New Years Resolutions... Helpful or Not?

The new year is fast approaching, just a couple of days away. Have you made your list of resolutions for the New Year?

Some of the more common New Year’s resolutions are commitments to quit smoking, to stop drinking, to manage money more wisely, and to spend more time with family. By far, the most common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, exercise more and eat a healthier diet.

Like other Christian festivals, the celebration of New Years Day started long before the church came into existence. Like many things we’ve adopted, it has its origins in ancient Roman culture. Julius Caesar instituted New Year's Day on January 1 to honor Janus, the two-faced god who looks backwards into the old year and forwards into the new. The custom of "New Years resolutions" started then, as Romans made resolutions with a moral flavor... mostly to be good to others.

I have mixed feelings about making New Year's resolutions. In the first place, I can find nothing in scripture that suggests it's a Biblical concept. The Holy Spirit, not a New Year's resolution, is the agent of meaningful transformation in a Christian’s life. New Years resolutions are a reminder of trying to change and improve by our own strength and will. Making resolutions has the same feel to it as the widely established non-biblical belief that "The Lord helps them that help themselves." The truth is, if you added the word "cannot," as in... "The Lord helps them that cannot help themselves," there might be some validity to the thought.

Another potential pitfall with New Year's resolutions is intentionally waiting for New Year's Day to fix something that is broken, especially if sin is involved. Sin needs our immediate attention. It's the same feeling you get when you hear an inexperienced parent give a disobedient child "until the count of ten" to obey. The take-away message for the child, is that a deferred percentage of obedience is acceptable. In reality, "obey" and "later" (or "next year") don't work well together in the same response.
 
Okay all that said... if anyone should have reason to make a New Year's resolution, it should be Christians. We have been freed from the bondage of sin by the Holy Spirit, Who is able to effect genuine transformation in our lives. If you want a picture of this liberation, put yourself in the place of the demon-possessed man in Mark 5:1-20. If God can overcome the spiritual bondage described in that passage, He can overcome the sinful behaviors in our life as well.

For most, if not all Christians, a more focused and realistic goal would be a resolution to cooperate totally, completely and submissively with the Holy Spirit in order to be delivered from one particular area of sin in your life. Being "in Christ", being saved, does not give Christians automatic or immediate deliverance from sinful behaviors, especially those that have been developing over many years. Addictions to smoking, alcohol, drugs, and pornography, for example, are extremely hard habits to break. Nevertheless, there are concrete steps that you can take to put yourself in the path of God's grace for deliverance from all types of sin, but you must be resolute in your determination to be freed from sinful conduct and attitudes.

Resolving to deal with temptation and life-dominating sin is what God demands of his followers. Only HE can help us overcome sin and we do need to be in serious resolve to work with the Holy Spirit in defeating the things that impede our spiritual growth. Here’s a short list of practical steps that you can follow when you are tempted to turn towards sin in your life.

(1) First, we should thank God for the temptation. Yes, thank Him because it is an opportunity for personal spiritual growth. Begin with a prayer to God thanking Him for the trial. Remember, it is not a sin to be tempted - temptation becomes sin when we turn towards that temptation in the direction of sin.
 
(2) Next we must move away from the direction of the sin. If it is coming at you, change your course. Do whatever you have to do to remove yourself from the circumstances that put you in sins path. Put as much distance as you can between you and the source of the temptation. Run don’t walk casually. This means be decisive and be quick about what you do. You know the problem and how you are tempted, so be bold and decisive.

(3) As you are moving away from the source of temptation, quote scripture that you have memorized that applies directly to the area of temptation. For example, if your struggle is with pornography and sexual immorality... then quote 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. Do this while you are moving away from the source of temptation. Reciting that passage of scripture over and over would be the best protection. You can get help from your preacher and the elders, to help identify scripture that applies to your sin and to help identify other spiritual disciplines that can be employed to reduce the incidence of temptation.
 
(4) Find yourself an "angel of accountability." Confess to that person that there is a specific sin that you are struggling with and ask that person to hold you accountable in that area.
 
(5) Finally, make for yourself and carry around a "think and do list" specific to your particular sin. You call it a "Philippians 4 list." In Philippians 4:8-9 we read... "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
 
Work with your accountability partner to make up a card or group of cards - one for each "whatever is..." as sited in Philippians 4:8 - and come up with a list of things that you can do that would be admirable, or lovely, etc. This is a personally intentional, deliberate and Holy Spirit focused and dependent process of dealing with the sin. The first part is to "put off" the sin; the last part is to "put something good on in its place." That is, do something different, something good!
 
Your accountability partner MUST be willing to ask you pointed questions each week and you must promise to answer honestly and to hide nothing from your accountability partner. Here’s a couple of questions that might be helpful... first is... "How many times were you tempted in your sin area this week?" The second is... "How many times did you turn towards the sin?"
 
