THE JESUS FILES: Nothing to Hide
God blesses those whose hearts are pure. Matthew 5:8
What if your life-thoughts, motives, words, actions-every bit of it, was open to public view?
So, how about it? Any takers to be on your own personal Truman Show? I didn't think so.
But the truth is you already are. No, not in the public sense. But your life is "DVRed" by God. He sees it all. He knows it all. He records it all. From your most personal thoughts to your most selfish motives to your most private actions, they are all placed in the divine archives.
So, as Jesus sets forth the way of life suited for those who would embrace His kingdom, He includes integrity as an essential file. God blesses those whose hearts are pure.
Most of us who are Christ-followers are intimidated by this language. We are well aware of our flaws and faults. We are anything but pure. Any amount of purity we might possess is dependent upon the forgiveness of Christ and His sinlessness imputed to our account. But we also know we are called to live a life of moral and ethical purity if we are to bear His name. Where does that leave us as we seek to live out the principles of His kingdom? Let's open the file and see.
The concept of purity which Jesus references had its roots in vivid word pictures of that day. Wheat sifted of all the unwanted chaff was pure. An army culled of all unwilling soldiers was pure. And so it identifies a heart that is unmixed with evil motives and unadulterated by sinful intentions. It is the quality of integrity.
A person of integrity is one who maintains a clear conscience. Like warning lights on a dashboard, our conscience flashes a signal when we are about to engage in that which we know to be wrong. It stays on as long as the issue remains. We can ignore the light or duct tape over it (as one mechanic suggested for my car). Or we can respond to the warning by correcting our thinking or actions. To be a person of integrity means we have no lights flashing on our spiritual dashboard. We have responded to God's warning signals and have made the adjustments called for. We have made every effort to remove that which is in conflict with our commitment to follow God's ways.
When we decide to go the ignore-and-mask route, we start down the road the Bible describes as hypocrisy. We begin to fashion a facade of rightness to cloak questionable motives and sinful practices. Religious piety and superficial moral correctness can become the handy "duct tape" to conceal what is really going on behind the scenes of our life.
Jesus adds some important commentary to this matter of integrity later in Matthew's gospel as He warns of abandoning integrity and opting for hypocrisy. He speaks of those who honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce.(15:8-9) These spiritual impostors create their own religious standards to hide their sinful practices. They talk a good religious game and supplement it with plenty of external piety, but their hearts reek with the likes of greed and lust and self-indulgence.
Ultimately, Jesus identifies integrity as a heart matter. From the heart come evil thoughts, He says. These are what defile you. (Matthew 15:19-20) Yes, integrity is internally cultivated, not externally stimulated or performed. We lay the foundation for a life of integrity that God will bless in the inner reaches of our mind and soul. The motives we choose to embrace and the thoughts we decide to harbor shape the character of our heart and determine whether integrity or hypocrisy mark our life.
The upshot of all this is that integrity is tested in secret. It is most powerfully revealed in our private life known only to us and God. For the truest proof of a pure heart is the commitment to do what is right when no one is watching; to act with honesty when no other human being will ever know; to maintain moral excellence when lust and greed could be satiated without being found out. Real integrity chooses right when there is nothing tangible to be gained and even when there is much to be lost by the decision. Only we know if we are living out this kind of integrity that God will bless.
The apostle Paul urges us to pursue this Jesus file as he writes, Let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward purity because we fear God. (2 Corinthians 7:1) We are never a finished product when it comes to this matter of integrity. We are always in process and so there is no room for pride. Each of us, as followers of Jesus, has our hands full managing our own integrity issues. We dare not engage in judging and assessing the purity level of others. In fact, Os Guinness, in his book The Call, reminds us that "Exclusiveness and exclusion always result from making a false idol of purity." Such an abuse of purity strips it of its divinely intended power and purpose and moves us relentlessly from the ranks of those committed to integrity into the camp of the hypocritical.
Let's do as scripture exhorts and travel the progressive path toward true integrity because we fear God. It is a matter of recognizing that God sees into the dark corners of our life. It means realizing that all those hidden things will be accounted in His eternal reckoning. It involves inviting Him to shine his light into those recesses of our heart exposing anything that does not meet His righteous standards. And, above all else, it requires owning up to those pockets of disobedience and expelling them from our life.even when no one else knows.
We are each the star in our own Truman Show, recording a personal history that will have eternal ramifications. Integrity is the key to standing before Christ some day without embarrassment, holding up our head to look into his eyes, and receiving His smile of approval, not for perfection, but persistence in the pursuit of purity. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they shall see God.
