beyond earthbound dreams // - Grounded in Grace Ministries

beyond earthbound dreams //

A DEVOTIONAL AND EXPOSITIONAL STUDY OF THE BEATITUDES

by

MITCHELL W. DILLON, D. MIN.

GROUNDED IN GRACE PUBLICATIONS WEST PALM BEACH, FL

Copyright ©2010 by Mitchell W. Dillon, D. Min.

Beyond Earthbound Dreams

A Devotional and Expositional Study of the Beatitudes

Published by Grounded In Grace

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 978-0-9788550-0-0

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Inter-

national Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™

Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Ver-

sion. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All

rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living

Translation. Copyright ©1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House

Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (RSV) are taken from the Revised Standard Ver-

sion of the Bible, Copyright ©1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of

Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the

United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover Photograph Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Image by Reto

Stöckli (land surface, shallow water, clouds). Enhancements by Robert Simmon

(ocean color, compositing, 3D globes, animation). Data and technical support:

MODIS Land Group; MODIS Science Data Support Team; MODIS Atmos-

phere Group; MODIS Ocean Group Additional data: USGS EROS Data Center

(topography); USGS Terrestrial Remote Sensing Flagstaff Field Center (An-

tarctica); Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (city lights).

Printed in the United States of America

For more information about this book or its author, or to order copies directly,

visit www.groundedingrace.org.

This book is dedicated to all those who search for something more.

acknowledgements //

It is with a deep sense of gratitude that I humbly acknowledge

the support, encouragement and input of a very special group

of people, without whom the writing of this book would not

have been possible. First, I would like to acknowledge and

thank my amazing wife, Faith—the real writer in the family. Her

influence is present in every line. Seth, I owe you a tremendous

debt of gratitude for your editorial input. It proved to be invalu-

able again and again as this project went through several stages

of development. Daniel, thank you for contributing so many

constructive editorial insights, and for being the creative force

behind the design and layout of the book. Finally, thank you,

Maurizio, Saira, Erin, Nancy, and Kathy for your thorough work

proofing the final manuscript. Your suggestions and corrections

proved to be extremely helpful.

table of contents //

introduction 1

CHAPTER 1 // let's make a deal 7

CHAPTER 2 // thin places 21

CHAPTER 3 // the writing is on the wall 35

CHAPTER 4 // satisfaction guaranteed 49

CHAPTER 5 // the dance of divine love 61

CHAPTER 6 // expanding souls 73

CHAPTER 7 // why can't we all just get along? 87

CHAPTER 8 // the everyday martyr 99

CHAPTER 9 // pass the salt 113

CHAPTER 10 // let there be light! 125

conclusion 135

Life has a way of flirting with us,

while never fully gratifying the

deeper longings of our souls.

introduction //

DREAMS are elusive things. How do we hang on to them

while the circumstances of life are constantly shifting, like so

much sand beneath our feet? We all long for a life that is

deeply satisfying, and we

search for it in the exper-

iences our world offers. On

certain occasions we may

even think that we’ve found what we’re looking for, only to dis-

cover that the satisfaction eventually melts away. Life has a

way of flirting with us, while never fully gratifying the deeper

longings of our souls.

In Eastern thought there is a belief that true contentment is

found, not in satisfying one’s desires, but in divesting oneself of

desire altogether. This is the principle of lowered expectations.

It suggests that if we learn to desire less, we are less likely to

experience disappointment. The goal of this philosophy is to


arrive at a place where all desire is eventually eliminated. This,

we are told, is Nirvana.

The appeal of this approach is that it seems to place us back

in the driver’s seat. Rather than leaving us subject to the whims

of chance and disillusionment, it seems to offer us a choice—

even if that choice means letting go of all of our dreams. But

are these really our only options—to eventually resign ourselves

to disappointment, or worse, to abandon all of our dreams in

order to escape it? Why would God give us the capacity to

dream if He never intended for our dreams to be realized?

Does He really want us to desire less and less until we have died

to desire altogether?

In the most acclaimed sermon ever delivered, The Sermon

on the Mount, Jesus offered a surprising answer to this ques-

tion. In the opening section of His message, known today as

The Beatitudes, Christ zeroed in on this subject with the very

first word out of His mouth: blessed.1 Blessed is our translation

of the underlying Greek word makarios, a term the ancient

Greeks used to describe a divine state of blissfulness. To the

Greeks, to be blessed was to live above the cares and concerns

of this mortal life. As one writer described this concept, “The

blessed were those who luxuriated in the lifestyles of the

gods.”2

1Beatitude is a Latin term which means “to be blessed.” This term comes to us

through the influence of the Latin Vulgate, an important early translation of

the Bible.

2David S. Dockery and David E. Garland, Seeking The Kingdom: The Sermon on

the Mount Made Practical For Today (Harold Shaw Publishers: Wheaton, Illinois, 1992) pp. 15-16.

Introduction 3

Nothing could have been further from the experience of the

crowd that had gathered on the north shore of the Sea of Gali-

lee that day to hear Jesus preach. In Matthew 4:24 we read,

“His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all

sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and tor-

ments” (NKJV). The crowds that flocked to Christ in the early

days of His ministry grew not only in number, but in numbers of

the diseased, the dying and the despairing. Some of the af-

flicted needed to be carried, while others hobbled along, creat-

ing a tragic spectacle.

There’s no reason to believe that this hapless crowd came

looking for Jesus with expectations of luxuriating in anything,

much less the blissful lifestyle of God. These were people who

had been humbled by the harsh realities of life. They didn’t

need a lesson in the value of lowering one’s expectations; life

had already taught them that lesson. Nevertheless, like most of

us today, they lived with the hope that even a modest improve-

ment in their circumstances would allow them to live a more

contented existence.

It was this hope that drove the desperate and the dying to

endure the difficult journey to Jesus. If He would do for them

what He had done for others, their wildest expectations would

be completely fulfilled. They didn’t gather that day looking for a

blessed life; they were just hoping for one that didn’t hurt so

much. But Jesus understood that there are far deeper desires

lying dormant in every human heart, just waiting to be aroused.

When I was a boy, I always looked forward to our summer

trips from San Francisco to West Texas to spend vacation time

with extended family. My two younger brothers and I would

pile into our un-air-conditioned car, anxious to begin the long


trek across the Southwest. At the end of each day’s journey,

the three of us would beeline our way to the hotel pool to re-

hydrate—something we really looked forward to after hours of

being blasted in the back seat by the hot desert air. These were

great adventures filled with the excitement of seeing new

places and the extravagance of eating out (something we never

did back home).

One year during our journey, my youngest brother did

something that was completely out of character for his normally

compliant nature. Despite a tight budget and strict instructions

to the contrary, James defiantly placed the same order every

time we stopped to eat. “I’ll have what Dad is having,” he

would insist. Apparently, my little brother had noticed that the

plate of food placed in front of our father always looked a lot

more appealing than the one typically placed in front of him.

That was all it took. From then on, all he wanted was what our

father was having. At five years of age, my little brother didn’t

know much, but he knew that anything Dad ordered would be

better than what he knew to order off the Kiddie Menu.

Genius!

If only we were that smart about what we desired in life. If

we were, we would stop setting our hearts on things that are

certain to disappoint us and start dreaming of things that

promise to bring lasting satisfaction. We would forget about

the Kiddie Menu, where the portions and satisfaction are

limited, and turn instead to God. We would ask our Heavenly

Father to do the ordering for us, trusting that His choices would

be bigger, better and more satisfying. We would order what He

was having—not mere happiness, but blessedness.

Introduction 5

To be happy, we must find the

right set of circumstances; to be

blessed, all we have to find is

God in any set of circumstances.

.

This is precisely the prescription we find in the Beatitudes.

Rather than calling us to desire less, Jesus calls us to desire

more. Rather than asking us to let go of our dreams, Jesus ex-

horts us to dream bigger.

Rather than expecting us to

be satisfied with mere hap-

piness, Jesus invites us to

experience what it is to be

blessed.

Perhaps you are like those in the crowd that gathered to

hear Jesus – hoping for a life that just doesn’t hurt so much.

The American Dream may be just a pipe dream as far as you’re

concerned, but that doesn’t exclude you from something far

greater.

To be happy, we must find the right set of circumstances; to

be blessed, all we have to find is God in any set of circum-

stances. While it is possible to be happy without being blessed,

to be blessed is to possess the greatest reason for happiness.

Happiness is what we order for ourselves, while blessedness is

what we get when we let God order for us.

So, close the Kiddie Menu. Open your heart and your mind

to bigger things. Order from our Father’s menu. In the chapters

to follow, Jesus will show us, through the precepts of the Beati-

tudes, that when our dreams are big enough, they can never be

disappointed. Genius!

CHAPTER 1 // let's make a deal

Grace humbles a man without devaluing him

and exalts a man without inflating him.

- Charles Hodge

MONTY Hall was the original host of the popular game show,

Let’s Make A Deal. Bartering and bantering his way through the

audience, he would offer contestants the option to trade their

personal trinkets for endless choices of mysterious, unidentified

prizes. Not knowing what was cloaked inside the brightly

wrapped packages, flowing curtains or locked doors, partici-

pants were tempted to keep trading up their booty in pursuit of

a glorious grand prize. The anxiety mounted as Monty would

press for a decision. “What will it be? Will you settle for what’s

behind Door Number One, or will you trade it all for what’s be-

hind Door Number Two?”


Behind each door was a prize, but there was no way for the

contestant to know which door hid the grand prize. The right

choice would result in a fabulous reward. The wrong choice

would mean going home with nothing more than a consolation

prize.

We’re all faced with a continuum of choices as we dream of

trading up to the grand prize of life—our eternal destiny.

Whether we realize it or not, each of us is wending our way

toward that prize on one of two particular paths. Jesus referred

to the more popular path as the broad way. The less traveled

path, He referred to as the narrow way (Matthew 7:13-14).

These paths lead us to two very different prizes.

Traveling the broad way leads to Door Number One. Behind

it lies all that we deserve for all our best efforts. For those of us

who are confident that the scales of recompense will tilt in our

favor, Door Number One appears to be our safe choice. Waiting

just beyond the threshold is exactly what we deserve. And

that’s what we’ll receive—nothing more and nothing less. This

is the door of justice.

Traveling the narrow way leads to Door Number Two. This

appears to be a far riskier option, for behind it lays a prize not

based upon the value of our efforts, but based purely on the

generosity of the show’s producer. And that’s what we’ll

receive—nothing more and nothing less. This is the door of

grace. Could it possibly hold greater value than what awaits us

behind Door Number One?

The cameras are rolling, the applause signs are flashing, and

Monty is pressing for a decision. “What will it be? Will you set-

tle for what’s behind Door Number One, or will you trade it all

for what’s behind Door Number Two?”

Let’s Make A Deal 9

Most of us place our hope in the prize behind Door Number

One without even considering that there might be a better op-

tion. We feel that what we’ve done to please God outweighs

what we’ve done to disappoint Him, so we fully expect to be

rewarded accordingly. We’ve staked our claim in the Land of

Justice. Yet it is the second choice—the door of grace—that

Jesus declared blessed in this, the first beatitude:

___________________________________

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

- Matthew 5:3, NKJV

___________________________________

1.1 \\ buried treasure

In the text of the Beatitudes are wonderful truths that

promise to bring real and lasting satisfaction to those who em-

brace them. At times in this study we will find these promises

to be somewhat obscured to us because they lay just beneath

the topsoil of an ancient language, only partially uncovered by

our modern translations. In order to unearth these buried trea-

sures, we must dig below the surface to bring to light the pre-

cise meaning and nuance of Jesus’ words.

For example, as Jesus discussed the subject of poverty in

this beatitude, He chose His words carefully.1 The Koine

1Some scholars have speculated that Jesus may have originally delivered this

message in Aramaic, the vernacular of the region, rather than in Greek, which was the trade language. What is made certain in the New Testament is that


(common) Greek of the day offered Him two distinctly different

options. In describing the “poor in spirit,” He could have used

the word penichros, which referred to “the needy poor.”2 This

was a term He used elsewhere in Scripture to describe the con-

dition of a poor widow who donated her last two mites (a very

small amount of money) out of her need, rather than out of her

prosperity (Luke 21:2). She didn’t have much, but what little

she had she was willing to give, so Jesus lauded her as an exam-

ple of faith and generosity.

But it was another word for the impoverished that Jesus

actually employed in this first beatitude. That word was

ptochos, which referred to “the beggarly poor.”3 In fact, this

word was often simply translated “beggar.” A compelling exam-

ple of ptochos poverty is found in Jesus’ story of Lazarus, a poor

man who camped at the front gate of a rich man’s house. Laza-

rus longed for the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table,

but his desperate need was ignored. Unlike the widow who had

very little, Lazarus had nothing. His poverty was abject and life

threatening.

The root meaning of ptochos evokes a picture of a cowering

beggar, covering his face with one hand to conceal his shame,

the Apostles recorded this sermon in the Gospel accounts with the aid of the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing that the words that they chose perfectly represented that which was originally expressed by Christ Himself (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). 2W. F. Arndt and F. W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament

and Other Early Christian Literature, Second Edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979) p. 642. 3Ibid., p. 728.


while extending the other hand in a plea for help.4 The ptochos

poor were those who lacked the means to sustain their own

lives, leaving them with no choice but to turn to others for

mercy. This was the strongest word in the ancient Koine Greek

to express the idea of utter destitution. The plight of Lazarus,

who actually starved to death, serves to illustrate the serious-

ness of ptochos poverty (Luke 16:22).

This was the perfect word for communicating Jesus’ point:

the blessed are those who are exactly that beggarly poor—not

in material wealth, but in spirit. In this passage, Christ lifted the

term from its typical application and transplanted it into a spiri-

tual context. Like Lazarus in his destitution, those who are poor

in spirit lack the means of helping themselves, so they are left

with no real choice but to humbly reach out to God for mercy.

According to one commentator, this involves “the personal

acknowledgment of spiritual bankruptcy.”5

But how is it possible for someone to be spiritually bank-

rupt, yet still be blessed? Doesn’t God reserve His favor for the

spiritually endowed? The explanation is startling. Jesus said

they are blessed because “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”6

Despite the fact that they have no spiritual capital with which to

negotiate, the poor in spirit possess the promise of all the riches

4An example from ancient literature is Homer’s use of this word referring to a

cowering beggar (Homer, The Odyssey 17 227). 5D.A. Carson, The Sermon on the Mount (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1978) p.

17.

6The preposition “for” is a translation of the Greek conjunction hoti which

occurs in each of these beatitudes, denoting a causal relationship between the clauses. Thus, the translation “because” better represents the meaning here.


of the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, they are actually given this

promise because they have acknowledged their spiritually bank-

ruptcy. Allow me to explain.

Natural to the human condition is the inclination to over-

estimate the goodness of man. Plagued with a severe case of

spiritual myopia, we see ourselves through the shortsighted

lens of human experience. We see good people doing good

things and we assume that they are wholly worthy. We see bad

people doing bad things and we assume that they are wholly

unworthy. But the Bible offers us a completely different esti-

mation of the deeds of men.

The Hebrew prophet Isaiah warns us of a grave danger

lurking around every blind corner on our path toward greater

spirituality. He informs us that “all our righteous acts are like

filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6, NIV). Notice he doesn’t even mention

the unrighteous things we’ve done. Instead, he goes right to

our blind spot. He tells us that even the best things we’ve ever

done, our righteous acts, are like an offering of soiled, stinking

rags when we rely on them as our basis of self-justification. This

is not quite the homage due a holy God. But this is just how

God esteems even our very best efforts when they are per-

formed in the spirit of religious pride.

This is why the Apostle Paul, in the New Testament, warned

us that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”

(Romans 3:23, NKJV). In other words, it’s not just those who

violate the moral will of God who prove themselves to be sin-

ners. Since all have sinned, even those who do good things are

indicted. Building his case, the Apostle used a very descriptive

Greek word for sin (harmartia), which meant “a missing of the


Though we might seek to mask

our selfishness, jealousy or greed,

we make no apology for taking

pride in our own good deeds.

mark.”7 It was a term which was used of an archer who drew

back his bow, let his arrows fly, but missed his target. Some

arrows may have struck closer than others, but a miss is a miss.

That’s what it means to sin—to miss the mark of God’s moral

expectation.

It’s obvious that we’ve missed the mark of God’s moral will

when we blatantly disobey His commands. What is less obvious

is that we also miss the mark when we do the right things, but

with the wrong motives. The most dangerous among these

wrong motives is pride. Though we might seek to mask our

selfishness, jealousy or greed, we make no apology for taking

pride in our own good deeds. There is, in fact, nothing of which

we are more proud.

As far as God is concerned, it is this very thing that reduces

all our best efforts to

mere acts of arrogance

and conceit. Such pride

is as repulsive to God as

the stench of soiled rags

in a dirty bucket. Thus, the Apostle had both those who were

proud of their moral accomplishments, as well as those who

were ashamed of their moral failures, in mind when he wrote:

“No one is good—not even one … All have turned away from

God; all have gone wrong. No one does good, not even one …

For all have sinned (harmartia); all fall short of God's glorious

standard” (Romans 3:10-12, 23, NLT).

7W.E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White, Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository

Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1985) p. 576.


The very sins that disqualify

us from earning a place in

heaven, qualify us for the

gift of God’s grace.

This provides the necessary theological context for Jesus’

words in this beatitude. The fact that “all have sinned,” means

that no one can boast before God. Therefore, the “poor in

spirit” could be anyone, good or bad, who is humble enough to

admit that he has nothing to offer a holy God but his spiritual

indebtedness. According to Jesus, that person gains the entire

Kingdom of Heaven!

No doubt you may have heard this beatitude a thousand

times, but have you ever really allowed these words to have

their intended impact? Please take note: Jesus didn’t just

promise entrance into heaven, although this would be an

incredible gift in itself; rather, He promised that the poor in

spirit would be granted possession of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Just think of it, God offers everything under the banner of hea-

ven to those who simply admit they deserve absolutely nothing.

This is ultimate exaltation in exchange for ultimate humility.

In this single statement, Jesus dismantles our understanding

of what it means to be religious. Just as He over-turned the

tables of the corrupt moneychangers outside the Temple, so He

turns our religious sensibilities

on their heads. Heaven is not a

commodity that can be bought

or sold, earned or merited. Be-

cause we are all sinners, none

of us are in a position to negotiate a place in heaven. But here’s

the good news: The very sins that disqualify us from earning a

place in heaven, qualify us for the gift of God’s grace.


1.2 \\ spiritual bankruptcy

I once had an opportunity to go to Haiti on a short-term

mission trip. As a member of a construction team, it was our

objective to complete a phase of construction for a new facility

to be used for agricultural training of local farmers. As we flew

into Cap Haitian, I was struck by the contrast between the

beauty of a lush and majestic mountain range and the bay of

churning garbage into which those verdant slopes plunged. I

saw the visages of rotting ships submerged in the harbor, as

well as beaches soiled with mounds of debris that had lapped

ashore. I was absolutely stunned to see such a beautiful place

so spoiled.

Our approach to the airport brought into view a rudimen-

tary airstrip. On touchdown, I stared out the window in dumb

disbelief as we taxied by several untethered livestock grazing

just off the runway! Garbage was strewn everywhere, and

tenement housing outlined the airfield. As we disembarked, the

sights, sounds, and especially the smells, were all very foreign to

my senses.

As strange as this world was to me, I realized that I was no

less a spectacle to those who called this place home. There

were crowds of people who had been drawn by our arrival

staring intently at us. As we made our way to the plywood ter-

minal, children shouted for candy and money. I was quickly

bombarded with offers to carry my luggage from young men

hoping to receive some measure of compensation. Once our

equipment was loaded into trucks, we began to slowly make

our way through a city of potholes so deep that I had to brace

myself to keep the cab of the truck from pummeling me into


bruised submission. Many of the buildings were dilapidated,

and every block seemed to be punctuated by a heaping mound

of garbage.