As you struggle for freedom from sinful conduct you will be tempted over and over again. Remember, Satan doesn’t want you to succeed. Consider keeping a detailed count [a diary] of the number of times you are tempted for the purpose of tracking your progress. It is NO sin to be tempted. We sin the moment we take a small step in the direction of the sin rather than running away from the temptation. We sin the moment we hesitate from turning away from temptation. Writing down what happens and reading it back to yourself aloud, sharing it with your accountability partner, will be a very sobering exercise, one that will yield positive change in your attitude and help you build the mental strength for the next time you are in a weakened moment.
 
One other recommendation regarding your selection of an accountability partner - consider making it someone that you ABSOLUTELY do not want to have to report failure to, such as a younger Christian who considers you more mature in your faith, but who is mature enough to handle helping you with your spiritual temptations. Knowing that you will have to report failure, and knowing that it is someone to whom you do not want to admit failure to, is a powerful motivation that will make you think before sinning.
 
This sounds like a lot of work, and it is, but if you employ these steps in dealing with sin struggles and in getting control over your thoughts, there is no reason to be resigned to defeat. God is with you in the person of the Holy Spirit. Rely on Him.

Why not make a New Year's resolution to gain victory over one sin area in your life? And why not start working on that resolution today?

Have a Joyful New Year in serving the Lord and growing in Holiness!

The Neverending Season of the Christ

The Christmas story began long ago... at the founding of the world. Plans were being made in heaven, man did not know nor understand what we happening. Thousands of years would pass before man would understand what God had been doing from the very beginning. The God who created all things and blessed his crowning achievement, man, watched as he made a fatal choice, falling into sin and hopeless despair. All the while, God was planning a monumental recovery plan. God’s nature didn’t change, he didn’t make a mistake in his creation of humanity... man made the mistake, and the God of love and mercy had our redemption in mind from the moment man turned against him.

The prophets Jeremiah, Malachi, Zephaniah, and Micah all proclaimed the Christ that was to come. Not even they could have imagined how the world was going to change. Who was this Christ to be? Where would he come from? When would he come? What would he do? Great questions all, and God began to slowly and methodically reveal to humanity, that a day would come when the world would change forever.

The change would be good for everyone. The change would come upon the world almost without notice, with little fanfare. Simple people would be shown the arrival of this one called “Messiah” the likes of shepherds, vagabonds and sojourners, just a few, not thousands. The “change” arrives in the form of a newborn baby, born of a human woman. A baby, a small boy, would grow to manhood.

The Old Testament is the lead up to the Christmas story. It’s all about the coming change that would be the hope of mankind. Every day we use that small, mystical word—hope. It’s tough to live without hope. What is hope? It’s a vision for better days... events that will change us in the present. Hope is your best friend and security on an uncertain journey... there’s something up ahead, around the corner, its forming, its coming into sight, and it’s all good.

That good future that God began planning thousands of years before the Christ-child arrived wasn’t just an abstract concept, it was a real living person. We soon discover it was God in the flesh. That man who came to be known as Jesus came with power that reached into the souls of men and transformed them into new creations.

The Christmas season is a time for everyone to reflect on where you are in discovering this “Christ” who changed the world... who turned it upside down! We are all on a journey to destiny. What was once an uncertain journey without hope is now changed... we are all invited on a journey towards better days, a journey of real and lasting hope. Our hope is in Jesus. If we let him, he will work in and through our lives, reaching into our souls and giving us real lasting hope. Jeremiah 33:14–16

The Christmas story is for those who treat their spiritual lives with careless contempt. The unmotivated and uninspired, the bored and distracted, all yawning in the face of God. Most don't know what they're doing. Such people need a serious wake-up call. Or in the words of the ancient prophet Malachi, they need to meet the God who is like a “refiner’s fire” (Malachi 3:2). God inspired Malachi to say...You were made for better days. You weren’t made to coast in your spiritual apathy. God has better days coming. Every year, Christmas serves as a wake-up call for all those who need to “see the possible” in themselves, that God has made possible through Jesus, the Christ.

God so loved the world, that he gave us his only Son... (John 3:16) That’s one of the most hope inspired passages in all the Bible. It promises so much for those who believe in the “change” God sent into the world. God wants nothing to separate us from his greatest gift... or keep us from knowing the joy that is found only in Jesus, the Christ.

