Why is Good Friday good?

In 1968 I was twelve years old and off for the Easter vacation (it was called Easter and not spring break back then) riding my bike with my good friend, Donnie Dixon.  I was racing and slipped off the pedals, flying over the handlebars and hitting the road with my face.  Later that day with ten stitches on my chin and eyebrow, I wondered what was so good about Good Friday.

There are a couple of possibilities.  One is the Germanic language of Gaul calling it good or holy.  The other is the idea it was once called God's Friday.  In any case, Jesus denied the term good for himself saying only the Father is good.  Good is more than the opposite of bad.  God and God alone makes the right and best decisions.

"It should always be remembered that the Hebrews often relate descriptions to functionality. The word tov would best be translated with the word "functional". When looked at his handiwork he did not see that it was "good", he saw that it was functional, kind of like a well oiled and tuned machine." (Ancient Hebrew Research Center on line)  The word, tov, the tet is the initial letter of the word tov, "good." The form of the tet is "inverted," thus symbolizing hidden, inverted good--as expressed in the Zohar: "its good is hidden within it." (inner.org) 

So maybe we need to look at the hidden good of Good Friday.  It is the culmination of a ministry which separated Jesus physically from the Father to come to earth to show us God in the flesh.  It is the beginning of the end for death and sin.  It is the highest example of love and sacrifice.  It shows the depths God will go to have a personal relationship with his creation--man. 

Today is Good Friday--the once hidden meaning of good or tov is revealed in one verse of Scripture: gave.
God gave his Son to have a relationship with me and that I will never die.  Sure sounds like a Good idea to me. 

What Am I Entitled To?

Our government and nation have come to believe everyone is entitled to something: medicare, social programs, health care and many other things.  Politicians pledge to do something to get the vote out.  We are promised jobs, cash payments, and even money toward a funeral.  Strangely, the more we get, the more we want.  Our financial house of our government is bloated for such largess.

As a Christian, I have come to know I am entitled to death because of sin.  Those are real wages I have earned because of my rebellion against God.  Rebellion in the Bible is not just breaking his rules, but saying your rules have no business in MY life.  I will do what I want when I want it.  I also learned I am entitled to God's love because He CHOSE to love and cannot act in any other way.

On one hand death and the other hand love.  If I do nothing toward His Call to repentence then I am entitled to eternal death and separation from Him.  I wondered how a loving God could send me to Hell.  If I have chosen rebellion, then he grants my fullest desire--the absence of His presence for eternity.  This is truly HELL.  If I agree I deserve death but desire eternal life, I receive it by His Grace.  Nothing I do entitles me to this Grace because it is a gift, and no one is entitled to gifts--not even on a birthday.

This generation should be given a title like the generation when Regan was president.  It was called the "me" generation because people were only thinking about themselves and making money.  Now the "entitled" generation of this decade just wants Uncle Sam to give to them more and more.  Perhaps the same belief in entitlement makes people believe they are entitled to a God who just gives, and gives and gives with a little prayer.  They have not realized what they truly are entitled to---death.

There was a time when...

There was a time when the telephone was anchored by a cord and we had to get up and answer it.  Now we have a cordless phone with caller id so we can ignore anyone we want without a guilty feeling.  There was a time when a board game such as checkers or chess was played on the dining room table.  Now I can play without another person when I am in line at McDonald's or waiting in my car for my family. There was a time when families would talk during the evening meal and relate the events of the day.  Now we go through the aforementioned McDonald's, wolf down the happy meal on the way to piano, sporting events or school functions.  There was a time when dodge ball and tag where played without fear or governmental oversight but to teachers who somehow knew how to keep a majority of kids safe.  There was a time when if a kid did get a scrap on the playground, they went to the school nurse for a little TLC and a band aid. 

There was time when God said to the parents of Israel they were to teach the basics of the faith when they walked, when they went to bed and when they got up the next day.  How can we do this when  everyone has a cell phone to text, play, listen to music and basically ignore the rest of the family.  Children under the age of twelve want their own cell phones.  Why?  So they can talk to their friends I am told.  We did that face to face forty years ago.  Toddlers and infants have their own cell phone which make noise and down the road they will ask, ask, ask their parents so they can be like the other kids.  They want a lap-top computer for school work.  Why?  I went through twelve years of public school, four years of college and a whole bunch of post grad school without one.  I did have two things I think are still around:  books and a library. 

