aSacredRebel

Want to be great?

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve aside by themselves on the road. He told them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Human One will be handed over to the chief priests and legal experts. They will condemn him to death. They will hand him over to the Gentiles to be ridiculed, tortured, and crucified. But he will be raised on the third day.” Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus along with her sons. Bowing before him, she asked a favor of him. “What do you want?” he asked. She responded, “Say that these two sons of mine will sit, one on your right hand and one on your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “You don’t know what you’re asking! Can you drink from the cup that I’m about to drink from?” They said to him, “We can.” He said to them, “You will drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left hand isn’t mine to give. It belongs to those for whom my Father prepared it.” Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that those who rule the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. Whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave— just as the Human One didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.” (Matthew 20:17-28, CEB)

Do you want to be great? Maybe being a disciple of Jesus isn’t the best way to get there. Unless, of course, you truly have a servant’s heart and want to help people.

We think we understand what Jesus went through and that we are able to do that as well. Maybe, but probably not.

If we truly want to serve God, we need to serve others and put our own needs aside. Doing this is what makes you great in the kingdom.

We do not get greatness by seeking it.

Seek love.

equip you

May the God of peace,
        who brought back the great shepherd of the sheep,
        our Lord Jesus,
        from the dead by the blood of the eternal covenant,
    equip you with every good thing to do his will,
        by developing in us what pleases him through Jesus Christ.
    To him be the glory forever and always. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21, CEB)

May our Lord Jesus equip you with every good thing to do his will.

If you listen to Jesus voice and follow where he leads, he will give you what you need.

Jesus will equip you.

submit, again…

Therefore, I have a request for the elders among you. (I ask this as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and as one who shares in the glory that is about to be revealed.) I urge the elders: Like shepherds, tend the flock of God among you. Watch over it. Don’t shepherd because you must, but do it voluntarily for God. Don’t shepherd greedily, but do it eagerly. Don’t shepherd by ruling over those entrusted to your care, but become examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive an unfading crown of glory. In the same way, I urge you who are younger: accept the authority of the elders. And everyone, clothe yourselves with humility toward each other. God stands against the proud, but he gives favor to the humble. (1 Peter 5:1-5, CEB)

But this submit comes with an urging for those who are to be submitted to, to be like Christ.

We should also not do things because we think or feel we must. When we do things out of compulsion, they are usually done with regret, and things done for the Lord should not be regretted but done in love and humility.

So submit to elders, but elders love like Christ.

When we show love like Jesus, we are leading people to faith.

have life

I assure you that whoever doesn’t enter into the sheep pen through the gate but climbs over the wall is a thief and an outlaw. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The guard at the gate opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Whenever he has gathered all of his sheep, he goes before them and they follow him, because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger but will run away because they don’t know the stranger’s voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this analogy didn’t understand what he was saying. So Jesus spoke again, “I assure you that I am the gate of the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and outlaws, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief enters only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came so that they could have life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest. (John 10:1-10, CEB)

“I came so that they could have life – indeed, so they could live life to the fullest!”

Jesus came to show us and help us have life and to live that life to the fullest.

He is the one who shelters us and allows us to come and go. He is the way into the fold and one helping us as we go into the world to show love.

Listen to Jesus’ voice and share his love in all you do.

lost one…

All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose someone among you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it? And when he finds it, he is thrilled and places it on his shoulders. When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives. (Luke 15:1-7, CEB)

If you had 100 sheep and you lost one, what would you do?

If these 100 sheep were all you had and they provided for your livelihood, you would probably do as the shepherd in the story and go to find the lost one. You may not just leave the 99 sheep alone in the pasture, but if no one else was around, you might have to do that.

The shepherd here leaves the 99 by themselves, not in a pen or secure, but out in the pasture, and goes to find the lost one. This seems ridiculous until we are the one. The 99 have the others, and the one is alone.

God will never leave us to fend for ourselves and will always come searching for us.

And once we are back, God will throw a party for us!