Yet, even in the midst of such squalor, there were signs of

resourcefulness. I remember being impressed at the sight of

large hogs, whose owners were too poor to buy farm meal, tied

to posts at the foot of these public mounds of garbage. Haiti is

the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere; however, most

Haitians are not ptochos poor, possessing nothing at all. Rather,

they are an example what it means to be penichros poor, for

they do at least have garbage to feed their hogs.

The poverty of most Haitians can be likened to that of the

poor but generous widow who offered her last two mites. I

don’t mean to downplay the seriousness of such poverty. This

is real poverty. But even as I pen the pages of this book, a killer

earthquake of mammoth proportions has struck the capital city

of Port-Au-Prince, leaving thousands upon thousands dead, and

millions homeless, helpless and without any resources for sur-

vival. Without the aid of a watching world, those stricken by

the ravages of this tragedy will die. It is this kind of poverty,

akin to the abject poverty of Lazarus, with which we are to iden-

tify as we consider our own spiritual state before God. When

Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” He was talking about

absolute poverty of spirit. This is a poverty that robs us of any

sense of self-sufficiency; that brings us to our knees. This is

poverty that doesn’t even have garbage to feed the hogs!

We must be very clear here: this isn’t fifty percent God’s

mercy and fifty percent our effort; this isn’t ninety percent

God’s mercy and ten percent our effort; this isn’t even ninety-

nine percent God’s mercy and one percent our effort. No, Jesus


is speaking of a soul that has totally and completely abandoned

the idea of being worthy before God. This is zero percent re-

liance on our own efforts, and one hundred percent reliance on

the goodness and the promise of God.

Unlike the rich man who refused to show mercy to Lazarus,

God will respond to our humble plea for help. In Isaiah 66:2

(NIV), God tells us, “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble

and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” All God is ask-

ing us to do is admit that our own effort will never make us wor-

thy of the Kingdom of Heaven. That’s what it means to be poor

in spirit. There are many things we can’t do, but this is some-

thing we can all do. In this lowly state we will meet a God who

responds to our humility with unrestrained generosity, shower-

ing us with riches that belie our state of spiritual destitution.

1.3 \\ super-size your dream

Have you ever refused to accept help when you really

needed it? Most of us find it difficult to admit that we need

help, don’t we? We would rather struggle along than admit

that we can’t do it on our own. Such hubris can make life more

difficult than it needs to be, especially if we’re fortunate enough

to have people in our lives who love us and would be there for

us if we’d only let them.

The seriousness of such pride is compounded many times

over when it is God’s assistance we are resisting. The Bible tells

us that we are all sinners in desperate need of God’s help. But

that isn’t our biggest problem. Our biggest problem is that we

are proud sinners, unwilling to admit our need. Self-reliant, self-


Don’t misunderstand God’s

objective here; He doesn’t

intend to hurt our spiritual

pride, He intends to kill it!

confident, and proud, we are sure that a vast treasure awaits us

in exchange for all we have to offer.

Let’s Make A Deal, indeed! We presumptuously come ready

to barter for our eternal destiny—only life is no game show. We

stand before a holy God, proudly holding forth our best

attempts at righteousness, forgetting (or perhaps utterly un-

aware) that God esteems them of no greater value than a fist

full of filthy rags. Unfortunately, filthy rags trade pretty low in

any market. In our self-righteous pride, we will be shocked to

find that no treasure awaits us behind Door Number One.

This is a serious problem, for God can help a humble sinner,

but proud sinners place them-

selves beyond the reach of

God’s love and mercy. Recog-

nizing the importance of ad-

dressing the problem of our

pride, Jesus dealt with it head-on in this first beatitude. Don’t

misunderstand God’s objective here; He doesn’t intend to hurt

our spiritual pride, He intends to kill it! And for good reason, for

nothing poses a greater threat to our souls.

The Bible tells us that no matter how hard we may try, all of

us continue to sin; we all continue to fall short of fulfilling God’s

perfect will. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we can

choose what type of sinner we will be. We can choose to be an

arrogant sinner, or we can choose to be a humble one. Those

are our only real choices. Jesus wants us to know that the en-

tire Kingdom of Heaven is freely given to humble sinners, and

only to humble sinners.

How about you? Have you realized that you have nothing

to offer a holy God but your spiritual need? Have you placed


one hand over your face in shame, while reaching out to God

with the other hand for help? No excuses, no alibis, no list of

tainted deeds as your justification. Again, all it takes to gain the

blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven is the honest admission of

your complete unworthiness. That’s it. God can’t wait to give

the entire Kingdom of Heaven to the person who comes to Him

with this empty-handed, humble-heart attitude.

So, which door have you chosen? Are you standing in front

of Door Number One waiting to make a deal—your good deeds

in exchange for all that you think you deserve? Or are you

standing in front of Door Number Two, waiting to exchange

your spiritual poverty for God’s eternal riches? Before the first

door stand those who believe in their own goodness. Before

the second door stand those who believe in the goodness of

God. I challenge you: Dare to Super-Size your dream. Dare to

dream of grace. Dare to dream of everything that you don’t de-

serve. Dare to dream of possessing the entire Kingdom of Hea-

ven! Blessed are those who understand that it is through

poverty of spirit that true and everlasting riches are found.

1.4 \\ closing prayer

Lord, I have one hand hiding my face in shame and the other

extended to You in a plea for Your mercy. I admit that I have

nothing to offer You but my need. You have judged me cor-

rectly. I only play at innocence and make a pretense of spiritual

wealth. But I thank You that You have reached down to me in

my lowly state to offer me the last thing I deserve—ownership of

Your Kingdom. I am a sinner who deserves nothing, yet You


have chosen to offer me everything. I am so grateful for that, so

I humbly accept Your generosity. And should I ever experience

doubts about my place in Your Kingdom, remind me that I did

nothing to deserve this gift in the first place, so I should never

fear being found unworthy of it. May I never doubt Your good-

ness or Your promise to me. Amen.

__________

Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God

that He may exalt you in due time.

- The Apostle Peter

CHAPTER 2 // thin places

Is there any meaning in my life which will not be

annihilated by the inevitability of death, which awaits me?

- Leo Tolstoy

“I'M divorcing your father. I can’t take it anymore.”

She’d threatened many times before, but it was clear that

this time she was serious. After a quarter century of enduring

my father’s persistent alcoholism, my mother had had enough.

It wasn’t that I could blame her. I, too, had spent my whole

life subject to Dad’s drunken binges and outbursts. I knew how

hard it was to live with him. But as an adult child of an alco-

holic, I had come to realize how rewarding it was to enjoy a

healthy family of my own. I grieved all that my father had

missed in life. And now Mom was moving on with her own life,

leaving my dad to fend for himself.


Tragically, he had not yet recovered from the shocking loss

of his closest friend (and drinking buddy) who recently drank

himself to death in the back seat of my father’s car. Now this.

Dad was dazed and confused. And his confusion quickly turned

to fear when he learned that his ensuing and sudden loss of

energy was neither depression nor anxiety, but a critical heart

condition that would prove fatal if not swiftly addressed.

Desperate and dying, Dad showed up on my doorstep with

nothing but a suitcase and a prognosis of only a few months to

live. He looked more like a lost and frightened child than a

strong and sturdy construction worker. Too weak to work, Dad

was broke and alone with nowhere to go. My wife and I took

him in as we searched frantically for a cardiologist who might

accept his case pro bono.

Each night as I walked past his door, I could hear him crying

himself to sleep. I so badly wanted to say or do something to

bring him some measure of relief. I knew his heart needed

mending, but of a far deeper kind than any surgeon’s scalpel

could fashion. It occurred to me that my father was not unlike

the poor and needy souls who had clamored up the side of that

hill, where Jesus was preaching, in search of comfort and relief

from their own desperate struggles.

The average annual income in first century Palestine would

have been equivalent to about $600 in today’s currency (oddly,

more than my father was making at the time). But besides their

monetary poverty, most of the people who sought out Jesus

were, like my father, afflicted with “all kinds of sickness”

(Matthew 4:23, NKJV). Although disadvantaged in many ways,

the crowd that Christ addressed that day was highly sophisti-

cated when it came to the subject of grief. They knew what it

Thin Places 23

was to mourn life’s losses, to experience disappointments, to

endure hardships. What they couldn’t see was how close those

regrettable experiences brought them to the blessings of the

Kingdom of God.

In ancient Celtic mythology there was a belief that there are

certain places, called thin places, where the world of the seen

and the world of the unseen came into closest proximity. In

each of the beatitudes, Jesus points us to a kind of thin place, a

place on earth where we draw closer to heaven. Surprisingly,

these are lowly, humble places, each one of them repulsive in

some way to the ego of man. Not one of them is a place that

you or I would seek to visit in our search for a happy and

meaningful life. But Jesus proposes that the treasures of the

Kingdom of God are found in just such lowly places. Places like

the one my father had come to find himself. Notice Jesus’

assuring words in this, the second beatitude:

___________________________________

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

- Matthew 5:4, NKJV

___________________________________


I wonder, how many words you can think of to describe the

range of emotions involved in human grief? From somber to

disconsolate, from disappointed to despondent, from melan-

choly to lugubrious; it is amazing how well equipped the English

language is for explaining our pain. This, of course, says some-


thing about the human experience itself. Whatever else life

may hold for us, there is no escaping emotional and physical

suffering.

The ancient Greek language of the New Testament was also

generously endowed with terms for how the human heart

might ache, supplying nine distinct words intended to cover the

entire range of this dark emotion. In this beatitude, as in the

first, Jesus employed the strongest word available in the verna-

cular, the word pentheo, which meant “to wrench in agony.”1

This was the term most often employed to describe life’s most

painful experience—the death of a loved one.

For this reason, it was this same word that was chosen by

the translators of the Septuagint to describe Jacob’s reaction to

the news that his favorite son, Joseph, had been killed.2 The

grief that Jacob experienced was so deep that it left the

patriarch a broken man, a mere shadow of the person he had

been. Pentheo was also the word used in the Gospels to

describe the grief of the disciples at the crucifixion and death of

Christ. This is not a word that we would normally associate with

the idea of blessedness. After all, where is the blessing in the

experience of such grief?

Using such strong and seemingly incongruous language was

a tool Jesus would employ repeatedly to point to a deeper spiri-

tual issue. In the first beatitude, He chose the strongest word

1W. F. Arndt and F. W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament

and Other Early Christian Literature, Second Edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979) p. 642. 2The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, translated

in Alexandria, Egypt, by Jewish Scholars between approximately 300-200 B.C.

Thin Places 25

The grief that our transgressions

have caused God has been reflect-

ed back to us in the sorrow that

we experience due to death.

possible for earthly poverty in order to speak of an even deeper

deficiency in the human soul. Here again in this beatitude,

Jesus used the most intensely powerful word available for

earthly grief to turn our attention to the deepest form of spiri-

tual grief—a grief so severe that it causes God Himself to

wrench in agony.

What is this deeper sorrow, and what is the association be-

tween this deeper grief and the loss experienced at the death of

a loved one? The Apostle

Paul offered an answer to

both questions when he

wrote, “… the wages of

sin is death” (Romans

6:23, NIV). In this statement he helps us to see the important

connection between death and disobedience. From this we

learn that mortality exists as God’s direct reaction to the sin of

man, that disobedience is how man has broken God’s heart, and

that the grief that our transgressions have caused God has been

reflected back to us in the sorrow that we experience due to

death.

This reaction may seem too severe, but that is only because

we fail to appreciate the full gravity of the situation. The

prophet Isaiah wrote that our sins have actually caused “a sepa-

ration between *us+ and *our+ God” (Isaiah 52:9, NAS). Thus, as

bad as things are, in a world where everyone we love must die,

the Bible would have us to understand that things are, in fact,

even worse than they appear. More ominous than the pain that

we experience due to death is the rift that exists between man

and God due to our transgressions.


If it takes death to draw our

attention to the fact that we are

estranged from God, then we

must learn to be grateful that

God has captured our attention,

even at so high a price.

As bad as things are, in a world

where everyone we love must

die, the Bible would have us to

understand that things are, in

fact, even worse than they

appear.

Those who gathered to hear Jesus preach this message

knew only too well how to grieve over their many afflictions.

What they may not have

understood was how this

pain was intended to point

them to something deeper.

As strange as it may sound,

the most ominous of life’s

experiences is meant to do

us a great service. Death is intended by our Creator to stir us

from our complacency and to warn us that something is terribly

wrong in the world. That being so, if it takes death to draw our

attention to the fact that we are estranged from God, then we

must learn to be grateful that God has captured our attention,

even at so high a price.

The moment we receive death’s warning—the moment that

we begin to mourn with God over our sin—God will respond to

us with what we need to be truly comforted. Reassuringly,

Jesus promised that those who experience this deeper grief

“will be comforted.” This

pledge comes to us as a

translation of the Greek

verb parakaleo, written in

this text in the aorist

tense, which characterizes

the action of the verb as a

fait accompli, as something as good as done. With this promise,

Jesus set forth the experience of deep spiritual grief over our

estrangement from God as a thin place, a place where it is

Thin Places 27

Those who race through their days

ignoring the presence of the

Creator … aren’t living real lives—

they are living "almost" lives.

possible to discover the comfort of God waiting for us on the

other side.

2.2 \\ the virtual life

Driving down a highway one day I noticed a large billboard

advertisement for an apartment complex. What piqued my

interest was the promise of a virtual tour of available apart-

ments simply by visiting a website. Cyberspace has opened a

whole new world of virtual experiences to the connected gener-

ation.

Of course, there is one significant drawback to a virtual ex-

perience. It isn’t real life. It’s almost life. The virtual house

hunter won’t be able to

meet the neighbors, or

smell the mold, or hear

the ambient sounds of

local traffic, or even be

sure of the hue of the granite counter tops. The virtual world

represents the real world, but only in a very superficial way.

Did you know that it is possible to live our lives as though

we’re on a virtual tour? We do this when we live as if there is

no deeper meaning or purpose to our lives. Sadly, people seem

to be completely unaware of the danger of living only on the

surface. Oblivious, they live a life void of the depth of ex-

perience intended by our Creator.

For example, when we experience an important event, like

the birth of a baby or landing a great job, we naturally cele-

brate. But if celebrating is all we do then we have missed the


real import of the moment; we have only reacted to life on the

surface. To go deeper with our joy we must consider its

source—we must share it with God. We must stop and

acknowledge the vital role that a loving Creator played in the

event. After all, as the Bible reminds us, “Every good and per-

fect gift is from above” (James. 1:17, NIV).

The Scriptures actually have a term for those who go

beyond the virtual to live according to this deeper reality; they

are called worshipers. Those who live without worship aren’t

living the full experience. Rather, they are passing through life

as if on a virtual tour, missing most of what’s really there. To

really experience the depth and breadth of life we must become

a worshiper of God; we must interact with the multi-

dimensional nature of the physical and metaphysical universe.

Those who race through their days ignoring the presence of the

Creator, never pausing to return thanks, or stopping to pray

over their concerns, or seeking God’s will in the pages of Scrip-

ture, aren’t living real lives—they are living almost lives.

Living as a worshiper changes the whole experience of one’s

life. It even changes how one grieves. A worshiper understands

that there is more to pain than first meets the eye; he under-

stands that suffering is merely a symptom of something far

more insidious. Instead of blaming God for suffering, a wor-

shiper goes deeper with his grief by redirecting his anger to the

root cause of his afflictions—the devastating repercussions of

living in a sin-plagued and sin-cursed world.

This is not to say that each time we suffer it is because God

is lashing out at us, or our loved ones, for our personal failures.

In fact, most of what we suffer in life has no apparent direct

cause. That’s because God’s response to sin has propelled all of

Thin Places 29

creation into a downward spiral—a death spiral, if you will. God

isn’t singling us out. The harsh realities of life, and even death

itself, are the ramifications we all face.

Rather, through suffering, God is luring us to a thin place—

like the place He lured my father in the midst of his grief. It

took the death of his best friend, the failure of his marriage, and

finally the impending threat of losing his own life before God

captured his attention, but get his attention He did. Through

great sorrow and despair, Dad became acutely aware that

something was not right in the world, that something was not

right in his life. He longed for a comfort and a consolation that

the virtual life he had been living could not provide. His heart

was ready to get real with life.

In that moment, God sent him just the right person. I affec-

tionately refer to her as Billy Graham in a skirt. One night, as

Dad was out drinking, Eleanor burst through the door and

marched straight to the bar. She slapped several bills down and

boldly proclaimed to all who would listen that she was there to

pay a delinquent bar tab. A recovering alcoholic, she was

working her program by setting right old wrongs. My dad had

already been there for hours, crying in his beer and ruing his

desperate circumstances. With the bar as her pulpit, and a

room full of imbibing patrons as her unwitting congregation, she

began preaching her sermon. Dad was in a thin place and Elea-

nor’s words of a loving, forgiving God were opening his eyes to

the reality of his own need.



Inherent in the human condition is the tendency to live in

denial of the harsher realities of life. For instance, it is an indis-

putable fact of life that every good thing we now enjoy will one

day come to a disappointing end. This is the terrible reality that

we are confronted with daily. Every person who enjoys good

health today can rest assured that he will one day succumb to

sickness and eventually to death. Every good marriage will one

day end as one or the other partner dies. Every great fortune

must eventually be left behind. Every joy and every pleasure

will pass. Absolutely every good thing in this life comes to an

end. There is no refuting this eventuality.

But how many of us actually live in light of this reality? How

many people do you know with a philosophy of life that is con-

sistent with total futility? In a practical sense, in order to cope,

we are left with no choice but to avoid the implications of life.

After all, what possible benefit could there be to living in light of

our own sure and ultimate demise?

To avoid the pointlessness of our true condition, we live our

lives as though we will never really die. We choose to live in

denial rather than face a meaningless existence. But facing the

harsh realities of life and the inevitability of death is exactly

what this beatitude is all about. According to Jesus, being will-

ing to face life honestly is essential to the search for blessed-

ness. In fact, Christ tells us that only those who are willing to

mourn the deeper significance of these realities will ever find

God’s comfort. As backwards as it seems, we must be willing to

honestly face the bad news if we are ever to discover the great-

est news of all.

Thin Places 31

The refusal to hear the bad

news (we are all sinners) has

made [us] oblivious to the

great news (God forgives and

restores humble sinners).

Understanding this necessity, the worshiper turns to God

for an answer, and what he finds in the pages of Scripture is

more than assuring. There he reads that the time is coming

when God will restore and renew His Creation. The Apostle

John tells us that when that day comes God will “wipe away

every tear … there shall be no more death, nor sorrow … no

more pain” (Revelation 21:4, NKJV).

From that time on we will never again know the anguish of

being separated from a loved one; we will never again ex-

perience the frailties that accompany advancing years; we will

never again suffer the discomfort of disease; we will never again

fear being separated from our Creator. Unfortunately, these

amazing promises fall on

deaf ears for those who live

in denial of their need for

God’s comfort. With such

people, the refusal to hear

the bad news (we are all

sinners) has made them oblivious to the great news (God for-

gives and restores humble sinners).

In my ordeal with my father, I experienced a wide range of

emotions. I had faced with profound disappointment the pain

of watching his alcoholism drown his potential, lamenting all

that could have been. I had met the failure of his marriage with

a deep sadness as I saw him shrink under the weight of loneli-

ness and dejection. I reeled with anguish to learn of his des-

perate physical condition.

But I first experienced the depth of pentheo grief when my

father finally succumbed to his fatal heart condition in the

waning hours following the surgery that was intended to save


Blessed are those who

understand that the com-

fort that matters most is

the comfort of God.