When I meet Jesus, I don't want to come with my head hung in regret and shame. I want to gratefully meet his gaze. Through a passion for integrity may we each anticipate the day when we will humbly, yet joyfully, lift our heads in His presence because we have nothing to hide.
When we see Him face to face it will be our finest moment.
--MikePolo
Mike's lifeis marked by two long-termcommitments--one to his lovely wife of thirty-four years, Pat, and thirty plusyears of pastoral ministry. He presently serves a wonderful congregation inrural Missouri.Other time is spent enjoying sports, grandchildren,crosswordpuzzlesandwriting.
THE JESUS FILES: Mercy in the Marketplace
God blesses those who are merciful. Matthew 5:7
In the September 1, 2008 issue of "The Observer," the newspaper voice of
As a result, the work of architectural design took on a whole new dimension for these future building planners. It was no longer just about codes and cost. It was about the needs of people. Senior Tereza Schiable stated, "It was an important experience for us because we have to learn how to design with all people in mind."
Regardless of what work we do or what world we frequent, Jesus wants us to learn and live this as well.
When Jesus includes mercy in His kingdom essentials it has several significant implications. One of those is found in the corresponding Hebrew word for mercy which emphasizes empathy and identification. It involves getting inside another person's skin and seeing as they see, feeling as they feel, experiencing what they experience.
Such mercy doesn't require simulating the circumstances of others with crutches and blindfolds. The one thing needed is a compassionate heart.
Jesus speaks with authority here as the ultimate empathizer, the supreme identifier. He was deity cloaked in real skin, experiencing the best and worst of the human experience. When the Gospels speak of His mercy and compassion for the people He meets, it's authentic. He knew both their pain and pleasure.
How does this translate to our world and workplace? How does a commitment to mercy and compassion affect how we conduct our daily business? The answers are clear, but far from easy.
The call of Jesus to put ourselves in the shoes of others injects a component into our decision-making that goes beyond the bottom line. We must consider the best interests not only of ourselves or our company, but of those affected by our decisions and actions. We must make an effort at understanding the position and perspective of others before making judgments, handing down verdicts, or enacting policy.
Will this kind of compassion cost us? It surely will. Will people take advantage of us? Undoubtedly some will. It cost Jesus. But He wouldn't have asked us to follow His lead if it wasn't worth it.
The real issue before us involves whose kingdom we want to build, ours or His. We can opt for purely business and personal interests and show mercy when it's convenient and cost-effective. Or we can become a genuine person of compassion by making it a part of the very fabric of who we are and everything we do.
For those who still can't shake their attachment to the bottom line, there is a promise linked to this mercy file. Return on investment is guaranteed.they will be shown mercy. No matter how successful, how resourceful, how influential, we all eventually need a large dose of mercy. We need someone to understand us, identify with our situation, and show us a measure of compassion. We need someone to give us not what we have earned or deserve. We need mercy.
That's what God has shown us in the face of our sin. Fully aware of our moral and ethical failure He chose not only to love us, not only to forgive us, but to lavish us with His blessing. That's mercy, the kind of mercy we all need. It is mercy accessed through faith in the embodiment of mercy, Jesus Christ.
Some day we will all stand before God. When we do, we will not ask to be treated fairly or receive what we deserve. We'll want mercy. At that time we'll be glad we made mercy a part of our personal business plan.
--MikePolo
Mike's lifeis marked by two long-termcommitments--one to his lovely wife of thirty-four years, Pat, and thirty plusyears of pastoral ministry. He presently serves a wonderful congregation inrural Missouri.Other time is spent enjoying sports, grandchildren,crosswordpuzzlesandwriting.
THE JESUS FILES: The Power of Passion
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Matthew 5:6
Some might say I was an odd child. Barely able to comprehend the concept of numbers, I recorded them religiously as I tracked the daily high temperatures reported by the local meteorologist. Somehow I had contracted a passionate interest in the weather. For Christmas, at my request, I received a weather kit with instruments for measuring meteorological conditions and making primitive forecasts. My dad installed an anemometer (it came with the kit) just outside the back door so I could measure wind speed. Weather fascinated my young (and possibly skewed) mind.
I don't remember how long this meteorological phase lasted, but its residual effects remain with me even today. If the Weather Channel was pay-per-view I'd subscribe. I'm on a first name basis with every forecaster on each of our local television channels. When my wife needs weather information so she can make plans or choose clothing she knows I'll give her up-to-date data. I guess it's the adult version of my childhood obsession.
Over the years I've experienced the rising and waning of other passionate interests. Their intensity and duration have varied, but this inner drive to find meaning in something has been constant.
It seems clear that God has wired us for desire and has installed a hard drive in each life that contains this penchant for passion. But the files that are loaded there are determined personally. We choose what pursuits we will neglect or nourish. We decide what desires we will ignore or ignite. The power of passion is ours to manage.
