The Big Picture (Part 3)

We have been considering how God worked in the life of Joseph and that in his suffering and integrity, Joseph was an amazing type (as a symbol and foreshadowing) of Christ. Though we are no longer types, we are called to be witnesses, pointing people to Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 

It has been said by many that we are always witnesses, one way or the other. Either our life attracts people to Jesus through the light of a transformed life, or it repels people because it claims something that it doesn’t deliver. 
We need to ask whether our lives and churches are like a dark and oppressive forest to those who "know not the way"? It seems that so many of the people that I talk to who are antagonistic towards the church have been exposed to someone who was, in their view, an offensively negative witness. At the same time, those who are in the church may see those people who are angry and hurt as merely twisting things to justify their own sin. There is probably truth in both positions. What if we learned to look for the big picture in the lives of those we meet? What if we took the time to listen to the other person’s story and appreciate their suffering in a manifestation of the love of Christ? There would probably be fewer people angry and turned off at the church. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote from a Nazi prison,

We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer. The only profitable relationship to others - and especially to our weaker brethren - is one of love, and that means the will to hold fellowship with them. God himself did not despise humanity but became man for men’s sake.[1]

Last week’s post ended with me asking three fairly pointed questions,

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  Do we bear a family resemblance to Joseph and to Jesus? If we are going to be positive witnesses then it will be because people can see, hear, and feel Jesus in our lives.
• Where do we fit in the big-picture plan of God? We know that he has called us to be a part of the plan, though we may not know all the details. It may involve waiting, as well as suffering, and rejection at the hands of those we are trying to reach. It may not be a place of power and prominence, but rather a place in the margins, but why should we expect better than Jesus? He has allowed us to share in the fellowship of his suffering so that we can also share in his comfort. 



Vines on a Kibbutz in Israel


• He has a place for us. Will we embrace it? Jesus said that he who saves his own life will lose it, and he who loses his life will save it. Yet we too often prefer to trust in our own efforts rather than trust in Christ. We self-medicate in a thousand different ways and yet can never heal ourselves from the sickness of sin. Only Jesus can do that.

What if things don’t work out the way we planned? It is all too easy to blame others for our failures. It is harder for us to accept our own responsibility to live fully for God despite hardship, suffering, and even death, and leave the result to God. Trust is hard, but it is the only way to embrace the big picture. Let us not become discouraged by setbacks and mistakes. God will see that his plan comes to completion. We just need to stay humble as we strive to live responsible, committed lives, depending daily on his grace. Again, let me quote Bonhoeffer, 

“I believe that God can and will bring good out of evil, even out of the greatest evil. For that purpose, he needs men who make the best use of everything. I believe that God will give us all the strength we need to help us to resist in all times of distress. But he never gives it in advance, lest we should rely on ourselves and not on him alone. A faith such as this should allay all our fears for the future. I believe that even our mistakes and shortcomings are turned to good account, and that it is no harder for God to deal with them than with our supposedly good deeds. I believe that God is no timeless fate, but that he waits for and answers sincere prayers and responsible actions.” [2]

We're not out of the woods yet... though Jesus knows the way! 
Perhaps trusting God together is the big picture.

[This was originally posted on my Cultural Engagement blog when I was still a doctoral student.]

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[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, (2011-05-10). Letters and Papers from Prison (Kindle Locations 224-227). Touchstone. Kindle Edition.

[2] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, (Kindle Locations 244-249).

The Big Picture (Part 1) — Learning From Joseph

As Pastors and leaders, we often experience setbacks, stress, and suffering in a way that can be hazardous to our well-being and that of those around us. There are times when we experience betrayal and false accusations, and may be subject to the court of public opinion without an opportunity to defend ourselves. I am not even talking about the huge train wrecks of moral failure, but of the smaller issues where our motivation is questioned or our effectiveness is criticized. Those times when our allies turn on us unexpectedly or forget about our valuable input into the process. Sometimes we launch out in faith that God has called us, but we don't see immediate results or perhaps feel like we have been sidelined unjustly. If you can relate to any of this, then I hope that this series of three posts based on the story of Joseph will serve as encouraging reminders of God's presence during trial and of his continued ministry call on our lives.

We all have our stories of brokenness and hurt…for no one is immune to the bruising experience of life in a fallen world. Some people’s pain may be more acute—stabbing, searing in a moment of tragedy. While others hurts may experience more chronic suffering over the years and even decades. Why do we evaluate the pain of others in the same way that we consider our own sin and failure? We tend to amplify our own pain while minimizing that of another. At the same time, we minimize our own sin while that of others is often perceived to be more severe. When we are hurting, physically or emotionally, our pain can seem like it is the center of the universe. 

But it isn’t.

Yet, it is not wasted, not a bit of it, if we are surrendered to Christ, the one whose suffering was, in fact, the center, the crux, of the universe! Do we see the big picture of sharing in the suffering of Christ, or are we mired in the dark pit of our own limited view? Has our short-sightedness caused us to become angry, frustrated, or bitter? I hope not.

Years ago, my son was a medic in the Army National Guard, and at times chafed at the extremely mundane assignments performed during monthly drill weekends. However, when his unit stepped up their training in preparation for their deployment, that all changed. After returning from some intense brigade-level training, my son had a different attitude and said that he had finally gotten to see “the big picture.” He saw how all the mundane tasks, if not done with diligence, can have tragic consequences on the battlefield. 

The Bible story that perhaps best illustrates this concept is the story of Joseph found in Genesis 37-47. His birth is described in Gen. 30:22-24, but the story really gets going in Gen. 37.

