What Does the Lord Require of You?

I have to make a confession that might change everyone’s entire view of me. This might come as a shock, so you’d better be sitting down when reading what I am about to reveal. I have not, until recent years, been much of a history enthusiast. As a student, I typically learned what I needed to in order to receive the best grade possible. I never saw much value in studying what my forefathers had accomplished in times of yore. Beyond becoming a champion on Jeopardy or having bragging rights as a master of Trivial Pursuit, I didn’t fully comprehend the purpose of spending my present committed to understanding my past. It is only in recent times that I have begun to discover that a deeper understanding of how to live today comes from knowing how we lived yesterday.
I typically only refer to economics when complaining about the current price of gasoline or when discussing the current economic problems of out fine state. The economy of first century Palestine gives further insight in to the coming and life of Jesus. The economy of first century Israel consisted of three segments: agriculture (olives, figs, dates, grains, and vineyards), trade, and large building projects sponsored by King Herod. Many public works were commissioned. There was a large distinction between the poor and the rich with the upper class being made up of temple priests and priestly aristocracy. The middle class consisted of traders, merchants, artisans, sages, scribes, and teachers. The lower class was laborers and those unemployable due to disability.
The Roman government taxed its people heavily. The Jews were also to give sacrifices to the temple. The temple courtyards had become a marketplace, turning sacrifice in to a profitable industry. Hebrews 8:3-13 tells us that Jesus is a superior sacrifice. Jesus’ sacrifice transcends all economic classes. In return, God does not ask us to simply give up a portion of our money and build monuments. He asks us to “do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly” with Him (Micah 6:6-8).

A Non-Traditional King

Over the next few weeks, I’d like to write about the first century context of Palestine. When considering the life of Jesus, one is often lead to question why he entered the world in this context. Could Jesus have come earlier, having a deeper influence on his people and freeing them from foreign rule? Could Jesus have come later, impacting a modern world with a myriad of types of communication? Some might wonder why Jesus entered the world as part of the oppressed Jewish people. Examining the context of Palestine allows us to have a deeper understand of why God chose to make Jesus part of this world. It also allows us to understand the humble life led by the most powerful and influential human being of all time. We will begin by examining the political setting of Palestine.
The Jewish people were subjected to foreign rule for thousands of years. In the time of Jesus, Romans ruled the Mediterranean area known as Palestine. The Jewish people reported to the local Roman government (King Herod) who in turn reported to Rome (Emperor Ceasar). The Romans practiced syncretism, determining all religious beliefs, philosophical teachings, and government systems were compatible and part of the larger Roman system. However, they maintained strict control on this freedom. In a different context, Jesus might not have been able to present his revolutionary teachings.
The Jewish people did not trust and likely hated the Roman Empire. King Herod, fearing the prophecy of a new king, massacred Jewish boys born at the time. Herod also interfered with the Jewish temple, placing forbidden idols within it. The Jews considered there to be two types of people in the world, Jews and Gentiles. The Jews themselves were divided in to the Pharisees, who continued Jewish tradition, and the Sadducees, who sought to cooperate with the Romans. Jesus transcended these differences, giving hope to the Jews and establishing a rule beyond Earth kingdoms. Despite this, we find in Philippians 2:7 that Jesus “made himself nothing”. He was not a traditional king.

Miracle on Earth

In the 1980 Olympic Winter Games, the United States men’s hockey team entered the competition seeded seventh. The young team was composed of amateurs and young collegiate players. The Soviet Union, a natural rival due to the Cold War, was made up of some of the best players in the world at the time. Soviet teams had a winning record in exhibition against National Hockey League teams and the Soviet national team defeated the NHL all-stars 6 to 0 just a year before. At the time, virtually all of the top players in North America were from Canada. In an exhibition match, the Soviet team defeated the United States 10 to 3. The Russians were expected to win their sixth gold medal in the last seven tournaments. Needless to say, the United States was not favored to win.
In what is considered by Sports Illustrated to be the greatest moment in sports of the 20th century, the United States defeated the Soviet team. They went on to win the gold medal in men’s hockey. It is called the “Miracle on Ice”. These types of “underdog” stories inspire us. My father considers the possibility that this moment is what leads me to be incredibly enthusiastic about hockey. At just a few months old, my father tossed me in the air in an instant of great joy and celebration. He must have loosened something in my brain, because at one point in my life, I thought of nothing more than playing professional hockey. This idea lead me to a great deal of physical injuries.
This is part of why I love the life of Jesus. Jesus entered the world humbly and without much recognition. Jesus fought incredible adversity and seemingly overwhelming odds to conquer Satan and free us from sin. Isaiah 53:7 tells us he came “like a lamb to the slaughter”. We are to mimic His life in that we must continue to struggle in order to save others, serve God, and become the people God intends us to be.

