The Lord Reigns

Psalm 93

Introduction

The conversation in the coffee shop and throughout the region over the past several weeks has been the flooding of the Red River and its tributaries. Many of you have been significantly impacted by this flood and all of us have been very aware of it. Whenever I listen to the forecast now, I always become concerned when I hear that the wind is going to be strong because I know that means some of you will be staying put and it also presents a potential threat to your homes. I know that some of you have felt isolated and even abandoned because of the isolation. I know that whenever you need to leave your homes, you are very aware of the danger which the waters pose and if you have to go by boat, it can be a scary thing.

We have talked about “How high it will go?” “Will the dikes hold?” “How long will it last?” and many other questions. Anyone involved in programs in the school or church has been wondering if we can or should go on with planned activities.

While all of these thoughts were floating around in the community and in my mind, it was interesting when one day about a week ago in my devotions, I just happened to come to Psalm 93. Here is what it says.

The context of the Psalm is difficult to determine because there is no title to this Psalm, but the central verse, verse 3, seems to suggest some kind of a context, one that seems very appropriate to our situation. Yet, as I read commentaries, I was not sure what this imagery was referring to. Some suggested that it refers to the primordial waters which existed in the early days of creation. Several suggested that the sea is an emblem of the Gentile world in opposition to God’s people. The commentary by Keil and Delitsch suggested that this is about the “future time when Christ will come and God will establish His eternal kingdom.” I would not want to suggest a context and I don’t think a specific context is intended. The words of the Psalm, both in the turmoil presented in the central verse and in the truths about God which appear in the rest of the Psalm are appropriate to our situation today. So let us think about what God’s Word may have to say to us from this Psalm today.

Turmoil

We will begin our examination at the center of the passage with verse 3 where we read, “The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.”

The central word in this passage, in NIV, is “seas,” but the Hebrew word is actually “river” and many translations use the word “floods.” These words invite us to think about the different stories in the Bible in which violent waves and rivers and floods were involved in the story.

We may think about the action of water when God first created the world. Can you imagine the rushing of water which occurred when God said “Let the water under the sky be gathered in one place, and let dry ground appear?”

Obviously think of the great flood in the days of Noah. What devastation that caused!

We may think of the crossing of the Red Sea by Israel, recorded in Exodus 14. What would it have been like when the strong east wind parted the waters and created the dry ground for Israel to pass through? Can we imagine the great turmoil when the waters returned and drowned Pharaoh and all the Egyptian army?

A Psalm which speaks of the mighty turmoil of waves and wind is found in Psalm 107:23-27, where we read, “Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. 24 They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. 25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. 26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. 27 They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits’ end.”

The sea as an image of unknown evil and great turmoil is implied in Revelation 21:1 where we read that “there was no longer any sea.” It seems that for Israel the sea was a place of turmoil and struggle and trouble. It was not possible to tame it. Although sometimes God redeemed people from it, it always represented a picture of difficulty for them.

These are the pictures which Biblical understanding brings to us when we read Psalm 93:3 and also as we stand on the shores of our own Red Sea. The current flood waters have caused isolation and displacement. They have caused people to feel abandoned because everything else goes on as normal. They have put people into situations of danger on the icy waters. They continue to torment with all the thoughts of future difficulties – “How long will it stay?” “Will we be able to seed this year?” All those who are surrounded know that after the waters recede there will be significant, difficult and discouraging clean up. On top of that, for those who are facing the second or third flood, the memory of past floods and all their difficulties come back as a painful memory. The turmoil presented in Psalm 93:3 is very real to us indeed.

But we should not limit this picture to the current flooding. While we are in turmoil over this difficulty, there are many other difficulties which may also feel like an overwhelming flood. I think of the family of the little girl from Ontario who has been missing for quite a while. I think of those of you who are dealing with illness and those who are overwhelmed by disappointment and loss. All of these should be set on the table as being described by the verses, “The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.”

The Lord on High is Mighty!

But this Psalm deliberately redirects our focus away from turmoil to God.

The Lord Reigns

The Psalm begins with the strong affirmation that “The Lord reigns…” and speaks again of the reign of God in verse 2 when it says that “Your throne was established long ago…”

The “seas lifted up” are not the final word. The turmoil does not reign. Even in the midst of the most devastating situation, it is the Lord who reigns.

Spurgeon writes, “His is not the semblance, but the reality of sovereignty.”

When we look at the powerful waves caused by the south wind blowing on the massive expanse of water, we may think that all that water rules. It sure seems to rule when it causes us to fear, to move, to work hard to protect our homes, to change plans and put everything on pause.

