Walking on Water

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water” ; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days. – John 2:1‭-‬12

I have been looking forward to this reach of the river. It is such an interesting mixture of miracle, metaphor, and mystery. There are also many layers and nuances of meaning here. Let’s dive in!

The miracle part is pretty obvious, it is not every day someone is able to instantaneously change water into wine. Jesus performs this miracle in a quiet way out of the spotlight so He is clearly not seeking to gain fame from His actions. Most of the miracles that Jesus chooses to do have some connection to building a stronger relationship with either the recipient of the miracle or people looking onto the miraculous event. It seems like this miracle was mainly for the benefit of the disciples who were with Jesus at the wedding. It was a start toward changing their worldview and convincing them that they are seeing something new and different.

Of course the miracle of turning water into wine happens every day all around the world. The difference in this case is the rate, complexity, and director of this changing process. In order to make really good wine, as is described in this passage, requires a master vintner who has many decades of experience, good raw materials and supplies, and patience. Jesus’ instantaneous transmutation of the water into wine required none of these things. Turning all of us flawed followers into faithful children God, on the other hand, requires a master vintner indeed.

The metaphorical meaning here is that Jesus is changing the water baptism of John the Baptist, and all the old practices and traditions, into new wine. This part of the metaphorical meaning is highlighted in the containers for the water that was changed “Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing”. Jesus was taking the former practices of making oneself “clean” and turning them into something much better and more complex, wine. Not just any wine but wine that clearly was superior to other wines that people might consume. Jesus is using this event to teach His disciples that He will be doing the same thing with them and all those who choose to follow Him in the future.

It is also interesting that this miracle takes place at a wedding given the common imagery of bride and groom between God and Israel. Jesus’ mother says to Jesus “They have no more wine”. In many ways this was an apt description of the religious leaders of the day. The keepers of the old treasures are not interested in the new song that Jesus is bringing.

The people who witness Jesus’ miracle is also an important detail to the story. The author makes it clear that the “master of the banquet”, AKA the religious leaders, “did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.” This is an early example of the way that Jesus will overturn many of the power and privilege structures in favor of common people willing to drop everything and follow Him.

Jesus was hesitant to perform this miracle as “My hour has not yet come.” I am not sure why His mother was pushing His early coming out as the Messiah. Perhaps she was merely proud of Her son and interested in demonstrating his divinity. I am not sure. I suspect that Jesus did not want to distract from His core message of transformation by a dramatic transmutation.

The passage ends with a clear explanation for why Jesus changed the water into wine, “What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him”. Jesus will reveal his glory in many other ways to help His disciples, and all subsequent seekers, to believe. God really does believe in us and wants to make us into the most amazing wine ever. Unfortunately His disciples, and many of us subsequent seekers, will have difficulty seeing and understanding these revelations so that we can be changed.

Prayer: God help us to see Your miracles and revelations so we can be turned into the new wine that You want us to be.

Posted on December 9, 2020 by wamplerp | 6 Comments

Lamb of God

Posted on December 6, 2020 by wamplerp

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” – John 1:29‭-‬34

Today’s passage is a continuation of the Baptizing with water that was the subject of yesterday’s post. John sees “the lamb of God” Jesus approaching and lays out the Gospel in one sentence “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” This one statement bends time back to Abraham and his son Issac on a mountain top (Genesis 22), “He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”

Of course we know God showed up in powerful way for Abraham saying “Here I am.” He (God) said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” God provides a replacement sacrifice and all is well for Abraham. God must have been able to foresee the time and place described in this passage as John announces the arrival of another replacement “lamb” to take away the sins of the world.

John had been demonstrating his fear and faith by baptizing along the Jordan, waiting for the lamb that God had promised. John reveals the reason he is baptizing with water in the Jordan river. He says “I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel”. This is an interesting way to present the arrival of Jesus, who in many ways was a champion for everyone, not just Israel. I think it is interesting that John makes it clear that the arrival of the promised Messiah, the chosen one, is in the form of a lamb rather than a lion. I think most of the religious leaders were looking for a lion to take on Rome.

