When I was growing up, I’ve attended a lot of so-called “Christian” denominations- Word for the World, El Shaddai and Metropolitan Christian Church were among the “big” churches I’ve gone to. And that is putting aside the small “born again” groups I have been invited to in our community. I even recall one time when my dear aunt brought me to a Jehovah’s Witness service. Of course I was a very young catholic school boy back then and I didn’t really understand what was going on in all those gatherings. All I know is that anything that has no images or statues of Jesus, Mary and all the saints like what you find inside the Roman Catholic Church are “born again”- anything that has crying, singing and dancing happy songs, collapsing members, lifting and laying of hands and “angry” preachers on the pulpit. To me, Christians can either be Roman Catholics or the Born Agains. As long as I hear “Jesus” being mentioned in a congregation, then that is definitely counted as Christian. Either you sing “Ave Maria” in a solemn manner or “Alive, Alive (forevermore..)”, it doesn’t matter- or so I thought. As far as I can remember, I never really went to those “born again” groups out of my own free will. In all those cases I was forced to come along for common reasons and one of which is being too shy to say no. (Looking back, I see how much of a “push-over” kind of person I was! LOL) At the Metropolitan Christian Church I remember being enticed to go because one of them (a friend of mom’s) told me that there’s gonna be this famous filipino band who will be performing after the service plus there will be lots of celebrities who will be present not on the stage but where the lay people are among the bleachers of the then called “ULTRA” stadium. True enough, there was a concert by this band after the actual service and there were local celebrities among us. Certainly, the (what seemed like endless) hours I had to put up with the feisty loud-mouthed pastor commanding us to do this and that, the testimony of the dramatic lady and the member in front of me who had “seizures” and suddenly collapsed on me were somehow worth it. The biggest “come on-factor” of them all are the promises of blessings “pressed down, shaken together, running over” a famous verse (Luke 6:38) among the El Shaddai members as their head pastor Mike Velarde would often quote conveniently whenever he would preach about giving in the church- an out-of-context use of the verse though. Now that sounds inviting not only to me, I mean who wouldn’t want blessings right? Even my co-roman catholic friends back then would pray to different saints if they want particular blessings. I have one who is a devout RC soul and so are his parents. They are a rich family who wouldn’t miss any special “church” celebration and they probably know which RC saint is celebrated on which day. During lenten season they would visit 7 different out of town churches, do the Stations of the Cross and they never miss the regular Wednesday novena and Sunday masses at Baclaran Church (famous for those who have petitions). He recommended that I do the same so that I could have blessings like them. And by that, he meant money, good things in life, and so many other material things that God can easily bless you with. Looking at his family’s social class, I believed him- they have a nice, huge house in a plush subdivision, few cars, parents’ got high-paying jobs and basically they can easily buy things that I can only buy probably if I don’t eat for 6 months and spend all my salary on that particular thing. So I heeded his advice and tried to be as religious as I can, as with the other born again groups who promised blessings a-plenty on every attendance. They speak so assertively as if blessings can be taken from a vendo-machine left open. Nothing’s changed though – I still didn’t have the blessings I so wanted. Eventhough I was already working abroad, I’m still not blessed as much as the others for I am still earning a relativelty meager salary. “God didn’t hear my petitions” I thought. “Because you did not believe” the pastor would tell me everytime. Sure, like I didn’t want to believe I’m gonna get my blessings? For crying out loud, that’s what I’ve always wanted. Of course I would like to believe if that’s all I have to do to get my blessings! Another pastor even tossed the “ball of blame” on me for not giving “enough” in the offering box that’s why I didn’t get any. I mean come on, I was the one asking for blessings and now he’s telling me to give from my pocket when I can barely make ends meet? Even when I started working in the Middle East in 2002, I still didn’t get enough so probably this is not the blessing I’ve been waiting for I thought to myself. Two years later, I found myself sitting in a small “underground” bible class who probably might have a different version of how to get blessings, I thought in anticipation. Halfway through, we still haven’t discussed blessings but instead they were telling us about how sinful men are and that the wrath of the Holy God is upon us. Should we not repent, it would result to eternal damnation in hell. Back then, I know I’m a sinner and I can never be “holy” to get to heaven. I’m a doomed soul– a very hopeless (and scary) position I have already imposed upon myself. But apparently, there was hope in Jesus Christ Who removed the wrath of God by offering Himself as a sacrifice on the cross. Wait a minute, I already know Jesus who died and resurrected 3 days after for our sins. I know He is loving and compassionate and loves the sinners as well. All along, I knew a different Jesus- not the one from the Bible but a certain “Jesus” that would cater most to my needs. The one who would answer my prayers if I asked for money or material things yet who wouldn’t mind if I sin against him. When He poured mercy on me, that was the time I realized how much I have missed on the real Jesus of the Holy Bible. I missed the fact that He is the righteous Lord who will come again to judge the living and the dead. I was coming to Him for the wrong reasons and for a lost cause: shallow believism and material blessings. Hearing the Gospel in its fullness, He drew me out of my sinful life and brought me to repentance and faith in Him- this is what matters most. Looking back, I’ve come to realize the blessings which the Lord has so richly blessed me with. My salvation and the promise of His Kingdom is something that no moth or rust can consume or thieves can steal. And through the incessant studying of His Word, I’ve learned to let go of equating God with material blessings (although He can give anything in His will). And I finally got to define the popular verse “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) in its proper context. It’s no wonder why I didn’t mind being stuck for 6 years with the previous company I worked for in exchange for a meager salary (in my league). For I believe the Lord wants to teach me patience and dependence on Him having already blessed me sufficiently where it truly matters. And now that He has blessed me with a way much better-paying job opportunity, I still get carried away sometimes by material things, overwhelmed with what I can now have that I never had before. But He never fails to remind me where my heart should be– treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21).

Advent, time to get ready.  I hear this every year and every year I have the same thought.  Who do I have to talk to to get Advent and Lent switched.  I can do Lent in 4 weeks, but I really need 6 to get ready for Christmas.  Every year the same thing happens; sermons are preached on simplifying your life and then you get a list of all the Advent activities that are going on this year.  My stomach gets tied in knots and my chest tightens up just thinking about it.

I don’t bake cookies very often because I’m not a great cookie baker, but at Christmastime I feel the urge to bake.  It’s not that I want to get caught up in a lot of baking hoopla for the holidays; it’s because I want to give that gift of home-baked cookies to my family.  However as clergy, I’m too busy helping out with all the church part of Advent to take a breath and sit with my family.  And then I feel guilty.  How can I want to bake cookies when I could be organizing a children’s Advent night or attending extra Advent Vespers?

I think that Christmas has almost nothing at all to do with entering into a deeper relationship with the Incarnate God through the birth of a tiny baby boy named Jesus.  Christmas is mostly about retail and money.  For the church it’s another opportunity to say, “Hey, you don’t go to church and we’re a church, don’t you want to come to church to learn more about this Jesus?  We’ve got a lot of great activities going on.  We’re really friendly.  And by the way, you could join and we’ll give you some giving envelopes and a list of great ministries for you to volunteer for.

