Thinking Is Hard!

 

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. (Philippians 3:12-16 ESV).

 

Tomorrow, May 8^th, we will be traveling with Kyle and Brandy to the “holy land,” better known to many as College Station, Texas, the home of Texas A&M University. In the evening we will be attending the graduation ceremony where Logan (their son and our oldest grandson) will receive his bachelor’s degree. His twin sister, Faith, earned her degree in December, which was a semester early. There is something very special about being a part of this time of transition. It is certainly a milestone for him to be proud about.

 

I have often spoken at baccalaureate ceremonies in the past, though this time I will merely be a very proud grandpa. He will graduate with honors with a business degree. We have had some conversation surrounding the rigorous academics necessary to achieve this degree, though he was always humbler about it than I. He did confess that he would be glad to take a little time off where he didn’t need to “think so hard.” And, perhaps there is some truth to the statement of “thinking is hard.” However, thinking is simply a way of life. I often find myself lost in thought especially about the past or the future. Inevitably those are the times when I am most tempted to lose sight of the incredible present God has given to me.

 

This important truth is embedded in our reading today from the Apostle Paul as he writes to the church at Philippi. Paul could have said a great deal about his adventuresome past; some of it would have been said with pride and others of it would have whispered with regret. No one of us, no matter how accomplished or successful can truly look back without some sense of failure or regret. It is a natural part of our lives. Paul could have looked forward into his life and recognized that the future was not nearly as bright as some of his past. In fact, at the time of his writing this epistle he is in prison at Rome awaiting final sentencing, which undoubtedly would be a gruesome execution for the entertainment of the crowds drawn to the Coliseum.

All of us have those kinds of moments where the past haunts us and the future terrifies us. So, let me lay this principle before you. It has served me well, especially in these latter decades of my life: Never let past failures or future fears rob you of present joy.

 

Remember how Paul put it… But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

 

There’s really not a lot of “thinking” in that statement. Of course, I would encourage you to learn from all your past experiences. Both those you have done well with and those that you wish you could do over are instructive. But once the lesson is learned… PRESS ON! This is how we remain a student in life. I like the way Paul commends his readers to press on toward a very specific goal. That finish line is the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. That insures us of present joy! Remember this above all… Thinking Is Hard. And, in Christ all things are possible. Enjoy your present!

 

Matthias, the Thirteenth Apostle

 

So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:21–26 ESV).

 

There were always times when I was vocationally in the ministry when we needed to search for another staff member. Rarely was that an easy task. Since we were congregationally controlled there was no “appointment” from district, state, or national leadership. A committee would be formed from within the church. The first step was to make contacts with friends and leadership who we trusted and ask for recommendations. We would begin by receiving resumes. They would be sorted according to experience and talent. Then the process of interviewing would begin. It was much the same as any other search for staff in a business or corporation. Often we would settle on two or three candidates. That was when the real work began. Meeting together we would pray over each candidate’s name and enter into discussion about what we felt the Lord would have us do.

 

This was the story of our reading today and the introduction of Matthias to the narrative. He was chosen over Joseph called Barsabbas to complete the apostolic group after Judas's betrayal. Tradition holds that he followed Jesus from the beginning, exemplifying quiet faithfulness. While not mentioned again in the Bible, early church traditions suggest he preached in Judea and later in areas like Cappadocia or Ethiopia. He is widely believed to have died as a martyr, with stories suggesting he was stoned and beheaded. He is most remembered for his quiet perseverance.

 

I wonder how Matthias felt during this process. He had been following Jesus from the beginning. He had heard everything that Jesus had taught. He had seen all the miracles Jesus had done. He may have been one of the 72 followers Jesus had sent out during his ministry. Matthias must have had many stories to share about what he had seen and done while following Jesus. Certainly, he was a qualified and loyal follower of Jesus. But he wasn’t one of the original twelve apostles until his name came up and was drawn by lot. Prior to that moment he quietly waited for his time to serve by serving where he was.

 

Sometimes the message we get from Jesus is “Wait.” We may be ready to go where he sends us or to do what he wants us to do. But he tells us to wait. Wait for the opportunity and for the time to be right. Wait for Jesus to call on us. I imagine Matthias was excited to become part of the leading group of Christ-followers who would go out and change the world. I hope you are excited to be a part of that movement as well. Serve where you are and be willing to go where you are asked.