Near the end of the Old Testament, you’ll find a small book called Zephaniah. The last half of chapter three contains a wonderful, moving, tender, and powerful description of God’s love. A philosopher once said... there are only two things that can crack open the human heart... suffering and beauty. The picture of God’s love at the end of this little book is designed to crack open our hearts with its beauty. In a world filled with hatred and sin, this description is not what humanity deserves, but it is the love God offers to everyone. This is the hope of Christmas... that God did something extraordinary in Christ that changes everything. Zephaniah 3:14–20

Finally, the human heart since the beginning of time, has longed for tranquillity... peace. There has been no peace on this earth, only strife. The ancient Hebrew word shalom, means “peace.”

In the Bible, God’s peace—shalom—meant much more than simply the absence of war and strife. Shalom meant not only inner peace or spiritual peace; it meant wholeness and completeness throughout all creation. It meant the end of injustice. It meant the rich would no longer oppress the poor. It meant all brokenness would be set right and healed. It meant that people would love one another.

The hope of shalom was wrapped up in a single person, long foretold in Old Testament Bible prophecies. Someone would come, who would provide a way to peace. Peace came to earth nearly 2,000 years ago, heralded by angels, his birth witnessed by shepherds... Jesus... he is the peace. He changed everything. His arrival on this world opened the door to a new beginning for all humanity. Hope came into the world.

Jesus came and brought shalom with him. He calls everyone to discover and embrace his peace... infused with the hopes and promises of eternity.

Christmas... it’s all about a God who came to earth, to bring peace, to save sinners, to turn back the rage of heaven and restore hope in the hearts of man, woman and child.

Have a merry and joyful celebration of the birth of your personal SAVIOR!

Christ above Ourselves?

After the radical statements about family, Jesus addresses a second thing we often put in the place that belongs to God alone... ourselves.

In Matthew 10:38, he continues with these words... "And anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

Again, he's using a metaphor, like the sword, to express depth and seriousness of his meaning. This time it's a cross. In the time of Christ, living under the Roman empire the cross was a well known symbol of death, of execution. What he's saying here is that you must take up your cross. You must willingly sacrifice yourself, die to yourself, put aside your own desires, dreams, goals, and ambitions, and put Christ first, not yourself. Self-denial is not a popular message. To die to self? Human’s are all about self-achievement, self-betterment. But that's what Jesus says: "Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."

You can’t separate Jesus from the cross, no matter how hard you try. Christ and the cross go together and the message of the cross... his willing sacrifice for sinners is powerful and unsettling to our spirit.

That’s why at Christmas time we so enjoy the baby Jesus, the child in the manger, because he’s not threatening to our self-centered lives. But when he grows up and his mission becomes clear, we have a hard time accepting his expectations of us as embodied by his sacrifice. We want Jesus, but we don't want the cross. We want all the benefits of faith. We want the assurance and comfort and joy, but we don't want the darker side. We don't want the self-sacrifice and suffering. We don't want the cross. But that choice is not up to us.

At the heart of Christianity is the paradox that Jesus speaks of here. He says that he who finds his life, who maintains his life, has control over his life, will, in fact, lose his life. We may throw God a bone every once in a while, but ultimately Jesus says that’s not going to work. He expects just the opposite from us. It's the person who gives up there life, who surrenders completely to God, who keeps none of there dreams or hopes or desires but gives it all, lays it down before God, who will find real abundant life.

It's a paradox. It's counterintuitive and certainly countercultural, like everything else in the passages from Matthew chapter 10. Tough ideals to confront. Give up my life and I'll find it? You can't negotiate with Jesus on this expectation or any other for that matter. You can't bargain with him. You can't say, How about this much, and I'll keep the rest? Remember, he didn't come to bring peace, he came to bring a sword. Just at the time of his birth was a threat to Herod, an illegitimate king. Jesus' presence is a threat to every illegitimate thing that exerts a form of influence over our lives, including ourselves. He has come to dethrone us, so the rightful King of Kings can reign over all. You don't negotiate with this King. You submit to him or you reject him.

When confronted with audacious demands and expectations, we either think the person making them to be a madman, or to be who he says he is... the Messiah, the one alone who can make such a demand.

C. S. Lewis in his classic book Mere Christianity said it well: Christ says, Give me all. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work. I want you. I've not come to torment your natural self but to kill it. No half measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there. I want to have [cut] the whole tree down. I don't want to drill the tooth or crown it or stop it but have [pull] it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires that you think are innocent as well as the ones you think are wicked, the whole outfit. And I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself. My own will shall become yours.

This is why he has come-to turn the world, including our personal world, upside down, coming to demand full allegiance on every level. There's an ancient hymn that some people think dates all the way back to the first century. This hymn speaks of why Jesus has come...

Let all mortal flesh keep silence, And with fear and trembling stand.
Ponder nothing earthly minded, For with blessing in his hand,
Christ our God to earth descends, Our full homage to demand.