When we recognize that a disease has taken hold of our body, we may think that the disease reigns in our body.

Throughout the world, the philosophy of atheism seems to hold sway. Throughout the world missionaries seem to be a minority and struggle to bring the gospel to people groups who do not respond. For the past 50 years and more there has been work among the native groups in the Chaco and today the mission station where Frank and Marge first went when they became missionaries is still a small and struggling work being carried out today by New Tribes Mission. My dad used to drive kids to Sunday School on Sunday afternoon in inner city Winnipeg in the 50’s and now, 50 years later, people are still trying hard to make a difference in the inner city. Someone recently expressed disappointment that after all the years of effort and money poured into inner city Winnipeg, there still seemed to be so much darkness and struggle.

These kind of experiences cause us to wonder, “who reigns?” Do secular governments reign? Do the forces of darkness reign? Does Satan reign?

I recently received an article which gave me a very encouraging perspective. The article is written by Matthew Parris and his opening line in the article is, “As an atheist, I truly believe that Africa needs God.” He writes, “It’s a pity, I would say, that salvation is part of the package, but Christians, black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach the people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it. I would allow that if faith was needed to motivate the missionaries to help, then fine: but what counted was the help, not the faith…But this doesn’t fit the facts. Faith does more than support the missionary; it is also transferred to his flock. This is the effect that matters so immensely, and which I cannot help observing.” He goes on to describe how important God is in bringing change. Although sometimes in the turmoil we wonder if God reigns, this article reminds us that God reigns.

The Lord Is Robed in Majesty

Twice in verse 1 this Psalm tells us that “He is robed in majesty.” Even as we have before us the devastation of the “pounding waves” we are invited to recognize the glory of the Lord who reigns.

I enjoy mystery stories and have read many of the stories of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. So I have interest also in the modern mystery stories which we have on TV. I keep trying to find a good mystery show and so I have watched CSI and Law and Order and so on, but I am constantly turned away by the ugliness of evil which is often so graphically displayed on these shows.

Evil is ugly and there is so much ugliness in our world. There is so much ugliness in the many different ways in which the “seas have lifted up their voice.” We know that with our physical “Red Sea” there is an ugliness about the devastation which it has caused and we cannot be blind to the loss of income, the destroyed homes and trees, the displaced lives and anxiety ridden psyches. The devastation of illness which sometimes deforms, often brings fear, creates brokenness and frequently robs of life is something we can all identify with.

But if the Lord reigns and if the Lord is robed in majesty, then we should also expect that somewhere along the line there will be beauty and not ugliness. We should expect that, as Isaiah 61:3 says, there will be, “beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair...”

If we focus on the “pounding waves” we will be discouraged and devastated, but if we put our hope in the Lord who reigns and recognize that He is robed in majesty, we will know that beauty will come.

We have often puzzled about the legalism of the most conservative Mennonite groups and the oppression under which many of them live. Yet I observed something very interesting about them. A group of conservative Mennonites from Manitoba moved to Paraguay many years ago to escape government interference and forced public education. They took their conservative views to a remote area of Paraguay in order to escape from the world. However, some of them began to open their hearts to the gospel. Although they faced severe persecution from the rest of the group, they survived and grew in their faith and began to do mission work among the native group which lived in that remote area. In time, some of the most conservative people in the original group began to feel the pressure of the world again and moved to a more remote region where once again, some found the gospel and began to reach out to the people who lived in that remote region. I discovered that this has happened in Mexico, Belize, Paraguay and Bolivia and I began to see that the oppression of legalism of the most conservative Mennonite groups keeps causing them to move into remote areas, where some find the gospel and begin to spread the gospel. I began to realize that God is using what we don’t see as a good thing, oppressive legalism, to bring the gospel into these remote areas and is thus bringing beauty for ashes. That is one example of the majesty of the God who reigns.

The Lord Is Armed With Strength

In verse 1 we read that He is “armed with strength” and then in verse 4, as a direct response to the verse about the “seas lifting up their voice,” we read, “Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea – the Lord on high is mighty.”

