Sunday Shorts: Seeing Jesus

Sunday Shorts: Seeing Jesus

 John 12:21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”

            There are many people in our communities and around the world who make a similar request about seeing Jesus today. They have heard about the love and teachings of Christ, but when they look at His followers, they sadly see religious people who insist on getting their own way, and whose intolerance suppresses the civil rights, freedoms, and lifestyles of others who get in their way. Rather than seeing Jesus, those seekers see Christians as people who couldn’t care less about the pain, predicaments, and problems of others, even though the One Whom they are supposed to serve told them to love one another, no matter who the other may be.

            Millions of folks will attend church services on Sundays who consider that their lip-service to God, as well as a check mark on a pew form, is all that’s required of them. They personally believe that they know Jesus in their hearts, even though there is a great sickness of ignorance mixed with prejudice in their souls. It’s sad to say, but even they can’t see Jesus for themselves; even they obstruct Christ by putting themselves first.

            I feel deeply for those fellow believers who have lost their way and because of this, I speak out against false leaders, false notions, and false beliefs that are being spread by prejudiced preachers and chagrined church folks who should know better, but who have allowed their social, political, and cultural beliefs to override and overcome their Christian principles. It’s sad to see such potentially good people being duped and misdirected by despicable dictators, even though Jesus Himself cautioned His followers: “Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

            If we often complain that the world, our nation, or community is not “Christian” enough, then we need to ask ourselves this pertinent and penetrating question: are we actually the ones who are obstructing others from seeing Jesus?

Point to ponder: Does Christ’s love motivate my faith or has hatred contaminated my soul?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to truly see You first before we begin to lead others to You. Make us aware of our prejudicial ways and unchristian feelings. Teach us the value of loving the unloved and cherishing those who are different from ourselves, just as You did throughout Your life on Earth. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Smooth Talkers - Romans 16:17-18

Romans 16:17-18 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naive people.

One of the biggest issues that the Early Church faced was leadership credibility. The Christian faith was just developing its own teachings of Christ, which was difficult because some of the Gospels we know today had still to be written. Innocent people greatly depended on genuine teachers and faithful preachers to share the Gospel Truth, but because the Early Christians did not have ‘Christian scriptures,’ they were sometimes duped by itinerant messengers who brazenly claimed to be called by Christ. So, in the same way that the ancient Hebrews had to deal with false prophets, the new Mediterranean churches had to be able to distinguish between good and evil teachers, true and false gospels, right and wrong beliefs.

Paul’s answer to this dilemma is contained in the above two verses. The signs of false teachers and dishonest leaders could be found in their characteristics and behavior – if they were smooth conceited talkers or deceitful flatterers who caused division, then the faithful would know instinctively that they were being led astray. The trouble was this: even though they knew they were being duped, they doubled-down in their ignorance and nurtured their naivety. Insecure people will often have hasty hearts and end up following the wrong types. Paul’s concern for the young Roman church was that they would be attracted to the wrong leaders and end up damaging their Christian faith, as well as their eternal relationship to Christ.

This is why Paul’s letters became so important to the young Christian churches. He not only gave them sound teaching based on Christ’s ways and words, but he also cautioned them about accepting every missionary, minister, or leader who came to their churches. Paul wanted to ensure that the congregations would grow in the real faith, and not be influenced by some unhealthy hybrid of a gospel that conveniently suited the messenger and ended up damaging Christianity.

Paul may have been writing to a particular congregation in the First Century, but his words are still highly relevant today. If we place our faith in false messengers and leaders, then our own beliefs can be irreparably damaged and our connection to Christ may be broken forever. We are individually responsible for what we believe, whom we follow, and what we do with our faith. Both Paul and Christ would ask us to carefully watch the path we are on.

Point to ponder

Am I guilty of having a hasty heart? Who are the leaders and messengers that I follow? Are they like Paul, or are they similar to what he describes?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have called us to follow You and become Your disciples. This means that we need to be fully aware of our commitment to You. Forgive us for placing our opinions and ideas before and over Your ways and words. Put us back on the right track and enable us to find the right leaders and messengers of Your Gospel. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s Gospel drawings called “Cross Carrier.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Cross.

Just Yeast - Mark 8:15

Mark 8:15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” (NIV)

            For most people who bake bread, yeast is absolutely essential. Yeast enables the dough to be more flexible for shaping, to help the bread rise in the oven, and to add some texture and flavor to the whole loaf. Without the yeast, most loaves would be flat and a bit bland. With the yeast, however, thousands of different breads can be baked to make them look attractive in the shops, stores, and bakeries where we buy them.

            Yeast breaks down the sugars in the other mixed ingredients and releases carbon dioxide which allows the bread to rise. Most of the flavor in bread is determined by the crust that the yeast helps to create. As it permeates throughout the combined ingredients, every part of the bread is affected by the yeast. In fact, the quality of the bread is mainly developed by the yeast’s pervasive presence.

            When Christ’s warned His disciples about the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod, He was cautioning them about the false words and ways His opponents would use to influence and corrupt their spirits. His closest followers were not immune from the wiles and ways of deceitful people; in fact, because His disciples were deeply religious, they were more susceptible to being manipulated by those who were deemed to be powerful, authoritative, and in control. Jesus gave His disciples this grave warning because He was concerned that His own people would be led astray. This is why He also referred to the Pharisees as vipers and called Herod a fox. Their message could poison the hearts and minds of the people and their cunning charms could even contaminate the most faithful of servants.