John admits that he did not have any divine knowledge before Jesus’ arrival at the Jordan. God revealed Jesus’ role as Messiah and chosen one to the world at the same time it was revealed to John. The dove descended on Jesus and that was the sign that John was looking for to know who the chosen one was to be.

The take home message for me here is that we should be looking for and anticipating the arrival of the lamb in our lives just as diligently as John. We may not be treated to God’s arrival in such a dramatic and tangible way, but in my experience God does show up when we least expect it and in equally amazing ways if we have the eyes to see it.

Prayer: God help us to keep a sharp lookout for Your arrival in our lives each day so that we do not miss something You are doing.

Posted in Christianity, Covenant, Discernment, Discipleship, Faith, Following God, Forgiveness, God's Love for Us, Gospel, Jesus, John, reconciliation, Redemption, The Nature of God, Trusting God | Tagged bible, bible study, Christianity, Daily devotional, faith, Jesus, river, water | 8 Comments

Baptizing with Water

Posted on December 5, 2020 by wamplerp

Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ” Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. – John 1:19-‬28

Welcome to the book of John. I have been off the water for a few days. Just needed a break. The end of the term is approaching and this often correlates with increased workload and stress. It will be good to float along for a bit and see where God leads. My past experience with reading John has given me the impression that his style is one of mystery and metaphors. I really like the way He begins:

“En arche ēn ho Logos, kai ho Logos ēn pros ton Theon, kai Theos ēn o Logos.” —- “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” – John 1:1

This equating of the underlying logos (often translated “the word”) that underpins and is within all things with God and Jesus is striking and rings true in my soul. I am excited to explore this stretch of water and see if John will use water imagery and metaphors in a similarly profound way.

In this familiar passage John is confronted by religious leaders, priests and levites, who want to know who he is and by whose authority he is baptizing people and forgiving sins. That would be a bit like sending the pope and Billy Graham to find out about what a street evangelist is saying and doing. Bringing in the “big guns”. This event must be pretty important as some version of it is shared in all four of the Gospels.

In Matthew I reflected on how were are all adopted stones (Matthew 3:7‭-‬12). The main nugget I gleaned from Mark was that we are all adopted stones. The religious leaders, aka “brood of vipers”, wanted to receive special treatment and privilege because they were more than mere stones. They were gems! Jesus and John make it clear that our value lies not in our position or prosperity but in our position relative to God.

In Mark we also found John by the Jordan baptizing with water (Mark 1:4-‬11). In this account the emphasis is less on the religious leaders and more on the people coming to be baptized. God thinks the symbolic act of baptism is a really important spiritual act that He participated in Himself. The wondering souls that arrive at the Jordan River to be baptized are stripped down to their souls so they can be rebuilt in God’s spiritual image.

In Luke we found that we are all wondering souls seeking answers (Luke 3:15‭-‬17). “It is the question that drives us Neo…” The question is not “What is the Matrix”. The real question is “What does God require of me?”. He wants us to walk humbly into his arms so He can carry us like a son or daughter across the great river that no on can cross.

Each of these versions of the story had a little different perspective and focus. This account seems quite clinical in its description of the scene, recounting the event as it might appear in a newspaper article, blog post, or court deposition. John uses words like testimony and confess. He answers the questions about his role and meaning with the words of Isaiah, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.” This simple answer said unequivocally that he was not claiming to be the Messiah but he would usher in His arrival.

The religious leaders want to apply their old way of thinking about atonement and redemption so they question by what authority John is forgiving sins. They have been mistakenly thinking that forgiveness of sins was their job when in fact it was always God’s job from the beginning. Finally john says “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know.” Jesus will soon be baptized by John in a symbolic act of revelation and redemption.

The take home message for me is that baptism is about commemorating the beginning of a soul transformation rather than a spiritual “switch” that is flipped. It is the beginning of a journey to the undiscovered country that has many hills and valleys. God wants us to become more and more reliant on Him and one another. This difficult road is a feature not a flaw of our life as God followers.