One day the disciples of Jesus were crossing the Sea of Galilee and Jesus was with them. Perhaps it was calm when they started out, but soon we read in Mark 4:37, “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.” Here we have a picture which is similar to that in Psalm 93:3. But as we read on in this story, we have a very specific illustration of the truth of Psalm 93:4. As the disciples feared desperately because of the roaring wind and crashing waves, we read in Mark 4:39, “He(Jesus) got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”

I suspect some of you wish that Jesus was in your boat on those days when you need to cross the mighty waters and that He would speak to the wind and the waves and calm them, but I haven’t heard too many stories of waves calmed in a moment so we question, “Is the Lord still “mightier than the thunder of the mighty waters?” How do we see that power displayed in our turmoil, whatever it may be?

When our daughter was in her teens, she was visiting a friend who lived near La Riviere on the edge of the valley. She and two friends were on a quad and she was driving on some trails in the area and they began to drive up a steep hill. Before they knew what was happening, the machine lifted up and flipped backwards over them and bounced to the bottom of the hill. Some fell off as it fell, but the machine rolled completely over our daughter. They were scared and hurt, but I am sure that it was the might of God which spared them. When I heard that I knew that God does show His power!

Our opportunity is to bring every situation in which we are powerless into His presence in prayer and rely on His promises. His promise, as we find it in Hebrews 13:5, 6, says, “God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Abraham Wright has said, “Therefore consider not so much thy distress as thy Deliverer…The danger may exceed thy resistance, but not God’s assistance; the enemies’ power may surpass thy strength, their subtlety outwit thy prudence, but neither can excel the wisdom and might of God that is with thee. O, learn therefore to try God in His strength, to trust Him in difficulties; and when the merciless waves are ready to swallow thee, commit thyself to His custody.”

The Lord’s Throne Is Eternal

From this Psalm we also notice, not once, but twice that this reign of God and His powerful help does not come to an end. Verse 2 addresses God and says “your throne was established long ago, you are from all eternity…” In all time past, God has always reigned and has always cared for His flock. In Psalm 93:5, we read that “holiness adorns your house for endless days.”

The phrase in verse 2 seems to look at eternity past and the phrase in verse 5 at eternity yet to come and God is the Lord in both. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “He has reigned, does reign, and will reign.”

If God is the Lord in eternity past and in eternity yet to come, has he abandoned us today? We can say with confidence that He has not. We are invited to put our confidence in the eternal God.

Holiness Adorns His House

The last phrase which speaks of who God is in the midst of the “pounding waves” is found in verse 5 where we read, “…holiness adorns your house…”

Holiness has always been a bit of a mystery to understand. In itself it reminds us that God is set apart from all that He has created. There is much to this, but how does it relate to the theme of turmoil which permeates this Psalm?

One aspect of holiness is goodness. Spurgeon writes, “God has not admitted evil to dwell with him.” If that is the case, then our confidence can be that whatever God does will be good and not evil. To recognize that holiness adorns His house is to recognize that we can put our confidence in the goodness of God.

Peace

If God reigns and if God is majestic and if God is mighty and if God is eternal and if God is holy; then we can have peace and we know which way to go.

The World Is Firmly Established

After the opening affirmation that the Lord reigns, is majestic and is armed with strength for all eternity, we have this comforting word, “The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.”

In verse 3 it doesn’t look like the world is firmly established. When the floods raise their voice it doesn’t look like the world is firmly established. When arthritis ravages a young body or when a drunk driver takes the lives of a missionary family, it doesn’t look or feel like the world is firmly established. But when the Lord who is “mightier than the thunder of the great waters” reigns, then we can be assured that the world is firmly established. Nothing will happen that is not known to Him, nor will anything happen which He cannot redeem to express His holiness and majesty.

One of the Psalms which I often read in difficult situations is Psalm 46, which has a similar theme and a calm affirmation of where our peace comes from. It speaks in verse 2, about the mountains falling into the heart of the sea and about the waters roaring and foaming. But it says that even in these situations of absolute upheaval when it looks like the world is not firmly established, that “we will not fear.” Why can it so confidently speak like this? Because as verse 1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.” What is our response to this understanding? What is true for us if “The Lord reigns?” Psalm 46:10 invites us, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Your Statutes Stand Firm

But not only do we have peace in the midst of turmoil, we also know the way to go.

Verse 5 assures us, “your statutes stand firm.” The Message puts it like this: “What you say goes—it always has.”

When the turmoil is great, we may fear that what God has said is obviously not true anymore. But if God’s Word is still true because God reigns, then the promises of God are also still true. To say “your statutes stand firm,” is to acknowledge that the promises which God has made have not been forgotten. We can count on the Lord’s protective care for us and we can know that He is still the good shepherd who watches over His flock.