Jesus has come to ask for our full allegiance, and that will cause division both in us and in our world. During this Christmas season don't be fooled. Don't look at the manger and think about this innocent, helpless, sweet baby, tender and mild, laying down his sweet head. Jesus is no such thing.

He did not come to bring peace but a sword. He did not come to make us feel better about ourselves, but to demand our allegiance. He came as a threat to every illegitimate thing in this world, including every illegitimate influence in our own lives, whether that be family or self or anything that takes us away from Him. We are dealing not with an eternal baby, but with the living God of the universe, the creator of all things, in the person of Jesus Christ.

May this Christmas be your time to recognize Him... submit to His authority in your life, take up your cross and walk with Him on a journey that leads to everlasting reward.

Christ... above our families?

After introducing the radical idea of the “sword” dividing... Jesus goes on to illustrate it in a very sensitive area that touches everyone. He speaks of something that occupies a very high place in our lives, sometimes “higher” than God. You might be surprised... it's your family.

Look what Jesus says in Matthew 10:35–38... "For I have come to turn "a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members of his own household." Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

That is a deeply personal and threatening example of how the “sword that divides.” It is one of the most controversial statements said by Jesus in the Bible. What kind of person would make these kinds of statements? What kind of person would be so bold, so outrageous as to step into another person's life and say... You have to love me more than your own children, more than your mother or your father?

To be so bold, you either have to be the Messiah with the authority to demand that kind of allegiance or you're a maniac. In either case, this “attitude” does not fit our family-friendly view of Jesus that we cleave to. Certainly not the view of Jesus we like at the holidays, which are supposed to be all about family.

That's precisely the point. Jesus recognizes that in our alienation from God, in our separation from Him, we tend to put something else in God's rightful place in our lives, and sometimes we'll even exalt something that is good and wonderful like family... putting our loved ones in a place rightfully reserved for God alone.

This is radical thinking, potentially causing one of three reactions: for seekers... accepting Jesus or rejecting him entirely. For the already believing Christian... accepting or rejecting this aspect of your allegiance to Christ. For a Christian, the consequences are dire... you will stunt your growth in Christ, never progressing to maturity.

Jesus is not saying it's wrong to be deeply committed to loving our children, our parents and our mates. He does not want us to think members of our households are a bad influence. The problem is when we exalt them to a place of priority and pre-eminence that belongs to God alone. When family become primary and God and His mission for us becomes secondary, we have a problem in our relationship with God.

Okay, maybe you’re thinking... there has to be some explanation for what Jesus is saying. Maybe he's using hyperbole. Maybe he's exaggerating to make a point. Maybe it's mistranslated or something, because he can't be serious about something so precious, something He even formed... the family. After all, that bond between parent and child is one of the strongest bonds possible. It's a biological bond. It's a spiritual bond. It's a psychological bond. In fact, when parents abuse or neglect their children we see that as one of the greatest evils in society.

It's abnormal not to love and be committed and sacrificial toward our children and other family members. How can Jesus expect us to relegate loving our families to second place? For many people confronted with “calculating the cost of discipleship” such an expectation is too heavy, it’s unnatural, it’s wrong. How do we react? We find some way to dismiss these verses or justify them or water them down to something more amenable. That's a mistake, because Jesus is very serious.

Consider this reasoning... if there really is a God and if he's the Creator of all things, if everything in existence draws its life from God and if he's eternal without beginning or end, if we are infinitely dependent upon him for our existence every moment, every second of our life, and if our connection to this God in one form or another will exist for eternity, then does it not logically follow that our relationship to this Creator should have supremacy above all other things, including our families?

Though we love mom and dad, our sons and daughters, our connection to them is not eternal. It all feels like a “shock to our perceptions of God” but what Jesus is saying here prompts questions we should ask ourselves... Do you recognize the supremacy of God over all things? The one who created your mother, your father, your son, your daughter deserves your unconditional allegiance, more than they do. Do you recognize the supremacy of God over your life? Because those who do not are unworthy of God, because they've given their allegiance to some lesser thing. Like everything else Jesus says in this passage, this is counterintuitive, certainly counter-cultural, hard teaching.

Christians especially have a hard time dealing with this teaching of Jesus. Living in Christian community, we talk a lot about family, marriage, and children. Part of that is because our culture is growing increasingly hostile to families, and we're reacting to the negative world around us. Part of it is because the Scriptures have a lot to say about family relationships. Family is core to our faith and our obedience to Christ is often lived out and even magnified in our closest family relationships.

So the tendency is to exalt family and make it central in the Christian life. We've got to be careful we don’t cross the line. Jesus Christ is not ultimately or primarily concerned with the unity and harmony of the family. His ultimate and primary concern is that we live in unity and harmony with him. Family is subordinate to our submissive commitment to God alone.