A blessing is anything

that draws us closer to

God, including our pain.

his life. With each wave of pentheo grief I felt as though I had

been gripped and squeezed by a large, invisible hand until there

was no air left in my lungs. You never forget the experience of

being seized by that kind of sorrow. If you have ever wrenched

in agony, then you know just what I mean.

Although the surgeons failed to help my father with his ail-

ing heart, God healed him of a far deeper ailment. In those de-

fining weeks of sadness and sorrow

that preceded his surgery, Dad had

confronted the possibility of death

itself and was thereby moved to a

deeper level of mourning. In the process, he learned to mourn

his estrangement from God, and in so doing he found ultimate

and eternal comfort in the promise of God’s forgiveness. As my

father discovered, a blessing is anything that draws us closer to

God, including our pain.

How about you? Are you living a virtual or a real-life ex-

perience? What causes you greater concern—the losses you

suffer in life or the loss of your

relationship with God? Have you

gone deeper with your grief? Are

you willing to heed the bad news

(we are all sinners), so that you

might discover the greatest news of all (God restores and com-

forts humble sinners)? Blessed are those who understand that

the comfort that matters most is the comfort of God.

Thin Places 33


Lord, my earthbound dreams are just like me; one day they

will return to the dust from which they were formed. Help me to

face the reality that every good thing I enjoy in this life will one

day come to a disappointing end. Though it’s difficult, I want to

accept the truth about my life. I don’t want to cling to temporal

things as if they are something more than what they really are.

Instead of only grieving over my pain, help me to wrench in

agony over my sin and the separation it brings between us.

Make sin so distasteful to me that I recoil at the mere thought of

it. Grant me the comfort of Your promise of complete forgive-

ness and perfect restoration. Amen.

__________

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

- The Psalmist

CHAPTER 3 // the writing is on the wall

Nearly all men can stand adversity,

but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.

- Abraham Lincoln

DO you have control issues? Consider the following diag-

nostic questions:

• Does it anger you when others ignore your advice?

• Are you bothered when others fail to do it right?

• Do you do things for others with the expectation of getting

something in return?

• Would your friends and associates describe you as critical?

• Do you become emotionally aggressive with those who oppose

you?


If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you, my

friend, just might be a control freak. The good news is that,

despite the negative connotation that comes with the title, con-

trol freaks tend to be very successful people. They usually rise

to the top of organizations for one obvious reason: control

freaks get things done, and they get them done well. But for all

that they accomplish, there can be a significant downside to

their need to be in control.

No doubt you’ve heard the expression, “The writing is on

the wall.” Interestingly, this idiom comes to us from the pages

of Scripture wherein God warned the ancient Babylonian ruler,

King Belshazzer, about the way he was wielding his power. In

this particular incident, the King had decided to throw an extra-

vagant party to celebrate the further expansion of his kingdom.

A thousand of Belshazzer’s closest friends were invited to par-

ticipate by toasting the King with golden goblets that had been

confiscated by force from the Jewish Temple.

In the midst of the celebration, a finger appeared in mid-air

and proceeded to write a message in the plaster. As the finger

crafted its message, the words mene mene tekel upharsin ap-

peared. Interpreted, the phrase means, “You have been

weighed in the balance and found wanting” (Daniel 5:25-27,

NKJV). King Belshazzer had been weighed on the scales of God’s

expectation, and despite his great power and many accom-

plishments, he came up short.

Belshazzer had been granted almost limitless power, but

according to the writing on the wall that day, he was judged to

be a poor steward of it. What the King failed to understand was

that it’s one thing to garner power and control, it’s quite

another thing to use it for the purpose for which it was in-

The Writing Is On The Wall 37

tended. By the misuse of his power, King Belshazzer proved to

be a poor steward of the authority that God had granted him.

You and I have also been given a stewardship of power.

While we may not be monarchs or heads of state, each of us

nonetheless exerts a certain measure of sway in our own per-

sonal spheres of influence—at home, at work, in our commun-

ities. And just like King Belshazzer, if we’re not careful, we can

misuse our power of influence and fail in our stewardship. The

key to avoiding this pitfall is the subject of Jesus’ words in this,

the third beatitude:

___________________________________

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

- Matthew 5:5, NKJV

___________________________________


When most people think of meekness they can’t help but

think of weakness. In our modern vernacular the word conjures

up images of a Clark Kent personality who invites others to take

advantage of him, or a skinny guy at the beach who has sand

kicked in his face. But was this what Jesus meant when He

spoke of meekness? Was it His intent to draw a picture of a

sheepish chump with a passive, shrinking demeanor? To an-

swer this question we must once again dig a little deeper to un-

cover the nuance of the ancient term Jesus employed.

According to a standard lexicon, the New Testament word

translated meek (praos) can mean to be gentle, considerate, or


humble. This term was used in the secular literature of the first

century to describe a soothing medicine or a soft breeze. When

used to describe an attitude of the heart, it meant to be sub-

missive, quiet, or tenderhearted.1 But this doesn’t tell the

whole story behind this word. When we examine how praos

was used in the context of power, we discover a stark contrast

to our modern usage.

Rather than equating meekness with weakness, the ancient

Greeks understood meekness to connote the attribute of power

that was tempered by gentleness. For example, praos was their

term of choice to describe a powerful horse that had been

tamed. They considered a newly broken horse to be meek, not

because it had lost its power, but because its power had been

harnessed – literally. In this way, the ancient Greek concept of

meekness was broader than our own, marrying the ideas of

both power and constraint. In fact, they employed an expres-

sion that beautifully underscores this not-so-subtle difference.

While we speak of being as meek as a mouse, they spoke of

being as meek as a lion! In keeping with the Greek origin of the

word, the biblical concept likewise purports the idea of tem-

pered power.

But this is not the only gem of truth to be found in the text.

Jesus goes on to promise that the meek will one day inherit the

earth. These are words with which we’re both familiar and

comfortable, until we stop to really think about them. It’s not

at all surprising to read that the meek will one day be the bene-


and Other Early Christian Literature, Second Edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979) p. 698.


factors of a great and eternal spiritual inheritance. But the

description of the promised inheritance itself ought to take us

aback. Jesus spoke of the eternal inheritance of the meek in

terms of the most solid thing we know—good ol’ terra firma—

with all its sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures.

We read in this verse the word earth, but somehow it

doesn’t really register. When anticipating our eternal inher-

itance, it’s images of a non-physical, non-material future state

that we envision—an ethereal existence of playing heavenly

harps upon celestial clouds, forever and ever and ever more.

Rocks and rivers, mountains and valleys, forests and fields—

these aren’t the trappings of eternity. Or are they?

Actually, contrary to our preconceived notion, this is exactly

what is taught in the pages of Scripture. There we find the

promise of a bodily resurrection and the return of the risen

Christ to the earth (Romans 6:5; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 22:20).

Further, the Apostle Paul explained, “And this is the plan: At the

right time he [God] will bring everything together under the

authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth” (Ephe-

sians 1:10, NLT).

So, our eternal inheritance is not a question of one or the

other, of heaven instead of earth. Rather, we are told that one

day the two will be merged, and the current separation be-

tween heaven (the abode of God) and earth (the abode of man)

will be mended. The Apostle John actually described this future

event when he wrote, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne

saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live

with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with

them and be their God … for the old order of things has passed

away’” (Revelation 21:3-4, NIV). The Apostle Peter added, “In


keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new hea-

ven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:13,

NIV).

Thus, consistent with the rest of Scripture, Jesus’ words in

this beatitude strongly suggest that the eternal inheritance of

the meek will be the very earth we currently occupy. There is

more than a measure of ironic justice in this fact. The same

earth that the powerful vie to possess will one day be renewed

and handed over as an inheritance to those who refused to

scratch or claw their way to the top—to those the Bible calls the

meek.

3.2 \\ how the meek wield power

The Scriptures offer many examples of believers who were

known for their meekness—Joseph being a prime example. The

favored son of his father, he was despised by his jealous older

brothers. Driven by disdain, they devised a plan to sell him into

slavery. But Joseph’s bondage eventually led him to the courts

of Pharaoh where he proved himself to be a valued and res-

pected servant.

Joseph would eventually be elevated to second in command

over all of Egypt. In this high post, he was granted authority

over the affairs of what was, at the time, the greatest nation on

earth. It was then that a famine gripped the land that was so

severe that it forced his siblings to travel from their homeland

to Egypt in the hopes of finding some relief. Left destitute by

their circumstances, the brothers were further humbled as they

found themselves bowing before their youngest brother—the

brother they had so contemptuously betrayed.


The exalted Joseph could not have asked for a better posi-

tion from which to exact revenge on those who had treated him

so despitefully. But it’s here that Joseph’s meekness was put on

display. Rather than dealing with his brothers according to their

treachery, Joseph wept over them and gave them the food they

so desperately needed. Joseph wielded great power, but he

demonstrated a meek spirit when he used that power to serve

rather than to retaliate.

And then there was the great Moses. The Scriptures dec-

lare, “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people

who were on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3, RSV). It’s

tempting to think that this is a reference to Moses’ initial fear of

confronting Pharaoh on behalf of his people. But if you go back

and re-read the biblical account, you’ll find that once Moses got

beyond his initial timidity he no longer needed his brother to

speak for him. After the butterflies had gone, Moses performed

courageously.

Actually, the meekness of Moses came into focus, not in his

dealings with Pharaoh, but later, after the Exodus, when God

threatened to wipe out the Israelites for their insolence. With

this threat, God offered to start over again, replacing the rebel-

lious Israelites with the progeny of Moses. What an honor this

must have been. In effect, this would have made Moses the

new Abraham, the father of God’s chosen people. But rather

than grasp for the glory of such an opportunity, Moses peti-

tioned God on behalf of his kinsmen, and even offered his own

life as a substitute. It is in this set of facts that we find the true

essence of biblical meekness. By his selfless stewardship of

power, Moses proved himself to be more than just a great

leader; he demonstrated that he possessed the heart of a great


What really matters isn’t

possessing great power,

but being possessed by

the greatest power of all.

servant leader. That’s why Moses was called the meekest man

on the face of the earth.

And what about the meek spirit manifested by the great

warrior-poet, David, in his dealings with King Saul? Crazed with

jealousy, the King had attempted to kill David on numerous

occasions. Then God turned the tables on Saul. Suddenly it was

David with the spear in his hand

and the opportunity to dispatch

his tormentor. But even though

David finally had the advantage—

the power—he refused to harm

Saul out of respect for his position as King of Israel. Now that’s

power under God’s control! No wonder David was called a man

after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22).

The personalities, callings, strengths and weaknesses of

godly men and women have varied throughout the ages.

Nevertheless, those who have accomplished great things for

God have all shared one essential character trait—they have all

been meek. Despite their many differences, they have all un-

derstood that what really matters isn’t possessing great power,

but being possessed by the greatest power of all.

3.3 \\ how the weak exercise meekness

A tongue-in-cheek organization claiming to represent the

meek of the world has this for their motto: “The meek shall in-

herit the earth, if that’s alright with everyone.” When I think of

that statement I can’t help but think of Stephanie, a mild-


mannered and gracious woman who taught those who knew

her that meekness is anything but weakness.

At the prime of her life, Stephanie was diagnosed with a

rare and deadly form of liver cancer. The prognosis was not

good—six months at the most. This would have been a devas-

tating blow to anyone, but the fact that Stephanie was a de-

voted wife and mother of four young children only made the

situation more tragic.

I’ll never forget my pastoral visit to Stephanie shortly after

the doctors had delivered the bad news. Looking a bit stunned

as she adjusted to her new reality, Stephanie composed herself

and asked me the last question I expected to hear at a moment

like that. She didn’t ask the usual, “Why me?” Instead, she

turned to me intently and asked, “How can I be faithful in this?”

Such a simple question, and yet it took me completely by sur-

prise.

The best I could come up with on the spot was an honest, “I

don’t know, but I’m confident that God will show you how, and

that you will in turn show the rest of us.”

Shortly after the diagnosis, the doctors encouraged Stepha-

nie to consider a particularly harsh course of treatment. They

could not guarantee even a measure of success, but some hope

was better than no hope at all. So Stephanie and her husband

decided to give it a try. After the first round of treatments, the

test results came back and they weren’t encouraging. The

chemotherapy had done nothing to stop the advance of this

aggressive disease. It was like experiencing the initial diagnosis

all over again, only this time all hope had dissipated.

One night, not long after receiving this demoralizing news,

Stephanie showed up to a Bible study I was leading. She walked


Sometimes the greatest

demonstration of power

is seen not in exertion,

but in repose.

into the room that night moving more like a ninety-three year

old than someone just thirty-nine. But despite her frail appear-

ance, Stephanie came that night with a glow in her countenance

and a smile that defied her circumstances.

She lit up at the opportunity to share with the group some-

thing that God had taught her that day. Stephanie hesitated,

and then in characteristic humility said, “I know this is going to

sound kind of kindergartenish, but the Lord has taught me that

His strength was right there for me

all along. All I had to do was rest

in it.” It was clear by her words,

and by the peace in her face, that

a power greater than the cancer

had taken control of her. I realize now, looking back, that I have

never been in the presence of a more powerful person.

Stephanie’s frail state belied the fact that the power of God

rested upon her that night. She was dying, and yet she was

more alive in her relationship with God than anyone else in the

room. Her weakness had been swallowed up by God’s power.

Stephanie’s cancer had become a catalyst that had driven her

deeper into the arms of God. There, she had discovered the

meaning of the Apostle Paul’s curious statement, “When I am

weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10, NIV). Yes, meek-

ness is power placed under God’s control, but it is also God’s

power displayed during times of weakness. Sometimes the

greatest demonstration of power is seen not in exertion, but in

repose.

Most of us never learn to rest in God’s strength, even in the

minor challenges of day-to-day life. Stephanie, however, show-

ed us that it’s possible to find strength to face even the biggest


tests that life can throw at us. And not just face them, but to

actually turn defeat into victory. Stephanie was victorious in

her great trial because she never lost the focus of her initial

reaction to her challenging circumstances: “How can I be faith-

ful in this?”

Exactly six months after the preliminary diagnosis, Steph-

anie quietly slipped into the waiting arms of God’s angels, but

not before she whispered to those present, “I did it. I was

faithful.” There was writing on the wall that day. No, it didn’t

read, “You have been weighed in the balance and found want-

ing.” Rather, it read, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”


God grants each of us a measure of power. That power ex-

ists in a variety of forms, not just in the inherent influence that

comes with money or position. For example, we all have con-

trol over the words we choose to speak at any given moment.

We all have the ability to determine what our attitude will be in

any given set of circumstances. We all have the freedom to

determine how we will invest our lives, either in service to our

own interests or in service to others.

And in every way that we are empowered, we also have the

opportunity to submit the use of that power back to God. It is

this choice that presents us all with the occasion to exercise

biblical meekness. For it is only as we yield ourselves to God’s

control that we apply the use of our power to its ultimate pur-

pose.


Blessed are those who un-

derstand that true power

can only be experienced in

submission to God’s will.

Many erroneously believe that the meek lack ambition be-

cause they fail to use their power for self-promotion. The truth

is, the meek give up selfish ambition for holy ambition—the

greatest ambition of all. No, there’s nothing milquetoast about

biblical meekness. Rather, it is the exertion of the strongest

moral character driven by the greatest of all ambitions.

For this reason, the authority and influence of the meek will

be celebrated forever as they

rule over a renewed and re-

furbished earth. By contrast,

the influence of those who

clamor for worldly power is

limited to this temporary, mortal existence. In this way God has

declared their power to be nothing. Being powerful in the King-

dom of Man is one dream, but being powerful in the Kingdom of

God is the far bigger dream to which Jesus calls us.

How about you? If weighed in the balance of God’s expec-

tation, what would the writing on the wall say about you? Are

you a good steward of the power that God has granted you?

Have you placed your power of influence under God’s control?

What about the words that you choose to speak and the atti-

tudes that you choose to possess? Blessed are those who un-

derstand that true power can only be experienced in submission

to God’s will.


Lord, I place my power of influence under Your control. I

place the words that I choose to speak under Your control. I


place the attitudes I choose to possess under Your control. Do

with me as You will. And when I am weak and humbled by my

circumstances, help me to rest in the power of Your presence.

Grant me the dream of being a powerful person in the only

kingdom that really matters. Amen.

__________

For this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you,

and that My name may be declared in all the earth.

- The Lord God speaking to Moses

CHAPTER 4 // satisfaction guaranteed

What does not satisfy when we find it was not the thing we were desiring.

- C.S. Lewis

DO you ever find yourself yearning for beef? I do. Some-

times I long for a big juicy steak or a thick hamburger. When I

get this craving, I find that substitutes do nothing to satisfy it.

Seafood won’t do, poultry seems paltry, and a salad is the last

thing I want. It has to be beef. That hankering doesn’t go away

until I’ve consumed a hearty portion of red meat. It may be

weeks before that craving revisits me, but for the moment I am

completely satisfied.

You know that feeling, don’t you? If not with beef, then

certainly with some other favorite dish. We all experience it.

God designed us to crave what our bodies need. We’ve been

engineered to sense when vital proteins, starches or minerals


Genuine spirituality is more than

an experience with Creation; it’s a

relationship with the Creator.

are depleted. When necessary nutrients run low, our brain be-

gins sending signals that register as cravings; we begin to hun-

ger and thirst.

Our bodies are also designed to register the satisfaction of

each of these yearnings. When I’ve satisfied my desire for beef,

there are protein enzymes in my stomach that send a message

to my brain that says, “Ahhhh, that’s just what I needed!” This

all happens by God’s design. Our Creator placed our appetites

inside of us with purpose and forethought. He also provided a

proper satisfaction for every one of these desires.

This is true of our spiritual cravings, as well. They are as

integral to the human condition as physical ones. Unfortun-

ately, many seek to fulfill the cravings of their soul without giv-

ing any thought to their relationship with God. Instead, they

pursue spirituality through such things as communion with the

wonders of creation or by means of mystical experiences. Cer-

tainly, these things can

make us feel closer to

God, but they are poor

substitutes for the real

thing. That’s because genuine spirituality is more than an expe-

rience with Creation; it’s a relationship with the Creator.

But establishing a proper relationship with God poses an

interesting conundrum. After all, God is holy, which means He

must require holiness from us, as well. Anything less would be a

violation of His very nature. As a professor of mine was fond of

saying, “The righteousness that God requires is the righteous-

ness that His righteousness requires that He require.” Try say-

ing that ten times! Better yet, try living up to it.

Satisfaction Guaranteed 51

We seem to understand the difficulty of this challenge intui-

tively. How else do we explain mankind’s long legacy of reli-

gious institutions and philosophies, all promising a formula for

making us worthy enough to please God? Whether we’re called

to walk down a noble eight-fold path, endure countless cycles of

reincarnation, lay sacrifices upon prescribed altars, or obey a

certain series of sacraments, the goal is the same—to strive

toward personal holiness in the hopes that God will be pleased

with the effort.

The inherent shortcoming of this approach is that it is any-

thing but satisfying. It is more akin to a formula for frustration.

After all, how hard must we strive for it to be hard enough?

How good must we be to be good enough? The shear uncer-

tainty of the whole endeavor leaves us feeling empty. Thank-

fully, it is the promise of finding genuine satisfaction for this

deep spiritual longing that serves as the focus of Jesus’ words in

this, the fourth beatitude:

___________________________________

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for

righteousness, for they shall be filled.

- Matthew 5:6, NKJV

___________________________________


At first, this beatitude might sound like yet another formula

for frustration. But just below the surface, in the underlying

syntax of this passage, lies a very surprising promise. There we


discover that Jesus attached an unusual case ending, along with

the addition of a definite article, to the noun “righteousness.”1

The definite article tells us that Jesus had a specific righteous-

ness in mind, and the choice of the accusative case ending tells

us that we are to desire all of this particular righteousness.

