A Crown No One Can Ever Take Away

Have you noticed how cyclical sports are? Each sport has its season, and annually commentary abounds about who’s going to win this year’s championship. This is fun and all – unless you root for a team that never assembles a championship-level squad. But even if your team does win it all, the celebration is so short-lived.

 

For instance, how many of us can name the Super Bowl champs from two years ago? Some of us have already forgotten who won it last year. This year the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have rekindled memories of old rivalries in the World Series. But can you remember who took the World Series crown last year? How about two or three years ago?

 

As King Solomon wrote thousands of years ago, “Meaningless! Meaningless!... Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). You’d think his team just lost the championship game!

 

Not to be as pessimistic as the ancient Israelite king, but that’s a fact of life. The excitement and euphoria of winning an athletic crown, for competitors and fans alike, is so fleeting. As the apostle James observed, “What is your life? You are a mist (vapor) that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). Here today and gone tomorrow.

In addition to the World Series – which might already be over by the time you read this, since the Dodgers had taken a 2-0 lead – college football is halfway to determining who the competing teams will be in the first-ever championship playoff; the NFL also is at the midpoint of its season; and the NBA and NHL seasons have just started. The quest for new championships is underway, while even recent champions are all but forgotten. The glory of their crowns is already fading.

 

The apostle Paul, who apparently was very familiar with athletic competitions, offered this perspective:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

 

There’s a lot that could be unpacked from those verses, but two things stand out for me. The first is that while competitors vie for crowns that will not last, as followers of Jesus we are striving for crowns that will last forever. Earthly championships may earn crowns, trophies and medals that can fill display cases and gather dust. But the crowns God will award to those who worshipped and served Him on earth will never tarnish, become dust collectors, or be forgotten. Another translation says, “…They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.”

 

The second point is the zeal and determination that Paul had for the mission God had given him. He said, “I beat my body and make it my slave so that…I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” The apostle wasn’t talking about losing his salvation or being denied eternal life; he was referring to his desire to finish well, not to wander to the sidelines before his spiritual journey had come to an end.

 

To be candid, I’m not clear exactly what these eternal crowns will be like. There’s been much said and written about them, but I doubt anyone will know for certain until we stand before the Lord. But the Scriptures make clear that we will definitely receive crowns. “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day – and not only to me, but also to those who have longed for His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

 

Too often we hear about prominent Christian leaders who succumb to sin and fall into disgrace. The “prize” they anticipated might be denied them; they have become disqualified. Failing to resist the temptations of this temporal life, the consequences they face will be eternal.

 

Over the coming weeks I’ll be right there, cheering for my teams and hoping for victory. It would be nice to see one or more earn another championship crown. But far more important is the crown God might present to me one day. Proverbs 16:31 sys, “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.” I’m already accumulating the gray hair. My goal is the crown that is, as the New Living Translation expresses it, “gained by living a godly life."

During Uncertain Times Remember E + R = O

They used to say the only things certain in life are death and taxes. But increasingly it’s become evident that at least one other thing is certain: Uncertainty.

 

For most of us that’s not a good thing. We like the certainty of regular paychecks, our cars starting whenever they’re needed, knowing the food we buy at the grocery store is safe to eat, predictable weather, and many other things. And yet we’ve learned the jobs and incomes we have depended on can suddenly disappear. We might press the START button on our car and hear nothing except, ”click-click.” If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute. And every so often we hear news of product recalls in which tainted food is being removed from supermarket shelves. 

 

And in an important election year, feelings of uncertainty are understandably heightened. Given the certainty of uncertainty, the question becomes, how are we to react? Do we walk around constantly on edge, on the brink of panic if just one more crisis arises?

 

Years ago, the late Tim Kight, a highly regarded leadership consultant, devised a simple equation for handling the critical developments and crises in our lives. That equation was E + R = O. This stands for Event + Response = Outcome.

 

For example, something occurs that makes you angry. How should you respond? Do you lash out in response, making it clear that the other person has offended or upset you? That’s how many people typically react, adding fuel to the fire of an already volatile situation. And why not? If someone has hurt you, shouldn’t you let them know?

 

Sadly, an all-too-common contemporary example is road rage. A driver does something to irritate another, the second driver becomes angry, and responds in a dangerous manner. A classic demonstration of E +R = O.