And if it is true to say “your statutes stand firm” then it is also true that the commands of the Word of God are true. When we are in the stress of flooding and danger, and these things cause our hearts to fear, we may be tempted to behave in ways that are a violation of the Word of God. As Christians, we are not immune to doing things which help us, but hurt another person. But, if God reigns and if his promises are sure, then his commands are also sure and we are called to continue to obey His Word. May the peace which Christ gives, allow us to have the conviction and ability to continue to obey.

Conclusion

I am so thankful for Psalms like this. They help us look into our hearts to see the fear and anger and turmoil that is there. They also invite us to see God in the midst of whatever is happening in our life. Spurgeon says about this Psalm that it “is calculated to comfort the distressed, confirm the timorous, and assist the devout.”

I like the poem he has written which rephrases some of the ideas found in this Psalm. May these words be an encouragement to all.

“Loud the stormy billows spoke,

Loud the billows raised their cry;

Fierce the stormy billows broke,

Sounding to the echoing sky.

Strong the breakers tossing high,

Stronger is Jehovah’s might,

True thy words; and sanctity

Well becomes thy temple bright.”

Selflessness

Introduction

In our travels in Paraguay a few weeks ago, Benny & Esther Goertzen drove us from Asuncion to the Chaco and then to East Paraguay. On the way, we stopped in the town of Rio Verde to meet with a group who were interested in starting a radio station. That night we stayed at the guest house which was on the yard of the church where we had the meeting. The guest house had 3 rooms but only one with air conditioning. As we walked into the building, we noted this and someone asked, “Who wants the room with the air conditioning?” I quickly responded, “I’ll take it.”

Immediately I regretted that I had done so and offered it to Benny & Esther, realizing that if they took it at least two people would benefit and also remembering that Benny had driven all day. But they refused the offer and it was really too late anyway. The selfishness in my heart had been revealed.

Isn't that how we often are? We want to make sure that we get the best for ourselves. We want to make sure that we are looked after and we try to put ourselves into a position to gain an advantage for ourselves. I have seen it in myself and others when driving – speeding up to get ahead of someone else. I have seen it at church banquets when we look for the best piece of pie for ourselves. I have seen it in much worse examples.

The Problem

A. Where does this come from?

Where does this problem come from?

The Bible tells us that such self centered grasping comes from Satan. We believe that the reason Satan was expelled from heaven is because he wanted to be like God, he wanted to have the position of God. Although there is not a lot of Scripture which teaches this, we do have a very clear indication of it in Luke 4:5-7, which tells the story of when the devil tempted Jesus. In the second temptation, Satan invited Jesus to worship him. Worship is appropriate only for God and when he tempted Jesus to worship him; he manifested his true desire to receive the glory which belongs only to God.

When Adam and Eve were tempted, Satan appealed to the same temptation. In Genesis 3:5 he said to Eve, "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Eve yielded to the temptation, in part, because, as Genesis 3:6, says, she saw that the fruit was “desirable for gaining wisdom.”

In the rest of Scripture, there are many statements and examples of times when people expressed self centeredness.

Isaiah 14:12 – 14 accuses Babylon and her leader. What was their sin? God says, “You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Notice the “I” centered statements in this verse which show their self centeredness which opposes God.

In Isaiah 56:11, God accuses the leaders of Israel with self centered motivations when it says, “…all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain.” They were not caring for the people, but were making sure that they got the best.

We may also remember the story of the sons of Eli who were so selfish that when people brought their offerings to the temple, they took the best cuts of meat for themselves, in violation of their role as priests.

The New Testament illustrates how even the disciples were self seeking. In Matthew 20:20-28, we have the story of the two disciples whose mother asked Jesus for positions of honor for her sons.

Ephesians 2:3 describes the attitude of those who are without Christ when it says, “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.” II Timothy 3:2 talks about how “There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves...” But in Philippians 2:21, Paul reflects on how even among those who are followers of Christ there are situations in which “everyone looks out for his own interests.”

What began with the desire of Satan was passed on to Adam and Eve and has continued throughout the history of human beings. And indeed, we have all inherited the same self centered, grasping nature. We want to please ourselves, to make sure we get things our way.

The Result is trouble

What are the consequences of such self centeredness? The result is shown almost immediately after Adam and Eve had sinned. The first story after the fall is the story of Cain and Abel. Cain manifested his self centeredness with the question which he put to God in Genesis 4:9 when he asked, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” He said this to deflect from the self centered way in which he had just killed his brother. As a result, Cain experienced the judgment of God.

