THE Silver Lining

Matthew 5:1-12

 

 

The 2012 movie, Silver Linings Playbook, is a heartwarming story about two people who find each other in the midst of chaos and pain. Pat, after losing his job and his wife, has been recently released from a mental institution. Tiffany is a young widow who also lost her job. Together, they find their silver lining.

 

An argument can be made that each Beatitude has a silver lining of its own. I like how Eugene Peterson interprets them. Here are the first three. See if you can find their silver lining.

 

³ “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. ⁴ “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. ⁵ “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.”

 

Even Jesus’ opening ministry statement in Luke 4 has an element of a silver lining. ¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to

the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

 

What these verses are saying is that people are more likely to reach out to God when life is painful; when hardships are upon us; when we are dealing with difficulties. Pain, hardships and difficulties can all lead to a silver lining. We’ve all had them in our life.

 

There is a group of women at the Savannah Christian Church who take baked goods to the young women who work at a nearby strip club. Statistics show that most women who work in the adult entertainment industry have been abused as a child.

 

Here’s a group of individuals that are extremely needy. Their hearts have been broken; their lives shattered. What an opportunity to serve. What an opportunity to share the love of Christ.

 

Jesus knew how needy people were. Those are the ones he served. Prostitutes, lepers, demon possessed, tax collectors, the blind and the lame: he touched their lives one at a time.

 

He was their Silver Lining. He has called us to serve and to share THE Silver Lining with those in need.

 

 

 

Will you do it?

 

 

 

Life is Like a Rose Bush

John 15:1-17

(The second of two devotionals on this passage.)

 

 

We have a rose bush in our front yard. It was there when we bought our home. Although I’ve never been much of a gardener I have kind of adopted this rose bush. Every year it has produced tons of flowers. One harvest will come and go, followed by another.

 

But then last year I noticed that beetles were attacking it. They would swarm over a flower and eat it; eventually killing it. I bought some spray and would drench the bush but it didn’t seem to deter the beetles. Now if I see them swarm on a bloom, I prune the flower. Sometimes I flick them off with my finger sending them into orbit.

 

It’s become personal for me. Those nasty beetles attacking my poor defenseless rose
bush. I get angry at them and frustrated that they keep coming back. But we keep fighting them; the bush and I that is. Somehow the rose bush keeps budding and producing beautiful flowers. That’s what it was created to do of course.

 

In today’s passage Jesus said, ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you

can do nothing… ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

 

Like the rose bush, bearing fruit is what we as believers are created to do. You might do this by serving as an usher, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school, helping with VBS or serving on a committee. Or maybe you help with a homeless ministry or food pantry or go on a short term mission’s trip.

 

It could also mean that you show God’s love by word or deed with the cashier at Meijer or Walmart or Wendy’s. It might mean treating your mechanic or restaurant server or person that cuts you off in traffic the way Jesus would. Why do we do this?

 

From the same passage Jesus said, ^12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

 

As a disciple of Christ we are called to bear fruit with the same love that Christ showed us. He has given us gifts for us to bear fruit. And he has brought people into our lives for us to bear fruit with. People like our friends, co-workers, family members, people at church and others.

 

Like my rose bush, we have been created for this. We may need some pruning by the Gardener, or there may be spiritual attacks (probably not beetles though). But in the end, Jesus called his disciples to bear fruit in love. What will you do to bear fruit?

 

 

Dear Joe: Carry on the Work

1 Timothy 6:11-20

 

What if Paul was to write a letter to you to carry on your Christian service? What would he say? Would he tell you to take care of your relationship with Christ? Would he say to fight the good fight? Would he tell you to reach out to those who have been entrusted to your care? Would he say to share the Gospel openly?

 

When Paul left Ephesus he put Timothy in charge of leading the church. That would not have been an easy task. You could compare it to being the head coach at Ohio State following Woody Hayes. Timothy was following in the footsteps of a legend. Yet, Paul believed in Timothy’s ability to lead others. But first things first.

 

With Paul’s final charge to Timothy, he instructs him to first take care of his own relationship with Jesus. Paul writes:

 

“Flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.”

 

I’m an alum of Michigan State and a big basketball fan. Last weekend was the Big Ten Tournament and Tom Izzo had his team in the thick of it. Following their first game against Ohio State, Thad Matta made the statement that that game was the most physical game he had ever seen in his ten years in the Big Ten.

 

Following Jesus can be just like that. It’s a war with eternal consequences where you must “fight the good fight of the faith” - or lose. You fight it for yourself, and for others.

 

In todays passage Paul addresses a specific issue that some of the believers were struggling with – money. Apparently, money had become a stumbling block, or even an idol for some. Paul instructs Timothy to, “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”.

 

That’s the deal with idols; they are not “truly life”. They’re a lie. They present themselves as bringing life, as providing all that you need, as making life worth living. But they can’t; because they are not God.

 

Jesus didn’t write letters that we know of, but if he did, what would he say to you right now? Dear Joe: Flee from evil. Pursue righteousness and godliness. Resist idols. Help others to do the same. Your Brother, Lord and Savior, Jesus.