Was Jesus blunt in presenting this analogy? Does it send shock wave through you? Oh yes, very much so. His teaching on the way to obtain and maintain spiritual salvation is like a sword because it separates people into those who believe and those who do not. Jesus is saying specifically that his teaching will cut through families like a sword, with some family members believing and following Jesus' teaching and other family members rejecting Jesus' teaching.

Scripture shows us very clearly how Jesus divides people. Jesus confronts us with the truth. He is "the truth" (John 14:6). We have to respond. The way we respond divides us. We can either accept the truth [Him] or reject it [Him]. If we think we can be neutral or ignore it [Him], that is ultimately a form of rejection.

By his coming to earth, Jesus confronted us in a new way with God's eternal truth. Men had to react to this confrontation. No more could humanity stand on neutral ground. People’s reaction divided them into two groups, those who accepted Jesus and those who rejected him. It was not unusual then, and is not unusual today, to have different members within the same family be in these different groups.

The Scriptural view is clear... the world is divided into two groups: those who believe in Jesus Christ and those who do not believe in him, those who are in the kingdom of God and those who are in the kingdom of darkness. There is no middle ground. There is no room for fence-sitters. Jesus said, "He who is not with me is against me" (Matthew 12:30).

Split loyalty will not work. You cannot serve more than one God. "No one can serve two masters...” (Matthew 6:24). Christians should not be "yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? What fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?" (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).

A Christian’s perspective should be like that of the apostle Paul, who saw the pain and trials of this life as nothing when compared to the joys of heaven (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Jesus does not minimize the price of discipleship, because of the magnitude of the prize of discipleship.

God is eternal, man is not. Nothing clarifies your life more than death, wether it’s yours or someone close to you. We love our parents and our children, those are non-negotiable aspects of growing up in Christ. But who do we owe our allegiance to? Ask yourself, when you became a Christian, who did you commit your life to? Was it a mortal or immortal eternal commitment? Ultimately our allegiance does not belong to our mortal family members, but totally and exclusively to the Eternal Living God.

Most of us didn’t give a thought to the notion that when we invited Jesus Christ into our lives, he would bring a sword, with the intent to cut away the “gods we have placed before Him.” That turns our life upside down, and at some point we are confronted with choosing who will be first in our lives... God or someone else. Sometimes our allegiance to our family, conflicts with our allegiance to Christ. And in those moments we are confronted with the true depth of our faith.

As you contemplate Christ as the risen Savior and reigning King this Christmas season, think about the depth of your commitment to Him. Is He first, really first?

What Child is This...?

One of the more popular passages of Scripture sited during the Christmas season is Isaiah 9:1-7. We love to explore the ideals of having a "Prince of Peace" in Jesus. But then there’s Matthew chapter 10... especially verse 34 where Jesus in his own words throws us a curve... "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."

Between Isaiah 9 and Matthew 10, we go from an encouraging uplifting vision in Isaiah’s prophecy to something more troubling in our relationship with the Son of God. What did Jesus mean when he said, he came not to bring peace, but a sword? What are we supposed to do with a Prince of Peace who says such a thing in a tone of warning?

During this time of the year it's normal for us to think of Jesus as the sweet baby in the manger. Our songs are about him being tender and mild, how he lays down his sweet head and no crying does he make, and all these wonderful images of this divine child. Those images and views are certainly appropriate at this time of year. But knowing what he himself said in Matthew chapter 10... we need to ask ourselves if we’ve suspended our perception of Jesus to that of a baby in a manger? Have we allowed our vision of “Jesus the man” to be distorted by our vision of Jesus the baby?

These are fair questions to consider, because I think many Christians tend to view Jesus as an adult the same way we view him as a baby. As an adult we picture him as being a mild, sweet-natured, and gentle Savior, somebody who talks softly, who never scolds... pretty much a big, grown-up baby. We rarely think of him as being aggressive or belligerent or combative or in any way socially impolite.

So this Christmas season we need to ask the questions... What child is this? Do we really understand who it is that we worship at Christmas? To answer that question, we've got to let Jesus out of the manger.

Jesus said he didn't come to bring peace, but a sword. If we go back 2,700 years, to the time of the prophet Isaiah... he was writing 700 years before Jesus came. He prophesied that when the Messiah comes, when this divine King is born, he will be the Prince of Peace.

That's an amazing title when you consider that at the time Isaiah was writing, the monarchs were seen as those who brought war and destruction. And here he says the divine monarch will come and be a prince of peace. If you know the Christmas story [Luke chapter 2] you know that on the night Jesus was born there were shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem, when suddenly the clear night sky exploded into a glorious light of angels that filled the sky. They declared to the shepherds, "Glory to God in the highest, and to men peace on earth." That's one of the most dominant themes of the Christmas season. You see it posted everywhere... Peace on earth. We think that Jesus came to establish peace, to bring an end to conflict and strife, to make our lives more comfortable, more safe and secure. But is that accurate?