Thus, a fuller exposition of this beatitude reveals a promise to

satisfy not just a desire to be more righteous, but an offer to

satisfy a desire for all of the righteousness of God.2

Concerning this unusual construction, commentator James

Montgomery Boice has written, “Christ intends us to hunger

and thirst … not after a partial or imperfect righteousness, but

after the whole thing. We must long for a perfect righteous-

ness, and this means, therefore, a righteousness equal to and

identical with God’s.”3

Indeed, “The righteousness that God requires is the right-

eousness that His righteousness requires that He require.”

Jesus declared as blessed those who desire not a self-made

brand of morality, but one that matches the perfect righteous-

ness of God Himself.

1As the object of verbs such as to thirst or to hunger, a noun like “right-

eousness,” in the Koine Greek, would normally be given a genitive case ending to indicate a desire for some, as opposed to all righteousness. But Jesus employed the accusative case with a definite article, making it clear that He had all of a specific righteousness in mind. 2A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of

Historical Research (New York: Doran, 1923) p. 756. Contrary to the omission in our modern translations, Robertson affirms that, “whenever the Greek article occurs, the object is certainly definite.” 3James Montgomery Boice, The Sermon on the Mount: An Exposition by James

Montgomery Boice (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1972) p. 46.


We are performance driven

creatures whose tendency is

to measure ourselves by

ourselves, not by God.

Understandably, some may be hesitant to accept such an

unusual proposition based solely on the weight of the gram-

matical and syntactical construction of a phrase in another lan-

guage, and an ancient one at that. Fortunately, though, the

Scriptures are replete with less oblique texts that speak of the

possibility of acquiring God’s righteousness by faith. Both Test-

aments affirm that, “Abraham believed God and it was credited

to Him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3, NIV). Paul

likewise reminds us of the blessedness of “the undeserving sin-

ner who is declared to be righteous” (Romans 4:6, NLT). Simi-

larly, Jeremiah, in anticipation of the coming of Messiah, proph-

esied, “This will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness,’”

(Jeremiah 23:6, NLT).

Again, this is not what we expect to hear. What we antic-

ipate is a pep talk about the importance of striving harder in the

pursuit of a more godly life. We are performance driven crea-

tures whose tendency is to measure ourselves by ourselves, not

by God. But by taking this approach we have redefined right-

eousness in terms that bear

little resemblance to the real

thing. It is pure delusion for us

to purport that our flawed ef-

forts to do the right things can,

in any way, be compared to the righteousness possessed by

God Himself. Of course, Jesus knows this about us. So, instead

of exhorting us to increase our effort, He exhorts us to increase

our desire.

But there is yet more treasure to be unearthed from this

text. The assurance that Jesus extends to those who desire the

righteousness of God is that they will be filled. This bold prom-


ise is stated in the passive voice, suggesting that this filling (or

satisfaction) is something that is simply supplied. How else

could a desire for the perfect righteousness of God be satisfied,

except by God Himself? Thus, by a simple promise we are of-

fered the satisfaction we sought elsewhere but could not find.

In contrast to the frustration experienced in our vain attempts

to achieve holiness, here we are assured of complete and utter

satisfaction.

4.2 \\ the dress code of heaven

In the world of proper etiquette, knowing what to wear to

any given event can be a bit complicated. Just crack open a

book on wedding guest attire and you’ll encounter a dizzying

array of dos and don’ts. Choosing the appropriate outfit de-

pends on many variables, including the time of the wedding and

whether it’s an informal, semi-formal, or formal event.

Based on these and other criteria, the dress requirements

stated on your next invitation could be any of the following:

black-tie, white-tie, formal, ultra-formal, black tie optional,

black tie invited, creative black tie, semi-formal, cocktail attire,

dressy casual, casual or informal. Personally, I prefer Gilda

Radner’s dress code—wear whatever doesn’t itch!

As strange as it may sound, the Bible teaches that heaven

also has a dress code. Jesus spoke of it in a story wherein He

likened entrance into heaven to being invited to a royal wed-

ding (Matthew 22:8-14). The tension in the story builds as the

guests of honor rudely refuse to attend the wedding celebration

(a thinly veiled reference to the religious leaders of Israel who


rejected Jesus’ claim of being Messiah). In response, the king

decides to send servants out to the “highways” to invite whom-

ever they could find. Soon the wedding hall is “filled with

guests” of varied repute, “both good and bad” (v. 10, NIV).

But when the king arrives to greet his guests, it isn’t their

character that concerns him. Rather, he is upset to see “a man

there who did not have on a wedding garment” (v. 11, NKJV).

So far as the king was concerned, everyone was welcome to the

wedding feast—including the lowly, the outcasts, and the

immoral—so long as they were willing to wear the appropriate

wedding attire (any man whose ever been turned away from a

trendy restaurant for not wearing a tie knows how this feels).

So, beyond the obvious lesson on ancient Hebrew wedding

etiquette, how does this story relate to gaining entrance into

heaven? Simply put, the point of the story is that we can’t ex-

pect to enter the presence of God clothed, so to speak, in our

own imperfect attempts to attain righteousness. Such an ex-

pectation is as preposterous as the notion of gaining entrance

to a royal wedding dressed only in rags.

The expression self-righteousness carries a negative conno-

tation for good reason. Most of us view it as nothing more than

arrogance or conceit. To avoid being perceived this way by our

fellow man, we’re careful not to appear to be too full of our-

selves. But when it comes to our relationship with God, we of-

ten take a different tack. Instead of approaching God with at

least as much humility as we do with one another, we don’t

think twice about parading ourselves before Him dressed only in

our own flawed attempts at worthiness.

The story of the wedding celebration serves to underscore

our great dilemma before God. How do we strive to be more


Make no mistake about it;

heaven has a dress code and

nothing in your closet will do!

righteous without becoming more self-righteous along the way?

How do we find a way to satisfy God’s high standard of holiness,

while acknowledging that we can take no credit for the

achievement? The answer is that we must humbly seek to be

robed in the righteousness of God—a righteousness that is

utterly unmerited, utterly supplied.

In this way, the robe of God’s righteousness serves as a

perfect fit for you and me. On the one hand, it satisfies God’s

demand for a holiness that matches His own, something our

feeble attempts could never accomplish. And on the other

hand, although we are declared by God to be morally perfect in

His sight, we are not subject to the temptation to take personal

pride in the accomplishment. If anything, we are given even

greater cause for humility.

The religious leaders of Israel, for whom Jesus’ story was in-

tended to serve as a warning, should have understood their

need to be robed in the garment of God’s righteousness. One

of their greatest teachers, the prophet Isaiah, once proclaimed,

“I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has

dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a

robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10, NLT).

By ignoring their need to be robed in God’s righteousness,

these religious leaders were treading on dangerous ground, in-

deed. Jesus warned them of the seriousness of their actions at

the conclusion of the wedding

story, with the king’s rebuke

of the ill-clad man. “How did

you come in here without a

wedding garment?” he asked (Matthew 22:12, NKJV). Having

no answer for his behavior, the man was then quickly thrown


God’s moral law … informs us

of our broken condition ... but

it does nothing to mend us.

out of the wedding celebration. His expulsion serves as a

warning to all who would attempt to gain entrance into heaven

dressed in garments of their own making. The dress code of

heaven requires that all who would enter be clothed, not in self-

righteousness, but in the righteousness of God. Make no mis-

take about it; heaven has a dress code and nothing in your

closet will do!


Many years ago, when my youngest child broke his arm, we

rushed him to an emergency room. Upon arrival, the first thing

the doctor did was to take an x-ray in order to determine the

extent of the damage. The x-ray confirmed what we already

suspected—this was a serious fracture. Both bones would need

to be re-set. The x-ray was very helpful, in that it provided us

with a much clearer understanding of the condition of the arm,

but it did nothing to mend it.

The same can be said of God’s moral law. In our inability to

perfectly uphold its precepts, it informs us of our broken condi-

tion before God, but it does

nothing to mend us. Cer-

tainly, His law serves to

guide us along the path of

moral living, and it assists us in avoiding various spiritual ha-

zards. But what the law can’t do is provide the means for satis-

fying our deep longing to be right in our relationship with God—

to be righteous just as God is righteous. The Apostle Paul made

this quite clear when he explained, “No one can ever be made


The pursuit of righteousness can

be as dangerous an endeavor as

the neglect of it.

Have you learned to repent,

not just of your sins, but of

your flawed attempts of self-

justification and righteous-

ness, as well?

right in God's sight by doing what his law commands. For the

more we know God's law, the clearer it becomes that we aren't

obeying it” (Romans 3:19-20, NLT).

So we see that God’s moral rules were given, not as a

means of earning God’s approval, as many have assumed, but

to expose us to the truth of

our own disobedience. The

law of God may whet our

appetites for true right-

eousness, but even our best efforts to obey it do nothing to

satisfy our cravings. It’s like drinking seawater to satisfy dehy-

dration. It seems like it should help, but it only makes the situa-

tion more desperate. As tempting as an ocean may be to a man

dying of thirst, yielding to such a temptation only hastens his

demise. In this same way, the pursuit of righteousness can be

as dangerous an endeavor as the neglect of it. As tempting as

pursuing our own paths of self-justification may be, we must

learn to resist this temptation.

We must repent of this inclin-

ation in favor of accepting the

promise of God.

How about you? Have you

felt the weight of your own in-

adequacies? Have you wearied of the do better, do more

treadmill of life, never sure if you’re measuring up? Do you

hunger and thirst to be justified? Worthy? Approved? In this

quest, have you learned to repent, not just of your sins, but of

your flawed attempts of self-justification and righteousness, as

well?


Blessed are those whose hunger

and thirst for righteousness is so

strong that only the perfect right-

eousness of God can satisfy it.

Go ahead—super-size your dream! Why settle for garments

of your own making

when you can be robed

with the righteousness of

God? Blessed are those

whose hunger and thirst

for righteousness is so strong that only the perfect righteous-

ness of God can satisfy it.


Lord, I confess that in the past I have paraded myself before

You, dressed in garments of my own making—in self-righteous-

ness. But I have come to realize that the very best things I have

ever done are flawed and imperfect and that it was foolish of

me to take pride in them. So, I repent not just of my sins but of

my righteousness, as well. Instead of being satisfied with

tainted deeds, I ask You to clothe me in Your righteousness. May

I never forget, not even for a moment, that You are my confi-

dence and my only cause for boasting. Amen.

__________

God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us,

so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

- The Apostle Paul

CHAPTER 5 // the dance of divine love

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

- Mahatma Gandhi

LOS Angeles. Monday, December 7, 1987. Thirty-five year

old David Burke left a goodbye message for his family and

friends, bypassed security, and boarded Pacific Air Flight 1771

bound for San Francisco. Carrying a borrowed .44 caliber

revolver, he calmly took his seat, jotted a brief note on an air-

sick bag, and waited for his moment. No doubt, the events of

the previous weeks played over in his head. David had been

terminated by his Pacific Air supervisor, Ray Thomson, for the

petty theft of $69. Unsuccessfully, he had pleaded to be reins-

tated. Shamed and embittered, he booked himself on a flight

for justice.


On his daily commute home to San Francisco, Ray Thomson

sat just feet away, oblivious to the impending threat. Just past

4:00 p.m., the plane cruised comfortably at 22,000 feet above

the central California coastline. David rose from his seat and

walked up the aisle to where his former boss was seated. We

can only surmise that he handed Mr. Thomson the scribbled

note as he continued on his way to the cockpit. Bang! Bang!

The cockpit voice recorder registered the sound of two shots,

followed by the voice of a flight attendant warning the pilot,

“We have a problem!”

The captain asked for an explanation, but before a response

could be offered, Mr. Burke’s voice was heard bluntly uttering,

“I’m the problem.” Bang! Bang! Bang! Silence. Then came the

growing sound of wind as the plane began a steep and rapid

descent. One final task remained. Bang! Moments later, trav-

eling in excess of 700 mph, Flight 1771 crashed, nose first, into a

cattle ranch, vaporizing the remains of all 43 souls on board.

Investigators meticulously combed the wreckage looking for

clues. They found the borrowed gun with all six chambers dis-

charged. Had this been the only evidence uncovered at the

scene of the crime, the complete story behind the tragedy of

Flight 1771 would have remained a mystery. But, by a strange

twist of fortune, the most telling clue was uncovered amidst the

smoking debris—the charred remains of the air-sick bag, still

baring this ominous message:

Hi Ray. I think it’s sort of ironical [sic] that we

ended up like this. I asked for some leniency for

my family. Remember? Well, I got none and

you’ll get none.

The Dance Of Divine Love 63

Mercy. Give none, get none. That was David Burke’s take

on life. Clearly, Mr. Burke did not esteem Ray Thompson (nor

the forty-one other innocents on board that day) to have

merited mercy. Although few would take their quest for justice

as far as this disgruntled and vengeful man, most would agree

with the basic premise. The law of reciprocity (give some to get

some) is deeply ingrained in human nature. But we must resist

the temptation to impose our earthbound thinking on the mind

and heart of God. In fact, nothing could be further from the

human penchant for justice than what Jesus taught in this, the

fifth beatitude:

___________________________________

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

- Matthew 5:7, NKJV

___________________________________


Consistent with our natural proclivity for justice, some have

misconstrued Jesus’ words here to suggest that the practice of

mercy is a necessary prerequisite for receiving it, as though

God’s mercy must be earned in this way.1 This erroneous inter-

pretation has created considerable consternation for those left

to wonder whether or not they have acted mercifully enough to

merit the mercy of God in return. The irony of such a concern is

1Arthur W. Pink, An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount (Grand Rapids:

Baker Book House, 1951) p. 29. Mr. Pink decries the perversion of this text by

what he calls the “merit-mongers.”


There is no reason to fear that

we might fall short of meriting

God’s mercy. This isn’t possible.

It’s like suggesting that some-

one is too poor for welfare.

Mercy deserved isn’t mercy at

all ... It is, by definition, justice—

the very antithesis of mercy.

that mercy deserved isn’t mercy at all. In fact, receiving what

we deserve is, by definition, called justice—the very antithesis

of mercy.

Thankfully, there is no

reason to fear that we

might fall short of meriting

God’s mercy. This isn’t possible. It’s like suggesting that some-

one is too poor for welfare. No, we can’t fall short of meriting

mercy; we can only fall short of seeking it. As the Apostle Paul

declared, “Everyone who

calls on the name of the

Lord will be saved” (Ro-

mans 10:13, NLT). With

these affirming words we

are assured that everyone

who sincerely seeks God’s mercy will receive it, regardless of

any other consideration.

As we dig deeper in a search for clarity, we discover in the

underlying Greek text that the phrase, “they shall obtain

mercy,” is stated in the passive voice, indicating that mercy is

somehow bestowed upon the merciful. According to a standard

lexicon, this lends the phrase the meaning “they shall find

mercy.”2 While this is still somewhat vague, what is evident is

that the practice of mercy promises to lead to the discovery of a

further experience of it. The nature of this additional exper-


and Other Early Christian Literature, Second Edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979) p. 249.


ience isn’t specified, other than the fact that it is a blessing that

results from adopting a merciful lifestyle.

The ambiguity of this text requires that we examine the

broader context in search of interpretive clues. A bird’s eye

view reveals a very significant arrangement of the text. Two

distinct sections emerge, exposing a notable shift of emphasis

between the first four and last four pronouncements of bless-

ing. The first four beatitudes are all promises of blessing to

those who possess certain humble attitudes (e.g., poverty of

spirit, mourning, meekness, and hungering for righteousness).

Notice that each one of these lowly spiritual attitudes involves

the acknowledgment of a point of personal, spiritual lack.

However, beginning here in verse seven (with the call to ex-

tend mercy), Jesus’ focus shifted to the blessedness of practic-

ing several celebrated actions, each flowing from a wellspring of

spiritual fullness. This transition suggests a fairly radical rever-

sal of fortune. Before this juncture in the text, the blessed were

defined as the spiritually bankrupt; now they are defined as the

spiritually endowed. Having received their promised blessings,

the poor, the sad, the powerless, and the hungry now luxuriate

in the spiritual prosperity, comfort, power, and righteousness of

God. Though they came to God in emptiness, they now over-

flow with His fullness.

In this light, it becomes clear that the first four beatitudes

call us to bring our spiritual emptiness to God so that He might

fill us to overflowing. Then, from a state of spiritual abundance,

the last four beatitudes call us to begin dispensing our newly

found spiritual wealth. From the vantage point of this broader

context, it is obvious that “the merciful” mentioned in this fifth


In the dance of divine love,

God always takes the lead.

beatitude are those who act in response to God’s mercy, rather

than in anticipation of receiving it.

The fact is, God extends His mercy to us not because we

have proven ourselves to be worthy of it, as many have pre-

sumed, and not even because our need is so desperate, but be-

cause it is His nature to do so. Regardless of our mistakes, our

foibles, our foolish behavior, or even our blatant acts of disobe-

dience, God reaches out His hand of mercy to us. He alone is

the initiator of divine grace. This was the Apostle John’s point

when he wrote, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but

that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our

sins” (1 John 4:10, NLT). In the dance of divine love, God always

takes the lead.

Through the promise of the first beatitude, God invites us to

follow His lead by admitting our spiritual poverty and humbly

accepting His mercy. As we

respond to His invitation, we

find ourselves swept up into

the movements and motions of a great, divine dance—having

our need for mercy abundantly satisfied, we are transformed

into the “merciful” spoken of in this fifth beatitude.3 Divine

grace, once imparted, not only fills all void, but fills it to over-

flowing. Those who have been blessed become those who are

empowered to bless in return. Those who have been shown

3Each of the spiritual attitudes in the first section finds a corresponding call to

action in the second. For example, the first of the four spiritual attitudes—poverty of spirit—is clearly connected to the first of the four calls to spiritual action—to extend mercy to others. This pattern is repeated between the second beatitude and the sixth, the third and the seventh, and finally, between the fourth and the eighth.


mercy become those who are inspired and empowered to dem-

onstrate mercy to others. As the Psalmist declared, “I have

everything I need. … My cup overflows with blessings!” (Psalm

23:1b, 5b, NLT). By following the lead of God’s merciful heart,

“the merciful” find mercy as a whole new way of living and re-

lating to others—a blessed way.

5.2 \\ the boundaries of judgment

To the Romans who occupied Israel in Jesus’ day, offering

unearned or undeserved assistance or leniency was thought to

promote weakness. For this reason, mercy was considered a

disease to the soul, as well as to society. The Romans were

convinced that society’s ills could best be dealt with by the

meticulous administration and enforcement of justice.

Matching the Roman passion for justice was that of the

Pharisees, a hyper-zealous sect within ancient Judaism. In fact,

few have ever carried the mantel of harsh legalism with as

much pride and gusto as Saul (a Jewish Pharisee of the first cen-

tury), especially during the years that he mercilessly persecuted

the fledgling Christian church. Committed to defending his rigid

belief system, Saul was equally committed to squelching any

movement that threatened the doctrine and dogma of his faith.

But something happened to Saul while traveling on the road to

the city of Damascus where he planned to continue his ruthless

campaign. On that dusty trail, he met the risen Christ.

In that singular encounter, Saul experienced a one hundred

eighty degree change of heart. He repented of his sin against


Christ and sought God’s mercy. Saul, the legalistic Pharisee,

became Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.

But wait a minute—a Pharisee ministering to Gentiles? Yes,

a Pharisee, who would have considered it unclean to even eat

with non-Jews, was transformed into a minister to the very

people he once judged unworthy. Having been moved by the

mercy of God (and symbolic of his dramatic change of heart),

Saul went as far as to take on the Gentile version of his name to

better identify with those whom he now sought to reach—the

very Gentiles he once found insufferable. As a result, the most

zealous persecutor of the Church became her most ardent de-

fender. The man who had once stoned and imprisoned Chris-

tians became the man who would himself be sent to prison for

his faith in Christ.