Prayer: God you showed us the way to turn around and follow You through baptism. Help us to walk with you daily as we are transformed into new people in your image.

Posted in baptism, Christian Community, Christianity, Discernment, Discipleship, Following God, Forgiveness, God's Love for Us, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John, Love for the Lost, reconciliation, Redemption, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged bible, bible study, Christianity, Daily devotional, Jesus, Jordan River, water | 16 Comments

Weeping Women

Posted on November 30, 2020 by wamplerp

As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then “ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” – Luke 23:26‭-‬31

Well we have arrived at the last water-related passage in Luke. It has been an interesting journey from Luke’s layers of meaning to this sad story here at the end of all things.

Jesus has been beaten, whipped, spit upon, and insulted, both by the secular Roman rulers and the Jewish religious leaders He has come to save. This must have been such a difficult road on so many levels. I am not sure what Simon from Cyrene did to warrant being forced to carry the cross for Jesus and it does not say if he was a follower of Christ. He was merely on his way “in from the country”. Some have speculated that since Cyrene is in modern-day north Africa that Simon may have been a person of color. I do not know.

Jesus was being attended by a crowd of weeping women. My first question was where are the men? Were they afraid to lift their heads and stand up for this Man? The women were clearly not afraid to bare their souls for all to see and stand up for this man who has been wronged. The redemption and rescue that Jesus is offering is more important than their reputation. The women have chosen wisely.

Jesus’ response to the weeping women is “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.” Jesus is clearly seeing a future that will flow from the choices being made at this time. The people have chosen a line and the branch of the river they have chosen will lead to death and disaster. Jesus know about he rocky rapids ahead, but He is allowing these people, and all of us who will come after, to choose.

The coming calamity will not just be bad but will make many wish they had never been born, “Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then “ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us! It sounds like being buried alive will seem better than the times to come.

All of the future pain and anguish will stem from this time and the terrible transaction of an innocent man as ransom for our wondering souls. Jesus explains “For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” People are doing terrible things with God is walking with them in the flesh, how much more terrible will they behave when this light of the world is extinguished?

Despite the depressing scene and predictions for the future there is hope amid the anguish. The choices made by these people at this time had consequences. They made it harder to see the savior across the great chasm that separates the undiscovered country from this dry and dusty land. We

The “pieta” by Michelangelo

will be thirsty and it will be hard, but God will provide water in the wilderness and in the end God wins. Those who seek Him will find not only a green tree but a spring of living water that will never run dry.

Prayer: God thank You for making such a hard choice to come and die for us. Help us to make the hard choice to follow You.

Posted in Christian Community, Christianity, Death and Dying, Faith, Following God, Forgiveness, Free Will, God's Love for Us, Jesus, Love for the Lost, Luke, Messiah, reconciliation, Redemption, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged bible, bible study, Christianity, Jesus, water, weeping | 1 Comment

Lift up your Heads

Posted on November 29, 2020 by wamplerp

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” – Luke 21:25‭-‬28

Jesus is providing a rich and complex word picture for what the end times will be like before His return. There are many interesting aspects here so let’s run this rapid and see what hidden wells might be present in this turbulent water.

Apparently nature will play a role in the event with the “signs in the sun, moon and stars”. I am not sure what these would look like. Perhaps unusual events like meteor showers, super novas, or solar flares. All of these will happen at some point we just don’t know when. Of course God does know, not because he is orchestrating these events like a puppet master, but because He is outside of the story and can see it from beginning to end. He created the logos that underpins all of these natural phenomena.

Next comes the nations, human collections of souls in cities and towns, going about their business often oblivious to the spiritual sea that surrounds them. They will be in “anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea”. When I think of anguish I think of someone who feels helpless to change their situation or someone who regrets a previous decision. They are also perplexed, which I associate with the state of encountering something that is outside our social and intellectual framework. Something that does not fit into our “normal” way of thinking. Jesus certainly was perplexing to many people as were some of the other perplexing heroes of the bible.