Certainly Scripture says he is the Prince of Peace and he has come to establish peace. But in Matthew 10 Jesus says something very uncomfortable. It's challenging. It disrupts our assumptions about who he is and why he came. The chapter begins with Jesus selecting his 12 disciples, and then in verse 5 he sends them out on a mission to proclaim the kingdom of God throughout the villages and towns of Israel. He gives them specific instructions-to raise the dead and heal the sick and proclaim the Good News. Then in verse 26 he tells them that as they do this, they are going to be persecuted. People are going to hate them because of their affiliation with him.

Then on the heels of all that, in verse 34, Jesus says this... "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." What are we to make of that? What happened to our Prince of Peace? What happened to "good will toward men"? Jesus says he did not come to bring peace... but a sword. This doesn't fit with our view of Jesus in the manger, the sweet, innocent, meek, and mild baby. This doesn't fit with our cultural view of Jesus the man, who is equally as infantile and sweet and gentle. How do we reconcile that Jesus says he has come to bring a sword? What does that mean?

First, he's not speaking literally. Jesus is not literally wielding a sword. He never once displayed that sort of behavior or advocated for armed conflict in any situation. It's important to put his alarming statement in the context of the entire chapter. Starting in verse five, when Jesus is giving instructions to his disciples as they go out, he tells them what they should bring. He says don't bring any money, don't even bring a bag, don't bring an extra change of clothes, don't bring extra shoes, don't bring a walking stick, don't even bring food. He certainly doesn't tell them to bring a sword. So Jesus is not speaking literally. He's using the sword as a metaphor, as a symbol. What does it represent?

Most of us think of a sword as an instrument of violence. It's a weapon of warfare. So is that what Jesus means, that he's come to bring death and war and destruction to the earth? Some people think so. In fact, throughout Christian history some have interpreted this verse to justify war against non-Christian cultures. Others have used it to justify Christians killing non-Christians in the name of God for self-defense or to protect the church in some way. That's how it's been interpreted throughout history. Some boldly say that Jesus is pro-war. That's a misinterpretation of what Jesus is saying. Nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus advocate violence. Nowhere is he pro-war. Jesus is not using the sword as an illustration of vengeance or violence or death in any way.

Remember, this is also the Jesus who told us to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us. And he modeled that for us as he hung on the cross, where he prayed to forgive those who were in the process at that very moment of murdering him. This is also the Jesus who told Peter to put away his sword, because those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. Jesus is not advocating violence or war. That's not what this symbol means. So what does it mean?

The key to understanding what Jesus means is in the word peace. Jesus says he has not come to bring peace. The word he uses here is the Hebrew word shalom. Shalom means peace. But the Hebrew word has a more nuanced meaning. It doesn't simply mean peace in the absence of violence. It's a peace that comes from wholeness, from being complete, completely put together, unified. It's the wholeness that comes when nothing is missing, when everything is one.

So what Jesus says is saying is this... I have not come to bring wholeness; I've come to bring the opposite. The opposite of wholeness or unity is division. He's using the image of a sword to illustrate... to divide, to cut, to sever in half. "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." I did not come to bring wholeness and unity, but division. This meaning fits the context of Matthew chapter 10. In the verses immediately before verse 34, Jesus warns the disciples to expect to be persecuted and hated because of him. He, Jesus, will cause reactions in people much like the results cause by a sword. His presence, his words, his activities will cause division among people. It’s as if HE becomes a line is drawn in the sand, and people will be forced to take sides... for him and with him or against him and opposed to him.

This imagery of a sword being an instrument of division is picked up by the author of Hebrews in describing the Word of God. It says the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, able to divide spirit from soul (Heb. 4:12). So the idea that a sword is to cause division or to separate or to sever, cut in half, that's what Jesus means. His presence in the world causes division. His presence on earth was not to bring peace, but cause separation and division.

What Jesus is saying is that his mission is to turn the world upside down. We see him doing that even from the moment of his birth. If you know the Christmas story you know that when King Herod heard that the Messiah, the divine King, had been born in Bethlehem, Herod was greatly disturbed, because Jesus even as a baby, as a newborn, was a threat to his power. He'd come to turn the world upside down. So Herod tried to have this child killed.

Also, when Mary and Joseph bring Jesus as an infant to the temple to be dedicated, an old man named Simeon recognizes that this baby is God's long foretold deliverer. While he's holding the child he says to Mary and Joseph, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel." In other words, this child is going to turn the world upside down. He is going to cause division among people.