We must manage it well.
Jesus provides us with a non-negotiable hub from which all desire can be effectively directed. The passion which evokes divine blessing is that which is centered on righteousness.
He will not let us pick and choose here. Jesus structured the language of His statement to refer to the whole of righteousness, not just selected aspects that suit our tastes. Many approach faith with this buffet mentality, planning to take only what they like and leave the rest. But Jesus refuses to indulge us.
His word picture is vivid as He likens the desire for righteousness to hunger and thirst. By doing so He identifies how essential this one great passion is to life. Without it at the center of our personal and spiritual universe we wither; we weaken; we waste away.
In addition, this powerful sensory imagery identifies that passion for righteousness cannot be a passing obsession. Few of us in
This passion for righteousness is what marks those who have truly opted to be followers of Jesus. It is demonstrated in an effort to know and live His righteous truth. It is revealed in a commitment to reflect His righteous character. It is evidenced by practicing His righteous ways in daily life. It makes a practical and personal difference through actions that champion His righteous justice in the world.
Yes, God has created us as people of passion-passion that drives us to seek meaning beyond our mortality. Without a doubt, we were made to matter.
Well, I can't say that my weather passion has added a great deal to my life. In fact, my experience has been that every human desire I have chosen to chase has disappointed to some extent. There is always a gnawing sense of emptiness.
But it is different with righteousness. Those who pursue it passionately receive a promise. They will be filled. Aren't we all looking for something that will truly and completely satisfy with no empty aftertaste? Righteousness is it. Nothing else.
What's your passion?
THE JESUS FILES: Uncommon Strength
God blesses those who are gentle and lowly. Matthew 5:5
I remember the day the circus came to our small, rural
Later that night under the expansive tent, the elephant did stunts at the prompting of its trainer. At any moment it could have enforced its own will by crushing the handler and scattering the crowd. But instead, it submissively went about performing each requested trick. Although I was unaware, it was my first encounter with meekness-gentle strength.
This spirit of humble gentleness is a cornerstone of the Jesus files. Those who would participate in His Kingdom and experience His blessing must become carriers of His character. And when Jesus offers a description of Himself, He chooses this same unlikely term. I am humble and gentle, He says. (Matthew 11:29)
The Roman culture of Jesus' day, much like our own, had little use for meekness. It connected it with weakness and preferred to laud power, force, and domination. Today we opt for assertiveness, aggressiveness, and advancement, while the idea of submission and surrender gets little play in corporate meeting rooms or in seminars on leadership. It's no more valued today than it was in Jesus' Roman world.
But what makes it so important to Jesus? The vivid imagery of the Greek language lends some insight.
Commonly used of a wild animal domesticated and trained to respond to human command (like that circus elephant), gentleness reflected power under control. A wild stallion broken and bridled for riding with its immense strength channeled for human usefulness, perfectly depicted Jesus' intent.
Then there was its usage to refer to a medicinal salve that eases pain and promotes healing. Improperly applied there was toxic potential, but administered in a careful, balanced manner soothing relief would ensue.
Or, how about its use to describe a gentle breeze that cools and refreshes? Contrast that with gale force winds that not only create discomfort, but bring damage as well, and a meaningful picture emerges.
Controlled strength. Effective healing. Invigorating refreshment. The message is clear. Meekness has the power to make a positive difference. It is not wimpy or wishy-washy as commonly portrayed. Instead, it marks a person of impact.
Yes, the key to being an individual of maximum influence is found on the unlikely path of surrender.
Jesus pioneered this thinly-travelled road, surrendering His glory and submitting to the plan of the Father. As a result, he impacted the world and human life like no one else had or ever will.
It takes uncommon strength to administer gentleness when every fiber of one's being desires to react with force. It takes uncommon strength to surrender one's rights when self-interest cries for satisfaction. It takes uncommon strength to submit to another's will for their benefit and the greater good.
It also takes uncommon strength to sacrifice one's life on a cross for the sake of sinful people. That's Jesus-style surrender.
The wise writer of Proverbs captured the might of meekness when he penned, He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who captures a city. (Proverbs 16:32) The real people of power are those who master their own spirit and channel their emotion and energies for the will of God and the good of others.
The whole earth will belong to them. Now there's an unexpected conclusion. It's not the politically powerful, nor the physically forceful, nor the economically competent, nor the intellectually influential that wield the power. When all is said and done, the humbly surrendered will lead the way.
In short, Christ-like meekness rules.