Secret Origins of the Hamburger

A majority of people when asked about the origins of the hamburger will claim that it came from Hamburg, Germany. It is true that German immigrants, in the nineteenth century, brought a style of cooking beef steak to America that is very similar to the way we cook hamburgers today. According to Yale University, the hamburger was invented at “Louis’ Lunch”, when a customer with little time to spare asked for a quick lunch. Louis Lassen, the owner, quickly placed a broiled meat patty between two slices of toasted bread. Individuals in St. Louis, Missouri believe that on April 30, 1904, a beef patty vendor at the World’s Fair ran out of plates and had to serve his patties between two slices of bread. Residents of Seymour, Wisconsin hold an annual “Home of the Hamburger” celebration in honor of “Hamburger Charlie”. Charlie Nagreen apparently began selling hamburger patties fried in butter as a 15-year-old on August 5, 1885. Finally, on July 4, 1891 Oscar Weber Bilby of Bowden Oklahoma has been thought to invent the hamburger when he grilled ground Angus patties, served on his wife’s home made buns.
I often enjoy discovering the origins of popular inventions. It is difficult for me to look at an object and not wonder how it came to be and who first thought of it. I have watched documentaries on everything from robots to Tupperware. When I think highly of an individual, either for his or her accomplishments or for admirable traits, I tend to ponder the foundations of this person. Occasionally, I am surprised by an individual’s humble beginnings and other times I am shocked to find the types of sin committed. In Jesus, we find someone with an infallible life and a humble origin. When we find the true, historical Jesus by weeding out the lies and false writings, we discover the single greatest example of what God’s wants us to be. Though our beginnings might not mirror those of Christ, our lives must reflect the way in which he lived.

All Things Are Possible

John the Baptist, like the one who’s coming he was to foretell, had a miraculous birth. John’s parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, were stated to follow God’s “commandments and regulations blamelessly” (Luke 1:6). Zechariah, a priest, had prayed for a son but his wife remained barren. When approached by an angel and told he would finally have a child, Zechariah doubted the possibility and was stricken with muteness as a result. Gripped with fear in the face of Gabriel, Zechariah looked the proverbial gift horse in the mouth. Though Zechariah’s obedience and dedication to God were great, he couldn’t get past his human logic and lack of hope.
This type of inconsistency seems to show its face in the lives of every follower of Christ. We follow God’s commands and regulations. We might attend church services, perform acts of service, and avoid sinful acts on a regular basis. But, when push comes to shove, we are overcome with our own humanity. We live in a world that doesn’t depend on God. It depends on the efforts of weak, limited human beings. And with human beings, not all things are possible. Humans alone constantly fall short of their goals.
In my own life, the seemingly impossible has happened when I let go of my doubt and let God work. Not all of the flowers, poems, and charming words delivered a wonderful wife to me. Not all of the resumes, interviews, and recommendations allowed me to have an incredible job. We have all suffered from fear and doubt at one point in our lives. Maybe you thought a loved one would never recover from an illness. Maybe you never thought you could be forgiven for your sins. Well, as stated in Matt. 19:26, “with God all things are possible”. It is time for us to believe this and live as though we do.

Life With Out Fear

It is good to have warnings. Without warnings, life would be incredibly treacherous. We would live in constant fear and suspicion. I enjoy that fact that when I pick up a bottle of air freshener, I am told to “use only as directed.” Furthermore, I am informed that if I concentrate and inhale the air freshener, the results “can be harmful or fatal.” Who among us, without warning, would know that something as simple as household air freshener could kill us? On the road, signs warn us about slippery surfaces, falling rocks, closed lanes, and my most favorite of time wasting inconveniences, road construction. When it is difficult to read signs, warnings from a friend can save one’s life. On a particularly dark night, I was driving with a group of friends in the country. We were headed to a farm to find lodging for the evening. Just past the house we were to stay at, the road was closed. If not warned, we would have driven off the side of a steep cliff. I truly doubt that we would have seen the tiny sign placed just before the end of the road.
Warnings do not always refer to danger or potential harm. Sometimes we are simply notified in advance of one’s arrival. In Luke 1:26-38, we read about a conversation between Mary and an angel. Mary is told she will give birth to the son of God. It doesn’t seem to take much to convince Mary of this miraculous birth. She accepts her fate and claims herself to be “The Lord’s servant”. While God does not ask us to give birth to and raise his son, he does tell us that we have potential. God tells us that we can become his children and enter in to heaven. All we need to do is accept this gift and recognize that we are God’s servants. With God as our guide, we can avoid potential pitfalls and live without dread of the hazards Satan constantly puts before us.

The Shape of a New Man

I’ve been putting a lot of thought in to Philippians 4:8-9. This passage contains a list of things that we need to think of and practice. If this list were to consume every man’s thoughts and actions, it would radically change the way the world operates. Instead, mankind often takes the low road. We do what is attractive, easiest, and what “feels good”. We soak up what is fed to us by the media and our peers. Not all of us struggle with maintaining the thoughts and actions that God desires in the same measure. However, we all face some type of conflict between our physical and spiritual selves. We are in a constant battle against Satan, who will try to destroy in any way possible.
Do we always do “whatever is right”? Do we serve God and treat others with love and respect? Are we pure, or do we allow ourselves to be tainted by the conversations we become involved in, the things we watch on television, the music we listen to, or the thoughts that turn us away from God? Are we noble, living superior lives, founded on high moral principles and ideals? We have to constantly ask ourselves tough questions. We need to step out in the world boldly proclaiming God’s presence through every aspect of who we are. Ephesians 4:22-25 says we must “put off the old man.”
If we think of ourselves as clay, we must then think of who models and forms the clay. Every time we support sinful acts either through participation or in ignorance, we allow ourselves to be shaped in a certain manner. We begin to fear what the world thinks of us and not what the “God of peace” wants us to be. Once shaped, it seems to take more work to repair the damage done than it would have been to avoid sin in the beginning. God has given us amazing potential. He wants to turn us in to new men and women. He wants to bless us with peace and joy, if we are willing to make changes and break free of sin.