The Extra Mile

 I went shopping at Walmart.  Something I do as a part of the middle-class ritual.  Sometimes I visit other stores with fewer choices and higher prices just to avoid crowds. But Walmart has most the things I need and I don’t need to worry about what I wear. No one notices.  

 While at Walmart, I thought I would pick up a few items for my diet.  I am trying to lose weight again. Three peaches, two bags of frozen vegetables and a bag of peanuts.  I didn’t think these staples would get me through a football game, but maybe it will keep me out of trouble.

 I was clearly under the express limit of twenty items, so I went to the express check out and got in line.  I stood behind a young woman who was obviously pregnant and had a small child.  She started emptying her cart onto the counter. In all she had well over forty items, including a few cases of coke and a large sack of potatoes. She piled up the counter not once, but twice.

 I smiled and was patient.  The cashier was apologetic that she did not see the woman’s cart before she unloaded it.  Several customers behind me rolled their eyes, groaned, and asked if the girl couldn’t read.  I waited, smiled, bought my items and did not complain. “Maybe she made a mistake and got in the wrong line,” I thought.  Anyway, we ought to give a break to a young woman with a child in tow and a baby in her womb. She is trying to feed and take care of her family.  I am just trying to stay on a diet. I was feeling rather good about myself for not complaining or rolling my eyes. 

 After I got home, I started thinking.  Why didn’t I offer to help the young woman?  I could have lifted the potatoes and cases of coke. I could have helped her with her basket. Maybe I could have offered to pay for her grocery bill.  Was it enough to simply smile and not complain?  I could imagine Jesus saying, “Don’t be so smug. If I had been in your place, I would have helped the girl.” 

 “Okay, Lord,” I said.  “I am listening.” But sometimes ‘going the second mile’ is hard to do.  Not so much because I don’t want to do it, but because I simply miss the opportunities.”

 Jesus gave us the concept of “going the extra mile” in his Sermon on the Mount.  “Whoever compels you to go with him one mile, go with him two,” (Matthew 5:41). He also gave us an example of “going the extra mile” when he told us the story of the Good Samaritan, (Luke 10:30-37).   

 Every day we have opportunities to “go the extra mile.” To do something unexpectedly nice for someone.  They occur when we are going about our daily lives, at work, at school, shopping, wherever we go, whatever we do. We just need to stop thinking about ourselves and think about others. We just need to open our eyes and see others the way Jesus sees them.  Little acts of kindness can change the world.

Persecuted

 From the beginning, Christians have faced persecution.  Jesus predicted it.  “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well,” (John 15:20).  Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven,  Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you,” (Matthew 5:10-12). 

 According to church tradition, all of the disciples died a martyr’s death except John, who suffered torture and exile. Paul, who persecuted Christians before his conversion, later listed the things he suffered for his faith: “beaten times without number, often in danger of death.  Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned,” (I Corinthians 11:23-25).

 Most of us have not suffered persecution for our faith. Americans have benefited from the protection of the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof …”  This does not mean that all Christians are immune to rejection. In our increasingly secular society faith in Christ can be a liability. A pastor who recently resigned his church discovered that including “pastor” on his resume automatically removed him from consideration for numerous positions.

 According to the most recent statistics, the level of persecution against Christians world-wide is growing.  Global Christian Relief reports that 388 million believers face high levels of persecution globally.  15 countries now rank at extreme persecution levels. Nigeria remains the deadliest country in the world for Christians. Archbishop Balestrero, speaking to the UN on behalf of the Catholic Church stated that at least 5,000 Christians are killed for their faith every year, more than 13 persons per day. 

 The archbishop went on to denounce other forms of persecution that are “more subtle and often silent forms of persecution,” such as gradual marginalization or exclusion from social and professional life “even in traditionally Christian lands.”

 Knox Thames is an international leader in the area of religious freedom and persecution.  He served over 20 years as a State Department special envoy for religious minorities in the Middle East and South/Central Asia under both the Obama and Trump administrations.  He is currently Executive Director of the Everett Center for Global Religious Freedom at Dallas Baptist University. His recent book, Ending Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom was published by the University of Notre Dame Press.  It is available on Amazon.

 Thames said, “People of faith face violence and persecution on account of their beliefs every day. … “Repression on account of faith is the most personal of human rights abuses, as targeted individuals, both women and men, pay a heavy price for what they believe.”

 May the Lord give us courage to stand with fellow believers who pay the ultimate price for their faith in Christ.  May we be bold in proclaiming the truth of the gospel. May we be like those early believers who went on their way “rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name,” (Acts 5:41).

This is the 8th Reflection in a series on the Beatitudes. Order Bill Tinsley's book, We Beheld His Glory FREE on Amazon eBook, October 6-9.  