Years later, in a letter to Timothy, his understudy, Paul de-

scribed what happened to affect his dramatic conversion. He

wrote, “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor

and a violent man, I was shown mercy … so that in me, the

worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited pa-

tience as an example for those who would believe on him and

receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:13,16, NIV).

As a law-obsessed Pharisee, Saul’s sphere of influence was

restricted to a small sect of Jews within the boundaries of Pales-

tine. His demand for religious justice against those he held in

violation of his legalistic and moralistic standards boxed him

into the confined borders of judgment. But as the compassion-

driven Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul’s sphere of influence would

extend to the entire Western World. Paul’s life and ministry

serve as an amazing example of how mercy, first received and

then extended to others, can expand a heart and a territory. By


The truth is it’s much easier to judge

others than it is to show them God’s

love ... because judgment bears little

responsibility, while love shares the

burdens of others.

extending the mercy he had received from God to those he

once deemed untouchable, Paul found mercy as a whole new

way of living—one without boundaries.

Of course, religious zealots aren’t the only ones subject to

the limitations imposed by legalistic or moralistic thinking.

We’ve all engaged in

judging those who

don’t measure up to

our particular criteria

of worthiness. We’ve

all succumbed to the

temptation to see ourselves as superior. We’ve all made the

choice to abdicate the responsibility that comes with exercising

compassion. The truth is it’s much easier to judge others than it

is to show them God’s love. That’s because judgment bears

little responsibility, while love shares the burdens of others.

Even Moses, the great liberator of the poor and oppressed,

had to warn the very people he had delivered, “Do not be hard-

hearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother” (Deuteronomy

15:7, NIV). How quickly they had forgotten God’s generous

hand of mercy. If we are to find mercy as a new way of living,

we must draw close in compassion rather than pull back in

judgment. Our world becomes so small when we shut out those

who don’t measure up to our own criteria of worthiness—and

in shutting others out, we box ourselves in. It’s only as we are

moved by compassion that our realm of influence is expanded

to include all those who need to be touched by God’s love. Like

the Apostle Paul, God will expand our hearts and, along with it,

our territory. As Jesus promised, we will find mercy.


To seriously limit our positive

influence in the world ... we

need only turn a blind eye or a

nose up to the needs around us.

We have all clamored for

justice, but God offers to

fill our lives with mercy.


Deep down inside each of us there is a dream of making a

difference in our world. Innately, we share a strong sense that

our lives should be lived

with a higher purpose.

This inner witness calls us

to leave the world a better

place than we found it.

Unfortunately, we often limit the parameters of our contribu-

tion with contrived conditions. The moment we do this we

assume the position of both judge and jury. We weigh others’

worthiness, deeming some deserving of our mercy, compassion,

and benevolence, while others we find wanting. Yet we don’t

have to carry our quest for what seems right and just nearly so

far as David Burke did to end up seriously limiting our positive

influence in the world. We need only turn a blind eye or a nose

up to the needs around us.

Fortunately, God has something better in mind for us.

God’s super-sized dream is that we expand our borders of influ-

ence through the simple practice of mercy. It is compassion

that will move us to cross the

boundaries of judgment and em-

power us to reach out to all who

are in need of God’s mercy—the

broken, the weak, the lowly, the rejected, even the self-destruc-

tive and the offensive. And just as the powerless outnumber

the powerful and the disenfranchised eclipse the vested, our

realm of influence will grow to defy all limitations.


Blessed are those who discover

that mercy is meant to be a

whole new way of living.

The merciful may hold little sway with the movers and

shakers of the world, but that won’t prevent them from wield-

ing a far more significant kind of influence. Jesus demonstrated

this by impacting the world without any help from the rich, the

powerful or the successful. Instead, He sought out and served

the seemingly insignificant.

How about you? Will you allow God to expand your heart,

and with it, your territory? There is a world of opportunity

waiting to be found just

beyond the boundaries set

by the human heart. Would

you allow God’s love for all

people to become your only boundary? Would you allow Him to

take the lead of your life?

We have all clamored for justice, but God offers to fill our

lives with mercy. Go ahead, allow yourself to be caught up in

the motions and movements of God’s compassionate heart.

Blessed are those who discover that mercy is meant to be a

whole new way of living.


Lord Jesus, the world that You came to save showed You no

mercy. Nevertheless, You endured the cross in order to show the

whole world the greatness of Your love. By the power of Your

love, I ask You to expand my heart and enlarge my territory.

Give me a love for mercy that includes all those I once found it


easier to disdain, to dismiss, or to judge. May I show others the

same love and acceptance I have found in You. Amen.

__________

What does the LORD require of you but to do justly,

to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

- The Prophet Micah

CHAPTER 6 // expanding souls

Anything can make us look; only love can make us see.

- Archibald MacLeish

IN a scene from C. S. Lewis’ spiritual allegory, The Chronicles

of Narnia, a young girl named Lucy is sent on a great mission by

the Christ figure, Aslan the lion. As she travels by night, she

notices the great beast sitting on a hill, illumined by a full moon.

Excitedly, Lucy runs to him and throws herself into his soft, silky

mane. Aslan rolls over, and Lucy finds herself laying between

his paws, looking up into his large face.

“Aslan, you’re bigger,” says Lucy.

The majestic creature answers, “That is because you are

older, little one.”

Lucy, confused by this remark, asks, “Not because you are?”


Expanding souls encounter

an expanding Christ.

Aslan assures her, “I am not. But every year you grow, you

will find me bigger.”1

What was Lewis getting at here? Don’t objects usually ap-

pear smaller to us as we grow? Remember revisiting the house

of your youth, only to find the backyard you once thought ex-

pansive to be little more than a fenced patch of grass? Or

looking eye level at the basketball hoops at your old elementary

school, which once seemed tall as towers? If you’ve ever revi-

sited your childhood, you know that everything looks smaller

than what you remember. As grown-ups, we see our childhood

from a new and expanded perspective.

Our perception of God works in a similar way, but with the

opposite effect. With intentional irony, Lewis was suggesting

that as we mature in our faith, the object of our devotion ap-

pears to grow along with us.

This happens not because Christ

has changed, but because our

consciousness of Him has expanded. As R. Kent Hughes sug-

gests, “Expanding souls encounter an expanding Christ.”2 Thus,

Aslan only appeared to be bigger to Lucy. The real change had

taken place within her.

So it is with every devoted follower of Christ. Just like Lucy,

we all live with a disparity between the way we see God and the

way He really is. This gap begins to narrow over time as we

practice the appropriate devotion. The more we learn of God

1C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia (New York: Macmillan

Publishing Company, 1951) p. 136. 2R. Kent Hughes, Hebrews, Volume One: An Anchor for the Soul (Wheaton:

Crossway Books, 1993) p. 17.

Expanding Souls 75

on this journey, the bigger He becomes to us. The quest for an

ever-expanding vision of God is the subject of Jesus’ words in

this, the sixth beatitude:

___________________________________

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

- Matthew 5:8, NKJV

___________________________________


Many of the words we use on a daily basis contain a range

of possible meanings that can only be narrowed by the context

in which we use them. For example, the adjective “hard” can

mean impenetrable, resistant to change, curious, or unyielding,

depending on whether it is referring to something that is hard

as nails, someone who is hard-hearted, something that is hard

to figure out, or someone who is hard-nosed. Thus, the context

is often as important as the word itself in determining the in-

tended meaning.

Such is the case with the adjective translated “pure”

(katharos) in this beatitude. The root meaning is “to be of one

substance.” When used of inanimate objects, this term means

“to be unalloyed,” “unmixed,” or “free from contamination.”

But when used of people, as it is here with the human heart as

the object, it means “to be single-minded or uncompromising,”

or “to have one unwavering purpose.” And when that un-

wavering purpose refers to a spiritual objective, as it does in this


passage, katharos means “to possess a singular devotion,” or

“to be free of competing devotions.”3

In our own vernacular, the expression “pure in heart” con-

jures up a different image. We think of the innocent, of those

who are untouched by worldly influences. But we must set this

thought aside if we are to grasp the meaning of this beatitude.

Here the “pure in heart” are not the naive, but the determined.

They are not the unblemished, but those who are single-minded

in their devotion to God.

As we continue to dig deeper, we uncover another word

with a unique nuance of meaning. The Greek word orao, trans-

lated “see” in the phrase “they shall see God,” was one of six

words in the biblical Greek that could be translated this way. All

six carried the basic meaning of observing something, but each

with its own unique range of application. The particular empha-

sis of orao was “to see with understanding,” or “to observe with

an informed knowledge.”4

This was a word that took into account the fact that things

in life are not always as they seem. Take, for example the

common crocus. To the casual observer, the blooming of this

pretty garden prop heralds the coming of spring. However, few

who drink in its beauty are aware that actually ingesting this

flower can cause nausea, shock, or even death. To the un-

trained eye, the crocus is just another beautiful flower. But to a

horticulturist, this particular blossom presents a toxic threat to


and Other Early Christian Literature, Second Edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979) p. 388. 4Ibid., p. 577.

Expanding Souls 77

The single-minded see God actively

at work in their lives for one very

important reason: they desire to

have God at work in their lives!

the children and pets playing nearby. The horticulturist sees the

crocus with an informed knowledge of its hidden danger.

Likewise, this beatitude suggests that the pure in heart

(those who possess an unwavering devotion) will “see” God at

work in their lives where others miss Him. When life is going

well, the devoted are able to “see” their favorable circum-

stances for what they really are—a gift from God’s hand of pro-

vision. And even when life is challenging, the unwavering soul

finds consolation and reason to hope in the promise that “all

things [even difficult things] work together for good for those

who love God” (Romans 8:28, NKJV). So, whether in good times

or challenging times, the fully devoted are granted the capacity

to see life with a more informed understanding of what they

observe and experience.

Finally, we find that a subtle choice of syntax serves to em-

phasize this point even further. In the original text, Jesus stated

the verb “see” in the middle voice, indicating that the pure in

heart will “see” God “for themselves,” or “by their own initia-

tive.”5 This tells us that

the single-minded see

God actively at work in

their lives for one very

important reason: they

desire to have God at work in their lives. Cured from the cata-

racts of mixed devotion which cloud spiritual perception, the

5According to Dana and Mantey, “The middle voice is that use of the verb

which describes the subject as participating in the results of the action.” H. E. Dana and Julius R. Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament (Toronto: The Macmillan Company, 1955) p. 157.


fully devoted are enabled to see the ubiquitous presence of a

loving Creator intimately involved in the details of their every-

day experiences. Their single-minded devotion grants them the

power of a spiritual sixth sense—the ability to trace the very

hand of God.

6.2 \\ the atheistic century

At the dawn of the 20th century, less than 1 percent of the

world’s population would have identified themselves as athe-

istic, agnostic, or non-religious.6 But with the rise of the mod-

ern scientific era, the broader acceptance of Darwinism, as well

as the proliferation of such philosophical and political platforms

as existentialism, secular humanism, nihilism, Marxism and

communism, that number began to rise sharply. So different

was the religious landscape of the world by mid-century that

Time Magazine, on its cover of April 8, 1966, was prompted to

ask the question, “Is God Dead?” Now, in the early years of the

21st century, we live in a time when as many as 1.1 billion

people (some 16% of the world’s population) consider them-

6According to a leading source of religious demographics, World Christian

Encyclopedia: A Comparative Survey of Churches and Religions in The Modern World (David B. Barrett, et al., Oxford University Press, 2001), the number of persons considering themselves “non-religious” at the beginning of the 20

th

century was just 3.2 million (approximately 0.2 percent of the world’s then population), rising to nearly 1 billion by 2000.

Expanding Souls 79

selves non-religious.7 This represents the most dramatic shift of

religious opinion in recorded history, leading some to dub the

20th century the Atheistic Century.

What makes this shift of opinion so surprising is the context

in which it took place. Undeniably, the past hundred years has

been a period of dramatic advancements in both science and

technology. Through these developments, we have been given

the power to peer into the very fabric of God’s creation, to see

His brilliance in even greater detail. For this reason, the latter

half of the 20th century has also been declared the Information

Age.

One of the most significant of these advancements came in

1952 when scientists discovered the existence of DNA—the de-

tailed, coded, genetic blueprint of man. As a result of this dis-

covery, teams of scientists the world over were organized in an

effort to coordinate the huge task of translating the entire code.

This cooperative effort has resulted in many awe-inspiring re-

velations.

One such revelation concerned the sequencing for the pro-

tein hemoglobin, as highlighted in an issue of the Saturday

Evening Post in December, 1999.8 The article explained that this

singular protein has a specific sequence involving some 574

amino acids. This represents an extraordinarily long and spe-

7As per Adherents.com: National and World Religion Statistics – Church

Statistics – World Religions, 2005 (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_ Adherents.html#Nonreligious). Statistics from various reporting agencies and institutions generally agree. 8David Foster, “Proving God Exists,” Saturday Evening Post, 271, No. 4

(Nov/Dec 1999) pp. 59-61.


cific sequence of information, so much so that it raises serious

questions about the probability of such information ever com-

ing together by mere chance. In an attempt to help the reader

understand the remote likelihood of such detailed information

converging unintentionally, the article offered the following

analogy:

First, in order to establish a scale for comparison, we are

challenged to envision all of the atoms in the Universe as white

golf balls. This represents an unimaginably large number of golf

balls. In fact, to count the atoms in a single drop of water would

require the help of every human being alive, counting at the

rate of one atom per second, day and night, for twenty-thou-

sand years!9

Next we must visualize just one red golf ball thoroughly

mixed into this innumerable mass. Finally, we must picture a

blind-folded man sent out into this universe of golf balls and

given just one chance to randomly pick the odd, red ball. The

likelihood of this lone man picking the solitary red golf ball with

just one blind-folded attempt would be one in ten to the eight-

ieth power (1080). That’s ten with eighty zeros after it! Serving

as our point of reference, this number obviously indicates an

extremely unlikely event.

As staggering an improbability as 1 in 1080 might be, how-

ever, the likelihood of the sequence of information found in the

protein hemoglobin coming together in just the right order

would be one in ten to the six hundred fifty-fourth power

(10654). That’s ten followed by six hundred fifty-four zeros—an

9Richard A. Swenson, More Than Meets The Eye (Colorado Springs: NavPress,

2000) p. 103.

Expanding Souls 81

More than any of the genera-

tions that have preceded us,

we should see God.

We have mistakenly assumed

that it is possible to be intel-

lectually objective outside of

moral principle.

even far more unlikely occurrence! In the face of such astound-

ing statistics, the chief biochemist involved in the research ad-

mitted that the chance existence of this protein was virtually

impossible.

The information gleaned by such scientific research gives

the modern mind a tremendous advantage. Indeed, we live in a

unique and privileged time in human history. Previous genera-

tions knew nothing of quantum mechanics, the theory of rela-

tivity, supernovas, subatomic particles, or DNA. More than any

of the generations that have

preceded us, we should see

God. The generations who

came before us didn’t have

the advantage of knowing such things, yet they had more faith

in a purposeful and loving Creator than we do today.

Why the remarkable disparity between our ever-increasing

knowledge and our ever-diminishing faith? Why should belief in

God decline even as science provides us with a fuller revelation

of His creative genius? If what we needed to see God was more

proof, shouldn’t this generation have more faith than any other

in history? Whatever the cause of our spiritual blindness, it cer-

tainly can’t be blamed on a lack of information.

In this beatitude, Jesus points us to the real problem. We

fail to see God not because

we lack proof, but because

we lack purity in our search

for Him. Here Jesus exposes

one of the greatest fallacies

of modern academia—the notion that we can separate the pur-

suits of our minds from the condition of our hearts. We have


We don’t need more evidence of

God’s existence to see God; what

we need is more purity in our

pursuit of Him.

We hold the unenviable distinction of

seeing more than all the generations

that have preceded us, yet with less

understanding of what we observe.

mistakenly assumed that it is possible to be intellectually objec-

tive outside of moral principle. But try as we may, we can’t es-

cape the fact that there are moral implications to truth.

The blindness of the modern mind serves to illustrate the

fact that we are only able to believe with our minds what our

hearts allow us to be-

lieve. Facts can be

made to mean any-

thing we want them

to mean. In the end,

the one thing the Information Age has proven is that, when the

well of the human heart is contaminated, nothing drawn from it

can be trusted. The duplicity that exists in the modern pursuit

of knowledge has produced uncertainty of mind, in general, and

spiritual blindness, in particular.

As a result of this modern duplicity, we hold the unenviable

distinction of seeing more than all the generations that have

preceded us, yet with less understanding of what we observe.

We peer into the very fabric of God’s creation, but fail to see

any evidence of our Creator there. We are like the man who is

privileged to have a panoramic view of the Rocky Mountains

from his living room, but

fails to enjoy it because

his windows need clean-

ing. We don’t need more

evidence of God’s exist-

ence to see God; what we need is more purity in our pursuit of

Him.

Expanding Souls 83


Are there times when your life seems like nothing more

than a bunch of stuff that happens, with no rhyme or reason to

any of it? During these times, does God seem distant to you?

The biblical character, Job, had this experience. Just like most

of us, Job felt God’s nearness in times of blessing, but had a

more difficult time seeing God when his circumstances became

difficult.

It wasn’t that Job lacked a vision or a dream of seeing God.

We are told that the dream he clung to in his difficult circums-

tances was that he would see God—someday (Job 19:26, NIV).

But as wonderful a dream as it was, it wasn’t enough to relieve

Job of that sinking feeling that God had abandoned him in his

hour of need. In the midst of his tribulations, Job looked

around, but he couldn’t see any evidence of a caring and com-

passionate Creator anywhere.

Just like Job, we may dream of seeing God—someday. But

if we are to see the hand of God in a sin-cursed world where

bad things can and do happen to everyone, then we must have

a bigger dream. We need a dream of God that sees Him as

near, regardless of our circumstances. We need a dream that

believes there is a purpose in all things, so long as we walk

closely with Him. We need a dream that looks for the good

even in the bad, because God is always good. We need a dream

that imparts vision.

When we dream such a dream, we will see God. Our con-

sciousness of Him will become more encompassing, more per-

vasive. Like Lucy’s vision of Aslan, our vision of God will be-

come larger. This process will continue incrementally through-


Blessed are those who understand

that all it takes to see God at work in

their lives is the unwavering desire to

have God at work in their lives.

Find more joy in serving Jesus

than in earthly satisfactions,

and your Christ will tower!

out our lives, so long as we continue to look to God in the chal-

lenges of our spiritual journey.

How about you? Are you on a great adventure, an assign-

ment from your Creator? Are you taking His orders and imple-

menting them daily with the same sense of mission, wonder,

and awe as Lucy? Are you able to interpret the events of your

life as an important part of

that assignment? The ad-

venture that you have been

sent on today will expand

your soul and your vision of God, if only you will embrace it.

Yield more of your will to the will of Christ, and He will be-

come bigger to you. Believe that all things (yes, all things) in

your life have a divine purpose, and Jesus will grow larger. Find

more joy in serving Jesus than in earthly satisfactions, and your

Christ will tower! Blessed are those who understand that all it

takes to see God at

work in their lives is

the unwavering de-

sire to have God at

work in their lives.


Lord, I confess that at times I have allowed competing affec-

tions a place in my heart. As a result, I don’t see You at work in

my life the way I should. Enlarge my dream. Grant me the ability

to see You intimately involved in all the details of my life. Help

Expanding Souls 85

me to see Your hand in the wonderful things I experience, so

that I might celebrate Your goodness. And help me to discern

Your presence and purpose in the hard things I must face, so

that I may grow as a person of faith. Expand my soul, and with

it, my capacity to see You. Amen.

__________

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

- The Apostle James

CHAPTER 7 // why can't we all just get along?

