Saving Private Ryan

Luke 5:1-11

 

One of my favorite movies is “Saving Private Ryan”. It is a story based in WWII. A platoon is sent on a mission to find Private Ryan because his three brothers were killed in action so that he became the sole surviving son. The platoon eventually finds Ryan in a village where they engage a much larger force of Germans. The Captain makes sure that Ryan lives even though he dies protecting him.

 

A lifetime later, an elderly Ryan returns to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial with his wife and adult son and his family to visit the gravesite of the Captain who had given his life for him. While there he tearfully asks his wife the question, “Have I been a good man”? In other words, he wonders if his life was worthy of the Captain dieing for him.

 

In the passage today, Simon Peter and his fishing partners, including James and John, and his brother Andrew, “left everything and followed Jesus”. They must have been very excited about Jesus to make such an extreme decision to leave their family and livelihood.

 

It makes you wonder what their expectations were as they “left everything”. We know that some time later these same fishermen were arguing amongst themselves who would be the greatest. Who would sit on Jesus’ right and his left. We also know that when Jesus was arrested that all of them deserted him. And although Peter stayed close by, he even denied knowing Jesus.

 

However, the bottom line for each of these men is that they followed Jesus even to martyrdom for some. They performed miracles. They saw thousands come to faith in Christ and begin to follow him. Their initial excitement of fishing for men, of being a part of something bigger than themselves, was fulfilled in ways they never imagined.

 

Just maybe one or more of them towards the end of their life asked the same question as the elderly Ryan: “Was my life worthy of the death of my good friend and Lord and Saviour Jesus”?

 

It’s the same question that you and I can ask ourselves whether we are 20 or 70. Was my life worthy, or will it be worthy, of the death of my Lord Jesus? Was I, or will I be, a faithful follower of him? Have others, and do others, see Jesus in me?

 

And when that day does come, as certain as taxes do every April 15, will He say to me, “Well done my good and faithful servant”?

 

Is Your Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

Psalm 116:12-19

 

Are you a “glass is half full or half empty” type of person? Do you see the positive side of everything or the negative? At times, it’s easy for me to be a half empty person. I complain about my doctor’s office visit co-pay, when I’m fortunate to have insurance at all. Actually, I think human nature tends to operate this way. We like to complain about what we don’t have. It’s called covetousness.

 

The psalmist was a half full type of person. He asks this question of himself: “But now what can I offer Jehovah for all he has done for me”? And then he answers it: “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord”.

 

Throughout Scripture, the cup functions as a metaphor for an individual's life. In today’s passage, the psalmist “lifts up the cup of salvation” as a thank offering to God; in essence he is offering the sum total of his life to the Lord.

 

Jesus used the symbolism of the cup also at very significant times. During the Last Supper he shared the cup of wine as a symbol of his blood that he was about to shed for us. “Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”.

 

Later that same night, Jesus uses the symbolism of the cup in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will”.

 

In both of these passages, Jesus uses the cup as the totality of his life; of his purpose; of who he is and why he came.

 

Actually, no matter how we look at our life - whether it is half full or half empty – let us be like the psalmist and offer all that we have to our Lord. Let us offer our cup, our life – mind, body and soul – to Jesus. Let us offer to him all that we have; all that we are.

 

Then we can echo Paul’s words to the Romans: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship”.

 

 

 

BELIEVE

Revelation 7:9-17

 

Following the Sugar Bowl, there was a billboard near my home that simply read, “BELIEVE”. The letters were scarlet and gray. Now I’m just guessing that its intent might have been to rally the Buckeye nation to get behind their team for the College Football Playoff championship game.

 

After all, it would have been easy to give up on the Buckeyes this year. They have dealt with numerous setbacks and adversity throughout the season, and yet here they were preparing for the championship game. Obviously the players and coaches didn’t lose hope, so this billboard was to help the fans not lose theirs.

 

The Christian church at the time of John’s revelation was suffering severe persecution from the Romans. The church needed hope. According to the notes in my Life Application Bible, “Revelation is written in “apocalyptic” form which is a type of Jewish literature which uses symbolic imagery to communicate hope (the ultimate triumph of God) to those in the midst of persecution”.

 

In today’s passage John describes, “A great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands”.     Revelation 7:9 NIV

 

Also included was this image: ^“All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God”.                   Revelation 7:11 NIV

 

Visualize these two scenes for a minute. Angels, and a multitude in white robes, both in the presence of the Lord worshipping Him.

 

Before the College Football Playoff started, Buckeye fans “hoped” their team would get to, and win, the Championship game. However, there was no certainty of it. Jesus is telling us through John, that we can be certain of His love, faithfulness and presence in our lives; we can be certain of His promises; we can be certain of His ultimate triumph.

