayer but it has turned into a den of robbers.

The house of prayer passage Jesus references here (Isaiah 56:7) is one of inclusions – of welcoming the nations. Not just the scattered Jews, but all nations. But in reality, at the Temple it was often more common for exclusions to be upheld. Jesus saw the discrimination against poor and foreign Jews and showed his displeasure. But others were regularly not allowed to fully worship in the temple either. Only Jewish men were allowed inside the Temple proper – women, children, and gentiles were only allowed in the outer courts, and eunuchs were not even allowed to step foot on temple grounds. But Jesus welcomes even the most despised into God’s Kingdom – giving them a special place. The Messiah extends his grace to all – tearing down barriers of nationality, race, gender, sexuality and ability symbolically in the later rending of the curtain in the Temple and literally in the tangible acts of his kingdom. 

In his indignation, Jesus affirms the idea that a place of worship be a “house of prayer” that welcomes even those society typically rejects. Those who seek to worship should not be excluded on any account. For Jesus, his church should always be radically inclusive.

“When the Devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came” (Luke 4:13).

Well, there’s a comforting thought… Even Jesus wasn’t free from temptation. It lay in wait for him until the time was right. Why do I feel like doing this or having that or adopting this or that behavior will rid me of my flawed humanity? I will always have to deal with temptations, and they will always be designed to creep into my mind and heart in a stealthy fashion, undetected until they have me where I have no recourse but God. Is this something He allows to get us close to him? I doubt it. What seems more reasonable is his desire to teach us to depend on him, to fully rely on him instead of our own knowledge (which is limited and flawed – the poet Edgar Lee Masters compared it to being in a barrel and thinking the barrel is the world. Plato’s "Allegory of the Cave" came to a more detailed, yet similar, conclusion). And he’s always right – lately I had something I thought I was right about smack me in the back of the head because I didn’t expect it. I thought I knew better, that this didn’t pertain to me. I was wrong and should’ve listened.

Lord, help me remember I am just as free to give up my willfulness as to exercise it, that this is still a choice. Help me remember to climb up into Your hands for rest and protection, because I don’t understand anything and I’m very small – literally and metaphorically. Thank you for loving me despite my stupidity. Help me be less so tomorrow than I was today. Amen.

“Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, “He orders his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.” Jesus responded, ‘The Scriptures also say, “Do not test the Lord your God.” Luke 4:9-12

This is where Jesus loses patience with Satan. The challenge here is the limit of power – humility. My therapist once said you cannot fall from a high position if you take no credit for yourself. Since you refuse to elevate yourself, your feet are on the ground. I think this is what Jesus is saying about his Father. God doesn’t have to prove His power to anyone, and Jesus sought to take no credit. Why do I feel like I have to? Lord, please take from me the desire to be something I’m not, removing character defects and agendas that interfere with Your work through and in me. Amen.

“Then the Devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The Devil told him, ‘I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them – because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus replied, ‘The Scriptures say, “You must worship the Lord your God; serve only Him’” (Luke 4:5-8).

There is a devastating cult of celebrity in this country that leads people to destruction every day. We all want the power associated with money and fame. The problem with this is that it is fleeting. God is for always. Jesus realizes how empty Satan’s invitation is, knowing God has the only real power available. All else is illusion – even death. Lord, teach me to always look beyond the physical illusion into people’s hearts. When I do this, I see how frail each of us is, and how our behaviors are driven (as Rick says) by the script in our heads and the fear in our hearts. Help me clear those things from my vision so I might see what is truly there and empathize instead of covet and judge. Amen.

“Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness, where the Devil tempted him for forty days. He ate nothing all that time and was very hungry. Then the Devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread.’ But Jesus told him, ‘No! The Scriptures say, “People need more than bread for their lives’” (Luke 4:1-4).

First of all, this is crazy. “Forty days” is frequently used in the Bible as another term for “a long time.” Secondly, the whole time Jesus is under the stress (and hallucinogenic effects) of starvation, he’s being pursued by Satan (who is trying to break the Man of the Man God). None of us holds up under pressure very well, but when stresses pile up, ugly things happen. Why not change the stone into bread? Because that isn’t what is needed. I can’t tell you how many teeth I’ve broken trying to stuff “stones” into my mouth. They don’t fill the hole inside. They are not nutritious. They are just hard – start to finish – good only for piling and making walls. God’s word is also a little hard, but it is nourishing and substantial and real. How does Jesus deny the body’s needs? All I can see is that he’s able to detach from his humanness to focus on the big picture, trusting that God will right everything in the end.

Lord, please help my unbelief. I don’t believe You can do what You say, and even if I do a little, I can’t believe You have my best interests in mind. But I’ve seen You do some things I can’t explain, so I’m going to leave this to You and see what happens. Please help me let go of my needs and fake believe in Your concern over them until belief truly manifests itself in my life. Help me not set a time limit on that. Amen.

John stands waist-deep in the Jordan River, his precious charge gently cradled in the water, his rough palm smoothing hair back off the clear brow. Jesus stands upright, dripping and smiling. “The heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove. And a voice from heaven said, ‘You are my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with you’” (Luke 3:21-22). The cousins embrace heartily, and Jesus wades to shore to allow another to be baptized.