Faith enables persons to be persons because it lets God be God.

- Carter Lindberg

MANY years ago, when the Fiji Islands were first civilized,

there was great interest in bringing commerce to this primitive

society. This was a daunting prospect, considering that the na-

tives had a particularly harrowing reputation for brutality. Yet

seeking to take advantage of the opportunity, a young mer-

chant visited the Islands in the hopes of getting in on the ground

floor. It just so happened, as he visited the home of a certain

chief, that he noticed a Bible prominently displayed, which he

took to be evidence of missionary influence. This prompted the

young man to comment, “What a shame that you have listened

to the foolish nonsense of the missionaries.”

The chief, taken aback by this remark, responded saying,

“Do you see the large white stone over there? That is a stone


that just a few years ago we used to smash the heads of our vic-

tims.” Then, pointing toward the center of the village, he asked,

“Do you see that large oven over there? That is the oven where

just a few years ago we used to bake the bodies of our victims

before we feasted on them.” The chief then leaned into the

face of the young man and added, “Had we not listened to what

you call the nonsense of the missionaries, I assure you that your

head would have already been smashed on that rock and your

body would already be baking in that oven.”1

The message of the cross is one of love and reconciliation.

Wherever it has been genuinely heeded, peace has replaced

animosity, kindness has replaced brutality, and acceptance has

replaced hostility. Its transforming power dismantles old ways

of life and replaces them with the peacemaking ways of God.

That’s because God has given each and every believer the

task of bringing peace to our world. 2 Corinthians 5:18 tells us

that through the message of the cross, God “has given us the

ministry of reconciliation” (NKJV). Having been reconciled to

God ourselves, we are now commissioned members of God’s

peacemaking task force. The blessing that comes to us as a re-

sult of fulfilling our commission is the focus of Jesus’ words in

this, the seventh beatitude:

___________________________________

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

- Matthew 5:9, NKJV

___________________________________

1K. P. Yohannan, Revolution In World Missions (Carrollton, Texas: GFA Books,

2004) p. 114.

Why Can’t We All Just Get Along 89


Politicians pursue peace through negotiation, while generals

pursue peace through military engagement. The peace won of

diplomacy is imperfect, having been born of compromise, with

both sides losing something in the process. The peace wrought

of war is also flawed, having been garnered by intimidation or

domination. The peace of God, however, as set forth in this

beatitude, is of an entirely different nature, being neither the

product of compromise, nor of intimidation.

Digging just below the surface of our English translation, we

find a couple of important clues as to the nature of beatific

peace. The first is found in the compound noun, eirenopoios,

which is translated “peacemaker.” Combining the words

“peace” and “doer,” it speaks of one who is a “producer of

peace.”2 But this is more than a descriptive noun—it is used

here as a title of honor. And as with any title deservedly bes-

towed, it refers to both the character, as well as the activity of

the bearer.

The second clue is found in the broader context. As dis-

cussed previously, each of the last four beatitudes are calls to

action that spring forth from a correlating attitude found in one

of the first four statements of blessing. By tracing this pattern,

we find that the action in this passage is the practical outwork-

ing of the attitude of meekness extolled in the third beatitude.

This connection is affirmed in Psalm 37:11, where we read, “The

meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the

2Arndt, W. F., and Gingrich, F. W., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New

Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Second Edition. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979) p. 228.


Apparently, we never look more like

our heavenly Father than when we, in

meekness, are about the important

business of peace making.

abundance of peace” (NKJV). According to the Psalmist, peace

will finally come to our embattled world when the reigns of con-

trol have been turned over, neither to the politicians, nor the

military leaders, but to the meek. The character and quality of

the peace they forge will be one bearing the very imprint of

God—so much so that these meek believers will gain the high

honor and distinction of being called “sons [and daughters] of

God.”

To characterize this special relationship, the Koine Greek

offered Jesus the

choice of two words.

The first was teknon,

which referred to a

biological son. The

other word—the one that Jesus actually employed—was huios,

which was used to describe someone who possessed certain

marked qualities that resembled those of a parent.3 By choos-

ing this word, Jesus was suggesting that, through the practice of

meekness, the peacemaker actually offers the world a glimpse

of God’s likeness.

In the annals of human history, men like Genghis Kahn and

Adolf Hitler made reputations for themselves by the way they

made war. By contrast, the children of God will distinguish

themselves by the way they make peace. Apparently, we never

look more like our heavenly Father than when we, in meekness,

are about the important business of peace making.

3Ibid., p. 833.


7.2 \\ steps to universal peace

“Why can’t we all just get along?”

This question, raised by Rodney King in the wake of the

violent L.A. race riots, remains a relevant question and a point

of frustration for many.

Peace. It’s the stereotypical wish of every beauty pageant

contestant. We adorn our cars with bumper stickers that en-

courage us to “Visualize Peace.” We emblazon protest placards

with admonitions to “Make Love, Not War.” We grope for racial

harmony, social harmony, religious harmony, and harmony in

our homes. We all desire to live in peace, but find it an elusive

and difficult goal to attain. Where do we turn to find an answer

to this universal problem?

Over the centuries, there have been a variety of solutions

set forth by the optimistic among us. One particularly creative

example appeared several years ago as a two-page ad in the

book review section of the New York Times. It was titled, “Four

Steps to Absolute Peace.”4 In this unusual proposal, Dr. Hisatoki

Komaki laid out four objectives that, if realized, promised to

usher in an age of universal peace.

Step one, he proposed, is to achieve peace among all the

peoples of the world. To accomplish this objective and elimi-

nate all human conflict, Dr. Komaki suggests that mankind must

completely disarm. This means the total eradication of all wea-

4This is one of several related ads credited to Dr. Hisatoki Komaki which

appeared in the New York Times book review section. This one ran on March 19, 1995. The ad stated that its content (along with other works by Dr. Komaki published by The International Earth Environment University Press) is available in booklet form from the Hisatoki Komaki Peace foundation, SAKAMOTO 2-CHOME, OTSU, SHIGA-KEN, Japan.


ponry, from handguns to the world’s nuclear arsenals. The time

frame suggested for this objective is immediate.

While this sounds like an enviable goal, how realistic is it,

really? Think about it—to disarm the entire world, someone

would have to convince every man, monarch and militia to

simultaneously lay down their arms. In today’s political climate,

can you imagine this happening without enforcement? And

doesn’t enforcement of this nature usually necessitate the use

(or at least the threatened use) of weaponry?

Step two is to achieve peace between man and animals. In

order to beget such harmony, the author suggests that we must

place a universal ban on the practice of eating meat. Addition-

ally, animal experimentation must cease, along with the use of

all insecticides. Dr. Komaki suggests that this could be accom-

plished within the next fifty years. Great news for PETA! And

for the meat eaters among us, this allows ample time to adjust

to our new diet!

Step three is to achieve peace among all animals (including

fishes and insects). To eliminate animal conflict, the author

suggests that we must prevent the members of the animal

kingdom from eating or attacking each other. To accomplish

this rather monumental undertaking, a modest time frame of

one hundred years is suggested. I imagine a hundred years was

deemed necessary, at a minimum, to allow for the advance-

ments in genetic engineering required to re-wire all animal spe-

cies into docile herbivores. How else could we eliminate this

undesirable behavior?

Step four is to achieve peace between mankind and all

other beings in the Universe. No time frame is suggested for

the accomplishment of this goal. It’s probably a good idea to


A modicum of humility is all we need

to realize that bringing in a universal

age of absolute peace will require

nothing less than the power and

wisdom of God Himself.

leave this one open-ended since we’ve yet to encounter any

hostile extra-terrestrials.

As implausible as each of these suggested steps may be, Dr.

Komaki’s proposals do at least offer us a hint of the magnitude

of the task. Attaining

universal peace is not

simply a question of

ending all war. When

all things are consid-

ered, it is clear that

the dream of achieving such peace is a far greater challenge

than mankind has the resources or ability to accomplish. A

modicum of humility is all we need to realize that bringing in a

universal age of absolute peace will require nothing less than

the power and wisdom of God Himself.

7.3 \\ producing peace in your world

Universal peace will one day visit our planet, but not in the

time of our own choosing, or by the might of our own effort.

Rather, it will come at the time of God’s choosing and by the

power of His might. The Prophets of old spoke eloquently of

this as a time when men would “beat their swords into plow-

shares and their spears into pruning hooks” (Micah 4:3, NKJV).

They spoke of the coming Messiah as the One who would be

called the “Prince of Peace,” and promised that “the increase of

his government and peace” would never end (Isaiah. 9:7, NKJV).

They predicted that He would overcome all obstacles to univer-

sal peace, even suggesting (as Komaki had hoped) that, “In that


Our faith response to the

promises of God must be

to let God be God.

day the wolf and the lamb will live together [and] the leopard

will lie down with the baby goat” (Isaiah 11:6, NLT). What man

cannot do through diplomacy, political prowess, or military

might, God will do for us. This may not be the solution which

our world desires, but it is the only sure hope for the peace our

world most desperately needs.

Sadly, this is a truth that has been lost even to the Church at

certain points in her history. Whether referencing the cruelties

of the Crusades or the tyrannical attempts of certain Reformers

to impose Christian rule upon the people of Geneva, a quick

survey of church history yields numerous examples of Christians

attempting to bring in God’s Kingdom of Peace by force—all

with disastrous results. That’s because God never intended the

Church to force God’s peace on this world. Tragically, at these

times, Christians bore a closer resemblance to the oppressors of

this world than to their heavenly Father.

Our faith response to the promises of God must be to let

God be God. We must resist the power trip involved in joining

campaigns to conquer the world for the Kingdom, and choose

instead to patiently wait on the Creator to do what He has

promised to do. For it’s only as

we let God be God that we are

freed to focus on the task that He

has actually assigned to us—

bringing peace to our own little corner of the world through the

practice of meekness.

The way we are to carry God’s message of reconciliation to

the world is by sowing seeds of peace at home, at work, and in

all of our day-to-day relationships. To do this we must lay down

our crusader spears and declare a truce with our brothers and


By adopting an attitude of

meekness … the natural tug

of war for power and control

in our personal relationships

will come to an abrupt end.

sisters; our fathers and mothers; our husbands and wives; our

friends and neighbors; our bosses and subordinates.

By adopting an attitude of

meekness and placing our

power under God’s control,

the natural tug of war for

power and control in our per-

sonal relationships will come

to an abrupt end. That’s because God calls each of us to “give

preference to one another” (Romans 12:10, NKJV). Practically

speaking, this means that we are to serve others first, and to

consider the needs of others above our own. The Bible tells us

that even those who lead among us are to demonstrate a ser-

vant-like attitude toward subordinates. This is the example of

the ultimate servant-leader, Jesus Himself. In Mark 10:45 we

read, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but

to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (NKJV). But

how often do we really see this scenario played out in our

boardrooms or bedrooms?

I have counseled many couples over the years, and I’ve seen

and heard just about every type of familial conflict. But there is

one argument I have never witnessed in a single counseling ses-

sion. I’ve never had a married woman come to me and com-

plain, “I don’t know what I’m going to do about my husband.

Every decision he makes is made with my best interest in mind.

This man never insists that his needs be met first. When is he

going to let me be the one who makes a sacrifice? Pastor, can

you tell me what to do with him?”

Nor have I ever heard a husband protest, “Pastor, I think we

need counseling. My wife always insists on serving my needs


Where is the wind to fan the

flames of conflict when all par-

ties are focusing their power

on meeting the needs, ad-

dressing the concerns, or as-

suaging the fears of others?

before her own. Whenever we have conflicting interests, she

always insists on adjusting her plans to accommodate mine. I

never get a chance to put her first. It’s just not fair! What

should I do?”

Just once, I would love to counsel a couple like this. But it’s

unlikely to ever happen because meek people seldom have

need for a mediator. Why would they, when even their disa-

greements are turned into opportunities for showing defer-

ence? By possessing a servant-like attitude, the meek sow

peace into all of their relationships.

Pause for a moment to imagine having this kind of relation-

ship with your spouse, your significant other, your sibling or

your subordinate. Where is the wind to fan the flames of con-

flict when all parties are focusing their power on meeting the

needs, addressing the concerns, or assuaging the fears of oth-

ers? This may sound like

pure fantasy, but this is, in

fact, the blessed peace-

fulness that is experienced

by those whose actions flow

from an attitude of meek-

ness.


Years ago, Mother Teresa said that when she looked into

the face of the beggars of Calcutta she would pray to see the

face of Christ instead. In this way she would serve them just as

she would serve Christ Himself. I wonder, what do you suppose


There is more joy to be found in

serving others in Jesus’ name

than in being served in our own.

More joy and a lot less conflict!

Blessed are those

who understand that

real peace is the by-

product of meekness.

those desperate beggars saw when they looked back into the

face of Mother Teresa? Most certainly they saw a woman who

bore a striking resemblance to her heavenly Father.

The call of Christ on our lives is to give up the fight for hav-

ing it our way and follow His example by becoming a servant to

all. When we do, we make an amazing discovery—there is

more joy to be found in serving others in Jesus’ name than in

being served in our own. More joy and a lot less conflict!

Instead of battling for control, we are called to bring peace

to our world by the practice of meekness. This approach may

not be very appealing to

our Rambo impulses, but it

is the way that God has

chosen to bring peace to

our little corner of the pla-

net. In a world bereft of peace, the attitude of meekness, dem-

onstrated by a lifestyle of service, marks the “blessed” as a spe-

cial people. This lifestyle, foreign as it is to our world, will

spawn rumors. These peacemakers will enjoy a sort of celebrity

status. They will become known as the “children of God.”

How about you? Will you ask God to make you a son or a

daughter, not just by spiritual birth, but by spiritual resem-

blance, as well? Will you shift the focus of your life from one of

self-promotion to one of promoting

God’s agenda? Will you learn to pre-

fer others above yourself? Will you

say yes to the peacemaking ways of

God? Will you place your power un-

der God’s control? Blessed are those who understand that real

peace is the by-product of meekness.



Lord, I repent of my earthbound dream for more power and

control. Instead, it’s my desire to become a peacemaker by

yielding my power of influence to Your control. Teach me to see

opportunities to serve others as opportunities to serve You. Re-

move from my life the unnecessary drama created by the selfish

pursuit of power and influence. Grant me the ability to find

more joy in serving others in Your name than in being served in

my own. Teach me to prefer others just as You preferred me.

Use me as an agent of peace in this embattled world. May a

watching world gain a glimpse of You in me. Amen.

__________

Pursue peace with all people.

- The Author of Hebrews

CHAPTER 8 // the everyday martyr

Nothing is more repugnant to capable, reasonable people than grace.

- John Wesley

ONE of my favorite ways to unwind at the end of a long day

is to plop down in front of the television for a little channel

surfing. One night, as I was clicking away, I came across a pop-

ular talk-news program featuring an interview with a religious

leader for whom I have a great deal of respect. The exchange

was largely positive until viewers were invited to call in with

comments. That’s when a rancorous frenzy ensued as one

caller after another took strong objection to the guest’s views

about salvation.

As I listened to the vitriolic bantering, I marveled at the

scathing retorts to the Gospel message. In the minds of many

today, Christianity is deemed as nothing more than a narrow-


The cross of Christ … happens to be the

most comprehensive and inclusive

gesture of acceptance and love the

world has ever, or will ever, know.

The accusation of intolerance

leveled against the Gospel is really

nothing more than a smoke screen

born of our culture’s over-inflated

sense of political correctness.

minded world view espoused by fanatical, right-wing bigots. So

strong is the negative public reaction that many of today’s

Christian leaders are choosing to downplay the biblical message

for fear of the adverse response it incites.

But the Gospel (which, by the way, means Good News!) is

God’s offer of salvation as a gift to everyone who will receive it–

Jew and Gentile,

black and white, rich

and poor, gay and

straight, moral and

immoral alike. Does

that sound narrow-minded to you? There is nothing intolerant

or bigoted about the Good News of God’s love. In fact, at the

heart of this message is the cross of Christ, which happens to be

the most comprehensive and inclusive gesture of acceptance

and love the world has ever, or will ever, know. The Apostle

John explained the all-encompassing nature of this message

when he wrote that, “God so loved the world that He gave His

only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not

perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, NKJV).

The accusation of intolerance leveled against the Gospel is

really nothing more than a smoke screen born of our culture’s

over-inflated sense of political correctness. The real clash here

is between two distinct ideologies—salvation by man’s efforts

and salvation by God’s

grace. Convinced of our

own ability to earn

God’s favor, our strong

inclination is to reject

God’s charity in favor of

The Everyday Martyr 101

our own formula for worthiness. The modern reaction decrying

intolerance is just another battle in this long war—one that has

been waged since the dawn of man.

For example, did you know that the first murder recorded in

the Bible came about as a direct result of animosities over this

very debate? The Bible tells us that Cain, the second son of

Adam, was the first person to strongly object to the idea that

there should be a single, prescribed way to find acceptance with

God. He did so by insisting that his own choice of offering (veg-

etables from his field) should be just as acceptable as the animal

sacrifice that God demanded.

Cain didn’t feel the need to come to God in the way that

was stipulated. Instead, he insisted on coming to God on his

own terms and in his own way. Cain’s vegetables represented a

proud spirit of self-justification. Instead of being grateful that

there was a way, he chose to resent it—he deemed it too nar-

row. Without realizing it, Cain became the father of alternative

religion.

By contrast, Abel, the eldest son of Adam, responded posi-

tively to the instructions, and thus to the promise of God. Abel

understood that the approved offering was symbolic of God’s

promise of grace—a promise that would find its ultimate fulfill-

ment through the sacrifice of Christ. Rather than resent this

single, specific way to salvation, Abel was glad to submit to

God’s instruction; he was grateful that there was a way at all.

The fact that Abel’s sacrifice was accepted by God, while

Cain’s was rejected, caused a serious rift between the brothers.

Cain’s resentment eventually boiled over, and he murdered his

brother out of jealousy. It is this same spirit, the spirit of Cain,


which we see operating today in those who respond so nega-

tively to the Gospel message.

This dynamic bares implications for every outspoken fol-

lower of Jesus. In a world that finds the Gospel so objectiona-

ble, we shouldn’t be surprised when those who attest to it are

despised and disparaged—it has been this way from the begin-

ning. Rather, we must be prepared for such persecution, accept-

ing it as confirmation of our witness to the message of grace.

Consider Jesus’ sobering words in this, the final beatitude:

___________________________________

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for

theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile

and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My

sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in

heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

- Matthew 5:10-12, NKJV

___________________________________


How do the words of this beatitude line up with your expec-

tation of the Christian experience? Do you envision the blessed

life as one of harmony and peace? Are you under the impres-

sion that, by practicing the principles of mercy, purity, and

peacemaking, you will somehow elicit the affection of a grateful

world?

Contrary to any such expectation, Jesus used a harsh term

to describe how those who live by these principles would ac-


God’s promise trumps

man’s threats!

tually be treated. The word He chose was dioko, which meant

to be “harassed” or physically “abused.”1 As illogical as such a

response may seem, the bleak prospect of such treatment is

reiterated repeatedly in the pages of Scripture. In Matthew

24:9, Jesus predicted that His followers would “be hated by all

nations” (NIV). In 2 Timothy 3:12, the Apostle Paul warned, “In

fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will

be persecuted” (NIV).

In anticipation of this inevitability, Jesus sought to allay the

fears of those who would endure such hostility by reminding

them of the promise of the first beatitude, that “theirs is the

kingdom of heaven.” By stating the verb in both the present

tense (here and now) and the indicative mood (an assured real-

ity), Jesus was affirming to his audience that their possession of

the Kingdom of Heaven is not some iffy, future possibility, but a

very present certainty. Therefore, no manner of maligning or

maltreatment can strip them of their promised possession.

God’s promise trumps man’s threats!