 

The Men on the Road to Emmaus

 

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. (Luke 24:28–35 ESV).

 

The account of the men on the road to Emmaus, which is recorded in Luke 24:13–35, describes two disciples of Jesus walking from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus on the day of Jesus’ resurrection. We do not know their identities for sure. Luke mentions the name of one as being Cleopas. According to some early church traditions, he may have been the brother of Joseph (Jesus' earthly father). The other is not named in the biblical text. Various traditions and scholars have suggested several possibilities, including: Simon (Luke 24:34), possibly Cleopas' son or a different disciple; Mary, the wife of Clopas, suggesting the pair was a married couple; or, even Luke himself, acting as an anonymous witness.

 

The two men were traveling about seven miles from Jerusalem, discussing the recent crucifixion and reports of the empty tomb with deep sadness. The resurrected Jesus joined them on the road, but they were "kept from recognizing him". As they talked, the two exhibited a lack faith that Jesus had been resurrected. Jesus rebuked their lack of faith and, starting with Moses and the Prophets, explained how all the Scriptures pointed to the Messiah’s suffering and eventual glory.

 

The story has a very happy ending though. Upon arriving at Emmaus, they invited the stranger to stay for a meal. As Jesus "took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them," their eyes were opened, they recognized Him, and He immediately disappeared. Despite it being evening, they immediately raced back to Jerusalem to tell the Eleven apostles, "It is true! The Lord has risen!". In many ways they were like Thomas. They needed to “see” to believe.

 

I wonder how often we find ourselves in Christ’s presence and don’t realize it. Though he isn’t actually there in person, he can be present with us anywhere at any time because he promises, “I am with you always” (cf. Matthew 28:20). Maybe a conversation with a friend ushers us into Jesus’ presence. Or maybe a worship experience helps us connect with Christ in a new way. Or maybe someone shines the presence of Jesus in a selfless act of service. Whatever the case, let’s keep our eyes open for Jesus in our everyday living. No doubt he is walking with us each day.

 

Thomas, also known as Didymus

 

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:24–29 ESV).

 

I have a bit of difficulty with Thomas’s doubt. Perhaps that’s simply because I came to my faith later in life. I often wonder how he could have seen all that Jesus did and not believed. However, he didn’t. Further, for reasons we are not told, he wasn’t with the other disciples when Jesus first visited them after his resurrection, so he hadn’t seen Jesus firsthand. Maybe he should have taken the disciples’ word for it when they told him they had seen Jesus. Maybe he should have had more faith. Or maybe he was just an untrusting sort of person. Whatever the case, Thomas said he just couldn’t believe Jesus was alive until he saw Jesus for himself.

 

Jesus’ gentleness and kindness in dealing with Thomas’ doubt is so encouraging. When Jesus came again and Thomas could see him, Jesus was patient with Thomas. Jesus even showed Thomas what he said he needed to see to believe. But Jesus also noted that all who believe without seeing him will be blessed. Today that includes us. Belief without seeing is the nature of our faith much of the time. We probably won’t see Christ in person until we join him in eternity. Until then, though, we believe even though we have not seen.

 

We are called to have faith in Jesus for who he is, all he has done, and all he has promised. We believe because others have seen, because others have witnessed, and because their testimony is in God’s Word to us, along with all of God’s promises. We believe because the Spirit of God guides us into the truth of God’s Word and gives us faith (cf. John 16:7-15; Ephesians 2:6-10). And in believing we are blessed.

 

Mary, the Mother of Jesus

So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. (John 19:24–27 ESV).

 

Mary, the mother of Jesus, has a special history for many reasons. I’ve always thought her courage and strength were only surpassed by her faith in God. She had an important job raising the son of God. Sometimes simply thinking about boggles my mind. I know what it is like to raise a son, actually three of them, and it is an incredible task. Hers was an unexpected pregnancy, probably the most unexpected pregnancy in the history of civilization. She was a virgin who was told by an angel that she was going to be a mother, that her child was going to change the world and that she would have her heart broken. She likely was no more than 14 or 15 years old at this time in her life. And Nazareth in 1 B.C. wasn’t exactly an encouraging place for an unwed mother. I am sure there was a lot of criticism and gossip at the time. Even Joseph was ready to leave her until God stepped in and explained the situation. Yet she persevered. I wonder what thoughts she must have had standing at the cross watching her son in agony, dying.