 

Interestingly, the book of Proverbs addresses such situations: “A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel” (Proverbs 15:18). Another verse states, “As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife” (Proverbs 26:21).

 

But it also presents a striking contrast: “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered” (Proverbs 17:27). These passages describe similar situations, both which stir strong emotions. We could call these the Event. The difference is in the Response. One is to turn annoying or angering words into a shouting match – Outcome #1. The other is to exercise restraint, seeking to quell the situation with calmness and reasoning – Outcome #2.

 

Let’s shift gears and consider the current tumultuous condition of our society. Whether it’s the soon-to-be-over election, the economy, or myriad other concerns, we can find many reasons for feeling anxious and fearful. Any of those can be singled out as the Event. We might not have any control over the Event, but we can control our Response.

 

We can spend the night tossing and turning, losing sleep as we futilely search for solutions to what’s bothering us. We can walk around like emotional powder kegs, ready to blow at the slightest provocation. We can opt for any number of other ways for displaying our frustration. Or we can refuse to let the Event, whatever it may be, dictate the form of our Response.  

 

In the Scriptures we find a passage that seems to sum up the best possible E + R = O approach. In Philippians 4:6-7 the apostle Paul admonished Christ followers in ancient Philippi – and us, 2,000 years later – to, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”… Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

Just as today, people living in Philippi had many reasons for anxiety and fear. They faced persecution, troubles and trials of many kinds, and Paul wasn’t attempting to minimize or dismiss their concerns. But he was telling them worry and anxiousness were counterproductive, accomplishing nothing. So regardless of the Event that was troubling them, he urged that their Response include prayer, joyfully thanking God for His love and grace, and in faith presenting their needs to Him.

 

By focusing on God and their relationship with Him, rather than their circumstances, they could experience an Outcome of inner peace that would transcend or confound common sense and human understanding. Instead of screaming and shouting and jumping about, they could find solace and confidence in God who sovereignly guides the affairs of men.

What’s the Event that’s weighing you down the most today? Why not, instead of the typical, ‘Well, I’m only human’ Response, apply the wisdom of Philippians 4:6-7 and see how the Outcome might be different. 

‘You Guys Are at the Wrong Rally!’

Maybe it’s just me, but the relentless coverage of the upcoming election seems like the news media equivalent to “The Never-Ending Story.” Constant harangues and personal attacks, promises and pledges, lies and half-truths, all designed to sway voters and win or retain elective offices. With less than two weeks to go until Election Day, I’m already worn out by the whole spectacle. 

 

Most of it seems like things repeated over and over, but occasionally something comes up that causes us to pause and think, “Hmm.” One of those somethings occurred at a recent campaign rally. During the gathering someone shouted, “Jesus is Lord!” The speaker at the podium quickly responded, “You guys are at the wrong rally.” Hmm.

 

It’s not clear what the candidate meant. Perhaps that such exclamations are more suited to a church service or religious meeting. Or that they’re usually expressed by people supporting the other candidate. Or it might have been saying that references about Jesus don’t belong in political settings. As if to say, ‘There’s no place for Him here.’

 

Regardless of the retort’s intent, it missed the mark. Because as missionary Hudson Taylor wisely said, “Jesus is either Lord of all, or He’s not Lord at all.” Whether it’s a political rally, sporting event, classroom, courtroom, restroom, restaurant, or even on a roadway, Jesus is Lord. Even if we’d rather He wasn’t.

 

Many of us tend to compartmentalize, especially when it comes to matters of faith. We put on “Sunday smiles” at church – as a friend of mine termed it – but 95 percent of the time we behave as practical atheists. We like the idea that Jesus is our Savior, but not so sure about Him being our Lord. But it’s an all or nothing proposition.

 

I came across this observation by a fellow blogger named Benjamin Moore (I don’t think he’s related to the paint guy): “Jesus is Lord over all, and there is no middle ground…. Jesus’ authority over the kings and leaders of the earth is uncontested, and His rule supersedes all human governments. Jesus’ lordship has both present and future relevance in our lives.” This includes political rallies and civic proceedings, no matter who’s sponsoring them.

 

But this isn’t just the opinion of Hudson Taylor, Mr. Moore, or my own. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that like it or not, Jesus Christ is Lord and He desires – and deserves – to be honored as such. 