Self centeredness not only receives God’s judgment, but also has many serious consequences. If we are self centered in our marriage our spouse may put up with us and live with us, but we will forfeit the joy of two hearts that are united as one. If our own selfish desires dominate in our marriage, adultery may be an expression of that self centeredness and the result will be broken trust and often also a broken marriage.

When churches are marked by self centered leaders who pursue their own agenda and who don’t listen to others and when church members insist on their own way, conflict in churches is the consequence which often leads to church splits.

In general human relationships, we see the consequences of selfishness in expressions of jealousy, anger, theft and hatred.

Even among nations we know that self centeredness is the cause of a growing divide between rich and poor.

The Call To Selflessness

Jesus

And so it has always been. We live with self centeredness, we almost even expect that this is how people will behave and make allowances for it.

We attended a concert a while ago. It was rush seating and although most seats were pretty good there were some which were better. The only way to get one of the better seats was to go to the concert early and that is what people did. In many cases, one person from a group of friends would go and save a whole bunch of seats, even though there was a sign that asked people not to save seats. We don’t find this kind of behavior at all surprising because we expect such self centeredness and we allow for it by manipulating the situation to our advantage.

This has always been normal behavior until Jesus came along. In Jesus, we see a completely different way of living. Instead of self seeking, we see self sacrifice. Instead of self centeredness, we see other centeredness. There is so much Scripture which describes what Jesus was like.

Matthew 20:28 tells us that, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

II Corinthians 8:9 reminds us of what Jesus has done for us, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

Probably one of the best passages which speaks of the selflessness of Jesus is Philippians 2:6-7 which says, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

Jesus had it all. He was God and enjoyed all the blessings of life in heaven. But look at the words in this passage which describe what Jesus did. He “…did not consider equality with God something to be grasped…” He, “…made himself nothing…” He took “…the very nature of a servant…” “…He humbled Himself…”

Jesus gave up heaven to come to earth. He gave up position and power to become a servant. He gave up His life in order to die for us. His is the ultimate example of selflessness and a radical departure from who we are, from what we expect and from anything we have ever seen.

The Call to Selflessness

As followers of Jesus, we are called to this same selflessness. If you look at the verses preceding the passage which we just looked at, it calls us to follow the example of Jesus. Philippians 2:3-5 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…”

Paul has much to say about what such a life of selflessness means. In I Corinthians 10:33 he says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— ^ even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” What Paul is teaching us is that in matters of faith that are not essential matters, we ought not only to think of what we have a right to or what we consider OK, but we also need to think about how our actions will impact other people. We need to ask, “What is good for the other person?”

In Paul’s ministry, selflessness was his principle of evangelism. In I Corinthians 9:19-23 it says, in part, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible… I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” When I observed the missionaries in Paraguay and the work which has been done over the years, I saw this kind of self sacrificial living. I saw that missionaries are willing to sacrifice their own comforts, in order to win other people. We also ought to have the same attitude - being welcoming, opening our homes and offering our time in order to help others come to know Christ.

This is what it means to follow Jesus example. This is what it means to live in a radically different way.

What would be the result if we followed this call to selflessness? Can you imagine a world in which people lived like that? What would our nations look like? What would our families look like? What would our churches be like?

Instead of grasping, we would be giving, Instead of jealousy, there would be rejoicing with others, Instead of poverty there would be equality, instead of hatred there would be love.

Have you ever seen people who live like that?

Quite a number of years ago we were looking for a garden tiller, but we couldn’t afford a new one and didn’t really want to spend a lot of money for one. A couple in our church had one they wanted to get rid of and offered it to us for $60. That was an amount I was prepared to pay and so we bought it. Sometime later, I found out that a new one like the one we bought cost $900. Although it was a used one and fairly old, I realized that they had practically given it to us. That is the kind of people they were – selfless and giving, and we were not the only people who were blessed by their generosity.

The Way to Selflessness

How do we become like that? How do we follow the example of Jesus?

A Change Of Heart

Does it work if we say "I will try harder"? No! because the problem is that we have a corrupt heart. Matthew 15:19 reminds us that "…out of the heart come evil thoughts…" If we are to change our ways, if we are to become selfless instead of selfish, we need a change of heart.

The good news which God has given us, which we remembered last weekend as we celebrated Easter, is that God has provided a way for our heart to be changed.

The first step we need to take in order to receive the change God has promised is that we need to repent. We need to tell God that we are sinners. We need to admit to ourselves and to God and actually say to God, “I have a corrupt heart." That is called repentance and is a necessary first step because by taking this first step, we admit our need of God.