Joseph was Jacob's first son by his wife Rachel, who had waited many years to have a child.  She named the child Joseph for two reasons: (1) The name Joseph is connected linguistically to his mother’s testimony, "God has taken away my disgrace," and (2) the name itself is a prayer of faith to God ("may the Lord add" to her another son).  Joseph was certainly a man who would never be one to bring disgrace, but instead, by his integrity and simple faith, he worked to remove it…even in the lives of those who meant him ill.   

Joseph grew up with the love of his father but not that of his brothers. They were alienated from him by their jealousy and their father’s show of favoritism. They blamed Joseph for their disgrace instead of taking responsibility for their failures. The Scripture says that they "could not speak a kind word to him" (37:4).  Literally, they would not speak a "peaceable" word, referring to the common Middle Eastern greeting, "Peace be with you."  They snubbed him at every opportunity.  You can read about what happened as the old story of Cain & Abel (Gen. 4) reverberates in the life of Joseph. Here is a brief outline of Joseph’s story:

1. God used Joseph as a youth to reveal God’s plan for his family (Gen. 37)
2. God used Joseph as a slave in Potiphar's house (Gen. 39:1-20)
3. God used Joseph as a prisoner serving other prisoners (Gen. 39:21 - 40:23)
4. God used Joseph as a prophet to interpret Pharaoh's dreams (Gen. 41:1-36)
5. God used Joseph (raising him to power) to save Egypt, and his family (Gen. 41:37-56)
6. God used Joseph as a judge to test his brothers (Gen. 42-44) 
7. God used Joseph as a peacemaker to reconcile his family. (Gen. 45-47) 

Why is the life of Joseph so important to us today? It asks and answers questions about our purpose in God’s plan for our families, nations, and the world. Joseph experienced a lot of pain—relational, physical, cultural, and perhaps even racial bigotry. Yet there was a larger purpose behind all he suffered. He was hated by his brothers, betrayed, sold as a slave a couple of times, sexually harassed, falsely accused, and imprisoned, and finally forgotten by one who should have quickly shown gratitude. This happened over many years before God suddenly raised him up as one prepared for the moment of crisis. Not that betrayal, estrangement, slavery, and the dungeon are good (they’re not!), but that God took what was intended for evil and used it for good. God was with him every step along the way. He was not separated from, or a stranger to, Joseph’s suffering. One thing we don’t see Joseph doing is questioning God’s presence or complaining about God. Do we have an attitude and a work ethic that God can bless no matter what our circumstances are? Can God give us favor with those in authority over us without violating his own character?

Are we using what has been intended for evil against us for the good of God’s people? I am convinced that God wants to do just that.

My next post will elaborate on some of the “big picture” lessons I am learning and the hard questions I am asking myself in response to the example of God’s working in Joseph’s life. Join me on the journey!

[This was originally posted on my Cultural Engagement blog when I was still a doctoral student.]

Who Put Me Here? (A SOAP Journal from 2 Timothy 1)

In addition to regular articles, I will once again be posting highlights of some simple SOAP journals that were produced during a regular gathering of pastors to journal, pray, and encourage one another. These are not exhaustively studied as they are generally the work of 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of sharing with each other what we have written. These brief devotional journal posts will begin in the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus). Hopefully, they will be encouraging to the readers of this blog.

We used the simple SOAP acronym as a devotional guide... which stands for:

• Scripture—what verse or short section caught my attention today? 
• Observation—what can I briefly notice that the passage specifically says?
• Application—what will I do differently as a result of having read this today?
• Prayer—what will I ask the Triune God to do for, in, and through me today?

S = 2 Timothy 1:1, 6-7, 8-9, 11 

v.1 “…an apostle by the will of God”

v. 6-7 “Fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

v. 8-9 “Do not be ashamed…but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace.”

v. 11 “…for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher which is why I suffer as I do.”

Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash

O = When faced with hardship and suffering for my trust in Christ, and for my work as a pastor/teacher, I need to be reminded of how I got here, why I am here, and what resources I have available to me. Paul knew he was an apostle by God’s will, not by his own choice. It was God who had commissioned him to go forth with a gospel message of reconciliation. Timothy, to who Paul was writing, had been gifted by God for his ministry assignment. When Timothy was tempted to give in to the fear that what we do makes no difference in the kingdom when tempted to become cynical about people and their motives and ability to change when tempted to give in to his laundry list of subtle appetites that make it easy to forget the nature of the Spirit that God has given him/us Paul reminded him to fan the gift into flame (v. 6-7). It is by that Spirit—the Holy Spirit that enables Christians to trust, love, and obey—that Timothy and, by extension, we today, can guard the good deposit that has been entrusted to us by Christ.

A = I will remember that I am here because God put me here. I will remember that I am called because of Christ’s purpose & grace, not because of my own abilities and general awesomeness. I am his and am not my own… my life is to be lived today, this week, and always, for His glory, not my own! I don’t have to appear externally successful to bring glory to God, but rather internally faithful to his voice and responsive to his love. So, I can embrace the suffering for he is with me in it!

P = O Lord, thank you for your plan. Help me to follow boldly in love and purity—empowered by your Spirit today! Lord, if there is a gift that you have given me for the benefit of the church and the common good of the community, please move on my heart this week to create some margin to remember how it felt when it was first given and show me how to fan it into flame! You waste nothing, so may I not waste another day heeding discouragement and criticism more than the indwelling Spirit of God!