When my first child, Danielle was born I was so excited that I just couldn’t sleep.  She was born at 5:00 am and at 2:00 am the following day I was up and walking around the hallways of the hospital stopping everyone I ran into and saying, “Look at my baby.  Isn’t she pretty?!”  What if church was more like that?  Going out into the world and greeting everyone saying, “Look at my baby.  Isn’t he pretty?!”  Imagine taking Jesus out into the streets of our communities instead of sitting in our houses of worship and trying to convince folks to come and see the baby.  What would it look like if we met the people who don’t know Jesus right where they are?

Click here.

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Luke 21:12-19

You will be persecuted, Jesus warns, but “it will lead to your giving testimony” (Luke 21:13).

There is absolutely no reason to be fearful and no need to rehearse what you might say. Jesus promises: “I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute” (21:15).

Jesus’ promise was dramatically fulfilled in St. Catherine of Alexandria, whose feast we celebrate today. Although we know nothing for certain about her, including when she lived, this saint has been venerated as a “holy helper” for a thousand years. In fact, hers was one of the voices St. Joan of Arc heard.

According to tradition, Catherine was a pagan who had a fine education because she belonged to a noble family. In the course of her studies, she learned about Christianity. After the Virgin Mary and her Child appeared to her, Catherine became a Christian. When the emperor Maxentius began persecuting Christians, the lovely eighteen-year-old girl boldly rebuked him for being so tyrannical. Unable to answer her arguments against his pagan gods, the emperor called in fifty of his smartest philosophers. Instead of changing Catherine’s mind, they were all convinced by her and wound up being burned by the emperor for having converted.

When Catherine indignantly refused Maxentius’ smooth talk, he ordered her to be beaten and thrown into jail. While he was away inspecting a military camp, his curious wife and one of his officers went to see Catherine in prison. They too were converted, along with two hundred of the soldiers guarding her. Ultimately, Catherine was put to death, a heroic witness to the faith.

Few of us are likely to be martyred for our faith, but we may be ridiculed when we take a stand, whether it‘s bowing our heads for grace before a meal, refusing to join in gossip, or speaking up to defend a belief someone is making fun of. Don’t worry! Just trust that the Holy Spirit will inspire what you say and what you don’t say, how others hear it, and with what result.

“Holy Spirit, help me be bold when my faith is called into question. Speak through me so that others can hear what you want to say to their hearts.”

Daniel 5:1-6,13-14,16-17,23-28; (Psalm) Daniel 3:62-67

Luke 3 gives information about the ministry of John the baptizer and briefly touches on the start of Jesus’ ministry.

In v.2 we see that John was int he wilderness when the word of the Lord came to him. From that point, he began preaching a message of baptism and repentance. This baptism and repentance was NECESSARY for forgiveness of sin (v.3).

His message was pretty straight forward. If you desire forgiveness, you must change your ways and repent because God demands it (vv.7-9). In vv.10-14 there were some specific instructions listed. Try to put these in perspective.

Suppose the message today was: If you wish to be saved…show fruit of repentance. If you have two cars, give one to a man with no car. If you have 5 outfits in your closet, give everything beyond that to those who have need. If you have food in your pantry and there are hungry people around you, give them your extra. One who does not do this…should not think he has any hope in God. (Let that soak for a second and then read it again).

Most people would want to argue against it. Many would tell me 12 reasons why instruction like this doesn’t apply today. Fine. But, what does it mean to be a Christ-follower today then?

Can one claim Jesus as Lord and live in drunkenness? Tell lies? Hate others? Dishonor his parents?

Can one claim Jesus as Lord while living with a person while not married? Can one claim with confidence that they are Christ-followers while refusing to fellowship with other believers or serving through a local church ministry…without giving God a tithe of one’s income? (Now for those who say they cannot…but they have internet, cable, tv’s, go out to eat at restaurants or other luxuries…you are probably fooling yourself).

The point of John’s message is this: Conversion equals transformation. If you have not changed, you have not been changed. Don’t claim to know God and live like the devil. It doesn’t make sense. In the same way he chastised the Jews for claiming a relationship based on ethnicity, I would chastise those who claim a confidence in Christ based on a prayer once prayed yet without fruits of transformed lives.

In vv.15-20, John clears up that he is not the Messiah, but the forerunner. His ministry is also summarized and v.20 tells of his imprisonment.

Luke tells us that Jesus was also baptized by John (v.21-22). Then, the lineage of Jesus is detailed, going all the way back through Seth to Adam. Luke’s inclusion here (as a Gentile writer) is simply an acceptance that Jesus fulfills the Davidic prophesies (v.31). In other words, having examined the claim that Jesus was a lawful descendant, Luke affirms it.

Proverbs 25:16 is the takeaway today. “Have you found honey?” Eat only what you need, that you not have it in excess and vomit it.” Makes you wonder if we are people who are satisfied only with what we need…or are we consumed with a desire for far more than we need…and that becomes our demise. (In the backdrop of my thoughts are my trips overseas with people who live on pennies compared to our thousands).

Some times life can get crazy. Unfortunately, that craziness can also wear us down and keep us from doing what we really want to do.

The problem with getting worn down isn’t always that it physically keeps us from doing what we like to do, but rather that it can take your passion and make it feel like a chore.

When you continuously get tired you start to wonder why you’re feeling that way all the time. When you realize that it’s because you’re throwing all your energy into continuing your passion it can make you start to associate your passion with being tired.

Granted, these sort of times usually come around when you’re in a rut and are having a hard time thinking of ways to motivate yourself, but that’s when you need to remind yourself why you’re following your dream. Even if you’re not “following your dreams” it’s still a good time to take a step back and remind yourself why you enjoy your hobby.

If that means taking a couple days off to rest and get motivated, then do that. But do that with the expectation of getting right back into the swing of things when you’re done with your break.

I know all too well how easy it is to take a break and then decide to make that break last just a little bit longer. The only problem with doing this is that when I don’t make up my mind to continue pursuing my photography and blogging beforehand, I end up using any excuse in the book to push it off one more day.

Then there are the times when I don’t want to take time off because I want to push through the slump and continue to be productive.

To be honest, this is one of those times for me right now. I have been so worn out by everything else going on in my life that the last thing I want to do is to sit down and write another blog post.

Surprisingly, I’m also finding myself reluctant to push myself to do things as fun as a photo shoot. I mean, I absolutely love taking photos for crying out loud.

So for everyone else out there who is having a hard time staying motivated, let this be an encouragement to you. Don’t lose sight of why you enjoy what you like doing. Don’t stop pushing yourself. Don’t let yourself become complacent with where things are in your life.

Keep at it.

Lately, we’ve been reading Luke chapter 1 (okay—long chapter!) as a family.  Here’s a thought about that!

#1.  Funny comment – When Zecharaiah was made mute by the angel because he did not believe Gabriel’s words, my daughter, Eden said, he had a mutiny.

#2.  A fun way I found to talk about the chapter is to compare and contrast the Announcement to Zechariah with the Announcement to Mary.  

Similarities:

• they are both visited by angels
• they are both surprised and scared
• they will both have sons (with first names beginning with “J”
• they both have questions

Differences:

• they have a different way of asking about their announcements, “How can I be sure?” vs. “How will this be…?”
• one boy will be a prophet, the other will be king and savior
• one announcement was in the temple, the other in a peasant home

If you are sharing family worship with your family and want a great place to read, I recommend Luke.  “Dr. Luke,” as we call him, is a very good story teller who loves people.  Pay attention together to details.