The second step is that we need to put our trust in Jesus. Through the death of Jesus, God has provided that all our sins can be forgiven. If we have faith in Jesus – that He is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for us and will give us eternal life – then God will forgive our sins and come into our lives and He will give us a new heart.

Without this new heart it is impossible for us to become selfless. Thank God that He is willing to give us a new heart!

Motivation to Change

If God has given us a new heart, does that mean we are then completely selfless? With a changed heart, it becomes possible but it still does not happen completely right away. Here I am, I have been a Christian for over 45 years and I still am sometimes selfish. What will help me? How can I change?

One way to answer is to think about what the problem is.

I believe that one of the problems is that we continue to be self centered because we really don’t believe that we are loved. We fear that "If I don't look after myself no one else will."

We bow, as Eve did, to the lie of Satan and that lie is “God doesn't love you.”

I believe that one of the most important ways in which we can learn selflessness is to become convinced that we are greatly loved by God and that is not difficult. The message of the love of God is powerfully presented in Scripture and we need to hear that message so that we can rest in His care.

Let me remind you of the many passages which teach us that we are incredibly loved by God.

Romans 8:31, 32 tells us, “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” We are so loved by God that He sacrificed His own Son on the cross for our sins. If God has loved us that much, why would we doubt that He will care for us in every other aspect of life?

In Matthew 7:31, 32 we hear the promise of Jesus, “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” God’s love for us is so great that He promises to meet our daily needs.

When we understand how much we are loved, how much God cares for us and will provide for every need, we can rest, we can trust Him, we can let go and know that even if we don't selfishly grasp for what we want, we will be well looked after.

Power to Change

Will it happen then? Will we become selfless when we know we are loved? The heart change is critical, the understanding of God’s love is very helpful, but we also lack the power to change.

Thankfully God has also provided the power to change through His Spirit. The promise of Galatians 5:22, 23 is that “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Conclusion

So there is no excuse for selfish grasping among God’s people. God has changed our hearts. God has empowered us by His Spirit. God has shown us a love which assures us that all that we need is provided for.

May we continue to allow Him to change our hearts. May we rejoice in his amazing love for us. May we allow Him to keep on changing us by the power of His Spirit. May we become like Jesus.

The Journey to the Cross

Introduction

In Jerusalem there is a road called the Via Dolorosa, which is a Latin phrase that means the way of suffering. It begins at the place where Pilate sentenced Jesus to be crucified and it ends at Golgotha. The Catholic Church, for many years, has identified 14 different events which happened to Jesus at various locations along His journey to the cross. Some of them are not recorded in Scripture, but come out of tradition. At each of these 14 stations there are markers on the walls of buildings, or in some cases there are even churches built to commemorate these different occasions of Jesus’ path of suffering. People come from all over the world on pilgrimage to walk the Stations of the Cross. They begin at the Ecce Homo convent and walk along the streets of Jerusalem stopping at each of the locations and reflecting on the suffering of Jesus on his way to the cross.

Eight of these stations are recorded in Scripture and this morning, I would like to lead you along that path. As we walk the Stations of the Cross, we will not do so as an intellectual exercise in which we analyze what is happening. Rather we will walk along Jesus’ way of suffering and try to enter into the experience. It will be less of an exercise of the mind and more an exercise of the heart. I would like to invite you to meditate, to feel what was going on, to experience what God was doing in this profound journey. I would like to invite you to walk where Jesus walked. As we journey the Via Dolorosa, I hope that we will experience the presence of God, the love of God and the grace of Jesus in His journey to the cross. At each station, I will read the text that relates to it and then reflect on what happened.

I would like to ask that the lights be turned off. As we walk along the path of Jesus’ suffering, we will extinguish one candle at each station until they are all extinguished. At the end of the service, I would like to ask you to walk out of the church quietly meditating on what you have experienced.

Station 1: Pilate Condemns Jesus to Die

The beginning of Jesus’ journey occurred in the palace of Pilate who was the Roman governor over Jerusalem at the time.

Read John 19:5-16. “When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

The Jews insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”

When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.

But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.”

Look around the crowd at the scene at this moment.

At the fringes of the people who were witnesses to this statement of condemnation there may have been some who were uninvolved spectators. What would it have been like to witness this travesty of justice? If they knew enough to realize that the trial was a sham, that Pilate was spineless and that Jesus was innocent would they have been angry at the evil being done? Or, on the other hand would they have been caught up with the shouting mob which forced the hand of Pilate to make the condemnation?