Peacemakers

 Our world is desperate for peace.  The media is filled with war and violence, not just Ukraine and Iran but Nigeria, Myanmar, Sudan and Somalia, among others.  Organized crime, cartels, terrorists are widespread and global.  Conflict and violence invade our governments, corporations, schools and our homes. Where are the peacemakers? Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.”

 The peace of which Jesus speaks is not a standoff between adversaries who have stopped fighting but continue to watch one another with suspicion.  This peace is comfortable, built upon trust and understanding.  It is the kind of peace God wants to have with you.  It is the kind of peace God desires for all people in every generation. The angels included it in their announcement when Jesus was born: “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.”

 We may not be able to make a personal impact in wars on the world stage, but each of us can be peacemakers where we live, in our communities, businesses, schools and homes.

 Are you a peacemaker?  Do you repeat innuendos and accusations that sow seeds of suspicion and distrust?  Do you side with people when they criticize someone else?  Do you bolster their resentments?

 Or do you hold your tongue? Do you keep confidential and questionable information that might prove detrimental and damaging to someone else?  Do you help others toward a more objective view?  Do you help them see the good in others?  Do you build bridges of trust and understanding?

 Jesus gave us the key to establishing peace in his Sermon on the Mount: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. … For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?” (Matthw 5:44-47). 

 Every person is in need of a deeper peace than peace among men.  We all need to discover and experience peace with God.  In 1954 during its London Crusade, the Billy Graham organization developed a pamphlet entitled, “Steps To Peace With God.”  It has helped millions discover a life-changing relationship with God.

 The first step is to know God loves you and has a purpose for your life. The second is to recognize that we are separated from God because of our sin.  In spite of our efforts at good works, philosophy and religion, we cannot bridge this gap with God.  The third step is to know that God has bridged this gap to us by sending His Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sins on the Cross.  He offers us forgiveness and eternal life.  The fourth step is to receive Jesus Christ as our Savior by faith.  “As many as received Him,” the Bible says, “to them He gave the authority to become the children of God;” (John 1:12).

 If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you can become a peacemaker by sharing this simple message with family and friends.

This is the 7th in a series on the Beatitudes. 

Pure In Heart

 In a corrupt world, can there possibly be people who are pure in heart?  Jeremiah 17:9 states, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked:  Who can know it?”  Only Jesus was perfectly pure in heart.   Only Jesus was able to see God. “No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.”  (John 1:18). 

 But Jesus was not speaking about himself when He gave us the beatitude: “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8).  He was speaking to us.  We are all sinners. The one sin that upset him the most was hypocrisy.  He would not tolerate people who lived a pretentious life.  Instead, he exalted authenticity and integrity. If we cannot be sinless, we can have authentic integrity.

 This may be what Jesus had in mind when he met Nathaniel and said, “behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile.”  It was one of the greatest complements Jesus ever paid any of his followers.  Nathaniel was true and authentic.  What you saw was what you got.  His secret conduct was the same as his conduct in public.   Speaking to Nathaniel, Jesus promised, “You shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

 A pure heart must be a heart filled with love.  Love’s definition in 1 Corinthians 13 gives us insight into what a pure heart looks like. “Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails,” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

 Ultimately, a pure heart only comes from God. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh,” (Ezekiel 36:26).  Overcome with his sin and guilt, David cried out, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me,” (Psalm 51:10).

 God has made provision for us that we can have a pure heart through faith in His Son, Jesus. John wrote, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure,” (1 John 3:2-3).

 If you want to see God, be authentic in your faith.  Confess your sins. Let Him purify your heart.

To Be Merciful

 Vengeance and retaliation are the themes of countless books and movies. Clint Eastwood portrayed it in Fist Full of Dollars, Dirty Harry and Unforgiven.  Liam Neeson followed suit in Taken and Cold Pursuit.  In recent years, vengeance and revenge have become a major theme in politics. If someone wrongs you, never forget. Get even.   In most of these stories, as in life, the path of vengeance does not end well. The anticipated satisfaction proves empty.  The hatred proves to be a poison that corrupts the soul.

 Jesus called for a more fruitful and rewarding path.  “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.”  

 These words are central to his teaching. At the conclusion of his Lord’s Prayer, he reminds His followers, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,” (Matthew 6:14-15).  He shocked Peter by expanding his proposal to forgive seven times by saying, “not seven times, but seventy times seven!” (Matthew 18:22).  In the depths of agony on the Cross He demonstrated mercy toward His torturers, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do,” (Luke 23:34). 

 At the end of the Civil War the Army of Northern Virginia was trapped and starving.  Robert E. Lee had no option but to surrender to Ulysses S. Grant. They met in Wilmer McLean’s home at Appomattox Court House, the site where the war began almost 4 years earlier. Grant could have exacted vengeance and imprisoned the entire army.  Instead, he chose mercy. He paroled all 28,000 soldiers, fed the starving men, allowed them to keep their horses and return home.