If you’re not presently experiencing the joys of family worship/bible conversations, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a natural time to begin. 

This is what the elder brother in the parable should have done; this is what a true elder brother should have done. He would have said, “Father, my younger brother has been a fool, and now his life is in ruins. But I will go and look for him and bring him home. And if the inheritance is gone – as I suspect – I’ll bring him back into the family at my expense.”

……Mercy and forgiveness must be free and unmerited to the wrongdoer. If the wrongdoer has to do something to merit it, then it isn’t mercy, but forgiveness always comes at a cost to the one granting forgiveness.

Tim Keller, The Prodigal God (pg.82-83)

This week is the week that we have set aside a day to be thankful for the blessings we have received.  I have to keep reminding my children that this is not “Turkey day”, but Thanksgiving. We are not celebrating the turkey, just the blessing of having the turkey (all 17 lbs worth in my house).

These past few years have been difficult on many- we have war, recession, unemployment, H1N1, foreclosures and many other things that impact our lives.  For some people, they might find it a struggle to smile, and give heartfelt thanks this year. Now you might say, “but aren’t we supposed to give thanks in all things”?  Well yes we are, but in the real world, with real hurt and real struggle, being truly thankful at times is not just a matter of obeying a command.  To be truly thankful we often have to move past hurt feelings, grief, disappointment, unfulfilled dreams, a drained bank account, wayward children, lost jobs, ….  and discover in the middle of this pile the nuggets of God’s work to focus our attention on. That is not always easy.

This year has been a tremendous mixed bag for me. God has been so faithful to us, but He has been faithful in the middle of very difficult year. I could easily take the rest of this blog to tell you of all my struggles and pain- the passing of my mom being the hardest things I have ever endured- but that is life. Life has bumps, hills, potholes, sinkholes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods- just stuff and lots of it.

I like the lyrics to a song by Darryl Worley “Sounds Like Life to Me“.  

Got a call last night from an old friend’s wife
Said I hate to bother you
Johnny Ray fell off the wagon
He’s been gone all afternoon
I know my buddy so I drove to Skully’s
And found him at the bar
I say hey man, what’s going on
He said I don’t know where to start

Sarah’s old car’s about to fall apart
And the washer quit last week
We had to put momma in the nursing home
And the baby’s cutting teeth
I didn’t get much work this week
And I got bills to pay
I said I know this ain’t what you wanna hear
But it’s what I’m gonna say

Sounds like life to me it ain’t no fantasy
It’s just a common case of everyday reality
Man I know it’s tough but you gotta suck it up
To hear you talk you’re caught up in some tragedy
It sounds like life to me

Well his face turned red and he shook his head
He said you don’t understand
Three kids and a wife depend on me
And I’m just one man
To top it off I just found out
That Sarah’s 2 months late
I said hey bartender set us up a round
We need to celebrate

Sounds like life to me plain old destiny
Yeah the only thing for certain is uncertainty
You gotta hold on tight just enjoy the ride
Get used to all this unpredictability
Sounds like life

I particularly like the last part- the only thing for certain is uncertainty, you have to hold on tight just enjoy the ride, get used to all this unpredictability, sounds like life to me.  Life is uncertain. Life is full of situations that we wish never would have happened. Life is full of times we wish we could go back and change. Life is also full of beautiful times, beautiful things and beautiful people. Life happens, but in the midst of life we have to find the beautiful things to feed our faith. This is not sappy optimism or stick your fingers in your ears and pretend like nothing is happening, this is a deliberate choice to choose to focus my attention upon God and His goodness rather than the evils and pains of this world. It’s not as if we are not acknowledging our pain, I just choose not to stay there.

When my mom passed away this past April, I was devastated. It has taken me a whole lot longer to move forward than I could have imagined. The hurt was deep. My mom has always been a source of strength for me and knew how to encourage me at just the right time in just the right way. She showed me how to live life, even in difficult times, with grace and resilience.  I not only lost my mom, but a great part of my support. I had the wonderful privilege of speaking at her service. As we closed the service in prayer these words flowed across my lips that I had no idea would come, but I will never forget. “Lord, I wished this day would never come. I would have wanted another day, another week, another year, another lifetime with my mom… but Lord I am so thankful today for every day that you gave me with her. My life is so much richer because you blessed me with her…”.  That is the one thought that has really helped me- “my life is so much richer because you blessed me with her”. 

No one promised us on this side of heaven that good things last forever, in fact the Bible tells us that this world, and all that is in it, including us, is passing away. But drawing from that well of pain emerged a beautiful thought, I have been blessed. I did not earn it, deserve it, work for it, God placed this beautiful and strong woman as my mother, and I am thankful. Now I could choose to focus on what I don’t have anymore, her presence with me, but death is unfortunately a part of life. I can fuss at the unfairness of it all. I could wallow in misery saying no one understands me. But my experience is not uncommon to the normal course of life. Death comes. It is a part of living in this world. If I would let it, the bad things of this life could drive me into depression, anger, sadness, helplessness… but that would not be living a life of faith. Faith focuses on God’s work, even when life seems dark and oppressive.

I suppose we could spend our short time here in misery and frustrated, like much of the world does, because it does not have enough, it can keep what is has and it can’t figure out how to maintain perfect happiness… or we can see that the world is an imperfect place, face our troubles, thumb our nose at the devil and give God thanks for what we have in this world and beyond.

Here is what I mean… my wife is not perfect, but I am eternally grateful that God has blessed me with her and her many ways of blessing me and encouraging me;  my kids aren’t perfect, but I am thankful for them and grateful God has given me the opportunity, and privilege, to parent them and see them grow into young men and women; my finances are far from perfect, but I am grateful for what i do have- we have not gone hungry a single day, the roof is over our head and the heat is on;  my health is not perfect, the pill bottles in the bathroom tell me so, but I am grateful I have the health to experience this life God has given me and serve Him; I am not where I wanted to be at my age, certainly not where I envisioned myself being, but I am grateful for what I look around and do see in my life; and mostly… I am not perfect, but God still chooses to love me, forgive me, have patience with me, comfort me…. yea, I could choose to be miserable because this world is an imperfect place (and by the way, one reason the world is imperfect is because you and I are in it), but I would rather look up and be thankful for all that I do have.

Can I maintain perfect happiness in this world- no, and Jesus even told me so…

John 16:33 (NLT)

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world

Notice the surety with which Jesus speaks- you will have trials and sorrows, not may have, could have, or it’s a possibility… you will have. This life is going to put it on all of us, so how we respond is an individual choice. In our hard times we can choose to throw our pity party, we can wallow in our PLOM syndrome (Poor Lil’ Ol’ Me), we can throw a temper tantrum and roll on the ground… or we can choose to rise above. Make the choice that Jesus made.  So where do we see Jesus giving thanks in His difficult times? Look at this verse…

Luke 22:19

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me”

As Jesus faced the cross and was, in His last moments, teaching His disciples about the meaning of His death, He gave thanks. Thanks for what? Thanks for the fulfillment of God’s plan. Thanks for the relationship that was going to be born through this pain. Thanks for the faith that many would show in Him. Thanks for the eternal difference that He was about to make… But that also meant that He was going to endure suffering, and He thanked the Father anyway.