This is a powerful promise, offering assurance to all who

believe, whether they’re persecuted or not. But to the hassled,

the hated, and the harassed, Jesus offered an additional prom-

ise, saying, “... great is your reward in heaven.” Not only does

persecution fail to rob the threat-

ened of God’s promise of grace, but

bearing it actually serves to com-

pound the reward waiting for them in their Father’s presence.

1Arndt, W. F., and Gingrich, F. W., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New

Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Second Edition. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979) p. 201.


Our faithfulness arouses an

even more magnanimous re-

sponse from [God] when it’s

faithfulness under fire.

To this point, Jesus could not have been more emphatic.

The persecuted are not only promised reward, but great

reward—so great, in fact, that it should cause them to be “ex-

ceedingly glad” (a term evoking the image of jumping for joy).2

To drive this point home even more forcefully, Jesus repeated

His declaration of blessedness a second time—something we

only find here in this final beatitude. Those who not only re-

ceive the promise of God in humility, but defend it in the face of

adversity are, in the strongest sense, doubly blessed.

Above all else, God’s grace is reassuring. It comforts the

poor in spirit by promising them that the entire Kingdom of

Heaven is their certain possession. Then, during times of severe

religious opposition, grace reminds them that the tighter they

cling to the promise of God, the more generous will be the re-

ward waiting for them in heaven. This is supreme assurance,

indeed, dispelling all the doubts that those who oppose the

message of grace would seek to instill.

When we consider the magnitude of the previous seven

promises of blessing, we are left to marvel at the strong lan-

guage used here. Of all of the declarations and promises of

blessedness, this one is stated most forcefully. Interestingly,

Jesus did not reveal any of

the details of this great re-

ward. Perhaps our current

frame of reference is just too

limited for words to begin to

describe it. But one thing this

emphatic pronouncement reveals is that the character trait God

2Ibid., p. 4.


cherishes most in us (our faithfulness) arouses an even more

magnanimous response from Him when it’s faithfulness under

fire.

8.2 \\ faithfulness under fire

In the spring of 1997, Brad and Misty Bernall had their

hands full with their daughter. Cassie was a young, energetic

teenager who had gotten involved with the wrong crowd. Her

clothes suddenly became darker, her music became darker, and

her mood became darker, as well. The deep pool of friends that

she once enjoyed had drained to just a few, and their clothes

and music were even darker than her own.

Discouragement gave way to despair as Brad and Misty dis-

covered a letter written to their daughter from her new best

friend. In it they read of a plot to kill a teacher who had given

this new acquaintance an “F” on one of her assignments. It

went on to express hatred for both sets of their parents and

contained allusions to self-mutilation, satanic meetings, and

adoration of Marilyn Manson and his music. But what startled

them most was the suggestion that the best solution to all of

Cassie’s problems was to kill her mom and dad. There were

even diagrams for how the murder should be carried out.

Not knowing what else to do, these frightened parents

called the police. Then they secured a court order that prohi-

bited Cassie’s girlfriend from having any future contact with her.

It would be a severe understatement to say that Cassie did not

respond well to her parents’ actions. She began to freely ex-

press her disdain for them, and even threatened suicide. Ulti-


mately, Brad and Misty felt they had no choice but to restrict

their daughter to the confines of their home in order to shield

her from these negative influences.

Though some well intentioned friends thought the Bernalls

were overreacting, they refused to compromise their convic-

tions. But their commitment to practice tough love would come

with a high price. Late at night their house became the target of

rock and egg throwing attacks. The situation became so intol-

erable that they eventually decided to sell their house and

move out of the neighborhood and out of the school district.

The only place these desperate parents felt they could

safely allow Cassie to go was the last place she wanted to be—

church. Yet it was at church that she met another teenage girl

with whom she could relate. This new friend invited Cassie to

attend a youth retreat. It proved to be a turning point in her

life. Brad would later use these words to describe his daughter

upon her return:

It was as if she had been in a dark room and

somebody had turned the light on and she

could suddenly see the beauty surrounding

her.3

Cassie came back from the event transformed by the ex-

perience. She began to attend church of her own accord. She

became involved in youth group activities. She even began to

invite others, and eventually became a student leader. The

3 Misty Bernall, She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall. (New

York: Simon & Schuster, 1999) pp. 93-94.


acrimony between her and her parents was replaced by a

growing love and trust. The Bernall family, once fractured, had

been restored by the life-changing power of God’s grace. On

April 19, 1999, Cassie penned these words in a note to a friend:

“P.S. Honestly, I want to live completely for God. It’s hard and

scary, but totally worth it.”4

Then came April 20th. Cassie was in her school library at

about 11:00 a.m. on a day that seemed like any other day. Little

could she have known that the dark lifestyle she had left behind

was about to pay her another visit in the form of two heavily

armed young men making their way down the hallway in long,

black trench coats.

Shots were fired and screams were heard as students

streamed through the library, panicked and scattering in every

direction. Cassie suddenly found herself confronted by these

two young men with no means of escape. Josh, a young soph-

omore, ducked under a table just twenty feet from where

Cassie stood. He gave this account of what followed:

I couldn’t see anything when these guys came

up to Cassie, but I could recognize her voice. I

could hear everything like it was right next to

me. One of them asked her if she believed in

God. She paused, like she didn’t know what she

was going to answer. And then she said, ‘Yes.’

She must have been scared, but her voice didn’t

sound shaky. It was strong. Then they asked

4Ibid., front matter


Martyrdom, for the Christian,

is much more than a way of

dying; it’s also intended to be

a way of living.

her why, though they didn’t give her a chance

to respond, they just blew her away.”5

You’ve heard the story of that tragic day at Columbine High

School. Cassie showed up to school that morning with no clue

of how her faith would be tested. But she heard the gunshots.

She saw the look of terror on

the faces of those running

for cover. She knew, only

too well, the lifestyle and

mindset of these two young

men. And she was well aware of what would happen if she was

truthful in answering the question that was posed to her.

It is difficult for most people to understand Cassie’s choice

that day. How could anything be more important than preserv-

ing one’s own life? Yet, in that moment’s pause, as she took

stock, she concluded that one thing was.

Cassie became a martyr for simply saying, “Yes.” But we

must be careful not to parse Cassie’s life, separating the way

she died from the way she lived. Martyrdom, for the Christian,

is much more than a way of dying; it’s also intended to be a way

of living. The Apostle Paul expressed it this way when he wrote,

“I die daily” (1Corinthians 15:31, NKJV). He made a conscious

decision, every single day, to “die” to self and live for God.

Christian martyrdom is about giving God the place of priority in

our lives. It’s about standing up for our faith, even though, as

Cassie put it, it may be “hard and scary.”

5Ibid., p. 14.


The school of the Christian

martyr is the classroom of

everyday life, and the cur-

riculum is mastered through

small acts of devotion.

We disrespect eternity when

we act like living in the moment

is all that really matters.

Cassie’s mother later wrote a book to honor the life and

sacrifice of her daughter, which she titled, She Said Yes.6 What

a great summary of a life! Cassie was prepared to say yes be-

cause, like Paul, she had already given God first place in her life.

She died just the way she lived, by preferring to please God ra-

ther than men. Her courage in the face of death was simply an

extension of the conviction with which she lived each day.

And so it is for every devoted believer. We don’t have to

literally face death to live the

life of a martyr. All that we

have to do is put God first—in

all that we do. And when we

say yes to God in the small

things of today, He prepares us

to say yes to Him in the bigger things of tomorrow. The school

of the Christian martyr is the classroom of everyday life, and the

curriculum is mastered through small acts of devotion.


In every way that God wishes to bless us, there stands an

earthbound dream compet-

ing for our attention. We

cling to these dreams as

though we will never have

to let them go. But we disrespect eternity when we act like

living in the moment is all that really matters. These

earthbound dreams are nothing more than passing fancies,

6Ibid.


Persecution, rather than praise,

became the crowning feature of

Jesus’ earthly life.

Blessed are those who

understand that it is more

important to please God

than men, no matter the

cost.

unworthy of the devotion we tend to give to them. God has

much bigger things in mind for each of us.

One of the most alluring of our earthbound dreams is the

desire to be loved and admired by a watching world—to have

the world’s crown of ap-

proval placed upon our

heads. But the only crown

the world placed on Jesus’

head was a crown of thorns. Persecution, rather than praise,

became the crowning feature of Jesus’ earthly life.

According to this final beatitude, abasement and abuse will

likewise become the crowning feature of the lives of those who

choose to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. In fact, we know that we

are exemplifying the blessed character qualities of the Beati-

tudes when we are maligned or mistreated for those very quali-

ties. This is the blessed life in full bloom. We might prefer to be

loved by both God and man, but just like Jesus, we must choose

the approval of one or the other.

Which choice have you made? Do you seek the approval of

God above the praise of men? If someone were to write a book

about your life, what would the

title be? Would it reflect a life of

devotion? Are you living the life

of a martyr by saying yes to God

in the small things of daily life? Is

it your desire to be found faithful

to Him above all others? Are you willing to share in the suffer-

ings of Christ? Blessed are those who understand that it is more

important to please God than men, no matter the cost.



Lord, You and You alone deserve my full devotion. When I’m

lured away by the promise of the world’s approval, grant me the

resolve to remain true to You. Through acts of faithfulness in

small things today, prepare me to be faithful to You in even big-

ger things tomorrow. And when I am maligned or mistreated

for my faith, grant me the courage to endure whatever abuse

the world might dole out to me. Bestow on me the crown of

Your approval, even when it becomes a crown of thorns. May I

be found faithful to You—no matter the cost. Amen.

__________

You will indeed drink from my cup.

- Jesus Christ

CHAPTER 9 // pass the salt

Pride is the perverse desire of height.

- Augustine

THERE was once a flock of pelicans that happily fished off the

coast of California. One day, a fishing company began cleaning

their catch at a nearby dock, where it was convenient for them

to cast the discarded fish scraps into the water. The pelicans,

drawn to the daily ritual, soon gave up fishing for themselves

and settled into a more domesticated existence. Life was pretty

good for these pelicans, at least until the fishermen discovered

that there was a market for fish scraps. Abruptly, the free

meals ceased.

Despite this regrettable change of fortune, the pelicans con-

tinued to show up every day at meal-time, only to go away with

empty stomachs. It wasn’t long before the lack of sustenance


began to take its toll. The unsightly appearance of the ema-

ciated birds eventually drew the public’s attention, and experts

were called in to investigate the cause of their plight. For some

unknown reason, the pelicans no longer seemed able to access

the abundance of food that teemed just below them in the sea.

After a thorough investigation, it was concluded that the peli-

cans were starving to death because they’d forgotten how to

fish!

Have you ever heard of anything so absurd? Pelicans were

made to fish. But they had forgotten who they were and what

they were made to do. Sadly, there is a spiritual parallel to this,

and it’s just as puzzling. It’s when a child of God forgets who

they are and how they are to access the profound blessings

teeming just below the surface of their everyday life. Spiritual

amnesia is the subject of this, the first of two metaphors meant

to illustrate the blessed life:

___________________________________

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor,

how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be

thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

- Matthew 5:13, NKJV

___________________________________


Like all great teachers, Jesus turns our ears into eyes by us-

ing the brush of metaphor to paint a picture of what it means to

be blessed. At first glance, the portrait seems common and

Pass The Salt 115

Like all great teachers, Jesus turns

our ears into eyes by using the brush

of metaphor to paint a picture of

what it means to be blessed.

uninspiring. After all, what is more familiar and less inspiring

than salt? Upon closer observation, however, we see the bril-

liance of the artist.

Most of us think of salt as a mere table condiment, but

there are many subtle ways that our lives are affected by this

amazing compound. If you’ve ever been on a low salt diet, you

realize that it’s the salt that allows the full flavor of food to

come to the fore. If you’ve ever had dental surgery, you know

how helpful those warm, saltwater rinses are. If you enjoy

home-made ice cream, you understand that salt makes the ice

even colder, allowing old-fashioned ice cream machines to pro-

duce a frozen product. If you’ve ever lived in a home that de-

pends on well water, you grasp the importance of maintaining

the proper level of salt in your water softening system—too

soft, and you can wash all day and never get the soap off your

body—too hard, and

the soap loses its la-

ther.

In certain parts of

the world, salt is even

used to preserve dung as a source of fuel (and you thought the

smell of gasoline was noxious!). What’s more, when used for

this purpose, the salt causes this primitive fuel source to burn

even hotter. So, the chemical properties of sodium chloride

make ice colder and dung burn hotter! Now that’s versatility.

In fact, the salt industry claims over 14,000 practical uses for

this remarkable product.

Salt enjoyed a wide range of applications in ancient Pales-

tine, as well, where it was employed as a condiment, an anti-

septic, and even as a primitive weed killer. Lacking the benefit


Their desperation and destitution …

actually made them the perfect

couriers of God’s love and grace.

of refrigeration, the ancients relied on salt as their primary

means for preserving meats. And because of its use in their

ritual sacrifices, the Jews of the day associated salt with their

covenant with God (Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19).

The combination of these useful applications made this

compound so valuable that Roman soldiers were glad to receive

their wages in salt rations, giving rise to the expression “worth

his salt.” When these rations were later substituted with

money, the Latin term for salt (sal) lingered in the vernacular.

Consequently, one’s stipend was labeled salarium, a precursor

to our word “salary.”

So, when Jesus turned to His disciples and said, “You are the

salt of the earth,” He was proclaiming their intrinsic value to

God’s purposes in this world. Of course, Jesus spoke these

words to the poor, the mournful, the meek, and the hungry—

unlikely candidates, by the estimation of most, for such a

weighty designation.

Nevertheless, hidden

to the English reader,

Jesus placed extra em-

phasis on the word “you” by employing repetition. Thus, a lit-

eral translation would read, “You, you are the salt of the earth!”

Clearly, Jesus saw something in these lowly souls that oth-

ers could not see. Their desperation and destitution, which

only served to discredit them in the eyes of men, actually made

them the perfect couriers of God’s love and grace. But as

affirming and hopeful as these words must have been to those

who first received them, Jesus was quick to express one very

serious misgiving—the possibility that these humble followers

Pass The Salt 117

might lose the very quality that made them so valuable in the

world.

As with any spiritual character quality, there looms the dan-

ger that it might become corrupted. Thus, Jesus drew their at-

tention to the analogy of salt that had lost its saltiness. It was

admittedly a curious illustration, given the fact that sodium

chloride is one of the most stable of all compounds. Indeed, the

salt in your saltshaker will remain salty ad infinitum. Left to it-

self, salt does not degrade. There is, however, one thing that

can diminish its chemical property—the presence of a contam-

inant.

As it happens, there existed a notable example of this phe-

nomenon in the salt that was mined from the nearby flats

surrounding the Dead Sea. Salt harvested from this region was

often corrupted with gypsum or other mineral deposits. The

presence of these deposits caused the salt to leach out,

effectively neutralizing it. The unwitting buyer of contaminated

salt was left with a worthless product, good for little else than

to be dumped onto the pathways and dirt roads of ancient

Palestine as nothing more than a weed killer. Such discarded

salt served as a startling picture of the humble follower who had

become corrupted by the prideful attitudes of this world.

9.2 \\ where's the salt?

Did you know that there are, by conservative estimates,

more than twenty-five times the number of churches in America


than there are McDonald’s restaurants?1 Despite this fact,

there are more Americans who can recite the contents of a Big

Mac from the old commercial jingle than can explain the terms

of the New Covenant. “Two all beef patties, special sauce, let-

tuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.” Why isn’t

the Christian message as clearly understood? One has to ask,

where’s the salt? Please, don’t say it’s on the french fries!

The reason for this disparity is hinted at in the results of an

enlightening study that was conducted by the Fuller Theological

Seminary. The project revealed that churches that were three

years old or younger were able to influence one new person

with the Gospel for every three members in attendance. But as

these newly formed churches began to age an interesting trend

emerged. Congregations that were four to seven years old re-

quired seven members to influence one new person toward

faith, while churches that were ten years old or older needed as

many as eighty-five people to influence just one other person!2

This was Jesus' concern. He knew that, with the passing of

time, exposure to the corrupting influences of this world would

tend to degrade the spiritual character traits set forth in the

beatitudes. These contrastive qualities, enumerated in the first

four beatitudes (poverty of spirit, mourning over sin, meekness,

and hungering for righteousness) must be kept pure of the cor-

1Based on estimates of 350,000 churches vs. approximately 13,000 Mc-

Donald’s restaurants in the U.S. as of the date of this publication. 2From Into the Future: Turning Today’s Church Trends Into Tomorrow’s Oppor-

tunities by Elmer Towns and Warren Bird (Revell: Grand Rapids) p.85, as

referenced by H. B. London, Jr., “The Pastor’s Weekly Briefing,” Focus on the

Family, vol. 7, no. 27, 2 July 1999.

Pass The Salt 119

Sadly, many who have received

the free gift of God’s grace have

gone on to drift from the humility

that such an act required.

rupting influences of the world if the believer is to maintain a

contrastive presence.

For example, if being “salt” (according to the first beatitude)

means recognizing that

we’re all spiritually bank-

rupt before a holy God,

then we lose our salti-

ness the moment we be-

gin to take pride in our own good deeds. Such contaminated

thinking reduces all our best efforts to mere acts of arrogance

and conceit. This is the antithesis of what it means to be poor in

spirit.

If being “salt” (according to the second beatitude) means

recognizing sin as the root cause of all that ails our troubled

world, then we begin to lose our saltiness when we rationalize,

excuse, or make occasion for disobedience to the revealed will

of God. Such contaminated thinking, if allowed to persist,

threatens to cause our salty savor to leach out, having been

compromised by the permissive attitudes of the world. This is

the antithesis of what it means to mourn over sin.

If being “salt” (according to the third beatitude) means re-

cognizing that we must submit our power of influence to God’s

control, then we begin to lose our saltiness whenever we use

our influence for self-serving interests. Our thinking has be-

come contaminated when we are driven by power and preoc-

cupied with position. This is the antithesis of what it means to

be meek.

And finally, if being “salt” (according to the fourth beati-

tude) means recognizing that we should hunger and thirst for

the righteousness of God, then we lose our saltiness when we


If there’s one thing even more

challenging than being humble,

it’s remaining humble.

begin to think that we are held in God’s good graces by our own

merit. Our thinking has become contaminated when we seek to

don ourselves in garments of good deeds, forgetting that we

need no other robe of justification then that which has been

imparted to us by faith. This is the antithesis of what it means

to hunger and thirst for the one, true, and perfect righteousness

of God.

Sadly, many who have received the free gift of God’s grace

have gone on to drift from

the humility that such an

act required. This is the

trap that ensnares us the

moment we forget how we have been blessed. Like the

absentminded pelicans off the coast of California, we tend to

forget the true source of our spiritual sustenance and security.

To avoid this danger, every believer must remember that it was

only by a pure humility that he first received the blessings of

God. Thus, it can only be by a pure humility—fostered and

maintained—that he can continue to thrive on His blessings.

This is easier said than done. For, if there’s one thing even

more challenging than being humble, it’s remaining humble.

But this is exactly what we must do if we are to be the “salt of

the earth.” Self-exalting, self-righteous Christians have lost their

saltiness. It has leached out, having been contaminated by the

prideful attitudes of the world.

Pass The Salt 121

9.3 \\ keep your salt pure!

Wouldn’t it have been nice if Jesus had said that we were to

be the sugar of the world? Everyone likes sugar. If we were the

sugar of the world, the world would rave about us—we would

be the most popular people on the planet. But if we were the

sugar of the world, we would fall short of our purpose. Rather

than helping others to see their need to be reconciled with God,

we would soothe their guilt. Instead of pricking their con-

science with conviction, we would placate and appease it.