There was a time honest and hard work brought you the rewards of your labor.  Today, more and more feel they are entitled to compensation without the struggle.  Perhaps the reward of labor was not the money or the things we purchased from that income, but the struggle in itself.  It taught us to not give up and seek the easy road.  Oh well!  I guess when I reflect like this I sound like by parents.  They were the greatest generation who conquered tyrants without a bit of second guessing.  They survived a depression worse than what we have here today.  Maybe we can learn something from the statement, "There was a time when...".

God's greatest task for parents is to raise Godly offspring according to Malachi.  Now this might require non-paid labor and it requires a face to face meeting called conversation.  How novel!  Parents and kids talking without a technological device.  What will this world do?

Isn't It Amazing How Job Titles Have Changed?

Taking with our social worker about statesment or politicians, he coined the word "poll-ition".  He is right.  Job titles have changed over the years.  Growing up, I had teachers who invested their lives and talents into my young life.  From elementary through college and seminary and beyond, they shared more than information.  Today, teachers are called educators.  They convey information, but do they convey their life? 

The Bible says God has given the church certain offices to build up the body and pastor/teacher is one such office.  It does not call them pastor/educators because the Christian life must be shared with a growing disciple.  You must give them time, time and more time.  It is following the lifestyle of Jesus who spent three years with his disciples. 

Years ago, we had statesmen and women who worked in government.  Names such as Stevenson, Humphrey, Churchill, labored and made hard and difficult decisions and statements because they needed to be done.  But today, we have poll-itions who waver in the wind like wheat.  Blowing in many directions as the wind blows they make decisions on poll-itical expediency.  

Also, years ago, the word clergy spoke of those in professional ministry.  It comes from the Greek kergyma or to shout or proclaim.  It describes the work we are to do.  However, a pastor, as an under-shepherd is to walk with the sheep, talk with the sheep, and as one author put it, we are to "smell" like the sheep by being so close. 

Job titles change and sometimes to make them look important.  Oh well, I would rather not worry about a title except one--the righteousness of God through Christ. 

Has Anyone Noticed Job Titles Have Changed?

Showing yesterday's blog to the Social Worker at SouthernCare, he remarked we no longer have statesman but poll-itions.  This seems abundantly true.  What happened to personal convictions and ethics?  People say they do not want an extreme Christian running for office because they might bring Christian values with them to a secular government.  Does an atheist bring their no-God belief system to our government
Years ago, I had teachers.  Today, those who teach our children are called educators.  An educator conveys facts to the student, but a teacher shares their life.  The Bible does not say God gave the church pastors/educators but pastors and teachers.  The Christian life is to be conveyed to the disciple.  It involves time and more time as you reveal to them what God has show you and how he has dealt with you in good and in bad. 

Political (or should I say poll-itical) people will blow with the winds of change and stray from their own convictions if they had any.  People say Rep. Ryan is a brave politician for coming out with a very serious budget.  I am not making any judgements on his motives.  I just wish we had men and women of government who would stand up for what they believe and not worry about their future.  I have not seen too many former politicans starving on the streets after their terms of office.  They seem to rebound well financially.  If they don't do something, we may be the ones in trouble. 

Come on leaders--LEAD!

Showmen or Statesmen? What does this County Need?

A quote often attributed to P.T. Barnum is "There is a sucker born every minute."  Barnum had the American Museum and because of its popularity, people would not leave and so new paying customers could not come inside.  That was until Barnum opened a new exhibit with the sign, "This way to the egress."  Crowds would walk in that direction until they were outside and with the door locking them out would have to pay again to go back inside the American Museum.

In today's political environment, Barnum would have been proud.  No matter which side of the political spectrum we are on, we both have "showmen" in government.  They speak to the reporters, television, print or electronic sources and the people of American will follow blindly.  Eventually if we are not careful, we might find ourselves on the outside of the American Museum wondering what happened.

Truth can only be found in Christ.  He is the Truth.  He is not a truth, but The Truth.  The Greek usage of ego ami removes any doubt by adding emphasis or exclusivity to the statement.  World religions will give the term "good teacher" to Jesus, but he neither declared himself good or teacher.  Those who followed him called him Rabbi, and he did not defer them.  Of course all the way to the cross they never fully understood Peter's statement, "You are the Christ!" 

Politicians will say what we want to hear.  Even a child will tell their moms or dads what they want them to hear and lie behind their backs--even with a smile.  It is about time our political showmen and women become leaders.  I would rather listen to the reality of something than a fabrication meant to make me feel safe and sound. 

Truth can only be seen in Christ, and the rest--you can follow the showmen to the egress.