What Would Jesus Thank God For?

A night or two before Thanksgiving, the Bible reading plan we follow with our kids at dinner put us in Luke 10. The heading above verse 21 said, “Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving.” Wow. What could be better? I thought to myself, "I can learn what Jesus was thankful for and be thankful for the same things on Thanksgiving."

Here’s the prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike….” Hmmm. I wasn’t sure I totally understood this because Jesus seemed to be thanking God for hiding truth as well as revealing it, but I decided I could heartily join in the second part, remembering to thank God on Thanksgiving for revealing His truths to me. A couple verses later, in Luke 10:23-24, Jesus says to the disciples, “How privileged you are to see what you have seen. I tell you the truth, many prophets and kings have longed to see and hear what you have seen and heard, but they could not.” I thought about this. Abraham, David, Elijah, Moses—they lived their lives never seeing what we have seen—the power and love of God revealed in what Jesus said and did. And in the context in Luke, seventy-two followers of Jesus had just been spreading the word about Him and witnessing His power worked through them. These are privileges I don’t recognize on a daily basis, much less remember to thank God for. I tried to remember these yesterday during all the eating and other distractions.

But something was drawing me back to the passage this morning—maybe the thought that I should write about Jesus’ Thanksgiving prayer here. But how could I write about it with that kind of seemingly weird stuff at the beginning? I was sitting at my desk and I laid my head down on my open Bible and prayed in frustration, “God I don’t really get this. And, in fact, lately it seems like there have been a couple things in your Word I can’t understand fully. I feel like my mind can only get so far and then a dullness sets in.”

It was almost as if the words—on which my forehead was resting--streamed off the page and into my brain. The truth is hidden from those who think themselves clever. It is revealed to the childlike. You goofball.

So now here is my post-Thanksgiving prayer: “Lord, thank you for what you have revealed to me so far. But don’t let me think myself too clever. Give me a childlike mind—ready to absorb more, ready to ask persistent questions, knowing that I don’t know much yet at all—so that more can be revealed to me.”

…Jesus said, "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:23-24.

Faith and Perseverance #2

There’s another thing about the story of Rahab that’s encouraging to me. Rahab gathered her family, told them about the way of salvation and then somehow kept them all there in the safety of her home—or in the safety of the faith since being in her house with red cord displayed was the way they were going to be saved. She had to deal with feeding them and finding places for them to sleep. She had to deal with the inevitable squabbles of family cooped up together. She had to quell their doubts, especially when the Israeli army spent six days marching around outside the city walls only to go silently back to their camp.

How many times did she have to explain why it was important to stay in the house, to drill into their heads that it was dangerous to leave? How many times did she have to explain that God was with the Israeli army although they probably appeared totally ineffectual? Sure, hiding the spies was a courageous act of faith—but continuing to convey her faith to her family in close quarters, persevering day after day, now that was really something amazing.

Thinking about Rahab gives me heart to continue to tell the story of my faith to my kids, to explain to my teenager once again that “it’s dangerous out there,” that there is one way of salvation even though the actions of God’s people may look odd or ineffective right now.

Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her." So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel. Then they burned the whole city and everything in it.... But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho--and she lives among the Israelites to this day. Joshua 6:22-25

One Necessary Thing During the Holidays

In the spirit of slimming down that to-do list and making time for the one necessary thing during the holidays, here are ideas from Mary DeMuth and Crosswalk.com for slowing down this season: Five Tips to Slow Down and Simplify the Holidays.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work myself? Tell her to help me! " "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42

Just in time for the holidays I found this blog written by Sandy Coughlin: 4 Reluctant Entertainers , a Chrisian who loves blessing others by having them to her home. Since one of my goals in entertaining is to be a Mary--who has plenty of time to sit at the feet of Jesus--rather than a Martha--who is freaking out, I thought Sandy's tips would be helpful.

To read more about Mary and Martha and holiday entertaining: Mary and Martha's Holiday Survival Guide, six posts about my trying to remember the one necessary thing while entertaining during the holidays.

Faith and Perseverance

I’m reading Joshua right now and I find myself wondering about Rahab’s family. Rahab was the woman who helped the Israelite spies when they came to check out Jericho. She hid them from the king and then helped them escape the city in exchange for a promise that Joshua would save her family when the Israelites came to destroy Jericho. The spies promised her salvation on the condition that she hang a scarlet cord from the window of her home so the army would know which one was hers. All who were waiting in her home would be saved. Anyone who went out into the street took his life in his own hands.

As soon as the spies left, Rahab tied the cord in her window. She probably also went out and told her parents, brothers and sisters about the coming destruction and the promised salvation. She urged them to seek refuge in her home.

And then what? And then they all sat around waiting I guess. It was at least a week and probably much more before the Israelites were even heard from again. (The spies hid for three days before returning to the camp and then the Israelites crossed the Jordon, camped in the vicinity for three days, circumcised themselves and waited to heal, all before marching on Jericho).

What did Rahab’s family think during this time? It probably went something like this: We’ve been duped. There is no danger. Or even if there is danger, what good will sitting in the house do? We’re missing so much going on out there in the town. What about my business? I’ve got to get back to it before it runs into the ground. I’ve got to plow, plant, harvest, winnow, store, etc or I won’t have anything to eat. I’ve got to spin and sew or I won’t have anything to wear. And what about my friends? What fun am I missing?

Finally the Israelites appeared, but they spent six days merely marching around the city once per day blowing trumpets. What did Rahab’s family think then? Now I KNOW we’ve been duped. Look at all the silly motions they’re going through. It’s all meaningless.

Did some of the family leave they house? Did they lose focus on why they were waiting (their ultimate salvation from death) and begin to fight with each other about trivial things? Did they doubt Rahab’s sanity, thinking she must have gotten the salvation plan wrong. I mean, afterall, how can this little cord save anyone? Did they begin to invent their own versions of how and where they could survive? Did they start thinking about ways they could save themselves?

Does any of this sound disturbingly familiar? We’re all waiting right now. At some point, we became convinced of hell and the ultimate destruction of this world. We learned there is a way of salvation. But now we wait and things like death and destruction seem far off and even a little crazy. What seems more real are concerns about what to eat and what to wear and how to spend our time and that annoying person sitting next to us as we wait.

Take heart. Keep focused on the unseen realities. Rahab’s family was eventually saved from destruction and so will we be if we remain faithful.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the faith we profess, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23