It sounds like nations will be put in a position of choosing just like people. They will be in the midst of this “roaring and tossing sea”. The sea has often been used as a metaphor for the spiritual realm that we cannot see, touch, or sense with our earthly senses. I think the roaring and tossing of the sea that Jesus is describing here is the spiritual squalls that he has been allowing His disciples to experience and predict with His help. These spiritual disturbances will cause great anguish and perplexity for the nations.

Then we arrive at individuals, “People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” So the response of most people will be fear and terror at what is happening and what is coming. Even though these events will usher in the return of the King. Perhaps they are fearful and apprehensive because they know that they have lost sight of the savoir?

Eventually they will see the savior clearly, “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”. The wording here is interesting. Jesus says these waiting people should stand up and lift their heads. This implies that they have been sitting with their heads hanging low. This conjures for me a defeated and dejected soul that has given up.

It is reassuring that in the end God wins. All we need to do is stand up, lift up our heads high to see His coming, and willingly take His hand so He can lead us across the river that no one can cross. That is the path to redemption. It need not be more complex or perplexing than that.

Prayer: God help us to prepare our hearts and souls for meeting you face to face whether it is today, tomorrow, or many years in the future.

Posted in Christian Community, Christianity, Conflict, Death and Dying, Discernment, Faith, Following God, Jesus, Luke, Prophecy, Redemption, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged bible, bible study, Christianity, cloud, Daily devotional, Jesus, Sea | 1 Comment

Peace for Restless Souls

Posted on November 28, 2020 by wamplerp

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” – Luke 19:41‭-‬44

Today’s passage is another mind bender and possibly a time bender as well. Jesus is entering Jerusalem and weeping over the city of David. I think He is shedding tears over more than a town. He is weeping for Israel and all those for whom God is “hidden”. God and Jesus are often “hidden” from these people, and some modern-day spiritually curious people, not because they are hiding, but because have stopped seeking or they are looking in the wrong places.

Jesus weeping is an indication of the depths of frustration and sadness that He has for all those who choose to close their eyes when confronted with the light of the world. “This day” is presumably referring to the near future when Jesus will give the religious leaders and the establishment in Jerusalem a choice. Learn the new song that I am teaching people which will “bring you peace” or hold onto the old treasures you have been hoarding.

Here is the time bending part of the passage. Holding onto the old ways of following God will result in more conflict in the future, “The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” Jesus is looking into the future where the decision made “today” will result in a a very bad outcomes for Jerusalem and its people. Although Jesus is focusing on Jerusalem in this passage I think His prediction is equally true for all those who separate themselves from the water source.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is bringing peace like a river to this war torn city with a long history of senseless sacrifice. He is not promising an absence of conflict. He is promising that those who accept His outstretched hand will have peace amidst conflict. He is promising peace to all wandering and wondering souls that are battling with the prince of darkness who rules this land of oblivion. The peace He is offering is a spiritual peace, a calming of the spiritual squalls, that are part of our journey here on earth.

This is one of those passages that is “bigger on the inside”, just like God is bigger on the inside. These few sentences are deep water full of wisdom about what Jesus offers all those who are willing to faithfully follow Him. He is not offering prosperity, comfort, or an easy life. He is offering spiritual peace for restless souls.

Prayer: God bring us peace for our restless souls.

Posted in Christianity, Covenant, Faith, Following God, Free Will, God's Love for Us, Luke, Messiah, Peace, reconciliation, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm, Trusting God | Tagged bible, bible study, Christianity, Daily devotional, Jesus, water | Leave a comment

Bending Time

Posted on November 27, 2020 by wamplerp

Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. – Luke 17:22‭-‬27

This passage is a mind-bender for me in many ways. Although it is a few short lines it seems to contain a certain bending of time that is both amazing and confusing. Jesus seems to be talking about both His present coming sacrifice and His future triumphant return at the same time. This is consistent with the multi-layers of meaning common in the book of Luke so far. In some ways it is similar to the Guild navigators in Frank Herbert’s book Dune. These creatures, mutated by the spice melange, could bend space to navigate great distances instantaneously. What Jesus is doing here is bending time so that we can see two events next to one another that are intimately related.