            The importance of this lesson still remains with us today. Faithful people are not flawless, nor are they protected from the lies of leaders and the deliberate deception of despicable demagogues. We only have to look back to the 1940s to see how outrage and nationalism corrupted the hearts and minds of millions of people, most of whom were good church-going Christians. They yielded to the yeast of jingoism, allowing it to destroy decency, causing them to descend into depravity, furthering disunity, and promoting idolatry. With this in mind, Christ’s teaching about the yeast is very clear: if we embrace liars, we become the lie; if we excuse falsehood, we become just as false.

Point to ponder

Who or what currently influences me most? What would Jesus honestly say about this influence?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You gladly call us to be Your servants but You also ask us to be aware of other things that can distract us from You and divert us from the truth. Keep us mindful of our weaknesses and protect us from those who would brazenly corrupt us with lies, deceptions, and devious ways. In Your Holy Name, we fervently pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you have some questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Celtic Pop.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Celtic Pop.

Christian devotional: Real Faith - Matthew 9:29-30a

Matthew 9:29-30a   Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; and their sight was restored.

            Faith is a very rare commodity these days. I’m not talking about a religious notion, or a spiritual feeling, or even a mystical experience. I’m talking about real solid faith in Jesus. I've been a pastor for almost thirty years and during that time I've seen many people mistakenly think that what they believe in is faith. What they actually hold on to is wishful thinking, just like in the old Peter Pan stories, where if you think good thoughts and add some pixie dust, you can really fly.

            Faith isn't a feeling, nor is it a daydream. Faith in Jesus actually requires focus, commitment, service, and humility. Because people are so one dimensional in their thinking, they naively believe that just thinking good thoughts about Jesus is all that is required. They delude themselves into the notion that being nice is what counts, and they wrongly equate that with being faithful.

            Faith is much more than a spiritual trivial pursuit; it is the life quest that we are all given from the moment we are born to the day that we die. We have one opportunity to get it right, to be found by God through faith in Jesus. If we set Him aside or falsely think that everything we do is blessed, approved, and condoned by Christ, then we’re tragically and eternally fooling ourselves.

            Faith, real faith, is not just something that we live for, it’s also a divine gift that we die with. If we go to meet our Savior without following, worshipping, or serving Him, then we won’t find Him at all. The Gospels give us all of the material, resources, and clues that we need about what real faith looks like; if we think that we can make it up for ourselves and wing it through life, then we’ll end up on the wrong side of glory. Faith requires commitment, but commitment is so inconvenient at times.

            So, let’s all truly, sincerely, and honestly ask ourselves this today: to whom am I being faithful? To Christ or myself, to His teachings or my own ideas? We cannot hide the truth from ourselves, and we certainly cannot fool Jesus either.

Questions for personal reflection

Am I faithful to Christ or am I just living a lie? Am I committed to His Church or am I just committed to myself?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, we all want to have real faith in You. We really want to be Your followers and servants, disciples and messengers. Forgive us for playing at religion, or for feigning spirituality. Challenge our choices when they conflict with Your guidance. Change our lives when we contradict Your Word. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest artworks. It’s called ‘Chalice,’ and it was made using paper sculpting and crayons. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Chalice.

Short Devotions - A 21st Century Problem - Matthew 13:49-50

Today’s Bible passages:        Isaiah 32:1-7 & Matthew 13:43-52

Matthew 13:49-50      Jesus said: “This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

It’s culturally convenient for our 21^st century people to discard any weird religious notions that Hell exists. After all, in this marvelous scientific age where we are discovering new things about ourselves, the world, and the universe each day, quaint bronze age myths hold no terror for our sophisticated society. Hell may have been used over the centuries to control spiritually weak and sinful people, but in today’s cosmopolitan world and multi-cultural marketplace, Hell is no longer required.

But this leaves us with a problem: if there is no Hell and Jesus is sinless, then He must have been lying when He talked about angels throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace. Worse than that, because Jesus is God, He must have been intentionally lying. And if Jesus was lying, then He broke the Ninth Commandment and is therefore not sinless. If Jesus is not sinless, then He is not the Obedient Son of God and His Death on the Cross was not a pure and supreme sacrifice for our sins. We are therefore still under God’s condemnation and have no hope of any everlasting life.

You see, folks, we can’t have our theological notions about there being ‘no Hell’ without any consequences. If there is no Hell, then the whole point of our Christian Faith and the complete Truth about Jesus totally falls apart. We cannot have our Christological cake and eat it at the same time. Either Jesus told the truth, so we need Him to save us; or He told a lie and we are doomed to be separated from God forever.

This is why we need to read the Bible each day; this is why we need to carefully listen to what Christ said; this is why we cannot mold Jesus into our own godly guru or joyful genie. Christ is either the King of All Creation or He’s a comical character of our own creating. There is no middle ground or grey area, sitting on the fence or cozy Christianity. It’s all true or its nothing at all.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You speak to us across the centuries through the Gospels. Your words contains unaltered truths about God, the Universe, and Everything. We seek Your Guidance and long for Your Love. Help us to truly and completely, faithfully and honestly follow You. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Epiphany/ nativity drawings. It’s called “King of Kings” and features the wise men worshiping the Christ Child. If you would like to see a larger version, then please click the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6507913925_81a1f32f9e_b.jpg