Not a Perfect Prophet

Jonah on the beach after being in the great fish

Jonah: The reluctant prophet. Check!

Jonah: The bad luck charm in the movie "Master and Commander." Check!

Jonah: The portrait of Jesus. Whoa!

When Jesus was pressed to give a sign to validate His teachings, He offered only "the sign of Jonah." "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:40).

Jesus was referring to His time in the tomb between Good Friday and Easter. Jesus interpreted Jonah's time in the fish's belly as a foreshadow of His own resurrection.

This reluctant prophet, however, reveals Jesus in other ways.

A Willing Sacrifice

When God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah hopped on a ship headed in the opposite direction. As a consequence of Jonah's disobedience, "The Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up" (Jonah 1:4).

The sailors rightly believed that someone on the ship had angered his deity. When they all prayed to their respective gods and the storm didn't abate, the captain roused a sleeping Jonah and urged him to pray to his god for deliverance.

Eventually, the sailor's cast lots to determine who was responsible for their peril, and the lot fell to Jonah, who had previously explained why he came aboard their ship in the first place.

As the storm grew, the sailors asked Jonah what they should do to him to appease his god. He told them to throw him overboard. Horrified at the notion of consigning Jonah to the deep, the sailors tried to row to shore.

When that failed, they reluctantly cast Jonah overboard. Jonah became the willing sacrifice that delivered the ship and crew from certain death.

That's Jesus on Good Friday. Jesus was the willing sacrifice to atone for the sins of the whole world. He offered Himself in our place so that we would be spared the righteous wrath of God.

The Gift of Faith

Before Jonah was cast overboard, he told the sailors about the God he worshipped, "the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land" (Jonah 1:9). After they threw Jonah overboard, the sailors "feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to Him" (Jonah 1:16).

When Jonah finally arrived at Nineveh (after his time in the fish's belly), he proclaimed that Nineveh (which was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, the oppressors of Jonah and his fellow Israelites) would be overturned in forty days. To his shock, the king of Nineveh declared a time of repentance and Nineveh was spared God's wrath.

Jonah's less than charismatic preaching resulted in repentance and faith for both the sailors on the ship and the citizens of Nineveh.

Such is the power of God's Word to change hearts and lives. Jonah was no Billy Graham, but God worked through his feeble efforts to deliver thousands of people from God's judgment.

That's the soldier at the cross who, when he saw how Jesus died, declared, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Jesus didn't preach from the cross, but His prayer to His Father at the end of His life as He was commending Himself into His Father's hands inspired faith in the heart of the Roman centurion.

Jonah may have been a reluctant prophet. He may have headed one way when God had directed him another. But God loved Jonah enough to put him in the belly of the fish where Jonah could repent of his disobedience. And God loved the sailors and the citizens of Nineveh enough to work through Jonah's reluctance to call them to faith and spare them from destruction.

Jonah, not a perfect prophet, but still a portrait of the true prophet of God, Jesus.

The Story That Changed History

DC's Legends of Tomorrow is a comic book-based television show featuring superheroes who travel through time to correct aberrations to the timeline caused by supervillains.

The current season's story arc involves the Spear of Destiny, which is the spear that pierced the side of Jesus during His crucifixion. This spear allows its bearer to alter reality, so our heroes are trying to keep it out of the hands of the villains.

In the latest episode, "Fellowship of the Spear," after our heroes have taken possession of the spear, it's revealed that the spear was empowered by the blood of Jesus and can be undone by the blood of Jesus.

The legendary Spear of Destiny

So the answer is clear -- get some of Jesus' blood! But before they can time-jump to the crucifixion, the historian in their group warns them that there are some events in history that are so crucial to the timeline that any change whatsoever can have catastrophic results. He forbids them to travel to the crucifixion of Christ because tampering with the life and death of Jesus is simply too dangerous. They will have to find another source of Jesus' blood.

I was struck by the following thoughts as I watched that scene:

1) Disappointment (slight) that we wouldn't see the portrayal of the crucifixion. That, if done well, could have made for some engaging television.

2) Concern (some) that the source of Jesus' blood would be a descendant of Jesus from His marriage to Mary Magdalene. (Let me be clear on this point: there is no biblical or historical evidence that Jesus was ever married or had children. Nevertheless, the fantasy that Jesus had descendants is the basis for Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code," a novel that caused many of its readers to question the reliability of the Gospels. Thank you, Dan Brown, for nothing!) To my relief, the writers of this episode didn't go that route.