Sure, a spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down,

but sugar itself does nothing to promote health. No, we are the

salt of the world. Salt is sharp and it stings, but it also enhances,

heals, and preserves as it exerts a contrastive presence in a

bland and decaying world. Each one of the salty beatitudes is a

call to be different. Each one defies a fundamental tenet of our

world. Each one challenges a belief that is popularly considered

to be incontrovertible. Each one calls us to possess an attitude

that is truly contrastive to the prideful, self-centered spirit of

this world.

The poor in spirit are those who have forsaken their spiri-

tual pride in favor of embracing their spiritual indebtedness.

The mournful are those who have traded in their shallow sor-

rows for a soul wrenching grief over sin. The meek are those

who have forfeited the selfish grasp for power so prevalent in

our world, yielding themselves instead to God’s power and con-

trol. The hungry and thirsty are those who have fasted from

vain religiosity, cultivating instead an appetite for the one, true

righteousness of God.


No one feels saltier

than a legalist.

The person who is filled with

religious pride doesn’t possess

a contrastive spirit to that of

the world, so much as an ex-

aggerated version of the same

spirit.

On the other hand, the person who is filled with religious

pride doesn’t possess a contrastive spirit to that of the world, so

much as an exaggerated ver-

sion of the same spirit. They

boast that they give more, or

pray more, or witness more

than others; or they drink

less, or swear less, or sin less

than others. They devise

standards of spiritual superiority by which they measure them-

selves against others, and then they point to those very things

as the proof of their saltiness.

No one feels saltier than a legalist. But in their quest to dis-

tinguish themselves as more righteous than others, they suc-

ceed only in becoming more self-right-

eous. Instead of contrasting the flavor

of worldly pride and arrogance, they

simply add more of the same flavor to the pot.

Rather than blending in with the flavor of the world, or

sugar-coating over all that ails it, the blessed believer is called to

demonstrate the contrast of God’s grace. They are to live in a

manner that is juxtaposed to the spirit of self-righteousness and

self-promotion. The danger of which Jesus warns us in this

metaphor is that we might lose sight of our heavenly purpose;

that we might forget who we are; that we might revert back to

our old ways of thinking; that we might become contaminated

by the pervasive attitudes of the masses; that we might lose the

salty savor of grace.

Pass The Salt 123


Lord, the world around me is constantly calling me back to

my old ways of thinking, to my old prideful attitudes. When this

happens, remind me that to be the salt this world so desperately

needs, I must forsake the corruption of spiritual pride. Remind

me to grieve over sin as the root cause of all that is regrettable

in this world. Remind me to yield my power of influence to Your

control. Remind me to repent, not just of my sins, but of my

proud acts of self-righteousness, as well. May I never forget

that it was by a pure humility that I was birthed into the King-

dom of Heaven. Amen.

__________

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

- Solomon

CHAPTER 10 // let there be light!

There is not enough darkness in all the world to

put out the light of even one small candle.

- Robert Alden

DURING the 1980s, one television show captured the imagi-

nation of a generation. The program was titled Lifestyles of the

Rich and Famous because it showcased the conspicuous con-

sumption of the world’s richest celebrities. Each week, Robin

Leach would lead his audience on a tour of the most palatial

mansions imaginable, appointed with everything from rare art

collections to gold-plated bathroom fixtures. Like most viewers,

I found myself drawn to those “champagne dreams and caviar

wishes.”

In the precepts of the Beatitudes, Jesus guides us on a tour

of the lifestyles of the spiritually rich and eternally Influential.


Those who have been

granted the extraordinary

privileges spelled out in the

first four beatitudes bear

their own noble obligation.

The journey begins with a description of God’s lavish generosity

to the poor, the sad, the meek and the hungry. Included in their

highly diversified portfolio is the deed to joint ownership of the

entire Kingdom of Heaven. As if that weren’t enough, they also

boast of infinite shares of God’s consolation, an irrevocable

trust of an earthly inheritance, and a defined benefit plan for

the satisfaction of their deepest spiritual longing. We are left to

marvel at the extravagance and privilege of such unimaginable

spiritual wealth.

But there’s more. Jesus’ pronouncements of blessing con-

tinued, albeit with a shift of focus. Between the fourth and fifth

beatitudes, Jesus turned His attention from the high privilege of

the blessed life to the high responsibility inherent in it. The

French have a term for the chord Jesus struck in the second half

of the Beatitudes—they call it the noblesse oblige. This term

referred to the noble obligation borne by the more fortunate to

assist the less fortunate. In the nautical world, the idea is ex-

pressed in terms of a vessel of

burden—a reference to the

duty of a more powerful, more

maneuverable ship to show

deference to a slower, less ma-

neuverable vessel.

Likewise, those who have been granted the extraordinary

privileges spelled out in the first four beatitudes bear their own

noble obligation. As vessels of burden, it becomes their respon-

sibility to accommodate those who are less privileged. This duty

is illustrated for us in this, the second metaphor:

Let There Be Light! 127

___________________________________

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be

hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket,

but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good

works and glorify your Father in heaven.

- Matthew 5:14-16, NKJV

___________________________________


As with the salt metaphor, this declaration must have come

as a great surprise to those who first received it. Such an as-

sembly of sad souls would have never thought of themselves as

“the light of the world.” Once again, Jesus is emphatic here,

employing repetition to place added stress on the word “you.”

A more literal translation of His charge would read, “You, you

are the light of the world.”

This remarkable pronouncement was clearly intended to

challenge our preconceived notions. Who, besides Jesus, would

look out into such a dismal, dreary crowd and make such a

statement? “The light of the world” was indeed a strange de-

piction to attribute to this gloomy gathering.

Moments earlier, Jesus had challenged these same listeners

to think of themselves as the “salt of the earth.” This statement

would have surely drawn their thoughts to the great salt flats

that sprawled across the shores of the Dead Sea, just a short

journey to the south. Likewise, when He declared them to be


“the light of the world,” their thoughts would have just as cer-

tainly been drawn to the hills and caves that rose above those

salt flats—the dwelling place of a devout sect of Jews who ac-

tually referred to themselves as The Sons of Light.1

This monastic community, also known as the Essenes, hid

themselves in the caves and grottos of Qumran in an effort to

escape worldly influences. Among the various religious move-

ments in first century Israel, the Essenes were the most zealous

in their desire to be set apart and dedicated to the things of

God. Compelled by their religious devotion, they sequestered

themselves not only from a pagan world, but from all of the

other sects of Israel, judging them all to be too worldly.

There, in the caves of Qumran, this pious band of devotees

practiced celibacy, ate only vegetables, transcribed religious

literature, and spent their days secluded in contemplative ser-

vice to God. Believing they were enlightened, they failed to see

the contradiction between their self-perception and their own

actions. How, after all, is it possible to bear the light of God

from a cave?

It seems apparent that Jesus intended to draw a direct con-

trast between the humble estate of those seated before Him

and the lofty, prideful posture of those self-proclaimed Sons of

Light. Although the Essenes boasted of being the light, their

influence had become as dark as the caves they called their

sanctuary and as lifeless as the Dead Sea upon whose salty

shores they dwelled. Despite their great zeal to serve God, the

spirituality practiced by this exclusive community served as the

perfect anti-type to the blessed life.

1As documented in the Dead Sea Scrolls, Section 1QS 1:3, 11.


The Essenes were salt that had

been contaminated by religious

pride; they were a light that

had been hidden by spiritual

separatism.

The Essenes were salt that had been contaminated by reli-

gious pride; they were a light that had been hidden by spiritual

separatism.2 Instead of being humble before God, they were

proud. Instead of seeking God’s righteousness, they were satis-

fied with their own. Spiritually speaking, they had veered the

wrong direction at every turn. In their eagerness to be set apart

from the world, they be-

came a characterization of

worldly pride. Dedicated to

winning the religious ver-

sion of the childhood game

King of the Hill, they failed

to realize that all their efforts actually accomplished was to set

them atop the wrong hill.

But while the Essenes were busy working on their spiritual

resumé, Jesus turned His attention to a disheveled group of

misfits and said the last thing they ever expected to hear. Con-

trary to public opinion, they were the pure “salt” and the visible

“light” of the world. Although set apart from the rest of society

by their desperation, Jesus looked them right in the eye and de-

clared, in so many words: The self-righteous aren’t God’s salt –

you, you are! The spiritually proud aren’t God’s light – you, you

are!

2By removing themselves from the corrupting influences of society, the

Essenes also removed themselves from having any influence on society. In fact, the community of the Essenes eventually died out, and for two thousand years they were lost to history. They are only known to us today by the chance discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls—the religious and biblical transcripts they left behind in the caves of Qumran.


Salt works secretly, while

light … makes a public

display of itself.

10.2 \\ who turned out the lights?

Salt works secretly, while light works openly. Salt per-

meates internally, while light shines externally. The influence of

salt is subtle, while light makes a

public display of itself. Whereas

Jesus employed the salt metaphor

to illustrate the internal heart atti-

tudes commended in the first four beatitudes (e.g., poverty of

spirit, spiritual mourning, meekness, and hungering for true

righteousness), He invoked the light metaphor as a picture of

the external actions extolled in the remaining four beatitudes

(e.g., acts of mercy, and the practices of purity, peacemaking,

and perseverance).

And just as it is possible for the saltiness of a believer to be-

come contaminated, the danger also exists that his light might

become obscured. If letting our light shine, according to the

fifth beatitude, means extending God’s mercy to others, then

we effectively hide our lamp when we forgo the opportunity to

extend God’s love to the unworthy, the broken, the weak, the

self-destructive, the lowly, the rejected, and the offensive. Who

will see our light if we fail to demonstrate compassion as oppor-

tunities arise? This is the antithesis of the blessed lifestyle, the

opposite of what it means to be counted among the merciful.

If letting our light shine, according to the sixth beatitude,

means possessing a single-minded devotion to God, then we

effectively hide our lamp whenever we waver in our commit-

ment to Him. Who will see our light if we falter in our devo-

tion? This is the antithesis of the blessed lifestyle, the opposite

of what it means to be pure in heart.


If letting our light shine, according to the seventh beatitude,

means cultivating peace, then we effectively hide our lamp

whenever we engage our world in a battle for power and con-

trol. Who will see our light if we are scratching and clawing to

come out on top? This is the antithesis of the blessed lifestyle,

the opposite of what it means to be a peacemaker.

If letting our light shine, according to the eighth beatitude,

means enduring persecution for our faith, then our lamp is hid-

den whenever we seek the approval of the world before the

approval of God. We might wish to live a life that is applauded

by both God and man, but no such lifestyle exists. Who will see

our light if we conform to the expectations of the world? This is

the antithesis of the blessed lifestyle, the opposite of what it

means to be persecuted for Jesus’ sake.

10.3 \\ let your light shine!

At the one hundred year anniversary of the arrival of mis-

sionaries to the Congo, a large celebration was planned. In

commemoration of the lasting impact of the work of the origi-

nal missionaries, speakers were invited to address the gather-

ing. Special music, a festive meal, and other activities were

planned as a memorial to this important occasion.

As the story goes, an aged native came forward and intro-

duced himself to the crowd as the last person alive who was

privy to a terrible secret. The old man confessed that one hun-

dred years earlier, when the missionaries first came, the natives

didn’t know whether to believe the message they carried. So, in

order to test their sincerity, they devised a plan.


By living out the lifestyles

of the spiritually rich and

eternally influential, we

put God’s extravagant love

and grace on display.

As we fulfill the responsibilities of

the blessed life ... some will reject

us, some will be intrigued by us,

some may even believe because

of us, but all will see God’s light!

Slowly, secretly, systematically, they began to poison the

missionaries. Then they watched intently as mothers said

goodbye to children, as husbands said good-bye to wives, as

friends and colleagues said good-bye to one another. The old

man explained that it was only as they saw how these missiona-

ries died, that the truth of their message was confirmed. As a

result, many of the people believed and embraced the Gospel

message.

In what manner must these men and women have died to

have so convincingly confirmed

the message they brought to

the Congo? No doubt, they died

just as they had lived—as those

who clung tenaciously to eternal

promises. They died as those

who were blessed, despite losing every earthly reason for hap-

piness. They died as those who had traded in their earthbound

dreams for heaven bound certainties.

As privileged children of God, we have been given the re-

sponsibility to shine forth the truth of God’s love to a spiritually

dark and impoverished

world. By living out the

lifestyles of the spiritually

rich and eternally influen-

tial, we put God’s extra-

vagant love and grace on

display. This happens as our hearts grow softer through the

practice of mercy, as our eyes grow more perceptive through

the practice of purity, as our character grows more Christ-like

through the practice of peacemaking, and as our status in the


Kingdom of God is increased through the practice of persever-

ance. As we fulfill the responsibilities of the blessed life before

a watching world, some will reject us, some will be intrigued by

us, some may even believe because of us, but all will see God’s

light!


Lord, use my life as a display case for Your extravagant love.

Through acts of compassion, allow me to expose the world to

Your caring heart. Through a singular devotion, allow me to

show the world Your true worth. Through the peace producing

ways of a meek life, allow me to give the world a glimpse of

Your likeness. And grant me the crown of Your approval, even

when it becomes a crown of thorns. Soften my heart, sharpen

my perception, and illumine my countenance as I learn to walk

in the ways of grace. Help me to live in genuine contrast to the

ways of this world. Amen.

__________

I am the light of the world.

- Jesus Christ

Just like us … these earthbound

dreams … must eventually

return to the dust from which

they were formed.

conclusion //

THE highly influential Church Father, St. Augustine, once

wrote, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in every man that only

Christ can fill.”1 A God-shaped vacuum is no small hole. Until

this cavity is filled, so vast a void exists in each of us that the

whole world isn’t enough

to fill it. That’s because we

were created for something

more than a brief existence

in a fallen world. We were

meant for more than a life filled with things we either can’t

have or can’t keep. The pursuit of dreams that fix their focus on

such temporal things can never be anything more than a vain

exercise. These are earthbound dreams. Just like us, they must

eventually return to the dust from which they were formed.

1St. Augustine, as quoted by Albert M. Wells, Jr., Inspiring Quotations

(Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1988), p. 121.


In the hit movie, Bruce Almighty, the main character—mild-

mannered, good-natured Bruce—is continually confounded and

stymied in his quest for success by ill-fated happenstance. Con-

vinced that God has treated him unfairly, Bruce challenges the

way the Almighty doles out His blessings. God is only too willing

to give Bruce a shot at driving the winds of fortune, so He im-

bues him with all His mighty powers. Bruce immediately sets

out to fill the emptiness in his life by satisfying his every earthly

desire, only to discover that he’s even emptier than before. All

the while a song plays wistfully in the background:

Does the world seem grey with empty longing,

Wearing every shade of cynical?

And do you ever feel that

There is something missing?

There’s a God-shaped hole in all of us

And the restless soul is searching.

There’s a God-shaped hole in all of us

And it’s a void only He can fill.

- Plum, Candycoatedwaterdrops, ©1999

Bruce gets everything he wants, yet nothing he really wants;

everything he thinks he needs, yet nothing he really needs. Like

Bruce, we pursue material things in search of something that

prosperity was never really meant to provide. Truth be known,

some of the most miserable people who’ve ever lived have

lacked nothing of what this world could offer them. But neither

money, nor power, nor recognition proves adequate to satisfy a

God-shaped hole.

Conclusion 137

By measuring success in terms of

worldly advancement … we have

become blind to the vastness of

our own spiritual bankruptcy.

Neither money, nor power, nor

recognition proves adequate to

satisfy a God-shaped hole.

In the quest to fill this void, man has declared: Blessed are

the assertive, the proud, the elevated, the strong, the rich, the

advantaged, the glamorous, the popular, and the famous.

However, by measuring success in terms of worldly advance-

ment, we have become blind to the vastness of our own spiri-

tual bankruptcy. Trapped in this alternate reality, the best thing

would be for us to expe-

rience utter disillusion-

ment—to find ourselves

like the crowds that ga-

thered to hear Jesus—

hopeless and helpless. Then, in our desperation, the possibility

exists that we might be awakened to our need for something

more.

So, how about you? Have you experienced enough disillu-

sionment in life to look beyond the vanity of your earthbound

dreams? Have you been disappointed enough to look for more

than what this world can

offer? Have you come to

realize that the problem

isn’t that your dreams and

aspirations are too big, but that they aren’t big enough?

Not just happy, but blessed are those who have come to

understand that it is through poverty of spirit that true and

everlasting riches are found.


understand that the comfort that matters most is the comfort

of God.



understand that true power can only be experienced in submis-

sion to God’s will.


understand that their desire for righteousness must be so

strong that only the perfect righteousness of God can satisfy it.


understand that mercy is meant to be a whole new way of life.


understand that all it takes to see God at work in one’s life is the

unwavering desire to have God at work in one’s life.


understand that real peace is the by-product of meekness.


understand that it is more important to please God than men,

no matter the cost.

A story is told of a missionary who once ministered to a re-

mote tribe. One day he was approached by the chief who was

concerned with the Christian teaching that he should give a por-

tion of what he produced to God. To answer the chief’s objec-

tion the missionary explained, “God doesn’t need your posses-

sions; what He really wants is your heart.”

The chief thought about this for a moment and then, with a

look of illumination, said, “I see. God is very wise, for He knows

that if He has the chief’s heart then He will have all that the

chief possesses!”

Conclusion 139

It’s in this exchange—all of us

for all of God—that we find

true blessedness. For it’s here,

just beyond our earthbound

dreams, that we find Jesus.

The chief couldn’t have been more right. Once God has our

hearts, He has everything

else. But the reverse is also

true. Once we give our

hearts to God, we gain all of

God in the exchange. All

that we have for all that

God possesses. Not a bad a deal, huh? If a man is considered

prosperous for gaining all that this transient world has to offer,

then how much more prosperous is he when he gains every-

thing that God has to offer? It’s in this exchange—all of us for

all of God—that we find true blessedness. For it’s here, just

beyond our earthbound dreams, that we find Jesus.

We’ve all hoped to be rewarded for what we think we de-

serve, but Jesus offers to reward us with everything we don’t

deserve!

We’ve all yearned for a life without suffering, but Jesus

offers us a world absent of the root cause of all suffering!

We’ve all grasped for power in the kingdom of man, but

Jesus offers us power in the Kingdom of God!

We’ve all striven to lead a life that is deemed righteous

enough, but Jesus offers us the perfect righteousness of God!

We’ve all clamored for justice, but Jesus offers to fill our

lives with mercy!

We’ve all aspired to see God—one day, but Jesus offers to

show us God—today!


When our dreams are pure

enough, and perfect enough,

and big enough, they will be

dreams of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ.

Jesus isn’t just a guide on

the treasure hunt of life;

He is our treasure.

We’ve all dreamed of world peace, but Jesus offers to

transform each one of us into peacemakers!

We’ve all endeavored to earn the approval of others, but

Jesus offers us the applause of heaven!

Jesus isn’t just a guide on the treasure hunt of life; He is our

treasure. Jesus isn’t just a meal ticket to those who hunger and

thirst; He is the meal. Jesus isn’t just the means to another end;

He is the end. When our dreams

are pure enough, and perfect

enough, and big enough, they

will be dreams of our Lord and

Savior Jesus Christ. They will be dreams of all that He is and all

that He has done for us; they will be dreams of all that we can

possess in Him; they will be dreams that completely and per-

fectly fill our God-shaped hole; they will be dreams that can

never be disappointed!

So, instead of going through life wishing and reaching for

things you either can’t have

or can’t keep (the old adage

is still true, there are no lug-

gage racks on hearses), why

not take hold of the only

thing you can both have and

keep? That one thing is God Himself, offered to each of us in

the person of Jesus Christ. We can both have and keep Jesus in

a way that is true of nothing else in this life. For He is our best

wish and the answer to all of our heaven bound dreams.

Documents

beyond earthbound dreams // - Grounded in Grace Ministries