Now you and I will probably never face a cross, but the example has been set for us. Even in the difficulties, find the places and pieces to be thankful for.  Our common human experience tells us that we all are going to experience difficulty, some maybe more than others, but as Christians we also share a common truth- God is good.  Take some time this week to journal or think about just how good God has been- not how difficult life is- and you will have a happier Thanksgiving. 

I pray that this holiday will be filled with blessings for you and your family and that as you reflect on the goodness of God in the midst of your life, that your faith will be lifted and your joy more full.

Apparently I am.

Kenny and Luke were playing legos and I overheard Kenny say, “No, Luke, I get to be mommy because she’s the boss of the house.” 

Eric is going to love that.

Kenny had a Thanksgiving feast at school today.  The kids dressed up in their Indian gear and ate a lot of turkey, ham, muffins, popcorn and fruit. 

Front view

Back view

This was one of Kenny’s homework assignments.  We had to work together to disguise our turkey so he would be safe on Thanksgiving Day.  We turned ours into a leprechaun at the end of a rainbow.  

Luke (of course) had to try on Kenny’s outfit once we got home.

Kings Arsenal crushed league leaders Cheung Ki Koks Warriors 6-2 on Sunday night.

The Kings put in a classic counter attacking display and showcased some trademark flowing football on the break.

Cheung Ki Koks Warriors started strongly, but for all their possession rarely threatened Fabricio’s goal and Kings Arsenal, wearing blue bibs, were soon ahead from the penalty spot.

Luke was set to spin away from the last defender only for a hand to shoot out and knock the ball out of his path.

With the penalty awarded Mark stepped forward and calmly knocked it into the bottom corner.

From then on it was all Kings Arsenal as Cheung Ki Koks Warriors just couldn’t get passed an imperious James Britton in defence.

By now Kings Arsenal were raining chances down on the opposition goal and were constantly denied by the post or some lacklustre finishing.

The Warriors simply could not handle Luke’s movement and unpredictability and he almost scored a sensational goal only for the cross bar to stop him celebrating after chipping a defender and the goalkeeper.

Gloucestershire duo James Payne and PJ were combining to devastating effect and the latter finally made it 2-0 from close range.

Kings Arsenal started to stretch away in the second half and James Britton fired in a powerful shot that went straight through the netting.

Luke got a deserved goal when he smashed home a Mark cross from a corner first time on the run and PJ scored his second with a classic shot across the keeper.

A second penalty, this time for a foul in the box, allowed Mark to double his tally for the evening, although this time he put the ball in the other corner.

Fabricio showed some Brazilian flair by tricking his way past some Warriors and almost picked up a goal with a long range strike.

However, once against James Payne failed to hit the back of the net and Phil was a last minute withdrawal because his car wouldn’t start.

Kings Arsenal could have even walked away with a clean sheet only for some typical defensive howlers to gift Cheung Ki Koks Warriors two goals.

The result sees Kings Arsenal climb to third place, level on points with Team Choc Ice and Cheung Ki Koks Warriors, three points back from early leaders, the still unbeaten, Rosie FC.

This weekend we face second place Team Choc Ice in a 5.40pm kick-off.

We crushed them 11-4 when we last met, in one of Kings Arsenal’s greatest ever showings.

Founding members PJ and James Payne have already declared themselves unavailable.

I’m not sure how the kid will feel about having his parts plastered all over the internet, but here he is. Grandma can’t tell exactly which protuberance is the boy part, but I will take their word for it.

I don’t have much experience with boy babies. I can remember my bro peeing on people during diaper changes, though

Congrats Luke and Heather. Does he feel like a little rock climber….or bicycler……or hiker…..or??????

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Luke 21:5-11

Have you ever been caught in a storm and heard the crack of a thunderbolt close by?

It’s a rather frightening sound, to say the least, and you know if that lightning hits you, you might not be around very long! You might be so rattled by it that you need a couple of minutes to catch your breath. Yet after witnessing such a display of power, you might find you have a sense of awe and respect for nature that you didn’t have before.

It’s possible to think of current events in the same way. It seems that every time we check on the news, there’s another disaster to read about—a murder downtown, a bombing in the Middle East, or a renewed conflict in Africa. What’s amazing is that Jesus tells us not to be terrified by such things (Luke 21:9). As awful as they may be, these aren’t merely random events. This apparent chaos is in fact a sign that we are drawing ever closer to his return in glory!

That doesn’t mean that God is busy planning to bring us misery. He is not the author of calamity, but he does bend it to his purposes. Neither does it mean that we should ignore the effects of disaster and sit around waiting for Jesus to come back. On the contrary, God wants us to reach out to those affected by tragedy in whatever way we can. Nevertheless, we can still be comforted and even amazed at the way he is using all of history—even its darkest chapters—to bring about his triumph.

On a smaller scale, we can also take a more positive view of our own suffering. It’s true that God is never the cause of anyone’s pain. But it is also true that he can turn even the worst catastrophe into something positive. When misfortune befalls you, wait to see how God will work through it. Believe that he can use the situation to strengthen your faith—and perhaps to bring victory out of what looks like certain defeat. He will make all things work together for your good (Romans 8:28) if you will trust him to do it.

“Lord, I thank you that you are in control, no matter what happens. I trust that you are holding me in the palm of your hand, today and always—and that you’ll never let me go.”

Daniel 2:31-45; (Psalm) Daniel 3:57-61

Chapter 2 requires one to intentionally slow down and read carefully. It is another one of those chapters that is read every year and with our “ADD” Culture…we are tempted to just speed through it claiming that “we know that already.”

In v.4 we see again the lineage of Jesus through Joseph which gives him a direct link to the throne of David. Consequently, through Mary, who was a relative of Elizabeth (one of the daughters of Aaron…we find the lineage fo the Priesthood of Jesus…since the Aaronic line is consecrated forever as priests before God (Ex 40).

God arranged for a government census at just the right time for Mary and Joseph to have to journey to Bethlehem for the birth (fulfilling the Micah 5:2 prophesy), and at the same time for Him to be from Nazareth so that he would be called a Nazarene.

V.11 is the birth announcement to the shepherds. As I reflected on this, I was impressed that the child would be in the animal pens in the cave/manger. It would have been difficult for a bunch of shepherds to get past hotel security in the middle of the night, but nobody was guarding the manger.

v.17 says that the shepherd gave glory to God having seen Jesus. It struck me that Jesus had done nothing for them. Many today would be led to praise God when/if they felt blessed…but these guys praised God after merely seeing the child. It was enough for them to simply see the Salvation of God in their midst.

The testimony of Simeon is powerful as is the prophesy of Anna. All of these things…Mary treasured in her heart. She soaked them in.

Imagine what it must have been like for her. The rumors about her and her conception out of wedlock. The way people looked at her on one hand; and then on the other…the praises to God for the birth of her child. I imagine that she was a conflicted woman.

There is a 12 year break between vv.40 and 41. Why 12? Not sure but it does correspond to the approximate timeframe that a boy would come under the Law (bar-mitzva).

After the temple incident where Jesus was about “His father’s Business” (v.49), we find another 18 year break (v.52). The story resumes with in Chapter 3 at the beginning of His public ministry (age 30).