3) Wish (unfulfilled) that they would have included Jesus' resurrection, not only His life and death, in the pivotal nature of His impact on human history.

4) Surprise (pleasant and great) that the writers did, in fact, single out Jesus as the linchpin of the history of the world.

In the course of this series, the time travelers (both heroes and villains) have tinkered with events such as the Civil War, World Wars I & II, the Apollo 13 mission, and the Cold War. They have met historical figures such as George Washington, J.R.R. Tolkien, and George Lucas. However, no significant damage was done to the timeline on those occasions, even though the presence of time travelers caused some alterations.

But Jesus is off limits. I like that!

I'm not going to say that the writers were trying to make a theological point or offering any particular confession of faith. It might just be the opposite, that their plotline is about an ancient relic associated with Jesus, but they wanted to avoid Jesus Himself. So they manufactured a timeline-based excuse to cover their tracks.

Whatever the thought behind the scene, there was a recognition that Jesus is the turning point of history. Followers of Jesus know that to be true. It is so true, in fact, that even those who don't necessarily follow Jesus have to admit that His story, more than any other historic figure, has transformed history.

However, we who follow Jesus believe more than that. We believe that Jesus has transformed not only history, but eternity.

Right Person, Right Place, Right Time

Esther, Queen of Persia

This weekend marks the Jewish festival of Purim. This festival has its origin in the Old Testament story of Esther, a young Jewish woman who lived during the reign of Xerxes, the King of the Persian Empire. (Xerxes is also the big bad in the movie 300.)

On one occasion Xerxes was hosting a week-long banquet with lots of drinking. Being pretty soused, he ordered his beautiful queen, Vashti, to come to the banquet hall to be ogled by his guests. She flat out refused and as a result was deposed as queen. Following her dismissal, the search for a new queen began.

Esther was chosen as a contestant in the "Miss Persia Beauty Pageant," from which the new queen would be chosen. Esther's older cousin, Mordechai, the man who had raised her after the death of her parents, told Esther not to reveal her Jewish heritage, presumably to prevent any discrimination against her. After a year of preparation, Esther was presented to Xerxes, won his favor, and became his queen.

Now, enter the villain, Haman. Haman was an Amalekite, the historic enemy of Israel since the time of the Exodus. Haman also won the favor of Xerxes, who gave him a place of honor higher than any of his other officials. When Haman walked by, everyone knelt before him in respect (or fear). Everyone but Mordechai.

Infuriated by this Jew's disrespect, Haman schemed to have Mordechai hung on the gallows and to have all the Jews throughout Xerxes' Empire exterminated. Xerxes issued a decree to that effect and published it throughout the provinces.

When Mordechai learned of this decree, he urged Esther, at the risk of her own life, to intervene on behalf of her people. He persuaded her that she might have "come to royal position for such a time as this." Esther pled her case before her king and, in an unexpected turn of events, Mordechai was honored by Xerxes and Haman was hanged on the very gallows from which he wanted to see Mordechai swing. At Esther's request, Xerxes reversed his decree and allowed the Jews to defend themselves against their enemies.

To celebrate this great deliverance, the Festival of Purim was established and is observed by the Jews to this very day.

Esther was the right person in the right place at the right time. Even though God isn't mentioned once in the Book of Esther, His fingerprints are all over it. He orchestrated these events not only to deliver His people in Esther's day, but to deliver all people throughout all history. God had a bigger plan at work and would not allow a weasel like Haman to get in the way. God still had a Savior to send, His Son, Jesus, who was born a Jew. Esther's obedience furthered God's saving work for all humanity.

God places each of us where we are to serve His plan and further His purposes. It might include political drama and palace intrigue as it did for Esther. But it probably won't. We may serve our God in ordinary and even mundane ways, but we can serve Him nonetheless. We most likely won't make the headlines. But we can still make a difference.

Jesus Wants Me To

The "Blue Bloods" Reagan Family

“Why do you go to disasters?” “Why do you visit the sick and homebound?” “Why does your church give donations to Camp Hope?” “Why do you go to the neighborhood Happy Hour?”