 

Most of us haven’t experienced persecution but we have experienced the struggles of life: a lost job, the death of a family member, divorce, addiction. One thing that is certain in an uncertain world is Jesus – “the same yesterday today and forever”.

 

The Buckeyes may not win the championship every year, but you can hope and BELIEVE, with certainty, in the “ultimate triumph of God”.

 

“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be your shepherd; ‘he will lead you to springs of living water. And God will wipe away your every tear from your eyes.”    Revelation 7:17 NIV

 

 

 

Survivor: Outwit, Outlast, Outplay

Hebrews 4:12-16

 

Survivor - It is one of my wife’s and mine favorite TV shows. We watch every episode and get into the lives of the players. We find ourselves cheering for some and against others based on their behaviors and attitudes.

 

Imagine though, what it would be like to have a camera recording every action you take, every thought you have, every word you say and every motivation that drives you. You don’t have to imagine.

 

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account”.         Hebrews 4:13 NIV

 

“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. When far away, you know my every thought… Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it.”     Psalm 139:1-4 TLB

 

If we are honest with ourselves, these verses would make us very uncomfortable. After all, our eternal judgment is at stake, and if God knows everything about us, we don’t have much hope. But some of the most hopeful words in the Bible are included in Hebrews.

 

“But Jesus the Son of God is our great High Priest who has gone to heaven itself to help us; therefore let us never stop trusting him.  This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses since he had the same temptations we do, though he never once gave way to them and sinned”.            4:14-15 TLB

 

On Survivor, a jury of peers judge the final three participants. This jury is made up of the same people that the final players had a hand in voting out of the game. They may have been blind-sided by them, lied to or manipulated. They have observed the finalist over the last 39 days when they have been at their worst; thinking only of themselves; of what it would take for them to win the game, and doing anything to get there.

 

Although our Judge will be able to know and observe everything there is about us throughout our whole lives, both the worst and the best, we can still approach Him boldly and receive both mercy and grace.

 

 ^“Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with fullest confidence, that we may receive mercy for our failures and grace to help in the hour of need”.          Hebrews 4:16           JB Phillips

 

What more do we need to survive than this? What more do we need to be victorious?

 

 

 

A Christmas Tradition

1 Corinthians 11:17-32

 

In 1983, the movie “A Christmas Story” was released. Today it has become somewhat of a classic as it is shown on Christmas Eve for twenty-four consecutive hours on cable TV. In the movie, the Christmas dinner is consumed by some neighborhood dogs. As a result, the family goes to a Chinese restaurant where the restaurant staff humorously sings, “Deck the Halls”.

 

Quite a few years ago, following our churches Christmas Eve service, my family and I were hungry. After driving around for a while (no smart phones then), we discovered that the only restaurant that was open was Chinese. So, ever since then, we have eaten out at a Chinese restaurant on Christmas Eve. A tradition was born.

 

There are many traditions within the Christian church. In today’s passage, Paul addresses the abuse of one of those – the Lord’s Supper. Apparently the church at Corinth was following the tradition, but it had become divisive. Those believers who were better off, ate and drank well. While those who were poor, ate little.

 

Human nature tends to do this – turn something good into something bad. Human nature also tends to lose sight of the purpose of traditions. A tradition can easily become a ritual that at best, is without significance, and at worst, without impact on our lives. Consider the Lord’s Supper.

 

Because of Pharaoh’s hard heart, God was about to inflict a plague that would kill all of the first born of Egypt. In order to protect His chosen people, the blood of a pure sacrificial lamb would be spread over their doors. Then the plague would “pass over” that household. Imagine being one of those protected families as they ate their Passover meal, and heard the screams of their neighbors.

 

Fast forward to the Last Supper. Jesus is sitting at the table with his disciples. They have shared the Passover meal together. He then shares the bread and wine instructing them to remember him by repeating this in the future. Some of the same elements of the first Passover meal were present, only this time Jesus was the pure lamb that was to be sacrificed. His blood would protect them.

 

Today, remembering the Lord’s Supper tends to be very sterile. We pass the plate and partake of a small wafer or piece of bread, and drink grape juice while we sit in our pew thinking about the pot roast in the oven. There are no agonizing screams from our neighbors. There is no impending crucifixion. There is no shed blood.

 

It can be easy for the Lord’s Supper to become a tradition without impact. But Paul is calling us, through his letter to the Corinthians, to be introspective – to look inside ourselves; to evaluate our lives; to objectively observe not only our behavior, but our attitudes and motivations; and finally, to recognize that it was because of our sin that Jesus’ blood was shed. His blood saves us from ourselves not from a plague.

 

Going to a Chinese restaurant on Christmas Eve may eventually lose its significance as a family tradition. But prayerfully, remembering why Jesus went to the cross and what he did there for me, won’t.