Jesus presents a stark view of what it will be like after He leaves the earth. Jesus predicts that people will long to see “the days of the Son of Man”, the time when God walked the earth as man. It sounds like many will come who will resemble Jesus in some way and people will go running after these imitations thinking they are Him. This has certainly come to pass. History is full of flawed followers that resembled Jesus but in the end missed the messianic mark.

Jesus makes it pretty clear that despite the confusion about where He is it will be clear when the real Son of Man arrives, “For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.” This is the part that appears to be predicting a future second coming that is some time after His death and resurrection. I am not sure.

The predictions get a little more confusing toward the end when it seems that Jesus returns to talking about His death and resurrection which is to happen soon. This mind-bending translocation through time has happened before during my float, especially in the old testament when certain predictions seems to transcend time and seem to be predicting more than one event with the same description. This was most noticeable the book of Isaiah for me.

I suppose for Jesus and God time is probably very different. They transcend and traverse time the way we would swim around in a lake. We experience time linearly, more like water moving in a river. It progresses from beginning to end in an orderly fashion. What seems to be happening here is that Jesus is describing two events which are linked, but are separated by thousands of years as we measure time. This would be a little like a batch of water being both at the headwaters and the mouth of the river at the same time. An odd thing to imagine to be sure.

But isn’t that what Jesus has said about Himself and what others have described about him. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and the headwaters and the mouth of the One River that is God. It is interesting that Jesus refers to the old testament flood of Noah when trying to come up with a situation that will be similar to the His second coming. For Him it was not ancient history but a modern, messy, and perhaps painful part of working out an ongoing relationship with His people.

Phew this passage is funny water to be sure and I am not sure what it means. Perhaps after the passage of time it will become more clear. For the moment I am content to take away that God is in control even when it seems He is not and He has a temporal perspective that is very different than mine.

Prayer: God grant us the ability to see both into the past and the future with clarity and purpose so that we will not be deceived by impostors who may come in your name.

Posted in Christian Community, Christianity, Following God, God's Love for Us, Luke, Messiah, Prophecy, The Nature of God | Tagged bible, bible study, Christianity, Daily devotional, Jesus, water | 15 Comments

Eddying Out – Thankfulness

Posted on November 26, 2020 by wamplerp

I am writing this on Thanksgiving so I will be brief. I have so much to be thankful for in this strange year of COVID-19 including a wonderful family, good health, food and shelter, a steady job and income, and enough free time to engage in things like this blog.

I am also very thankful for all the ways that God has been teaching me through this journey walking on Water. I am humbled by the growth in the number of people who view the different posts I have made as I struggle to keep on the water, wherever it leads. God continues to teach me new things. As I learn and grow His spirit is grafted into my into my spiritual DNA. I am not sure what the ultimate plan is for this journey. Perhaps it is merely the journey itself that God has in mind for me, I do not know.

In 2020, the Walking on Water blog was visited by people from 118 counties from Antigua to Zimbabwe, with 5,767 pages viewed and 4,315 visits.

Since I started the journey on June 22, 2014 27,802 pages have been viewed by 19,580 visitors from 161 countries. Apparently there are about 195 countries in the world so it is pretty amazing that the blog has been visited by about 83% of the countries in the world.

I hope you all have an amazing day on this Thanksgiving Day, even if it is not a holiday you celebrate.

May God bless your day and your journey!

Posted in Christianity, Eddying Out, thankfulness | Tagged bible, Christianity, Daily devotional, water | Leave a comment

Stumbling

Posted on November 25, 2020 by wamplerp

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. – Luke 17:1‭-‬6

Today’s passage is about stumbling. Something we all do whether we admit it or not. I find it reassuring that Jesus acknowledges we will all stumble. It isn’t really a question of whether we will stumble but when we will stumble and how that stumbling will come about. We are all flawed followers no matter how much we think we have it together.