A month ago my answer to those questions would have been, “I’m a Christian. That’s what we do.”

It’s not a terrible answer, I suppose.

But then I found, completely by accident, what seems to be a better answer: Because Jesus wants me to.

“I’m a Christian. That’s what we do.” Those words can have an air of smugness about them. They could be taken as judgmental or overly pious or holier-than-thou. “I’m a Christian” makes it sound like I’m better than non-Christians. It gives the impression that I have it together and others don’t. I’m a kind and loving and generous person and others aren’t.

“I’m a Christian. That’s what we do” also puts the focus on ME, which all too often is the wrong place to look. It also runs the risk of people noticing that I and other Christians aren’t always kind and loving and generous. Sometimes we can be petty and hateful and stingy.

“Jesus wants me to” doesn’t make it all about me and it doesn’t say that I’m better than anyone else. It puts the focus where it belongs, on Jesus. In fact, it’s the honest to goodness reason for why Christians do good things. It’s not because they are Christians. It’s because Jesus wants them to do good, even when they don't want to.

Jesus told us what the two greatest commandments are. The first is to love God wholeheartedly. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself.

We love God wholeheartedly when we believe His promises, receive His forgiveness, and respond with worship and praise. This commandment is most fulfilled when the people of God are gathered at His invitation around the gracious words of Scripture and the sacred acts of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Just like the fictional Reagan family in the TV show “Blue Bloods,” the gathered children of God demonstrate their devotion to their heavenly Father when they come together in His home to listen to His wisdom and enjoy the fellowship of His table.

The second greatest commandment, to love the neighbor as the self, is most fulfilled when the people of God are scattered into their various callings and vocations in the home, the workplace, and the community. It's the Reagan family doing their jobs as Police Commissioner, police detective, beat cop, and Assistant District Attorney.

Wherever we carry out our vocations is where Jesus brings across our paths the people who need our compassion and our service, whether they be family members, friends and acquaintances, coworkers, or even a complete stranger. We give those gifts freely for one reason and one reason only: Jesus wants us to.

So now my answer to the question “Why do you go to disasters, visit the sick and homebound, donate to Camp Hope, and even go to the neighborhood Happy Hour?” is this: Jesus wants me to, plain and simple.

It’s not about who I am or what I do. It’s all about who Jesus is, what He has done, and what He wants His followers to do.

Would I Be That Brave?

St. Eusebius leads Christians in prayer as they faced their martyrdoms

As I read Hebrews 11, I'm moved to ask the question, "Would I be that brave?"

Hebrews 11 is known as the Heroes of the Faith chapter. The writer lists a host of Old Testament believers and the courage they demonstrated in the face of opposition and outright persecution.

He writes, "Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawn in two; they were put to death by the sword. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground" (Hebrews 11:36-38).

Would I be that brave?

As I reflect on this chapter, I realize that the emphasis is not on the heroes, but on the faith and what it was able to achieve in them, and presumably in us as well.

Each of these heroic examples is prefaced with the words "by faith." "By faith, Abel..." "By faith, Noah..." "By faith, Abraham..." "By faith, Moses..." By faith... By faith... By faith...

In others words, the individuals themselves were ordinary. In fact, in many cases, they pleaded with God to choose someone else because they did not feel up to the task. That which made them "heroes of the faith" is what faith emboldened them to do.

Faith still works the same way. It emboldens the people of God to attempt the unachievable and to dare the unimaginable.

Do you think that Daniel would have voluntarily strolled into a lions  den, or that his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, would have, on a whim, wandered into a fiery furnace? By no means! Their faith in God would have taught them, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."

But when Daniel was left in a lions den overnight or his three friends were thrown into a blazing furnace, their faith in Yahweh, their God, gave them courage.

That same faith filled the hearts of first and second century believers who were thrown to the beasts under Roman persecution.

Although the outcomes were different in that Daniel and his friends were delivered from death and those early Christians were not, the faith was the same and the courage it inspired was the same.

Would I be that brave?

I think that many of those heroes of the faith that we admire would have answered that question the way many believers do: I hope so.

Nevertheless, when faith is tested, it can demonstrate great resolve and generate great courage.

It's done so for generations.