Know you are never too far gone and God is always looking for you.

submit?

For the sake of the Lord submit to every human institution. Do this whether it means submitting to the emperor as supreme ruler, or to governors as those sent by the emperor. They are sent to punish those doing evil and to praise those doing good. Submit to them because it’s God’s will that by doing good you will silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Do this as God’s slaves, and yet also as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Have respectful fear of God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:13-17, CEB)

The author of 1 Peter is telling us here to submit to authority, for by doing that, we will silence the ignorant talk of the foolish people.

I wonder what the author of 1 Peter would say about submitting to the talk of those in power in the United States today?

I do not believe that this text means we are to lie down and submit when we know that rulers are stepping away from where God is leading us. I do not believe that we are to submit to authorities that use the name of God for their own uplifting and to keep groups of people from being who they were created to be.

When we speak up and stand against tyranny and bold misuse of power, we stand in the gap for those who are being held down, and in doing that, we show God’s love for all humanity.

Submit to God and stand against tyranny.

you are!

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. Once you weren’t a people, but now you are God’s people. Once you hadn’t received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, since you are immigrants and strangers in the world, I urge that you avoid worldly desires that wage war against your lives. Live honorably among the unbelievers. Today, they defame you, as if you were doing evil. But in the day when God visits to judge they will glorify him, because they have observed your honorable deeds. (1 Peter 2:9-12, CEB)

You are:

A chosen race!
A royal priesthood!
A holy nation!
A people who are God’s!

Who were chosen and placed here to speak about God and the wonderful acts of Them who called you out of darkness.

You once were not, but now you are.

You are.

Rest in the assurance that you are God’s own chosen child.

153?

Later, Jesus himself appeared again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. This is how it happened: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two other disciples were together. Simon Peter told them, “I’m going fishing.” They said, “We’ll go with you.” They set out in a boat, but throughout the night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples didn’t realize it was Jesus. Jesus called to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” He said, “Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” So they did, and there were so many fish that they couldn’t haul in the net. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself (for he was naked) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they weren’t far from shore, only about one hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire there, with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you’ve just caught.” Simon Peter got up and pulled the net to shore. It was full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three of them. Yet the net hadn’t torn, even with so many fish. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples could bring themselves to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. (John 21:1-14, CEB)

I have always marveled at this passage. First, Peter was naked, out fishing. Well, I remember discussing this in gospels class in seminary, and maybe Peter wasn’t naked, but had on under garments of such, and he put on his outer robe. But why do this to jump in the water to swim to shore?

And then the haul of fish is 153 large fish? Why is this number here, and what does it mean?

All of this is to say that sometimes the mundane facts or questions get in the way of faith. It doesn’t really matter if Peter was wearing clothes or not, or that he put clothes on to jump in the water, or the number of fish they caught. It is the fulfillment of the promises of God that are manifested in Jesus being there.

They know who he is without asking or Jesus telling them, and that is because they know the promises. As we know the promises.

Do not get hung up on the 153 or the clothes, or any other minor thing. Do not expect to know all the answers; that is why it is faith.

We will not know, but we can still believe.

get rid

Therefore, get rid of all ill will and all deceit, pretense, envy, and slander. Instead, like a newborn baby, desire the pure milk of the word. Nourished by it, you will grow into salvation, since you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:1-3, CEB)

Get rid of everything but wonder and excitement for different things and the world.

Get rid of ill will and deceit.
Get rid of pretense, envy, and slander.

Instead, look on the world with wonder and love.

decay

Do this because you have been given new birth—not from the type of seed that decays but from seed that doesn’t. This seed is God’s life-giving and enduring word. Thus,
All human life on the earth is like grass,
and all human glory is like a flower in a field.
The grass dries up and its flower falls off,
but the Lord’s word endures forever.
This is the word that was proclaimed to you as good news. (1 Peter 1:23-25, CEB)

We will not decay.

We will live forever.

We are made full by grace.

We will not dry up or fall off.

Grace makes us whole.