 

Jesus’ entire ministry was characterized by selfless acts. Healing sick people, feeding hungry people, taking the role of a servant, and even raising the dead were major parts of his ministry of bringing the good news of God’s love for us all. Jesus was always looking out for others and putting them and their needs ahead of his own. So we shouldn’t be surprised that as he hung on the cross he was still thinking about others.

 

Jesus’ mother, Mary, stood by helplessly, watching her son die on a cross. No doubt, she wept with the others who stood with her. And while Jesus neared death, he reached out to make sure that she would be taken care of. He told the disciple that he loved (John) that he should take Mary into his home and treat her as his own mother and that Mary should treat John as her own son.

 

We can learn so much from her reaction. The pain was real. Jesus’ death was excruciatingly real. Her son died before her eyes in the cruelest of ways being completely innocent of all wrong. Yet, as she naturally grieved, she did what she knew to do. She trusted her son as he told her to lean on John and hoped. We have so much more evidence for our hope today. In your trials, take a step and trust in the direction Jesus is leading you. 

The Centurion and the Guards at the Cross

 

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. Then the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:50–54 ESV).

 

Have you ever seen something that was so amazing you were tempted to think it couldn’t be real? With the capability of Artificial Intelligence and its near universal availability, that is a question that often pops to mind. Sometimes things seem so astonishing that it is hard to believe. However, once I determine it is real, I feel compelled to tell others about it. Such is the case of the NASA mission of Artemis II. The picture I’ve attached today was taken from inside the space capsule as Christina Koch views Earth from Orion. It is the moment when Artemis II mission specialist Koch looks at Earth from the window of the Orion spacecraft on its way to the Moon during the Artemis II mission. At the time, Christina was already farther away than any woman has ever been from our planet. To think of it and to see it is simply astonishing.

 

This is what Matthew describes in our reading today. The Centurion and the guards assigned to execute Jesus and the two thieves that day witnessed something so astonishing, they were compelled to declare exactly who Jesus was. That was the reaction of the centurion and the guards who watched over Jesus’ execution. They saw everything that happened to him. And after everything had happened—after Jesus had given up his spirit—they couldn’t help declaring exactly who Jesus was.

 

Encountering Jesus has that effect on people still today. When Jesus shows up in our lives and does something miraculous or we are able to see the work of his Spirit through an individual or a community, we can’t help sharing that good news with everyone we meet. Not all of us may be able to think of something quickly but today would be a good day to spend a bit of time pondering the miraculous in your life. I’m always drawn to the birth of our children and grandchildren. There is no lack of the miraculous in those events. And, then those thoughts take me to so many more. God’s work among us is always present!

 

The Chief Priests and Scribes

 

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 20:17–19 ESV).

 

Today we shift from one character to a group of people who surrounded Jesus in those last days before the crucifixion and resurrection. The Chief priests and scribes were the primary Jewish religious and legal authorities in the Gospels, often acting together to oppose Jesus. As part of the Sanhedrin, they managed temple worship, interpreted Mosaic Law, and sought to kill Jesus because they perceived his ministry as a threat to their authority and feared the people. The Chief Priests were mostly Sadducees, these leading priests (including the High Priest) oversaw the Temple and held significant political power. The Scribes, on the other hand were the experts in the Law of Moses and often associated with the Pharisees, they served as teachers, theologians, and legal experts. While they were knowledgeable about scripture, they used their authority to challenge, trap, and ultimately try Jesus, leading to his crucifixion.

 

Jesus had set out for Jerusalem, even though he knew what would happen there. He knew there would be confrontations with the chief priests and teachers of the law, who were looking for a reason to arrest and kill him. If he stayed away from Jerusalem, he might have avoided that outcome, at least for a while. But he had come to follow his Father’s plan, and that involved going to Jerusalem, facing the religious leaders, and submitting to his eventual sentencing, torture, and death.

 

It may surprise us that the religious leaders opposed Jesus. In many ways, sadly, they were responsible for his death. They thought they were in the right, but they were not. The lesson for us here is to make sure we do what is right. At times when we think we are following God’s will, we are not. We might think we are close to Jesus, but we can be far off.

 

Discernment is a difficult task, but it is one that we are called to every day. Let’s pray for help in discerning what is right and who we are called to be.