Maybe it’s time we change our perception of Jesus during this season. At Christmas, we don't welcome and worship and celebrate the birth of a passive Savior, a pushover Messiah, somebody who just came to make us feel better. Jesus is the most radical person who has ever walked the earth. He did not come to bring peace; he came to bring a sword, to turn the world upside down, to radically alter the world, to dethrone every illegitimate king.

The reason why this is so threatening, the reason why Jesus turns the world upside down, is because to be in a proper relationship with God, to love him with all that we are, means removing things in our lives to make room for Him.

Every one of us has put something in the place in our lives that rightfully belongs to God alone. Just as Herod was threatened by the birth of this rival king, every one of us should be threatened by the birth of Christ, because he has come to dethrone whatever it is that dominates our lives that he alone has authority over.

That's why His coming into this world is like a sharp cutting sword... He came to radically alter the world and redirect our lives to God. Jesus came, not to bring immediate peace, but to divide us from our illegitimate allegiances. Jesus comes to ask for our full allegiance, and that will cause division both in us and in our world.

During this Christmas season, don’t be fooled into thinking that Jesus is a helpless, sweet baby, tender and mild, laying down his sweet head in a manger. Jesus is no such thing. He did not come to make us feel better about ourselves, but to demand our allegiance.

He came as a threat to every illegitimate “god we have placed before him.” He seeks to tear down every illegitimate thing, every attitude, every desire in our own lives, whether it be family or self or anything else. God alone can make such a demand.

SHINING the LIGHT of TRUTH in a Dark World

Matthew 5:14-16 - You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.

On a clear night the lights from a distant city can be seen for miles, and if the city is on a hill nothing will hide its light. Long before the advent of electricity, the night fires of a city located on a hill could be seen for a considerable distance.

A number of hills around the Sea of Galilee in Jesus' time were topped by cities whose lights were clearly visible on the night horizon. The people to whom Jesus was speaking would have been very familiar with these lights. A city set on one of the very high hills in the region of Galilee, was particularly noticeable at night and this may have been the visual imagery Jesus had in mind when He spoke the words recorded in Matthew 5:14.

The lamps used to light first century houses were small ceramic vessels containing olive oil and a floating wick. When lit, the lamp was either set on an appropriate shelf or on a well-positioned lampstand where it "gives light to everyone in the house." While the first century lamp was not as bright or convenient as our modern incandescent or fluorescent lights, it gave adequate light as long as the wick was kept trimmed and the lampstand was put in a central place. Because these lamps required fire to light, they were not put out when the household went to bed. Instead they were dimmed by placing a bowl or a measuring container over the lamp. This is what our Lord had in mind when He spoke the words of Matthew 5:15.

What is the thrust of Jesus' comments about a city on a hill being visible and a lamp in a house giving light? It's quite obvious from the context that He doesn't want His followers and their message of truth to be hidden or dimmed. He wants His light bearers to let their message shine brightly so that there will be no confusion in the world as to what the truth is and where it can be found.

The purpose of light is to reveal what's in darkness and to give direction, like a beacon or light on a distant hill. As the light of the world, followers have a two-fold responsibility as bearers of light (truth).

Christens are to be as brightly shining lamps that make plain the truth that is concealed by spiritual darkness, as well as clear beacons that warn of spiritual danger and point the way to all who will take notice. "That you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15).

As the light of the world, Christians have the two-fold mission of exposing right and wrong and of being a reference point to determine right and wrong. In verse 15 we see our assignment is to reveal truth. Without spiritual light, people cannot clearly distinguish truth from error or right from wrong, just as people in a dark house can't see where it's safe to walk. In verse 14 we are told to maintain a testimony which becomes a reference point in this dark world. As the lights of hilltop cities served as night beacons for travelers, a directional point to safety, so our Christian communication (verbal and non-verbal) should shine as a beacon... a desirable destination for seekers of truth.

Christians as the “light source” should stand out and be so obvious that people groping in spiritual and moral darkness can get a bearing on what is right and wrong and be pointed in the right direction.

Remember that the Lord's main point about our light... is that we are not to hide it! The Lord Himself has elevated His followers to be positioned to the eyes of the world as if on a hill... on a lampstand, so as not to be hidden or dimmed, but to brightly shine forth! This is so important, because only true Christians are the light of the world.

There are many denominations, many types of religions around world, cultists of all sorts, new agers of every variety, religious gurus and shamans, "good" and sincere people, and any and all other self-proclaimed "light"-bearers... but they are not the light of the world. They are not even a small part of the light. In fact, they are part of the darkness! Their philosophies may sound very enlightening and they may appear to be good role models, but according to the truth of Scripture this is only an illusion. "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness" (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).