 

Speaking to a large group in the polytheistic city of Athens, the apostle Paul observed, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth…” (Acts 17:24). Along with this, the gospel of John opens with this declaration: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:1-3).

 

When the Bible says, “everything” and “all things,” it means…everything and all things. No exceptions.

 

We could cite hundreds of other passages about the lordship of Jesus Christ, but one that immediately comes to mind is 1 Chronicles 29:11, “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head over all.”

 

For many of us, the upcoming election is a cause for anxiety and angst. ‘What if my candidates don’t win? What will happen?’ Those are valid concerns, but our fears subside if we're willing to consider them within the context of the biblical reality that indeed, Jesus is Lord.

 

His closest disciples came to this realization, providing the impetus for their mission to take the Gospel to the world. One day after Jesus had made several challenging statements, many people chose to follow Him no longer.  Turning to His 12 closest disciples, He asked if they too were thinking about leaving. Simon Peter responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God” (John 6:67-69).

 

After Jesus’ resurrection, He appeared to all of His disciples except for Thomas, whom we know as the one who was always doubting. So, when Jesus appeared again to His closest followers, He offered proof to Thomas, showing Him the wounds in His hands and His side. The dubious disciple’s reaction was to declare, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

 

One of the most amazing, yet humbling passages in the Scriptures concerns the universal response Jesus will receive upon His promised second coming. It applies to believers and nonbelievers alike: “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

 

At that moment no one will argue that cries of “Jesus is Lord!” aren’t appropriate for their rally. Even today, whether in our homes, our workplaces, the grocery store or the golf course, Jesus indeed is Lord. May God in His grace and mercy enable more and more people to come to this understanding.

Getting a Glimpse of God at Sunrise

Studying, understanding and applying the Scriptures typically is an act of faith and God’s grace. Sometimes we open the Bible and come away with more questions than answers. However, from time to time God gives us tangible glimpses of biblical truth. My most recent example occurred during a recent trip to Charleston, S.C.

My wife and I, along with our youngest daughter and her family, were staying on the Isle of Palms and I’d risen early to observe the sunrise from the pier nearby. As I stood there watching the orange-red hue starting to paint the horizon, a flock of birds approached and settled on the rails of the pier.

 

The birds, blackbirds and gulls, lined up almost in formation and suddenly burst into song, as if heralding the arrival of a new day. Other birds converged on the scene and did much the same thing, all facing eastward and the rising sun. This continued until the sun emerged to cast its light upon the South Carolina coastline.

As I witnessed this wondrous, curious display, I couldn’t help but think about numerous Bible passages in which we’re told how God rightly receives the praises of His creation. For instance, Psalm 19:1-6 tells us:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. 

Day after Day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun….

It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other….”

 

Another passage, Psalm 66:1-4, expresses it this way: 

“Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious.

Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!’...

All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You, they sing the praises of Your name.”

 

Perhaps an ornithologist could offer a different explanation, but I’d like to think that the birds I observed on that Isle of Palms pier had no purpose other than to praise and thank their Creator for meeting their needs every day. As Jesus Christ told the multitude during His celebrated ‘Sermon on the Mount,’ “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

 

If birds instinctively understand and appreciate the One who feeds them so faithfully and generously, why is it so difficult for us to acknowledge and declare our gratitude to our Lord?

 

Most mornings, as I’m struggling to wipe away the cobwebs of sleep from my brain, a familiar verse comes into my mind as I recognize God has given me another day in which my heart continues to beat in my chest, breath still fills my lungs, and blood still pulses through my veins. It’s Psalm 118:24, ‘This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

 

I’d like to think that’s what the birds were singing that morning in their own unique avian manner, welcoming the advent of a new day and trusting that as He always has, the God of creation will continue to watch over them and provide for their needs. Maybe the birds of Isle of Palms could teach us a thing or two.

The Simple Complexity of Christianity

Anyone who’s done a study of religions knows they can be very complicated. They each have their own sets of principles and practices, rules and rituals. Anyone who says “All religions are basically the same” has never really given them a serious look.

 

The Bible states, “[God] has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The plethora of religions supports that statement, as humankind is always seeking – and even inventing – ways to know God and determine what happens after this life comes to an end.

 

Despite their many differences, a central premise of most religions can be described as “Do this, do that; don’t do this, don’t do that.” And if the adherents follow instructions, maybe they’ll go to heaven or wherever else the specific religion states its followers will spend eternity. But that’s not certain.

