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.

When Mourning Comes

 The suffering of the world is streamed into our TVs, smart phones and iPads every day.  It is global, affecting every nation, people and culture.  We see it on a large scale in the wars in Ukraine and Iran, earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela, flooding in Shanghai and Wenzhou, China.  Natural disasters leave suffering, sorrow and mourning in their wake. We mourn for loved ones who fall victim to terminal illness and accidental death.

 Jesus acknowledged this reality of human existence when he said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

 How would we know comfort if we never knew sorrow?  Our suffering enlargers our standing of God.  He who never sorrows lives life in the shallows.  We only drink from the depths of God when we have suffered and mourned. God will not leave you comfortless.  No tear ever escapes your eye that does not run its course through the heart of God.

 “Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God. … A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness …  Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs.  And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.”  (Isaiah 40).

 He who comforts us wants us to comfort one another. “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God,” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Our own suffering enables us to comfort others who are experiencing a similar loss.

 Sorrow and mourning will come to us all.  Most children first experience it in the death of a pet. They are inconsolable until gathered in the arms of their mother or father and comforted.  As we age, we will suffer the loss of parents, brothers, sisters, our spouse and friends.  Weeping will come. Mourning will come.  We never fully forget, and don’t want to forget those whom we have loved.  We learn to live with the loss through the comfort we find in others and in God’s promises. The greatest of His promises is eternal life.

 The Apostle Paul wrote, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus,” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).

 If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you will find a comfort in your sorrow that the world cannot provide.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.

This is the second in an eight part series on the Beatitudes.

Are You Poor In Spirit?

 Everyone knows that it is the bold, the proud and the strong who prevail.  Not the weak, insecure and unsure.  All we need do is browse the latest economic and political headlines. Be confident. Be strong, relentless and ruthless, if you want to win. Jesus painted a different picture.

When Jesus ascended the mountain slope overlooking the Sea of Galilee and sat down to address the crowd, his first words turned traditional logic on its head. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”

With this, Jesus opened the door for people like you and me.  We know that we have not always been strong.  We know our faith has often failed in the moment of trial.  When we have wanted to believe most, we have sometimes doubted. 

Of such, Jesus says, is the kingdom.  Rejoice!  Be happy!  You are included.

The poor in spirit would include Peter, who fell prostrate in his boat and declared, “Depart from me O Lord, for I am a sinful man.”  It would include the woman of Samaria who came to the well at midday, alone, because she was an outcast. It would include the father who begged him to heal his son, declaring, “I do believe. Help my unbelief.”  And it would include the dying thief crucified beside Him who petitioned, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 

Mother Teresa’s meditations were gathered into a book entitled “Come Be My Light.”  She wrote, “Do not think my spiritual life is strewn with roses … quite the contrary I have more often as my companion ‘darkness.’  … I need much grace, much of Christ’s strength to persevere in trust, in that blind love which leads only to Jesus crucified.”

Billy Graham, who preached to more people in his lifetime than anyone in history, prayed this personal prayer, “Lord Jesus, you suffered such humiliation and pain for me on the cross. I ask you humbly to forgive my pride and errant ways that nailed you there.”

If the kingdom of heaven were only for the strong, we all would be excluded including the twelve disciples.  How often did their faith fail them? Jesus did not characterize them as firm in their faith or strong in their spirit.  Jesus said to them more than once, “Oh ye of little faith!”   Where was Peter when Jesus was standing trial? Was he not swearing with an oath that he never knew the man?  But Jesus was not surprised.  He had already warned Peter that he would stumble. 

Even when Jesus stood on the mountain in Galilee and delivered the Great Commission, the Bible says, “some doubted.” If your spirit is weak, rejoice.  Yours is the kingdom of heaven.  After all heaven is built on God’s faith, not ours.  

This week’s column is the first of eight in a series on the Beatitudes. 

Tinsley's Novel, We Beheld His Glory is free as an eBook on Amazon August 18-19. 

Teachers Make A Difference

 It is mid-August and already many students are back in school, excitedly finding their desks, making new friends, opening new books. Most teachers have been back at work for a week or  more getting ready for the students who are assigned to their care.

 My wife retired as a schoolteacher more than 10 years ago.  After earning a master’s in early childhood education, her career took her to kindergarten, third grade and secondary education in the  inner city,  metro and rural areas, in Texas and Minnesota.  She concluded her teaching career by teaching a dropout prevention program for pregnant and parenting teens.  Her goal in her final assignment was to help her students have a healthy pregnancy, a healthy birth, learn to be a parent, stay in school, and create a future for themselves and their child. On her best year, her students achieved a 98% graduation rate.

 On one occasion she asked her students to tell of the most significant caregiver in their life.  One of her students said she had a happy childhood until age 10 when her parents were both arrested and sent to jail for drugs.  Her grandfather tried to take her in, but they wouldn’t let him because he had confessed to possession of marijuana.  But he continued to love her and check on her at her foster home. She said she remained close to her foster mother.

 One of her former students returned to my wife’s class to visit, a single mom who graduated and enrolled in a trade school.  My wife asked her to tell her story to the others.  She told of how her older brother committed suicide and how she was on the same trajectory but was able to change course and pursue a better life.  The school counselor who was observing that day asked the student what made the difference in her life.  She pointed to my wife as her teacher and said, “This woman right here.”