So, if Luke takes 80 verses (Ch 1) to discuss the six months before the birth of Jesus…and then covers only scarce detail for the next 30 years…then we must know that what detail he provides is extremely important. Every prophesy is critical. Every encounter is essential. They all point to the uniqueness of Jesus as the One and only Son of God.

Proverbs 24:13-14 is the takeaway today. “My son, eat honey, for it is good, yes, the honey form the comb is sweet to your taste; know that wisdom is thus for your soul; if you find it, then there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” To understand this requires an analogy. I get a craving for something sweet soon after a meal. I go on a search to find some chocolate or a fig newton (ok 5 newtons)…or something to satisfy my sweet tooth. If I don’t find something (because my wife loves me)…then I try substitutes until I find something that satisfies. The writer is affirming that we are to pursue and eat honey because it is sweet. However, the real issue is the analogy of honey (sweet tooth craving) to our desire for wisdom. We should desire and seek out wisdom for our soul since it satisfies us.

it’s almost midnight and i keep replaying the scenes in my head of the past 18 hours or so. up at 7am, breakfast consists of sausage and waffles being eaten or tossed onto the floor as i try to blink away the dryness from the forgotten contacts in my eyes from the night before. i’ve been up for 15 minutes and i’m already reaching my threshold of patience. i remember how mean and ugly i was to my older one just 12 hours before and try to keep my anger at bay. it doesn’t work.

“please PLEASE eat or you’ll miss school.” i know this is a threat especially today because it’s “share day” at school for him and he gets to show off a toy he picked out of his toy box the night before. he’s been excited about it since he got home last week. it’s hard not to throw threats around… especially when i don’t feel the buzz from my morning coffee.  he doesn’t eat. instead, he decides to make shane laugh. i’m boiling at this point. i think, does he NOT remember how last night went down? how i was furious with him for not listening to us?

somehow we get out the door and only manage to be 5 minutes late for school. i don’t even know if luke or shane got enough food in them. screw it, everyone is where they are suppose to be, they’ll just have to deal if hunger strikes them at 10am. it’s only 8:35am. i’ve been up for 1 hour and 35 minutes and i feel exhausted.  but i know that bits of sausage, waffle, and milk puddles are waiting for me at home to clean up. *sniff* what’s that smell? yup, add a soiled diaper to change to the list.

i sit down and attempt to finish my coffee after shane goes down for a nap. i try to look a different direction so i won’t notice the crumbs from this morning, but it’s everywhere. i can’t finish my coffee, i go to look for my broom. sigh… once i’m done, i see that from breakfast alone, the sink is half full. i know if i don’t do the dishes now, they’ll be there for lunch and i’ll have 3x’s the amount of dishes to go through. so i do them now.

i chug my coffee and get to the dishes. it’s only the first of five sets of dishes i do today. and after the third set of dishwashing at 2pm, i am spent. completely spent. i have nothing to give to anyone, not even to myself and i’m left with one thought.

who the heck am i?

trust me, that question and i are old friends. we know each other intimately. sometimes the question brings pride, sometimes it brings insecurities. sometimes it even brings me hope and joy. but most of the time it brings me peace.  today though, i was stuck. i just kept asking the question, who am i…?

i realize that i am not the best mom. really, i’m not. i don’t write that to gain sympathy or praise. i write that because i realize that it’s impossible to be “the best” mom. there’s not quantitative way to measure it. there’s no way you can test a child and see if s/he had the best parenting. there’s no reward either for it. there’s no GPA you can boast of, no merits awards or degrees you can get.

even if there were ways to measure how good you are as a mom, i wouldn’t score the highest. just like how i realized my second day at MIT that i wouldn’t be #1 or #2 anymore. i realize now that i won’t be the valedictorian of moms. but this time, not being the best doesn’t hurt me. it actually affects others more than me.

good gosh.

so right now, i am trying to make peace that it’s ok. it’s ok that i had a bad day. it’s ok that sometimes i am a bad mom. it’s not about just one day, but it’s about the whole. and i can erase the sharp edge i had in my tone all day and make it sweet. maybe i can erase it from their memory and hopefully they’ll forget that sometimes their mom isn’t so great.

i don’t want to be the mom of the year. i just want to be the best mom for my kids. so i will pray that God answers and honors that prayer. the prayer is, i really want to grow to be a better parent, one filled with grace, energy and wisdom. no one told me it was going to be this hard. i’m just glad i have God above me and bernard next to me. i’m sure with that combo, this will turn out alright.

If you read this blog, I imagine you have been keeping up with the awakening meetings taking place at IHOP-KC. If by some remarkable chance you haven’t heard, the Holy Spirit has been moving on us (especially on our student body) in an unusual way lately. You can watch live meetings Wednesday-Sunday, starting at 6pm (Central), as well as watch some amazing archives and testimonies, at www.ihop.org/watch.

You can read the explanation of what is going on at the IHOP website. Plus, you can go read a couple of great posts by Zack Hensley and Randy Bohlender  with some further thoughts on the meetings. As I consider what has already been said, along with what could be said, and how much I’m still trying to get my own bearings on things right now, it is hard to decide how to write about this. At one level, I have to say something — we are having healings, deliverances, and salvations breaking out after all — but at another level, what can I say? (Except for: ”Seriously folks, if you haven’t tuned in to any of it yet, get on www.ihop.org/watch sometime this Wed-Sunday.”)

This has something to do with the pronounced lack of blog posts so far this month.

Yet as I was reading through the book of Luke recently, I was struck with two passages that exactly speak to what I’ve been feeling about this season of awakening.

I was reading in Luke 17, and ran across this in verses 7-10:

And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’

If I may venture an interpretation of this analogy, I think of “plowing” as laboring in the place of prayer, and “tending sheep” as taking care of the daily pastoral needs of the people of God (taken from the ABCOSTOTMOTS… Amanda Beattie’s Commentary of Stuff That Occured to Me on the Spot).  From a distance, these may sound like rather glamorous things — “Ooh, I want to be an intercessor”, or “I want to be a pastor”. But in the day to day, there is a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, mostly worked out in the mundaneness of life with little recognition and frequent opposition.

Praying in a focused way is hard work, kind of like plowing — long hours pushing something through stubborn terrain, encountering all kinds of obstacles on the way, preparing for a yet-future harvest you wonder if you’ll ever see. Pastoring people is hard work, kind of like tending sheep — long hours caring for, feeding, protecting, and keeping track of creatures who may or may not have much desire or appreciation for being led.

It’s no accident that Jesus chose these two jobs for His illustration. Surely if anyone deserved a break and a few kudos after their job, it was the servant-plowman and the servant-shepherd.

Not so, according to this.

Now of course, the point is not that God actually looks down His nose at us and works us to the bone. The point is that God does not owe us anything, no matter how awesome we think we are (or are not) or how awesome anyone else thinks we are (or are not). Our biggest efforts and most dedicated labors are, in reality, nothing more than our debt to the One who has given us everything. We are not entitled to so much as a pat on the back. If He chose, He could work us into the ground without ever saying a single “thank you”, simply because we are obligated to honor and serve Him as God.