 

Unlike other religions, however, Christianity doesn’t say we must do and not do certain things to gain God’s acceptance and be assured eternal life. Instead of “Do,” the most foundational principle of Christianity says “Done.” That is, Jesus Christ has already done everything necessary for us to experience a growing, eternal relationship with God.

 

In fact, Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Two-thousand years ago, when Jesus died on a lonely cross on a hideous hill called Golgotha, He became the atoning sacrifice for all humankind. The Bible uses the Greek term, “tetelestai,” to state that our sin debt is “paid in full” or as Jesus said in His final breath, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Amazingly, He even died for sins we wouldn’t commit until centuries later.

 

It's as simple as that. But at the same time, we’re confronted with what I’d call the simple complexity of Christianity. The Scriptures repeatedly teach that there is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor and be assured of eternal life. For instance:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

 

Salvation, as followers of Jesus understand, is by grace alone. We can do nothing to earn God’s favor and love. Grace – receiving what we don’t deserve, and mercy – not receiving what we do deserve, are freely given.

 

Where the complexity enters in, however, is that we must respond. That is, just as a Christmas or birthday gift is of no value unless it’s received, we too must receive the Lord’s gift of salvation, forgiveness and eternal life. John 1:12 expresses it this way: “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the right be become children of God.” 

 

Later in the gospel Jesus makes the famous declaration, “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The gift is free to all who believe, but we must receive it.

 

Speaking to religious leader Nicodemus, who was trying to figure out exactly who Jesus was, He said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again…no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:3-5).

 

The apostle Peter elaborated in one of his letters, explaining, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). Again, this is not of our doing – it’s the sovereign work of God alone.

 

You’ve probably heard of someone being referred to as a “born-again Christian,” as if there are other kinds of Christians. In reality, referring to someone as a born-again Christian is equivalent to referring to a pet as a feline cat or a canine dog. You can’t be one without being the other.

 

At its heart, a key distinctive of Christianity from all other faith traditions is that of spiritual transformation. As Galatians 2:20 asserts, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

 

When we receive Christ and accept the gift freely given to us by the Father, a life-changing transformation occurs. As a similar verse tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

 

So, for us, it’s simple: All we must “do” is believe and receive the gift the Lord offers. The complexity comes in with the wonderful work of God making us into new creations, freeing us from the bondage of sin and enabling us to d become the people He has always intended for us to be. The question we each must answer is, ‘Have I truly received by faith this gift God has offered?’

 

If we have, then when Jesus says, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23), to obey can become as easy as breathing.

Spending Time with My Father – and My Father

My father died while I was still a young man. Over the years since, I’ve often wished I could have had more time with him. Because of his own background my dad wasn’t the most engaging, nurturing guy, but I never doubted his affection for me. Unfortunately, as a self-conscious, self-absorbed teenager, my focus was primarily on myself. I never thought much about getting to know and understand my father in a deeper way. 

Then college and career took me hundreds of miles away from home. There were no cellphones back then (can you imagine?), so I couldn’t just pick up the phone to talk with Dad. Long-distance calls cost money, and my job as the editor of community newspapers didn’t provide me with much of that. So, our communications were limited. 

Of course, in those “olden days” there was no texting, and no one had heard of email either, so we couldn’t exchange notes that way, even though Dad was an excellent writer. (I suppose I got my interest in writing from him.)

 

As a result, I missed out on learning important things about my father I would greatly value now. For instance, what his childhood was like, and what were his most memorable experiences growing up, including the Great Depression. He was a decorated soldier during World War II, receiving two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star among other honors, but he never talked about what combat was like. I wish I could have talked with him about these things. 

 

The best thing about my relationship with my dad was the example he set by how he lived. He was a very hard worker, devoted to providing for his family, a man of faith, and always a person of high integrity. He taught me by action rather than words. Even in his quiet way, he fulfilled the words of Proverbs 4:1-6:

“Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching…. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.”

 

Yes, the days of being able to talk with and learn from my earthly father passed much too soon for me. However, I am more than blessed to be able to spend as much time as I desire each day with my other Father – my Heavenly Father – as I read and study His Word. From that perspective, Proverbs 4 and many other passages from the Scriptures have even more significance. They teach me about God’s heart, His character, His perfect values, His love for me, and so much more.