Jesus is sharing this wisdom with His disciples who are struggling to figure out what they are supposed to be doing about leadership, being in community, and caring for one another. It speaks to our role in protecting, encouraging, and supporting one another as our wondering souls work out what it means to faithfully follow God even when we stumble. In the version of this story in Matthew 18:1‭-‬6 Jesus makes it clear that we also need to become like little children for this to work, meaning we need to be humble, innocent, and curious.

Jesus has a particularly harsh rebuke for those who cause other people to mess up. These people will have a meeting with a millstone, “It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble”. I don’t know about you but this hyperbole is an effective way to get my attention. Drowning is on the top of my list of ways I would like to avoid leaving this world.

Since the subject of this story is stumbling I thought it might be interesting to explore some of the physical reasons people stumble. Perhaps there is interesting metaphorical meaning we can plumb from the depths here. In no particular order these are the ways I could think of people stumbling: 1) uneven terrain; 2) lack of light; 3) self-imposed disequilibrium; 4) fatigue; 5) physical or mental dysfunction; 6) someone intentionally trips us. Jesus is mainly addressing the last one here. Let’s take them one at time and see where they lead.

The first one is uneven terrain. Some of the most difficult hiking experiences I have had have been on or near what is called “scree” out west. This is basically a cascade of rocky rubble that creates a slope of very unstable and movable rocks. When one builds a trail across this type of terrain the trail maintenance crews have their work cut out for them. As you walk every rock moves and you have to really pay attention where you are putting your feet or you will end up with either a sprained ankle or a unplanned detour down the mountain. The spiritual parallel would be navigating situations or philosophies that are unstable, shifting, and liable to cause us harm. Things like witchcraft, spiritualism, or an obsession with death and dying. Best to avoid these paths if possible.

The second stumbler is lack of light. Most of us have experienced this one at dawn or dusk when we are squeeze more out a day than the daylight allows. The result can be banged shins and twisted ankles for sure. Sufficient light allows us to judge distances and avoid obstacles. Light is often a metaphor for the love of God and the understanding we can gain by following Him. We are to be children of light, always seeking the light in dark times.

The third is kind obvious. When we ingest drugs or alcohol with the intention of altering our mind and body we should not be surprised when we stumble and fall. I get that some have valid reasons for taking pain killers and even using medicinal medications, but when these palliatives become our source of comfort rather than God we have a problem. I suppose the only way to sort out the motivations for the “medication” is to look inward and ask ourselves why we are seeking solace in these things rather than God? God wants to carry us like a son or daughter but we have to allow Him to do so.

Number four is something most of us can relate to from a hike or urban adventure. We went for hike a few years ago with some friends in the Columbia Gorge and we decided to do a loop hike which sounds like a great idea right? New things to see all the time and no retracing of steps along the same stretch of trail. Well long story short once we committed to this hike we figured out that it was going to be a more challenging journey than we had anticipated. We survived and made it back to the cars before dark, but we were really tired and stumbling our way over roots near the end. Fortunately we were on this difficult road with friends and we were in no real danger. Spiritually speaking I encounter this sort of fatigue fairly often, sometimes because I have chosen my path poorly and other times waves arrived without warning. Jesus offers new wine after such difficult roads for those willing to partake of it.

Five is in some ways the most challenging way that some stumble. There are people who have physical and mental challenges that make it difficult to maintain their equilibrium. Jesus healed many such people with physical and mental challenges. Sometimes there was a spiritual component to the disability and others seem to have just been given physical challenges with which to navigate this land of oblivion. I do not pretend to fully understand this and I probably will not gain a full understanding until I have crossed the river that no one can cross with God’s help.