He is the Creator. We are the created. We were the fallen. He is the Redeemer. We have zero leverage to begin haggling for our fair share of the pie, because we are just “unprofitable servants”. We brought nothing to the relationship, so we can demand nothing of it. Entitlement has no place. Prideful self-aggrandizing has no place. We obey God, not because we are building credit and earning favor from Him, but because it is right for us to do so.

As I read this passage, it gave me pause. I understood all right what Jesus was saying, but I was sure I had read a parable with a much different angle just a few chapters earlier…

I flipped back in my Bible a page or two and found it in Luke 12:36-37:

…and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.

There is something very important to notice about this passge: This is not normal. What’s normal is what we see Jesus talking about in chapter 17 (the passage I cited above). Servants do their master’s bidding because it’s their job. The master doesn’t fall all over himself to reward the servants for doing what he hired/bought them to do in the first place. Especially in the ancient Near East, no one would ever expect otherwise.

But when Jesus is telling us what He is like, we see that He is not the kind of master who sets us to work without a nod of thanks. He is the kind of Master who serves us. He owes us nothing, and we owe Him unceasing gifts of our time and energy. But He actually stoops down to feed us and strengthen us, even though we have absolutely zero entitlement to such treatment. He doesn’t just provide the meal, either — He Himself gets His hands dirty, so to speak, going above and beyond any expectation to serve us and lavish affection on us. He is not distant, only concerned with preserving His rank; He is meek and lowly (Matt 11:29), and He joyfully sets about serving His “unprofitable servants”.

This is what has been overwhelming me so much with the IHOPU Student Awakening meetings. At one level, I can look back at the ten-year history this place has in night and day prayer, and say: “This is the kind of thing we’ve been praying for! God is answering our prayers!” But on another level, I can’t say: “Well it’s about time! I wondered when God was going to get His act in gear and do something in this city, for crying out loud.”

God isn’t answering prayers because He is obligated to. He is answering them becuase He is mind-blowingly generous and kind. He is no more obligated to release healing than a master is obligated to wait on his servants’ tables — or wash their feet. But Jesus does both.

Every time I get to take a good look across that FSM auditorium and drink in the sights and sounds, I am profoundly overwhelmed. I see students who were mired in depression two weeks ago, now laughing hysterically. I see men and women who hobbled with pain into the building and danced out the door a few hours later. I see a couple thousand people really engaging in worship and prayer for six solid hours, not because they’re simply toughing it out, but because they actually want to be there. I see hundreds of young (and not-so-young) people giving their lives in wholearted surrender to God’s calling on their life. I see dozens of people a night getting baptized, declaring themselves dead to sin and rising to newness of life in Christ. I feel how my own heart has been disentangled from some real emotional burdens and confirmed in the Lord’s affection and calling on my life.

And the thing that brings tears to my eyes as I see this is: God is so kind to us. We don’t deserve any of this. And He’s giving it to us anyway.

There is much that could be said about these meetings. Much has been said. I’m sure I will have more to say in the days and weeks to come. But above all I am floored by the gentle kindness of the God who serves His servants. I am astounded by the generous God who gives freely of Himself to those He has purchased. I am grateful for all He has done for us and excited to see where He is leading us next.

Tiberius, Pontius Pilate, Herod, Philip, Lysanias, Annas and Caiaphas… these names mean nothing to us.  So the list could seem to be nothing more than a dating technique, situating John’s ministry in the chronology of the various political and religious rulers of the time.

But look at the end of this section: In addition to “all the other evil tihngs he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison” (3:19-20).  Herod is bad, all bad.

And not Herod laone.  Tiberius was ruthless, conducing numerous trials against his opponents for treason and sedition, and deporting all Jews from Rome.  In his last years, grief over personal tragedy drove him mad, and he launched a reign of terror.  Pilate’s rule was marked by corruption, offenses against Jewish religious sensitivities, executions without trial, and ruthless savagery.  Annas was high priest during Jesus’ childhood, and then passed the office to five sons in succession, and to a son-in-law, and then to a grandson.  And, of course, Pilate, Herod, Annas and Caiaphas all cooperated in the crucifixion of Jesus.

So these first two verses strike a note of political and religious violence and corruption.  And they raise a question: why did God allow such violence and corruption to persist unchecked?  This is, of course, a word from God to Christians that suffer political or religious oppression, that even if God does not deliver, he does see, hear, and keep track.  And, to a lesser extent, it is a lesson to us, when a political party or a politician whom we do not like wins office.  Much worse happened in Jesus’ time, and God was still in ultimate control.  So instead of panicking, we pray for those in office, and for the direction of the country.

1 Chronicles 19, 20

Seems like at the start of chapter 20 David lets someone else fight his battle and then waltzes in and claims the jewels and then leads the victorious army back home.

1 Peter 1

²⁴The Scriptures say, “Humans wither like grass,

and their glory fades

like wild flowers.

Grass dries up,

and flowers fall

to the ground.

²⁵But what the Lord has said

will stand forever.”

Our good news to you is what the Lord has said.

Jonah 3
I like the story of Jonah, not just because it features a big whale!  Jonah tried to run away and escape God’s calling but God had other plans.  In this chapter Jonah is finally doing what God wants and it has a huge impact.  The people who hear his message repent and show their remorse and God has mercy deciding not to destroy them after all.

Luke 8

verses 4-8 The Parable of the Sower

What struck me reading this today was that maybe most of the seeds fell on good ground, or at least it says ’some of…some of’ and then ‘the rest’ feel on good soil and produced fruit.  Maybe I always thought before that most of the seeds go to waste and don’t end up producing good fruit, but maybe the opposite is actually true.  Although some does get wasted most of it grows and fulfills its purpose.

1. Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate.

This makes it sound like a huge crowd led Him to Pilate, but this word “multitude” indicates “number” in Greek and shows that the entire group that had been gathered in the Sanhedrin accompanied Jesus to Pilate. When the idea of a large group is meant, the phrase is usually “great multitude” or “great number.”

None of these religious leaders were willing to be absent from this opportunity to do away with this One they hated so much. Yet notice that this number only included those members of the Sanhedrin who were present. There were some, such as Joseph of Arimathea, who were not invited to their crack-of-dawn show trial, and thus were not included in this number.

2. And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

Before Pilate, they begin to accuse Him. The accusations that they bring against Him have little to do with what they had determined against Him in His trial before them. Instead, they simply make up lies. They had tried to get the Lord to speak against paying taxes to Caesar in Luke 20:20-26, but He had refused to do so. Now, they just pretend that he did anyway. By lies like this they hoped to make the Lord Jesus appear to be a traitor to Rome. That is what Pilate would really be concerned with, and not some claim that He made to be the Son of God.

In spite of their words, the truth is that Christ had never openly opposed the Roman leadership. In fact, the leadership He had questioned was that of Israel, in the persons of the wicked scribes, chief priests, and Pharisees. Since Pilate was the governor and quite good at it, it was his job to watch out for possible trouble from men like the Lord Jesus. Pilate had no doubt kept an eye on the Lord Jesus and the sensation He was causing, as any good politician would. Thus he already would have known that the Lord did not preach rebellion against the Roman authority. If any evidence of such a thing had come to light, He would have been before Pilate long before this. This is why the Pharisees had attempted to trap Him into opposing paying taxes to Caesar…they knew that Pilate would soon find this out, even if they didn’t go to him immediately to tell him about it, which they would have, of course. Yet the Lord had never preached rebellion against Rome, and Pilate seems to know this. At any rate, he does not give much credence to the lies of the Jewish leaders.

3. Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”

Pilate ignores the other claims, but focuses in on their claim that the Lord said He was a King. He asks the Lord if He is the King of the Jews? Christ readily admits that it is so. Yet Pilate would not have looked at this as a crime. Being a king was not illegal under the Roman system. As long as a king remained loyal to the Roman Empire, the Romans were perfectly willing to let the local peoples have their kings. This was one very clever way that they attempted to keep people content with living under their rule. So for Jesus Christ to claim to be a king did not condemn Him under Roman law as long as He did not preach rebellion against Caesar, which He never had.

4. So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.”

Pilate finds no wrong in the Lord’s answer, and, as I said, he had no doubt already spied on Him and found out that He displayed no rebellious tendencies. Christ’s straightforward admission convinces him that He has nothing to hide, and thus he realizes that the words of the chief priests and scribes are the real lies in this case.

5. But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.”

Pilate’s clear perception of the case only angers the Lord’s bitter enemies. They hurl more accusations against Him, claiming that He stirs up the people throughout Judea, and beginning even from Galilee in the north. Of course, they act like this stirring up is something that Pilate and the Romans should fear. Yet the simple fact of the matter was that the stirring up of the people that Christ was doing was against these religious leaders, not against Rome. This was what they feared, and why they were so eager to see Him condemned by Rome and put to death.

6. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean.

Pilate is a sharp man, and he picks up immediately on the word “Galilee,” for that territory of Israel is not under his jurisdiction.

7. And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

Pilate wants nothing to do with this volatile situation, and thus grasps at this first out he sees. Finding out that the Lord Jesus is indeed from the northern territory of Israel where King Herod’s jurisdiction is, he sends Christ to him. The word for “sent” here is anapempo in Greek, and means that he sent Him up to Herod. We call this passing the buck, and no doubt Pilate hoped that this would get this difficult matter off his plate so that he would not have to deal with it. Perhaps Herod will be able to diffuse this situation and solve the problem for him.

Herod happens to be in Jerusalem at this time. No doubt he is there, as the rest in Israel are, for the Passover and the upcoming Feast of Unleavened Bread. This makes it even more convenient for Pilate to pass this matter of the Lord and His accusers on to him. 

8. Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him.

As we saw previously in Luke, this Herod had rejected the word of God through John, though he had feared him. Now he is excited about the chance to see the Lord Jesus. This is not because he wishes to hear His words, much less obey them. Rather, he was hoping to witness a miracle done by the Lord. His seeking out of something sensational is very similar to the attitude of many in our day. It seems that the more wild and fanciful the claims and activities of a church, the better some seem to like it. When it comes to any serious work, however, or putting away their own sin to live a righteous life, these people are not to be found. So it was with Herod.

9. Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.

After answering the questions of the Sanhedrin and of Pilate, the Lord Jesus now refuses to speak to Herod. We might wonder why this was so. The Sanhedrin were His enemies, and were dead set on destroying Him no matter what He said. Pilate was the Roman governor, and actually a pretty good one. He starts out at least trying to do the right thing, though he eventually buckles to political pressure and perverts justice. Herod, however, was a usurper who had no right to the throne. When he agreed to try the Lord he had no idea of justice in mind. He just hoped to enjoy some show the Lord might put on. Moreover, Herod had not only rejected the word of God through John, he had also valued his oath to a loose young woman more than the life of God’s prophet. We cannot wonder, then, that God had nothing more to say to this man. At least, not until he stands in judgment at God’s court rather than the other way around!

10. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.

The chief priests and scribes find themselves forced to come before Herod as well. No doubt this is not to their liking, but they have little choice if they want to see the Lord destroyed as they have planned. Thus, although the Lord will not speak to Herod nor defend Himself, these men are more than willing to accuse Him with any lies they can come up with. So they stand before Herod and bitterly accuse Him.

11. Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.

No doubt Herod’s pride was wounded by Christ’s refusal to speak to him. Thus, finding his desire to be entertained by a miracle from the Lord Jesus thwarted, Herod chooses instead to entertain himself by mocking Him. Therefore, he mistreats the Lord and makes fun of Him along with his men of war. These were his own, personal soldiers. He would bring these with him whenever he visited Jerusalem, for the fear of assassination was always one that the leaders of the day had to deal with, particularly around Israel’s capital city at a feast time.

Now, having gotten his fun out of the Lord one way or another, Herod loses interest in the situation. He was a fickle man, and did not take anything like justice seriously. So he arrays Him in a gorgeous robe. Doubtless this was one of Herod’s own old, used robes. Thus arrayed, he sends Him back to Pilate. Certainly this Herod was not the model of an ideal ruler!

12. That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.

Although Herod didn’t help Pilate out of his predicament, it seems that this event broke the ice between them and began a friendship. They at least had the fact that they both found this Jesus Christ difficult to deal with in common. Herod was pleased that he had gotten some fun out of the Lord, at least. And both Herod and Pilate now shared the guilt of refusing justice to a man they knew was innocent, which could also have had something to do with creating a bond between them.

13. Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people,

Pilate reluctantly finds himself back in charge of the situation. He responds by calling the accusers and their supporters together. He hopes to take charge of the situation and provide a solution that will satisfy them.

14. Said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him;

Pilate sets forth the matter from his perspective to these rulers. No doubt he hopes to get them to see reason. They had brought the Lord Jesus to him as one who misleads the people, yet his own examination of the Lord led him to the conclusion that the Lord had not done the things they accused Him of. Of course, the leaders knew that He had not done these things. However, this would not impress them. They didn’t care if He was innocent. They wanted to put Him to death regardless and end once and for all His message, as well as His threat to their power and influence.

15. “No, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.

Pilate also quite reasonably points out that he had sent the Lord Jesus to Herod, and that Herod did not find anything to charge Him with either. This shows that it was not just Pilate as a Roman who found the Lord not worthy of death, but also one of the Jews’ own rulers had concluded the same thing. The Lord really had done nothing deserving of death, or even of punishment.

16. “I will therefore chastise Him and release Him”

Pilate’s words until this point are fair, reasonable, and right. Now, though, he brings up this suggestion of chastising Him. Pilate had just admitted that the Lord had done nothing wrong, and yet now he speaks of chastising an innocent Man. This was obviously an attempt to be political and to appease this angry group of religious leaders. He must be thinking that seeing their enemy publicly punished and humiliated will satisfy these indignant religious leaders. He obviously had no idea of the depth of their hatred of our Lord. He also probably hoped that the people would see how harmless the Lord was when they chastised Him, and thus pity Him and conclude that He really was not deserving of death. Again, he underestimates the sway the religious leaders have over this mob that is gathered at his judgment seat.

If Pilate had carried out this suggestion and stuck by these words, we would still be favorably impressed by him. It was not good to punish a Man Who was innocent, yet at least he was doing his best to diffuse this uncomfortable situation, and was working to spare an innocent Man’s life. Yet it seems that although his perception was correct, his conviction was not strong enough to stand up to men as powerful as the leaders whom he had before him, nor to ignore the unruly mob they had gathered around them.

17. (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).

