Good Reputation of Our Children

When our children were born, they were our pride and joy. There was nothing we would not do for their personal growth, emotionally and physically. I used to take a cassette player and play classical music over Tammy’s belly so that the unborn child would be well cultured. Maybe it worked, at least one of the older kids love that kind of music today.

I truly think every parent hopes for the best for their children. Regardless of how the children turn out, the parent I would hope, seeks their best future. I know that this might be a false statement for many people who are reading this, because their parents were not good, nor sought their best interest. I pray that is the exception rather than the rule.

I must admit that raising children is a hard job. I often told all three kids that we had a responsibility to produce well educated, respectable children who loved the Lord. That was the goal. We didn’t always make them happy, but they always knew we loved them.

One part of parenting is that each child bears your name when they go out into the world. When a child acted up in school, and the principle called, it was because my name bearer had made a bad choice which reflected on me as their parent. If their behavior was poor, it was my responsibility to correct that negative behavior so that it was not for my lack of instruction, but their will to disobey.

The Apostle John’s letter Gaius gives a beautiful place for understanding the reputation and respectable child concept.

3 John 1:3-4 “It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

Verse 4 is probably the greatest hope of a Christian parent that their children are walking in the truth. But that is not always the case, and not because the parents did not take their responsibility to raise up a faithful child. Yet the context of the text is a relationship that John had with other children of God within the church of Jesus Christ, and not about parenting.

However, it remains a valid truth that Christian parents have no greater joy than to hear that their children have a good name, especially if that reputation is within the community of faith of Christ Jesus. When this happens, they reflect not just our hard work in raising children, more importantly that they are His children as well.

Costly Discipleship

Tammy and I have been considering joining a Spa. There is much to consider, expense verses what we can gain from the membership. In truth, the membership will require us to use the gym otherwise it becomes a waste of money, and people might joke about having a gym membership we never used (like we have not done that before).

Last time I talked about the cost of becoming a follower of Christ. Jesus calls us to evaluate the cost of becoming a disciple of His. Picking up in Luke 14 the Lord tells us the price of membership in Him.

The hefty cost is found in verse 26 - “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers, and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” Our English translation uses the word hate, but the concepts is more that we must “Love” Jesus more than father and mother, wife and children, brothers, and sisters—yes, even their own life. Anyone who loves these more then Jesus will never risk everything for Him, thus he says in verse 27, “And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

Jesus is saying that you have to give up everything that might hold you back from giving your life for His sake. In light of the exorbitant cost, Jesus instructs those seeking to follow Him to evaluate the grand cost before they start. His two examples speak of each person evaluating the cost and acting shrewdly by planning for success, either in building or in seeking peace.

So many people profess Jesus or claim to be a Christian yet have not calculated the cost, and when the pressure comes, or the material struggle becomes so great, they abandon the sincere faith, clinging only to the name. Others fail and suffer ridicule for even trying to be a Christian, because they could not make to true commitment required. Jesus ends His teaching on the matter by saying that Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, it has become worthless.

Imagine if Jesus said the cost to become a disciple was that you had to pay a million dollars, who among us would not sell everything in order to be with Him everyday (see the Parable of the Hidden Treasure and Costly Pearl; Matthew 14:44-46). What if that cost was even greater, you must give all of your worldly possessions to follow Him (Rich young ruler comes to mind; Luke 18:22).

However, in this text (Luke 14:26-36) Jesus is raising the bar to the top. You must give your life, pick up your cross and follow him. But it must be a true commitment to carry your cross, an instrument of death. In reality Jesus is saying the cost of being His disciple is to die to self…

How much is Jesus worth to you?

Planning Without Counting the Cost

The other night before we went through the Panama Canal we watched a movie about the building of the modern marvel. The movie was a very old NOVA Documentary “A Man, a Plan, a Canal - Panama.” In the movie the early concept of a canal linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, via a 50 mile stretch of land in Panama was discussed.