Finally we arrive at the one that Jesus has chosen to focus on here, getting “help” in our stumbling from someone else. This is clearly important to Jesus and so it is important for us to chew on this as well. Jesus explains the dynamic here “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” So not only are we to avoid causing others to stumble but we must be prepared to help them get up and on their way again when they do stumble.

In practice this is challenging. We all know of someone who has failed to live up to the ideal they were preaching, a famous pastor, a church leader, or a trusted friend When someone falls short of the ideal they profess, which by the way we all do, we think of them as hypocrites and tend to distance ourselves from them. Jesus is not saying that we should excuse the sin these people have committed, but if they sincerely repent, or turn around, from the stumbling path we are to forgive them and help them to embrace the one who can lead us to the undiscovered country.

Wow that turned into quite a set of rapids and riffles, but I think the take home message for me is that we need to be as quick to extend grace to others that stumble as we expect God to extend it to us when we stumble. We will all stumble. What is important is what we do after the fall.

Prayer: God help us to reach out to others that stumble and help us to accept the grace you offer when we stumble.

Posted in Christian Community, Christian Leadership, Christianity, Following God, Forgiveness, Free Will, Jesus, Life Together, Luke, reconciliation, Redemption, Sin | Tagged bible, bible study, Christianity, Jesus, Sea, water | Leave a comment

A Great Chasm

Posted on November 23, 2020 by wamplerp

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ” – Luke 16:19‭-‬31

Well this is a heavy passage for a Monday morning amidst a pandemic. Let’s put on the dry suit and dive in. I confess I am apprehensive where this will lead, but I will not take the Chicken Chute and float on by so here goes. Jesus is again teaching in word picture and parables. In this visceral vignette Jesus is describing two men, one who has everything and the other who seemingly has nothing. Of course this is the way it looks from the world’s perspective not the perspective of where God resides beyond the great river that no one can cross.

The rich man was apparently successful. He had fine linen to wear and lived in luxury. He dressed in purple so perhaps he was from a royal family or dynasty. That part is not clear. What is clear is that he was investing his life in the wrong “stocks”. He thinks he has been investing in Google when in fact he has only junk bonds worth nothing in the light of eternity. He was totally neglecting the things that matter in exchange for a comfortable coffin.

Lazarus on the other hand was by all earthly measures a “loser”. He was sickly, lame, and probably had no money or income. He was outside the rich man’s gate and apparently invisible to the rich man while they were alive. This will change after they both cross over and leave this earth. The crossing over process involved angels accompanying Lazarus into the undiscovered country and to Abraham’s side, but no one came for the rich man. He was simply buried in the ground and sank into “Hades” where he was apparently in perpetual torment by fire and thirst. His thirst is probably a consequence of his willful disconnection from the spring of Living Water that God freely offers to all who have ears to hear and eyes to see.

The rich man is apparently able to see across the great chasm that separates him from Lazarus and Abraham. He pleads with Abraham “Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ The rich man was clearly disconnected from his water supply, but I find it interesting that the rich man does not seem to be repenting of his earthly spiritual blindness, but rather follows the old habits of his earthly body – focusing only on his physical needs (water). I do not know what would have happened if he had cried out with with humility and repentance, confessing his thirst for God.

Abraham’s response is reminiscent of the concept of Kharma, minus the multiple incarnations part; “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.” This idea of a great chasm separating heaven and hell, the earthly from the spiritual, is one that has come up many times, but not in this form. Most of the previous references talked about a river that no one can cross on their own power.

Jesus offers many glimpses of the spiritual realm, for those who have eyes to see, through the window between the worlds that He is providing. Abraham alludes to this when he says “if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Well there is the gospel in a nutshell. Jesus came to bridge the great chasm and even with this amazing demonstration of love many will not be convinced. Jesus was laying it all out here, he would have to die, descend into Hades, and rise again to provide the bridge that people need to span the spiritual chasm that separates us from God.

Wow this did end up in some quiet waters after some pretty raucous rapids. Happy Monday!

Prayer: God help us to focus on the important spiritual things in life rather than on our physical needs. Help us to see the needs of others and work to meet those needs.