Choose Wisdom

April Fool’s Day.  The day we play tricks on people, hopefully to make them laugh.

Proverbs 10 talks a lot about fools, so for the next several days, I’d like to look at some of these wise sayings:

Verse 1 says a wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

We can apply this to our own natural children and the truth of that verse sure rings true.  A son that makes wise choices in life is one of the most joyous blessings a father can receive.  But a son that makes foolish choices sends a mother to her knees, and grieves her heart.

This verse should prick our hearts as parents to bring up our sons and daughters in ways that preclude making wise choices, and we must be an example of wisdom ourselves. If we hate, we gossip, we abuse our bodies and our minds, then our children observe lack of wisdom in us – and they follow suit.

Obviously, children have a choice to make.  But it’s more obvious that we, the parents, have a higher calling to make as well.  Choose wisdom.

Easter Sunday

After the most intimate prayer to his Father, Jesus is arrested and taken to be crucified.

It’s also at this time that one of his most avid followers, Peter, denies him – three times.

Jesus is brought before Pilate and he reminds Jesus that he has the power to free him, to which Jesus answers back, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” As Jesus was crucified, he bowed his head and “gave up his spirit.”

Three days later…the first Easter occurs.

The One who was sent gladly gave up his life because of the relationship he had with his Father – one of complete trust – that His word was solid and true.  That word, in this instance, was that he would rise again after three days.

On this Easter Sunday, if you don’t know the love of the Father, like Jesus did as he prayed, talked to Him, entrusted him with all that was his, and gladly laid down his life in obedience to Him - then I invite you to know him.

Jesus said all that he had been given is ours…if we just believe.  Fullness of joy.  Forgiveness of sin.  Life everlasting.

This world is mean, and it’s a hard life period.  But Jesus told us to be of good cheer – He has overcome the world.  This means His peace reigns over every hardship, every disappointment, and even over death.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him will not perish, but will have everlasting life.

So Awesome

John 17 is another favorite of mine.  Jesus prays to his Father, and it’s a stirring prayer:

He tells his Father that he is coming to him now, but prays for his followers to have “the full measure of my joy within them.” He tells his Father how he has obeyed and given them his word, and then he prays for his Father not to take them out of the world, but to “protect them from the evil one.”

And then Jesus says, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” He pulls us in, into the realm of heaven, where he resides. 

Jesus then affirms his Father’s word – the truth – stating just as his Father sent him into the world, Jesus is now sending his followers into the world.

Just this little part of Jesus’ prayer stirs my heart as I realize Jesus’ great love for us.  His desire is that we too see his Father and obey his word so that we too can experience the great joy that comes from knowing HIM and obeying HIM.

Jesus wants to share with us all the benefits he has, as the Son of the Most High.  That’s awesome.

Love

I love John 15:9-17.  Jesus just plainly talks about love.  He talks about his Father’s love and how he wants those who are listening to know and receive the same love.  And in doing so, this brings him great joy.

He explains the definition of the greatest love there is: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  And then he calls us his friends!  And he explains how that everything he learned came from his Father, and he has shared it with us.

The last part of the passage says that he chose us to bear fruit – “fruit that will last.”  Why?  So that whatever we ask the Father he will give us. 

“This is my command: love each other.”

Sounds so simple, doesn’t it?  We just receive His love, give it all up for Him, the fruit starts showing (that we love each other) and prayers get answered.

We make it all so complicated trying to achieve this, get his approval for that, and understand the other.  

When everything he’s explaining to us about love - He did, He gave, He exhibited on the cross.  

And it’s ours for the asking…and the receiving…to be given away to our friends.

Hosanna!

The very next story after those who mocked Jesus after his miracle of raising Lazarus is the story of the people waving branches and shouting, “Hosanna!”

Hosanna is just an exclamation of admiration, praise and joy – which is what should have taken place at the dinner where Mary poured out the perfume.

Once the fragrance of the perfumed filled the house, those who were there should have recognized the aroma of adoration and responded.  However, they missed it. They didn’t get it. 

But in this story, this group of people get it.  They realize their King has come.

And then Jesus gets on a donkey’s colt and rides into town, unassuming, humble as a servant, listening to the people glorify the works he had done to bring glory to the Father.

This is the crowd where I want to be, among those who recognize royalty and respond in praise when His fragrance fills the streets.

Flaky & Angry

It’s later in time now, Lazarus is alive again and living well, and Jesus is invited to dinner as the guest of honor.  Martha, one of the sisters is busy serving.  Mary, the other sister, pours expensive perfume over Jesus’ feet.  The fragrance filled the room.

Judas, a follower of Jesus, (the one who betrays Jesus later), speaks up as if to care about the costly perfumed being wasted on Jesus’ feet instead of being sold and the money being given to the poor.  However, Judas cared nothing for the poor, he just wanted to “appear” to care.

Jesus immediately replied and told Judas to leave Mary alone.

After that, many showed up to see Jesus and the man Jesus raised from the dead, and they wanted to kill him – dead – so that he might die once more.

This whole story is sad to me that when it should have been a time for nothing but rejoicing over Jesus, the giver of life, and the man, the receiver of the life – but here comes flaky Judas and the angry scoffers.

Lord, please help me to be cognizant of your presence and your work, right before me, so that I rejoice and lavish my love upon you for all that you are and all that you have done.

The Players

The story of Lazarus is told in John 11, and you probably know it well.  Lazarus died and Jesus raised him from the dead.  But there are other people in the story that interest me.

The sisters of Lazarus: They sent word to Jesus telling him their brother was sick.

The disciples: When Jesus wanted to go to the town where Lazarus was, they remembered it was in that very city people wanted to stone Jesus, so they didn’t understand why Jesus would want to return. And when Jesus told them Lazarus was “asleep” they didn’t understand why Jesus was needed.

Thomas: He answered quickly to all and said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” And yet this is the same man who doubted Jesus after his death and resurrection!

Martha: The first sister who greeted Jesus, a bit disappointed in his late appearance, but totally confident in His love and ability to take care of things.

Mary: The second sister, who too is disappointed in his late appearance.

The Jews: They notice Jesus’ great love and wonder why he didn’t “keep him from dying” in the first place.

Lazarus: The dead man who received life again.

All of these players demonstrate each of us when tragedy strikes.  Some of us just don’t understand what God is doing, others react full of faith in the moment, and then those of us in the story in the middle of the tragedy get hurt at Jesus for his apparent lack of concern and timing.  Then of course, I often fall into the latter category of questioning why the tragedy happened at all, and why He didn’t stop it before it occurred.

But then there’s Lazarus, the recipient of new life.  And Jesus, the one who gave new life.

Jesus and his abilities, concern, and power should never be an issue….nor his timing.  Nothing is impossible to those who believe.