 I remain proud of my wife and what she accomplished as a teacher.  I am grateful for the many teachers who accept assignment in challenging situations, working with children and teenagers who face daunting difficulties. 

 Perhaps this is one reason our favorite movies are often based on true stories of teachers who persevered and prevailed in the lives of students who otherwise might have given up. Movies like Mr. Holland’s Opus, Akeela and the Bee, Freedom Writers.

 The title Jesus often used to refer to himself was “teacher.”  It was the title others used most to refer to Him, including the 12 who were his disciples. He was the supreme example of the master teacher, teaching by example and illustration, pouring his life into the lives of those who followed him. His teaching and His life changed the world. Two thousand years after he walked the earth, his teaching and His life changed me.

 I hope you will join me in praying for the thousands of teachers who are seeking to make a difference in the lives of children and young adults as schools open and classrooms resume.  I hope you will make Jesus your Master Teacher.

What I Won't Do For Myself

  Left to myself, I will sit around and vegetate. I know that other people don’t do this, but I do. Several years ago our Pembroke Corgi helped me discover a truth I had overlooked.  When I looked across the room at my dog who followed me from room to room and was happy to be wherever I was, I knew that he needed to walk. So, I got up, put on my shoes, found his leash and off we went. It was good for him and it was good for me. I discovered that what I would not do for myself I would do for my dog.

This little act highlights an important point. We all need to be motivated for someone or something outside ourselves. I have heard it said, “If you won’t do it for someone else, do it for yourself!” But I have discovered that doing it for myself is the lowest and weakest motivator in my life.

Some have assumed that our democratic system works because it is based on self-interest. If everyone looks out for himself, seeks to make the biggest profit and accumulate the most wealth, it all just seems to work out for everybody. But that isn’t true. Our democratic system works because people are willing to sacrifice their own self-interest in the interest of others. The key to American democracy is selfless altruism. Not greed.

Life is not like Monopoly. We don’t win by owning the largest number of properties, raising the rent and amassing stacks of money on our side of the board until we drive everyone else into bankruptcy. That might work for a board game, but even then the players seldom feel good about it. In life we win by giving ourselves away.

We are made in such a way that we must be called to something higher. We will endure great pain, hardship, discipline and even death for people we love and causes that challenge us.

When we live our lives and make our decisions based upon self-interest and self-gratification we are led into dead end tributaries, into a shallow existence that results in isolation and loneliness. When we choose to orient our lives around serving and helping others, we launch out into the deep where we discover meaning and fulfillment.

Howard Hughes, one of the wealthiest men of the twentieth century who spent lavishly to indulge his whims and idiosyncrasies, died a recluse, lonely, isolated and mentally deranged. The FBI had to resort to fingerprints in order to identify his body.

Mother Teresa, who was penniless, spent her life caring for the poor, sick, orphaned and dying. When she died in 1997 the Missionaries of Charity, which she founded, had over one million co-workers serving the “poorest of the poor” in 123 countries. In 2010, the 100th anniversary of her birth, she was honored around the world.

This is why the Scripture urges us to put others first. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4).  Jesus said, “Give and it shall be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom.”  (Luke 6:38).

Living Water

For many years I have made it a practice of having a time of devotion early in the morning.  I like to spend this time outside, preferably at sunrise. There have been gaps when I missed.  I have discovered that when I spend time for personal study of Scripture, prayer and reflection on what God wants to say to me, the day seems to go better.  My life has a healthier center and, when the day is done, it seems to be more productive. 

I routinely go out on our deck in Colorado overlooking an open meadow.  I sit beneath the aspen at sunrise and watch the finches, sparrows and chickadees feeding at our bird feeder.  This year it has been unusually hot and dry. We are in the midst of a severe drought. The landscape seems braced for scorching heat that could surge past 100.

After my devotion, I water the potted flowers on our deck: daisies, petunias, chrysanthemums, marigolds and periwinkles.  If I miss a few days, the plants show it.  They become stressed, and, if neglected too long, they wither and die. When I miss a few days of having my devotion on the patio the flowers miss their watering. Their leaves shrivel and the flowers fall from their drooping stems.  They became a spiritual barometer reflecting the condition of my soul from these times neglected with God.

The flowers don’t respond well to alternate periods of draught and deluge.  Drowning them in water once a week, simply doesn’t work.  They need watering every day, not necessarily a lot, just enough to soak in the soil.  Watered frequently in this fashion they thrive, even in record setting triple digit heat.

This may explain why American Christianity seems so insipid, (like salt that has lost its taste).  Many Christians depend on a deluge of spiritual watering for one hour once a week during a worship service at church.  And many more don’t even do this. The spiritual lives of many Christians may resemble the stressed-out flowers sitting on my deck in the heat of summer.

David expressed this truth in Psalm 1. “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers”

Jesus said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life" (John 4:14) And again, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost” (Rev 21:6).

Take time daily for meditation, devotion and prayer. Jesus set the example, rising early before dawn and seeking a solitary place to pray.