We most often think of mercy as an option for the powerful toward the weak, the dominator toward the dominated, the conqueror toward the conquered.   He who has opportunity to impose retribution and vengeance chooses instead to offer mercy and pardon. 

 But mercy is more than this.  Everyone has the option to express mercy, even the weak and the powerless.  Mercy, as Jesus expresses it, embraces the idea of looking outside oneself, to feel empathy, compassion and concern for someone else.  The opposite of being merciful is being wrapped up in oneself so that all we can think about is our own concerns and interests. 

 This may be a special temptation for the sick, the powerless, the poor and the weak.  How easily we are tempted to think only about our circumstance, our ailments, our illness and our financial needs.   We become resentful of those who are wealthier and healthier and privileged.

 But to be underprivileged, to be overlooked, to be poor, sick and feeble, and yet to remain merciful toward others, this is the mark of authentic discipleship.  It is far easier to practice mercy when you are prosperous and powerful.

 Refuse to live a self-absorbed life. Resist the downward pull of bitterness and resentment. Instead, give yourself in mercy toward others.   When you do this, your life will be enriched with the mercies of God.

How To Prevail In A Corrupt World

 Every day when we tune in for the news we are inundated by stories of corruption, deception, crime, war and injustice.  Occasional beams of light break through the dark clouds of gloom: stories of heroism and self-sacrifice. But the shadows are dark and difficult to dispel.

 Into the midst of this darkness, Jesus introduced the fourth Beatitude.  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied.”  What a great promise! 

 Jesus must have had in mind the kind of righteousness that is associated with justice.  There is just too much in the Scripture related to God’s passion for righteousness and justice to think that Jesus was not referring to this. 

 We are not to lose heart in this world when the powerful and the rich subjugate the weak and the poor, when graft and greed are rampant.   God will bring justice and righteousness upon the earth.  As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “we will not be satisfied until ‘justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.’” (Amos 5:24).

 I am reminded of Winston Churchill’s stand against the Nazi onslaught.  On October 29, 1941, when Great Britain faced isolation and possible defeat, Churchill challenged his generation to persevere for righteousness.  In that speech he said, “You cannot tell from appearances how things will go. Sometimes imagination makes things out far worse than they are …  never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

 Jesus must have referred also to another righteousness, the righteousness that overcomes sin. We are all sinners.  No one disputes this fact. We all sin.  Self-righteousness will not save us.  The prophet Isaiah stated the truth we all should know, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away,” (Isaiah 64:6). 

 Righteousness deals with our relationship to God.  More often than not, the prophets link this word with salvation rather than justice.  “I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off, and My salvation will not delay.  And I will grant salvation in Zion and my glory for Israel.”  (Isaiah 46:13).  “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  (2 Corinthians 5:21).

 The Apostle Paul wrote, “ I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord … not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith,” (Philippians 3:8-9).

He is your righteousness and your salvation.  He has become sin for you so that your sin might be removed as the east is from the west.  Hunger for Him and you will be satisfied. 

The Gentle

Most would acknowledge that the earth belongs to the cunning and the ruthless.  The gentle are pushed aside, run over, used and abused by those who climb upon their backs to occupy positions of wealth and power.  How does this square with Jesus’ 3^rd Beatitude, “Blessed are the gentle for they shall inherit the earth.”?

You may dominate the earth, in the short term, if you aim for wealth and power.  But in the getting, you will lose.  Jesus sees from a mountain whose heights rise above our mortal measure.  From his vantage point, he sees the ultimate result.  In the end, it is the gentle who will inherit for they are willing to suffer the loss of all things for the preservation of their souls. The measure of success is about character. Not about possessions, fame and power. 

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law,” (Galatians 5:19-23).

Speaking of the Messiah, Isaiah wrote "He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;   He will faithfully bring forth justice.” (Isaiah 43:2-3).  Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am gentle and humble in heart …”  (Matthew 11:29)

Martin Luther King Jr., the most effective leader of the Civil Rights movement was strongly influenced in this regard by Jesus and Mahatma Ghandi.  He wrote, “I came to see for the first time that the Christian concept of love operating through the Ghandian method of non-violence was one of the most potent weapons available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom. … This principle became the guiding light of our movement.  Christ furnished the spirit and motivation while Ghandi furnished the method.”

Nelson Mandela was born into the South Africa Xhosa tribe. His mother was a devout Christian and sent him to a Methodist school.  While working on a BA degree he taught Bible classes in the local community as part of the Student Christian Association. Later a leader of the ANC that opposed apartheid, he was arrested as a political prisoner and spent 27 years in prison, most of it in hard labor, sleeping in a 5 by 7 concrete cell with straw bedding. Released in 1990 he was elected president of South Africa in 1994. Expected to retaliate against his oppressors, instead he emphasized personal forgiveness and reconciliation.

 “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.  The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:5). 

This is the third Reflection in an eight-part series on the Beatitudes.