Carefully contemplate this passage in 2 Corinthians... notice that the “false lights” can actually appear to be "Christians," and are actually involved in "Christian" worship and service.

No wonder that the “lights of truth” must be shining brightly and not ever or even partially hidden. How tragic if people in this dark world are led astray by false "light" because the true light is too dim to be noticed. Gropers in darkness will generally turn to the brightest light available. Many who are seeking enlightenment are going the wrong way, because false guides don't hide their "light." They take every opportunity to talk to anyone who will listen and respond to their ideas of spiritual and moral "enlightenment." Many of these false "lights" truly believe that they are helping others and bettering themselves, but they are deluded.

What an awesome responsibility truth bearing Christians have as the light of the world. We must do everything we possibly can to let it shine forth brightly so that the evil and error that shrouds the world in darkness is exposed and people will know the right direction to turn.

But you may say, shouldn't we be careful not to be too out-spoken? People could be offended and turn away from truth. Shouldn't we build relationships with them and share the truths of Christianity only when they ask us or when it is non-threatening to them? Fair questions. Perhaps we could even build a case for this position if the Lord had only given us verse 15 of the text. Lifestyle evangelism or relationship evangelism is, in many ways, like the lamp in the house. And bringing a friendly, truth-revealing "lamp" into a relationship is certainly part of being "the light of the world."

But verse 14 clearly indicates that we are to proclaim the truth publicly as well as privately. A city is not built on a hill for concealment purposes. In fact, its light cannot be hidden. The Lord has not placed us in this world to act as dim or flickering lights. He has "set us on a hill" and our light is to be bright and seen.

Building relationships and earning the right to be heard through lifestyle evangelism are very important. "Fire and brimstone sermons" should not characterize our testimony, nor should our "beacon" be like the high beam of headlights that annoy oncoming drivers. But in a dark world where the majority of people around us are lost, God wants our testimony to shine out not only "in the house" but "on the hill." It should shine out for great distances and to many people. It goes without saying that there will be numerous times when people will be offended and not want to hear or know the truth. After all, Jesus did say that people "love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil" (John 3:19).

If we are going to obey the Lord, our lifestyle evangelism must include public proclamation of the truth as well as the more private sharing of the truth in caring relationships. At the present time, would you say that your individual witness for Christ, whatever activity that involves, is like the light of a city on a hill, or is it like the small warm glow of a lamp in the home? To be true to our Lord's command, our light must be both!

Do good works fit in with the Christian commission of being the light of the world? At first glance verse 16 might seem to indicate that our good works are essentially the light that should identify us. But notice that this verse draws a distinction between our good deeds and our light. They work together but are not identical. Our light should draw people's attention to our good works. "Let your light shine...that they may see your good deeds..."

Light refers primarily to the proclamation of truth from our lips, while good works refers to the activity of our lives. Notice further in verse 16 that our light should draw people's attention to our good works in such a way that people are directed towards God. Our light is not to be used to show off our good works so that people praise us. As a result of our verbal testimony people are not to hear about our good deeds but see them and praise God. Good works should be the natural, almost subconscious, outcome of our faith. If our light is shining out and not hidden, any praise of our activity will logically and reasonably be given only to God.

It is because Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12), that Christians are the light of the world. When we became Christians we not only received forgiveness of sins, we also received new light and life in Christ. We have come to know the Lord Jesus not only as the Way, but also as the Truth and the Life. (See John 14:6.) Because He is the Truth within us, we are the light of the world. "For God, who said, `Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Because Christ is the Life within us, our good deeds are more than humanistic good works. The source of both our light and our good works is the mission of Christ, working within us in the person of the Holy Spirit. Our proclamation and performance are distinct, but must merge together. If there is no walk to back up our talk, our "light" may be a mere profession of faith without genuine substance. (2 Corinthians 13:5.) On the other hand, good works without the light of verbal testimony could merely be humanistic good deeds, and could even contribute to the darkness by failing to bring the true light into dark places!

Follow the perfect model of our Lord. His good works were always associated with His poignant words. His love for people never caused Him to water down God's righteous standards. He boldly proclaimed the truth to the multitudes; He gently shone light into dark lives in one-on-one relationships. He continued to shine in a dark world even when He was misunderstood and persecuted, and we can expect the same response if we let our light shine out. (Matthew 5:10-12.)

The good news... some people will respond to the Light! Not only that, there is blessing and reward promised in these verses to shining lights. So let's not cover our lamps because of compromise or laziness. Let's not climb down from the hill where the Lord has placed us because of fear or ridicule. And let us not hinder the light of other passionate believers in the body of Christ.

As we contemplate the birth a Jesus... the light of the world, this Christmas season... let us make every effort to let our true light shine out clearly in this very dark world.