Jesus prays awhile beside the river. It seems that, for God to say this to him openly, they weren’t communicating closely. This scene ends the part of his life where he lived as a poor carpenter, perhaps impoverished with regard to God dialogue to teach him the human pain of waiting. He now knows he has to go out into the desert so God can prepare him for his ministry, which would inevitably lead him to Jerusalem. Each Lent, God takes me out into the desert as well, but I don’t prepare very well. My mind is full of spiders, full of nothing, all the time. I need a fire hose to wash out all the debris that collects there. The windows are open and dust motes swim in sunbeams. I breathe in God’s holy presence, feeling Him fill me, pressing outward, my Band-Aids giving way, mind and heart painfully joined. Help me not seek to contain or control You, Lord. I cannot ask for healing until disease is rooted out. Please have Your way with me, and please help me with the pain of it. That scares me more than anything. Amen.

I mentioned Stephen Covey’s book, The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People in an earlier piece, but I want to go back to that book for my last day’s commentary. This book has great advice for anyone that can be applied to your daily life’s activities and future plans.

The first habit is be proactive. In other words, don’t just sit there and hope for a better day, do something about it. I remember reading another self-help book titled Think and Grow Rich and later reading a woman’s comment about that book. She said she had been thinking about being rich for sometime, but nothing had happened. Gee, how’s that possible. I thought, “It won’t happen if you don’t get off your backside and do something, lady.” Be proactive.

Begin with the end in mind is habit number 2. If you have a destination in life, you need a plan to get there. So determine an end game for yourself. You know if you don’t have a life goal or objective, you can’t devise a plan to reach that goal. Think about how you want to be remembered or what you want to accomplish and build you plan accordingly.

Habit number 3 is put first things first. In every life plan or business plan, there is a specific order of events that have to take place in order to reach that goal. If you want to become an engineer, you have to go to engineering school first. If you want to have a family, then you first need to find a partner. Make a plan and measure your progress.

The fourth habit is think win/win. In order to reach your goal, you will need some help to achieve it. Make sure that everyone involved in your plan will benefit from their involvement. If other people have to lose in order for you to win, then how could you feel good about succeeding? It would be a hollow victory for you. And you certainly won’t be able to count on them to help you in the future.

Habit number 5 is seek first to understand, then to be understood. This is probably my favorite habit. In conversations, most people spend their time formulating how they intend to respond instead of actually listening to what is being said by the other person. If you want to keep the attention of the person you are conversing with, then you had better listen intently before you respond. They will think you are great conversationalist as well.

The sixth habit is synergize. This is all about creative cooperation. The team will accomplish more than the individuals can by themselves if they work together. We have seen this time and again in business, in sports and in family life. Working together is a good, positive thing. Even kindergartners can figure this out.

The final habit is sharpen the saw. This habit is about self renewal. Everyone needs to take a break and renew themselves. Whether this means additional education, vacation or recreation it is all about keeping yourself finely tuned for the job ahead. Making yourself the best person you can be certainly requires and involves spiritual renewal.

While these are all common sense-based habits, it is easy to overlook them during your journey. Write them down and revisit them when you can. Life is difficult, but paying attention to what’s important will help move you down the path. I will leave you with my favorite quote from Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Will civility return to America soon? I hope so. People seem to have lost sight of how to act or socialize in a civil manner. Some of the blame surely belongs to online communications. Face to face interaction is a dying art. Online communication is replacing personal interaction.

Our politicians have obviously lost sight of civility. The hate mongering and the name calling just seem to increase day by day. Maybe, the advances in communication have brought us to this point. Whatever has caused this to become the normal order of business needs to be addressed.

Sitting at a keyboard and being able to anonymously spew out vitriol to others without fear of retribution has changed the game. Socializing used to require face to face communications. Back then, no one would dare talk like that to the person in the same space. In our wired world, this is no longer the case. Consequently, I think it is responsible, at least in part, for the decay of civility in America.

I am concerned particularly for the younger generations who didn’t grow up socializing with their neighbors and friends in person. Now they just text each other or get on Facebook or Twitter. They carry on their conversations without the benefit of being able to see the other person’s reactions.

I guess the good old days of running around the neighborhood and playing outside with friends are all but gone. It seems like kids today just stay inside sitting at the PCs or playing video games. If they want to check up on their friends, they send a text message. Maybe I am just an old guy who can’t keep up with the times and wants things to revert to how they were in my Happy Days scenario of years gone by.

I fear in the near future, that at social gatherings people will be standing around with their smart phones texting and twittering each other instead of actually talking to each other. Go in any restaurant or coffee shop today and what do you see? Most of the social activities do not involve face to face communications. Bummer.

If Jesus were to walk in, he would probably start slinging PDAs and turning over computers like he did with the money changers in the temple. While that might be a little brash, it would certainly get the point across. I guess I am not sounding to civil at this point, but it does get my goat. I will get over it in time.