Oh, for a faith that will not shrink

Though pressed by many a foe;

That will not tremble on the brink

Of poverty or woe.

Lord, give us such a faith as this;

And then, whate'er may come,

We'll taste e'en now the hallowed bliss

Of an eternal home.

Hymn 396, The Lutheran Hymnal

The Resolve to Forgive

Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela in Invictus

"Forgiveness starts here. Forgiveness starts now."

In the 2009 movie Invictus South African President Nelson Mandela speaks these words to the head of his personal protection detail who had expressed misgivings regarding the additional men assigned to the detail. These additional men had been assigned to the previous presidential protection detail and had in fact tried to kill Mandela and his men. In order to emphasize the need for change if South Africa were to be united after Apartheid, Mandela affirms, "Forgiveness starts here. Forgiveness starts now."

What does it mean to forgive? Literally it means to release or let go of someone or something.

For example, we talk about forgiving a debt. That means we no longer hold a person accountable for the money owed to us. We release that person from his or her financial obligation.

Likewise, when we forgive people for their words or actions, we are releasing them from their guilt. We are promising no longer to hold them accountable for the hurt they have caused. We are assuring them that we will not dwell on what they have done or allow their words or actions to taint our relationship in the future.

As such, forgiveness is liberating for those who are forgiven. It removes the roadblock of guilt and paves the way for a renewed relationship.

Forgiveness, however, not only liberates the forgiven. It also frees the forgiver. To forgive is to promise myself that I will not allow my hurt and my anger to eat me up from the inside. To forgive is to promise myself that my thoughts will not be clouded by resentment and my desire to "get even." To forgive is to let go of the offense so it cannot dominate my life.

Forgiveness sounds like a "win-win" for all involved. It's a gift for the receiver as well as the giver. If that's the case why does forgiveness seem so rare?

It's because forgiveness comes with a price tag. If you owe me $20 and I forgive your debt, it costs me $20 to do so. If you cut me off in traffic and I let it go, it costs me the seeming satisfaction of road rage. If you cut me with your words and I don't retaliate, it costs me the opportunity to put you in your place.

Forgiveness always comes with a price tag, even for God. God wanted to forgive us, His children, for our selfish words and actions that hurt Him as well as others. He didn't want to treat us the way we deserved. He wanted to forgive us. But there was a price tag. Someone had to pay the cost of our forgiveness, and that one was Jesus, God's eternal Son.

Jesus' suffering and death on the cross was the price for your forgiveness, a very steep price. But the heavenly Father and Son determined that you were worth the cost. They had the resolve to pay the price so you could be set free from your guilt and God could be set free from His anger.

As we enter a new year with all sorts of resolutions, maybe we need to add to the list the resolve to forgive. It might be the best gift we ever gave ourselves.

Precious in His Eyes

Our house is getting more Christmas-y. The outside decorations and lights adorn the front yard. Garland drapes from the banisters. The stockings are hung by the chimney with care.

Now it's time to hang the ornaments on the tree.

In reflecting on those ornaments, I realized why I enjoy decorating the tree. It's because each ornament has a memory attached to it.

In most cases, I can recall where and when my wife and I bought a particular ornament, or when we received it as a gift. The ornaments that we bought for our children to enjoy bring a smile to my face, as do the ornaments that were made for us by our children.

I also am particular about where each ornament is hung, much to the irritation of my wife and kids. Yes, I have been known to adjust ornaments that others have placed on the tree. My disclaimer is that I just want the ornaments to be seen at their best, where they best fit in.

Each ornament has its own precious nature, which is completely unattached to its monetary value, its outward appearance, or whether or not it does anything special.

In that regard, you and I are like precious ornaments in the eyes of God.

He remembers how you were brought into being, knit together in the warmth and safety of your mother's womb.

He places you with care in just the right spot, the place where you fill what would otherwise be an empty space, the place where you can be at your best.

The value He places on you is not based on your income, your abilities, or your looks.

You are precious to God because He chooses to deem you precious, not because you have impressed Him.

We call that grace. We call that perfect love. He delights in you simply because that is His nature.

Keep that in mind in this holy season of Christmas, that God so loved you that He gave His one and only Son. As the angel told the shepherds, "Unto you is born in the city of David a Savior, Christ the Lord."

A blessed Christmas to y'all in the name of Jesus.