 

Repeatedly in Proverbs we read phrases like, ”Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction…” (Proverbs 1:8), “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you…” (Proverbs 2:1), “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity” (Proverbs 3:1-2). Although they are written as advice from an earthly father to his offspring, being part of the Bible we also know they flow from the heart of God.

 

What a comfort and source of assurance it is to realize that while my earthly father would discipline me when he thought necessary to correct or redirect my behavior, my Heavenly Father does so in even more profound and understanding ways. 

 

As Hebrews 12:9-10 states, “we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness.”

 

Speaking to some of His followers, Jesus observed, “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:11-12).

While my opportunities to get to know my earthly father were cut short many years ago, I’m so thankful that as long as I have breath I can continue to learn more about and grow closer to my Heavenly Father – and that learning process will continue for all eternity. 

The Malicious Myth of the Greener Grass

Have you ever been mowing your yard, glanced over at your neighbors’ lawn, and thought, ‘Why’s their grass so much greener than mine?’ Then a few days later you walk over for a brief visit and notice that up close, their lawn doesn’t look any better than yours? It has weeds and bare patches, too.

 

This tendency to compare what we have with what we don’t isn’t limited to front yard greenery. A friend or coworker might drive up in a new car and suddenly you feel a pang of envy. Your six-year-old sedan or SUV, which has been running perfectly well, doesn’t seem as nice as it did just minutes before. Even if you’ve paid off your car loan while they now have a huge monthly car payment.

 

You go to church as see that picture-perfect couple again. They always look adoringly at each other, their kids are well-mannered, and they just seem to have it all together. By comparison, you feel that with your marriage and family, if you ever had it together you must have forgotten where you put it.

 

Some folks always seem to have it better off than we do. Maybe it’s a more exciting job, or a nicer house, a more prestigious education, or more extravagant vacations. The list could go on. ‘Why them, and not me?’ we might be tempted to ask.

 

This could be why the very last of the commandments God wrote on the stone tablets He entrusted to Moses to pass along to the Israelites – the Big 10 – was a prohibition against coveting: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).

 

Even if we don’t have manservants, maidservants, oxen or donkeys, that doesn’t keep us from casting an envious eye at other things that someone we know has. ‘Greener grass’ seems everywhere we look.

 

Interestingly, this tendency isn’t limited to the human species. Years ago, I teamed with my friend, Ken Johnson, to co-author a book, Pursuing Life with a Shepherd’s Heart, about experiences he and his family had in raising a small flock of sheep on their little farm outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. The focus of the book was to show how much sheep are like people – and vice versa.

Among the insightful illustrations Ken presented was what we could have called “The Case of the Greener Grass.” One summer the region where Ken lived was enduring a severe drought. His sheep had consumed nearly all of the grass in their pasture areas, so he and his family decided to build a temporary fence and let the sheep graze on the spacious yard beside his house.

 

After laboring all morning to make certain the new fence was sturdy and secure, Ken and his family went inside for lunch. Minutes later he looked out a window and saw all of the sheep lined up along the fence, their heads poking through it and straining for the ‘greener grass’ on the other side.

 

The grass just beyond their reach wasn’t any different from the grass they were standing on. To make matters worse, they were ruining the grass beneath their cloven hooves.

 

It seems one of the manifestations of what the Bible terms our “sinful nature” (Romans 7:25, Colossians 2:11) is our propensity to compare and covet what other people possess. Often to the detriment of ourselves and others.

 

Family counselor J. Allan Petersen termed this The Myth of the Greener Grass in his 1984 book, writing specifically about extramarital affairs – people ruining their marriages by the attraction of someone that seems more alluring and exciting. It’s a malicious myth, for sure.

 

Concerning this, in the midst of his sufferings and responding to his friends’ not-so-helpful advice, Job declared, “I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman” (Job 31:1). Refusing to look and compare can prevent a lot of unnecessary pain.

 

What’s the best safeguard against being seduced by the myth of the greener grass, whatever the context might be? I can’t think of anything more fitting than the counsel of 1 John 2:15-16, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”

 

This is excellent counsel. The alternative is to be like the sheep, trampling the healthy ‘grass’ right where we are – our marriages, families, careers, our very lives – in the pursuit of the ‘greener grass’ that’s beyond our reach.