Here we have it explained to us that it was a custom for Pilate to release one prisoner to the people at the feast. We must remember that Israel was occupied territory, and there was constant tension between the people of the land and their Roman overlords. Unlike most people whose culture and religion integrated well into the Roman Empire, the character of their Divine religion and the God the Hebrews served caused the people of Israel to chafe under the rule of the polytheistic Romans. Therefore there were constantly men arising who were attempting to claim the sanction of God for their efforts at rebellion. Certain political figures would rise up in Israel who would proclaim independence from Rome and national and religious patriotism, and the sympathies of the people were often with these figures, even after they were arrested, tried, and convicted of treason by Rome.

Now it seems that the Romans (or perhaps just Pilate personally) had made a custom that, at the Israelite national holiday of the Passover, they would release one of these political prisoners to the people. This would often save such a prisoner from crucifixion. This would win them some gratitude from the followers of this figure, and might even cool their zeal against Rome.

It seems, therefore, that Pilate hopes to excite the people’s sympathies for the Lord, and then use this custom of releasing a prisoner to release Him back to them. Pilate must know that many of the people love the Lord Jesus, and hopes that they will jump at the chance to receive their hero released to them. No doubt the release of Jesus Christ would have excited great sympathy for Pilate among His many followers.

Also, this would be Pilate gaming the system a bit. Since he had already admitted the Lord was innocent, he really had no business holding Him anyway, feast or no feast. Releasing the Lord then, Who clearly did not have aspirations of throwing off the Roman overlords and fomenting rebellion, would remove from him the obligation of having to release one of the truly violent anti-Roman zealots whom he had in prison at the time. Pilate could have done nothing but gain if the people had accepted this suggestion.
 
18. And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”–

Pilate has made yet another miscalculation in his suggestion. Remember, this was still early in the morning. The Lord Jesus’ followers would have known that He was spending the night in Bethany every day during the feast, and would have expected Him to be there. They would not miss Him until the morning started to wear away and He did not appear again in the temple to teach, as He did every morning upon His return to Jerusalem. Therefore, they have no idea that the Lord is in Jerusalem and never actually left it, not to mention that He has been arrested and is even now before Pilate. The ones who might have alerted the Lord’s followers are the disciples, but they were so afraid after His arrest that it seems that most of them ran off and hid. Thus the Lord’s many followers would have thought He had made it safely back to Bethany, and no doubt they are not expecting Him back from there for several hours.

Since the Lord’s followers do not know He is in danger or has been arrested, they would not be the ones at Pilate’s judgment hall looking to secure release for Him. Rather, any men who are there would be men who know that their leader is imprisoned, and are there to seek his release. Thus it is likely that many in this crowd are followers of Barabbas, and have probably been waiting for Pilate to come out and start His judgment for the day so they can have this opportunity to request the release of their hero. The idea that the Lord Jesus might be released instead would only infuriate these loyal followers of Barabbas, and made them easy prey for the plot of the chief priests and scribes. These disciples of Barabbas, along with the religious leaders in the crowd and the many there who would love to win favor from these leaders, were enough to insure that Pilate’s plan was utterly futile. The crowd wants no part of Jesus Christ. Instead, they demand that He be punished, and Barabbas released to them.

19. Who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.

Often the men who arose claiming political and especially religious reasons to rebel against Rome would cause riots and rebellions. Sometimes their impassions pleas were just excuses to rob and pillage. Rome would respond, and these men would run off into the wilderness and become thieves, waging what today we would call guerilla warfare. If caught by Rome, these men would be imprisoned, as Barabbas had been. He had been a leader of this sort, and had made a rebellion in the city in which he committed murder. Yet he has loyal followers who are seeking his release.

Barabbas means “son of a father,” and could be an assumed name by this rebel. If so, he may have actually been claiming to be the Messiah, calling himself God’s son. Origen suggests that in some ancient manuscripts his name is given as “Jesus Barabbas.” This is possible, and we could certainly see how some early Christian might have been jealous for the Lord’s name being shared with this wicked man, and have removed it. However, it certainly could also be an error. At any rate, it is likely this man could himself have been a false Christ, and been chosen for release over the true One.

20. Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them.

Pilate has trouble believing that this crowd wants the violent and barbarous Barabbas rather than the kindly and unassuming Lord Jesus. He tries to get control of the unruly crowd, and calls out to them again. We do not have His words recorded for us here, but may find them in one of the other gospels. His words do little good, however. Pilate has made a serious mistake and it is too late for him to regain order now. The sly Sanhedrin members have worked the followers of Barabbas up into a frenzy, and nothing short of the Lord Jesus’ blood will satisfy them.

21. But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

The frenzied mob cries out for the punishment that Barabbas deserved to be laid instead upon the Lord Jesus. Although these words were shouted by the crowd, these were actually the words of the religious leaders that they had planted in the minds of these impressionable zealots.

22. Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”

Pilate again pleads for the Lord Jesus. He has found no reason for death in Him, not to mention the horrible death of the cross. He again suggests his proposal of chastising Him and then letting Him go. That was his idea, and he doesn’t want to give it up. He doesn’t seem to realize that it is already too late. This crowd, perhaps largely of supporters of Barabbas, is already convinced that nothing will do but the death of the Lord Jesus. To talk of letting Him go was just like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

23. But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.

No amount of reason could reach this crowd. They hung on to their idea with the single-minded insanity of a mob, and insisted upon it with loud voices, until their insistence with the subtle pressure of the chief priests behind them won out.

24. So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.

Even if Pilate had grasped the situation at this point, it was already too late for him to sway the crowd. Yet this does not justify his actions, for he was the one with the power to crucify, and listening to this unruly mob was not the action of a true leader. This crowd at his judgment hall could not have been overly large, and Pilate had many armed Roman soldiers at his disposal. He could have used his authority to dismiss this crowd and then release the Lord Jesus. Yet he gives in to his fear and thus to the trap of the religious leaders.

It may be that Pilate was soliciting more cooperation from the religious leaders by his actions here. They had already proven to him that they could stir up great trouble for him in the aqueduct riots of some years before. Although it is difficult to confirm with certainly what took place, it would appear that Pilate helped continue an aqueduct project to bring water into Jerusalem, a project that was very much needed by the city. The aqueduct was to run directly into the temple, where much water was needed for the ceremonies performed there. Money from the temple treasury was used for the project, something that was quite permissible according to their laws. However, it would appear afterwards that there was trouble over this, with some feeling that the use of the treasury funds was not acceptable. It may be that the religious leaders betrayed Pilate and made up some story that he had forced them to use the treasury money, perhaps in hopes that he would be forced to return it. At any rate, a riot ensued, and Pilate apparently was in some trouble with his superiors for allowing this uproar to take place. It could well be that Pilate did not feel very secure in his position at this time, and he well knew the problems the Jewish religious leaders could cause him. These considerations well may have swayed his decision in this situation. He might have figured that the life of an innocent man was worth a better relationship with the Jewish leaders, not to mention not jeopardizing his own job.

25. And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

So Pilate in the end ignored justice, and did as the crowd and the religious leaders demanded. The followers of Barabbas got what they wanted, as did the chief priests and Pharisees. Again it is emphasized that Barabbas had been thrown into prison for rebellion and murder. As Peter later will accuse the men of Jerusalem, “But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” Acts 3:14-15.