Physically uninvolved, but emotionally deeply invested were those who were followers of Jesus. Knowing Jesus was innocent and pure and loving and wonderful would have made this a deeply disturbing experience. Peter may still have been watching from a distance. Mary and some of the other women likely heard the condemnation. What anguish, what fear, what loss would have assaulted their hearts as they heard that Jesus, their friend had been condemned to be crucified.

For the Jewish leaders this was a day of victory. After the weeks of determined pursuit and vigorous attempts at entrapment, they finally had achieved their purpose. The words of condemnation to a cruel death on a cross would have been sweet. They did not want stoning, which was their right. They wanted crucifixion, which was much more cruel and according to Jewish thought indicated that God had condemned the one crucified. How sweet, how perfect was the condemnation because in this statement they had what they wanted. How their hateful hearts must have rejoiced!

Pilate was not so sure. He knew full well that there was no cause for Jesus to be crucified. But he was the final authority and even though he tried to wiggle out of it and desperately did not want to make this decision, he had no choice. He was in charge and as much as he hated to do it, he feared crowd violence more and reluctantly spoke the condemning words – “take Him to be crucified.” One wonders how long it would have taken for him to get over it. Did he think about this decision for weeks, for months? Did he think about it when he heard that Jesus had been raised?

As we circle around this difficult scene and look into the soul of the crowd and the followers and the Jewish leaders and Pilate himself we come finally to Jesus. How does it feel to know that you have been condemned to death? Although he knew all His life that this would be His end, reality was now presented to Him. What was going on in His mind as he processed the sentence, as he anticipated the pain, as He realized what the death of the innocent one meant? Even though the Bible tells us that he went through this with the joy set before Him, at this moment, I doubt if joy was all he felt and experienced.

This is what was happening as Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified.

Station 2: Jesus Accepts His Cross

As we read on, we pause at the next stop on this journey to the cross. We pause as we read in John 19:17,” Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).”

Although we just read that “Pilate handed him over…” it is interesting that the very next line is “Carrying His own cross…” It makes us reflect on what was actually going on here. Jesus had said to Pilate, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above…” Although we might say in legal jargon that Pilate had responsibility for the death of Jesus, it is powerful to understand that this did not happen because the Jewish leaders shouted or because Pilate failed to pursue justice. Jesus accepted His cross because that was the purpose for which he came.

Yet we need to pause to think about what it meant that He took up this cross. Already bruised and weakened from the beating He had just received, he accepted the weight of the cross and willingly carried it. It was heavy, but he carried not only the weight of the wood, but the weight of knowing what it meant. And so the journey to Golgotha began.

Station 3: Simon Helps Carry the Cross

We follow along as Jesus begins to take one step after another along the cobblestone streets of Jerusalem. We watch as Jesus steps haltingly along the smooth stones of the pavement, as he carries the heavy cross on his shoulders, as he is goaded by the powerful soldiers making sure that progress is made and as he sees the angry crowd staring, mocking and shouting. But the weight was too much and Jesus fell and we take a third stop on the way of suffering.

As the soldiers were making sure that progress was made, it was evident that Jesus would not be able to make it all the way. And so we read in Mark 15:21, “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.” The soldiers looked about and saw Simon. He looked strong and was made to be willing. Was he really willing? Did he gladly help Jesus? Can you imagine what the followers of Jesus might have felt? Perhaps some of them had already hoped that someone would have the courage to help Jesus, but their fear prevented them from offering their help. I suspect that they were glad that someone was helping.

I can imagine Jesus looking up at Simon with gratitude in His eyes as the weight of the heavy cross was divided between them.

Station 4: Jesus Speaks to the Women

As the procession carries on we notice all the smells of Jerusalem: the smell of the spice shop, the butcher shop, the open sewers and the people. The sounds of Jerusalem pressed in: the sound of animals, the murmur of the crowd, the clanking of the soldier’s armor and weapons and in the midst of this cacophony the sound of women weeping.

Our next stop in this journey is a most interesting stop. Jesus; broken, beaten, carrying the heavy cross, hearing all the sounds, yet has ears for the weeping of these women and he stops to speak to them. We read in Luke 23:27-31, “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 barren 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 men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Pause for a moment and reflect on this stop. In his own suffering, Jesus nevertheless was aware of the suffering of others. Although he was aware that they were weeping for Him, He was also aware that there was a time coming when they would also suffer. The evil done to Him was not the end of evil. That is why he said, “…if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry.” This is a puzzling statement, but I believe it refers to what would happen because of His death and that the consequences for Jerusalem and the Jews would be devastating. And only 40 years later, what Jesus describes here happened.