THE JESUSFILES: Tears and Transformation
God blesses those who mourn. Matthew5:4
Consider a huge pile of Christmas presents,brilliantly wrapped and accented with bright and beautiful bows and ribbons.Each gift offers the promise of Christmas morning happiness. But amid themountain of gifts a package is visible, conspicuous in its plainness. It iswrapped in a brown paper bag and tied with mere string.
As wide-eyed children are sent to select a gift tomake their very own, the mound of merriment dwindles. But the plain paperpackage remains untouched, a testament to its unappealing appearance. It willremain unclaimed, a gift that no one wants.
Amid the Kingdom realities filed by Jesus in theSermon on the Mount, the one found in Matthew 5:4 is the present plainlywrapped. It is the unwanted gift. God blesses those who mourn.
This principle is surely hard. How can mourningproduce mirth? Where is the happiness in heartbreak? What connection doesblessing have to brokenness? Only where God's power is given room to rule doesthis paradoxical principle operate. And, where it does, the promise farsurpasses the pain.
In these poignant words Jesus makes no effort toimprove the attractiveness of this offer of blessing. Of the eight Greek wordoptions for sorrow, He chooses the strongest. It reflects the deepest of humanloss which spawns uncontrollable tears. It is anguish that pierces heart andsoul.
So why buy into this promise of an alleged gift inthe plain grocery bag wrapping? Why embrace brokenness instead of following thehuman instinct to curse it?
The imagery of an Old Testament Psalm is partneredwith our Jesus file of mourning and encourages us to believe. It opens our eyesto the ways and will of God when our hearts and spirits are broken by painfulcircumstances. Psalm 126, in vivid desert imagery, makes the case for blessingfrom brokenness.
Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew thedesert. Those
who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.They weep as
they go to plant their seed, but they sing as theyreturn with the
harvest. Psalm 126:4-6
If you find yourself withering in the desert ofbrokenness take heart. Call upon God to invade the barrenness of your suffering.In a time of His perfect choosing He will water your circumstances and restorelife and beauty.
Planting seeds of faith through the tears of pain is noteasy. Sowing such seeds in a desert of difficulty seems pointless. It calls fordetermined endurance. So don't give up. Keep planting. Keep trusting. Keepbelieving, even as you walk the hard soil of mourning.
The harvest of blessing will come. Anguished sobswill be replaced by shouts of joy. Tears will be transformed into triumph whenGod produces the ultimate harvest of His marvelous purpose for yourpain.
When the tears flow, don't despair. Instead, get readyto sing. God's comfort will come. His blessing will arrive. Hepromised.
Now, thank God for that plainly wrappedgift.
THE JESUSFILES: DeclaringBankruptcy
Godblesses those who recognize their need of him.Matthew5:3
For me andmy friends in our small, ruralIowatown, Monopoly was an entertainingpastime during our childhood days, especially when the weather foiled ouroutdoor plans. We'd gather at my houseand begin to play our own version of the classic board game. After randomly distributing the propertydeeds and breaking the bank by evenly dispersing all the money, we would wheeland deal in an effort to gain real estate sets like the prized Boardwalk andParkPlace. Finally, we would set about playing with a single goal in mind-ruthlesslybankrupt the other players. Bankruptcyequaled loser and nobody wanted to lose.
So, when Jesus touts personal bankruptcyas an essential spiritual quality for participation in His kingdom, we're takenaback. That's a loser mentality. It's a sign of failed effort, faultyjudgment, and foolish planning.
But Jesus has clearly not misspoken. It is file number one in his data base forblessing. When it comes to matters ofspiritual importance, bankruptcy heads the list of quintessentialqualities. Instead of divine blessinggracing the lives of the upwardly mobile and financially successful, Jesus laudsthepoor in spirit.
That's tough for most of us toswallow. We're proud of our savvy andresourcefulness. We're self-confident inour instincts and skills. What we needis far out-weighed by what we bring to the table. The thought of admitting our lack or loss orlimitations makes us squeamish. It runscontrary to our sense of success and self-sufficiency.
But the Jesus files don't follow thecultural protocol for achievement. TheMaster of real life charts an entirely different course. And it begins here, with an admission ofdesperate need and bankrupt means. Itinvolves a shameless acknowledgement that we need God and without Him we are andhave nothing. Zero. Zilch. Zip.
This is no secret file. It is embedded in the Old Testament fromGenesis to Malachi. Then Jesus comes onthe New Testament scene and gives it simple, succinct voice. Blessed are the poor inspirit.
When we come empty-handed God ushers usinto the wonders of His kingdom purpose and program.for the kingdom of heaven is given tothem-the spiritually needy, the inwardly empty, the personally spent. As it turns out, in God's economy, thebankrupt are the only winners and the product of our pride and self-sufficiencynothing more than Monopoly money.
Game over.