Barabbas

It is the week called the Passion. There is a man known as a miracle worker, who opened the eyes of blind and the ears of the deaf. He has been known to turn water into wine and even, can you believe it, walk on water. He is called Jesus by those close to him, and they claim he is the promised Messiah of Israel. The religious leaders call him a deceiver and blasphemer, and they see him as a false prophet that is leading the people astray.

Then there is Rome… the nation that only cares that people will remain under their power. In this setting, two men stand captive under the authority of Rome—both for insurrection—Jesus and Barabbas. Their lives came to this intersection in this city of David. Their names will be forever etched together whenever anyone tells the story of the events of this week.

Oh, it is Passion Week. The Jews are passionate about their laws, sacrifices, and feasts. The followers of Jesus are passionate about their Messiah, the son of David, the leader of their faith. The followers of Barabbas are passionate about their insurrection and desire to throw off the chains of bondage from the Romans. Tempers are flaring… passions are red hot… danger is brewing.

Should Christians Read Books of Fiction and Fantasy?

What is there to be said about Christians and the popularity of reading books that are filled with fantasy and myths? The two most prevalent positions by those in leadership and teaching roles among the Christian community can be summed up as: 1) Christians should have no use for fantasy and make believe, as it dumbs down the meaning of reality and therefore, is a waste of time—a time that could be used to focus on historical readings. Fiction is the practice of escapism. 2) Fantasy and myths are simply entertainment that is needed for Christians, as we live in a high pressure world of facts and survival. It provides a time of relaxation of mind and thoughts.

While the former of these two options is rigid and robs the imagination of believers with its semi-legalistic position, the later option seems to play into the mindset that time is wasted on unreal stories of fiction. While we can all agree that there are vulgar and immoral works of fiction that are not spiritually healthy for anyone, I would like to offer a third option—one that seems to avoid both the harsh arguments of the former two, and explains the benefit and purpose of books and stories of fiction that do not fit into a vulgar category. 

We can all remember the thrill of fantasy in the years of our youth. Little girls playing dolls and house, and boys in treehouses playing cowboys and Indians. Our minds and hearts soared as we stepped into the shoes of the imaginary characters of our choice. We experienced a sense of power as we were in charge of how we wanted the stories to unfold. Our minds were captivated and filled with imaginary characters and events. Our hearts were alive with the wonder of life and the possibilities that lay before us. 

Then we grow up, and slowly we begin to lose the sense of wonder and beauty about life. We get stuck in the warp and woof of everyday obligations. We eat, sleep, work, and the next day we begin the dance all over again. Life and its facts turn us into little robots with a pre-planned and routine sense of existence. We breath through a straw and walk in worn-out shoes, as the thrill of imagination and the hope of tomorrow are squashed by the demands of reality!

A Fresh Look at Matthew’s Gospel

“The men who were tax collectors had no fellowship with other countrymen except fellow tax collectors. They were regarded as puppets to the Roman government, and traitors and heathens to the ordinary Jews. They were viewed as unclean and vile, and the average Jew, especially the religious ones, would not even sit at a meal with them, as sharing a meal was viewed as acceptance into fellowship.

Matthew knew what it felt like to have his own countrymen regard him as the chiefest of sinners. He understood the condemning stares and the rejection from the religious men of his day. And yet, Jesus chose Matthew as a member of his inner circle of followers. This is the same tax collector the Holy Spirit used to record one of the four gospels.

Biblical Meditation

Biblical meditation is our quiet time with God. This does not mean we must always be alone in a quiet place to meditate on the Lord and His Word. We can find the quietness of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the midst of the bustle of our day. However, we should seek times of solitude in quiet places to pray and seek the mind of the Lord as a regular practice. This is how meditation is such a vital part of praying in the Spirit. The Lord trains us to pursue His personal direction through waiting, patience and prayer. He slows us down and protects us from making knee-jerk reactions and impulsive decisions.

The proper state of biblical meditation is a pure heart and a spiritual mind, and unlike meditation taught from other religions, it does not focus upon body posture. When we keep our sins confessed up to date, we maintain a pure heart. When we pursue God’s truth and wisdom, we maintain a spiritual mind. From a pure heart and spiritual mind, we can have confidence about the Holy Spirit’s leading because we seek no agenda or purpose but to do God’s will. We also understand that we are created for His purposes and plans. When we maintain a pure heart and walk spiritually minded, we will desire to know and remain faithful to God’s will—not ours.

Does God Still Speak?

Rembrandt

If you want to create a lively-and sometimes ungodly-conversation among believers, ask the simple question, “Does God speak to people today?” It is like tossing a hand grenade into a busy mess hall during boot camp and watching the soldiers rush for the door. Depending upon one’s background and theological bent, the answers will range from ‘of course He still speaks’ to ‘not since the canon of Scriptures has been completed.’ This is a frequent question among young believers, especially in light of the fact they wish to walk free from a dead and lifeless form of Christianity.

Theologians of previous generations must be read carefully, as they were combating errors and heresy unique to their time. This is why we have to be very careful not to ‘over-judge’ the statements from previous generations unless we know with reasonable certainty the layers to the theological battles that raged during their life of ministry. Equally so, we must be careful when using their quotes in our generation, as they may not be bringing out the essential issues we face.

It is easy for us to read famous quotes from writers and theologians and turn them into false dilemmas by using them and presenting an either/or option when more than two options are available. One such case can be illustrated with this quote I ran across some time back while reading puritan writer, John Owen. It is similar to some quotes I’ve read in various systematic theology books that were written during times when the church was battling the dangers of mysticism that is not grounded in sound doctrine.