But we are not here today to analyze and figure out the meaning of this phrase. Instead we can allow this stop to speak to our hearts. What does it say? How comforting to know that Jesus is aware of their suffering and of all they will suffer. This stop helps us to see the compassion and care of Jesus and allows us to be jarred by the incongruity of it all, but even more to be comforted by the great compassion of the one who cared even in the midst of His suffering.

Station 5: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments

Finally the procession makes its way to Golgotha. The cross is taken off of Jesus shoulders. The crowd backs off a little and the soldiers begin their horrible task.

We pause at station 5 as the soldiers do the first job of getting the prisoner ready to be crucified. Now it all becomes quite real. The first job was to strip the prisoner of all his garments so that he stood naked and exposed to the world. John 19:23-24 says, “When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, “They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” So this is what the soldiers did.”

Jesus willingly emptied Himself of the divine glory when He came to earth. He came naked into the world, but we are told that he was “wrapped in swaddling clothes.” Now the clothing he had worn was stripped from Him and even his human dignity was taken away from Him. He stood naked before the whole world and as we look upon this scene, we do not really want to look. It is embarrassing, it is shameful. How horrible to think that Jesus, the perfect and eternal King is exposed to all. When Adam and Eve sinned, they immediately became aware of their nakedness. They were ashamed because sin had exposed who they really were. Jesus never sinned, but as he was about to be crucified, he was exposed for all to see. Perhaps it makes us realize and think that He was shamed not for Himself, but for us. Jesus was exposed because of sin so that we can be clothed in His righteousness.

Station 6: Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross

The next job of the soldiers and our next stop on the journey is the crucifixion. We read in Mark 15:22-32, “They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). ^23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ^24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

^25 It was the third hour when they crucified him. ^26 The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. ^27 They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. ^29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, ^30 come down from the cross and save yourself!”

^31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ^32 Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.”

I wonder if even the most hardened of men would have rejoiced at such a terrible spectacle. I wonder if the soldiers, used to killing, were totally comfortable with the violence of this act. All I can think of is the pain and horror of it all. Death is not as much to be feared as is dying. If dying is feared in normal circumstances, what would dying be like for someone who was crucified?

I think if I had been there, I may have looked for a place to throw up. As we reflect on its horror and its pain, and we realize that He was there for us, what does that realization do in our hearts?

Station 7: Jesus Cares for His Mother

While Jesus hung on the cross, He became aware of his mother standing among those witnessing this horror. We read in John 19:25-27, “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ^26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” ^27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

As we stop at this seventh station on the way of suffering, we once again see His compassion. He was experiencing the pain of suffering and also experiencing the pain of separation from all those who were dear to them. In his suffering, He nevertheless, had compassion for those who were suffering. He must have felt what it was like for His mother to lose her son. He must have felt what it was like for the one whom Scripture seems to describe as His best friend to lose that relationship. In compassion for both of them, he encouraged them to care for each other.

I am amazed at the deep caring which Jesus manifested when He was Himself in the greatest depth of agony. What does it say to us that He cared for others while He was hurting? How it encourages us that He truly loves others!

Station 8: Jesus Dies on the Cross

Finally, mercifully we come to the eighth station. In Matthew 27:45-50 we read, “From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi,a lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.”

In the end, death came to Jesus quite quickly. They were surprised that he was already dead. There is a certain peace about death when there has been great suffering and you know it is inevitable and you have been waiting for it. Was there peace in this death? When we think about the injustice of it all, when we remember that Jesus cried out “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me” then there is no peace in this death.

Clearly the implications of this death were great as evidenced by the darkness, by the curtain of the temple being torn in two, by the response of the centurion who exclaimed, “Surely He was the Son of God” and as evidenced by the visions of holy people appearing in the city.

But the stark reality for Jesus is that He was dead. The sad fact for the disciples is that hope was gone. We often go too quickly to meaning or to resurrection. Today we will stop here at the cross with Jesus on it. Today we will not go beyond the cross, but will pause at this station to realize that Jesus is dead and we will leave here contemplating the fact that Jesus experienced the same end as every human being will experience. After a prayer, we will walk out in silence. If you need to talk to someone, please wait until you get out of the building, otherwise I would encourage you to walk out in silence and contemplate that Jesus is dead.

Prayer