Wondering About ‘The Rest of the Story’

Do you remember Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story”? In his long-running radio series, the popular news commentator told stories about a variety of people and subjects. A key element in each story would be withheld until the surprise ending, and then Harvey would always close with the tag line, “And now you know…the rest of the story.”

 

Reading the Bible, sometimes I’d like to know ‘the rest of the story’ about people we meet in its pages, particularly those who appear at significant moments in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. This came to mind recently while reading the account of Jesus and His disciples in a boat on the Sea of Galilee when, “Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.” 

 

Exhausted from a busy day of teaching and ministering to the crowds, Jesus had fallen sound asleep, so the disciples woke Him up: ““Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm” (Matthew 8:24-26).

 

Amazing as that was, the same account in the gospel of Mark provides additional information: “Leaving the crowd behind, [the disciples] took Him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were other boats with Him” (Mark 4:36). Apparently, there were “other boats” on the sea at the time. So, we can assume that people in those boats also were terrified by the storm. 

 

Did they experience the same miraculous calming of the sea? And if so, how did they react? In His inspired Word, God chooses not to give us that information. We do learn how the disciples marveled at how Jesus caused the roaring sea to subside with just a few words, and that’s probably all we need to know. But it’s interesting to ponder how folks in those other boats might have responded.

 

The Bible doesn’t tell us everything there is to know about God and Jesus Christ. How could it? But it does tell us everything we need to know about the Father and the Son, which is challenging enough in striving for a stronger, more consistent walk with the Lord.

 

In concluding his gospel, the apostle John declares, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

 

This is one reason I find “The Chosen,” the groundbreaking film series about Jesus and some of His closest followers, so compelling. Through creative imagination, it presents plausible back-stories for key figures like brothers Peter and Andrew, Mary Magdalene, James and his brother John, Thomas, Nicodemus the Pharisee, and even a Roman centurion. We might describe Dallas Jenkins and his team as reverently reading between the lines.

 

Wouldn’t you like to know ‘the rest of the story’ about the rich young ruler we read about in Matthew 19, Luke 10 and Mark 10? He approached Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life” (Matthew 19:16). Can you imagine a modern-day evangelist being asked this question? He or she would quickly pull out the “Four Spiritual Laws” or open the Bible to the “Romans Road,” hoping to lead the individual to Christ. But Jesus had a very different strategy.

 

After talking to the young man about keeping the commandments, to which he stated, “All these I have kept from my youth,” Jesus matter-of-factly told him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:20-21).

 

The fellow wasn’t expecting that! “When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth” (Matthew 19:22). Jesus didn’t chase after him and beg him to reconsider. So, what happened to him? Did he ever have a change of heart? The gospels don’t tell us. All we know is that Jesus told His disciples, “…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God…. With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:24-26).

 

How about the individual commanded to carry Jesus’ cross to Golgotha when the Lord became too weak to bear it? Three of the gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, identify him as Simon of Cyrene, a city in North Africa. All we know about him is that his sons were Alexander and Rufus (Luke 15:21) and he had just arrived in Jerusalem. 

 

Perhaps Simon was among the onlookers when the Romans pressed him into service. How did he feel when assigned such a horrific task? Did he realize whose cross he was carrying? Did he stay to witness the crucifixion? Since Luke identifies Simon’s sons, he likely was known to at least some of Jesus’ followers. Did this unwitting cross-bearer come to saving faith in Him?

 

It would be interesting to learn ‘the rest of the story’ of many others in the gospels as well, including the Samaritan woman Jesus encountered at the well outside the town of Sychar; people with leprosy or possessed by demons; the paralyzed man lowered by friends through the rooftop of a house in Capernaum, or the man who had been blind since birth.

 

Perhaps we’ll meet some of them on the other side of eternity. But again, God didn’t inspire the Scriptures as multi-volume tomes. In the Bible’s 39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books we don’t discover everything there is to know about God – but they provide us with everything we need to know about the Lord, and how we can have a life-changing, eternal relationship with Him.

What matters most is the rest of our own story. Will we be like the rich young ruler, who went away sad upon learning the cost of following Christ? Will we be like Nicodemus, who hovered on the fringes of Jesus’ followers, trying to figure out what to do with Him? Or will we be like Peter, Paul and others who overcame their sinful pasts to become stalwart ambassadors for the Lord?