A Frenchman named Ferdinand de Lesseps, had just be celebrated for his work in constructing the Suez Canal, and now desired to create a similar canal through Panama. Around 1882 his company began the arduous work of building the canal. Lesseps did not understand the land or the barriers that Panama would present those who undertook this expedition.

What he didn’t know was that Panama has two seasons, dry and wet. The river that ran across his path for the canal would raise 40 feet during the rain season. Furthermore, the dense jungle, saw grass, poisonous snakes, and disease were not foreseen as barriers to the completion of the project.

At that time medical science had not discovered the cause of Malaria and Yellow Fever to be linked to mosquitos who swarmed around the stagnant pools of water. During the Spanish-American War medical science discovered the link between the insect and the disease, but for Ferdinand de Lesseps, it was not in time to save the project or the men.

Between the Yellow Fever, snake bites, and rough conditions over 20,000 people died in the first few years of the work, with little progress on the canal. It is said that out of the eight nuns who worked in the hospital only two survived. The environment wrecked havoc in so many ways.

On top of the huge loss of life, the company went bankrupt long before a quarter of the canal was complete. Lesseps would spend his last days at home, a laughingstock of France due to the failure of the Canal. The word “Panama” became used to describe a swindle of failure in France.

Why do I mention this historical fact about the Panama Canal because it illustrates an illustration once given by Jesus in Luke 14:28-30. Jesus said:

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’”

Do you see the parallel between the man Jesus mentioned and Ferdinand de Lesseps who failed to properly plan the project? Both failed due to poor planning. Both were ridiculed because of their failure.

Yet, Jesus is not talking about building literal buildings, while this does apply, but about spiritual foundations, rooted in Christ Jesus himself. The bigger picture of Luke 14:25-35, Jesus speaks of the cost of discipleship, and heavy cost of following him. The assessment according to Jesus is that we examine the cost to follow him, commit to that cost daily, and press on even when the going seems impossible. This cost assessment explains the deep personal toil each Christ follower must pay to be a disciple.

For Ferdinand de Lesseps the cost was financial, human life, and reputation. Many years later, the Americans would overcome the struggles of the French and complete the job.

Tomorrow, we will explore the cost for us to bridge the gap between us and Jesus.

The Importance of Citizenship

        Today, in Kansas City, citizens will go to the polls. Across the city, people will vote for those who sit on their local school boards and directly impact the future generation. There is also a vote regarding KC Sports (Royals and Chiefs), with many opponents foaming at the mouth. The question is really more about the good of the city over the individual desires of a few.

        Long ago, when I studied Christian Education, I learned about the various educational theories. Education started at a very young age throughout all of the Greek city-states. The Greeks were well known for teaching children art, music, reading, and all aspects of a good education.

        Athenians (people who lived in Athens) were recognized as the Greeks most enthusiastic about education. Athenian love of learning manifested itself in many significant accomplishments not only in the liberal arts – where the contributions to tragedy, comedy, philosophy, history, and poetry, but in the areas of medicine and engineering.

        One of the things that stuck out for me was that the people of Sparta, who were also Greek, rejected this fashion of learning. The Spartan child, too, began at the young age of 7, joining other children for communal meals, physical education, and the study of law.

       However, the focus on Spartan education was much different than that in, say, Athens. Where the Athenians were concerned with classical education, the Spartans focused on training their children to be fearsome, disciplined citizen-soldiers who were the foundation of a powerful city-state.

        Spartan culture and education were essentially synonymous, as all aspects of Spartan life were in harmony with its educational ideals and practices. The single goal of their education was to incorporate citizenship into the life of every boy and girl to the degree that the needs of the city were the greatest need of all. Individualism was considered selfish and demonstrated a lack of self-control.

        The Athenian obsession with learning undermines their resolve and makes them “easy victims of newfangled arguments, unwilling to follow received conclusions; slaves to every new paradox, despises of the commonplace.[1] This meant they questioned everything and followed every new idea without any loyalty to the past, the culture, or the community. 

        Decades later, Paul would address this mindset in Christians in his letter to Ephesus. In Ephesians 4:12-14 he writes "to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming."

        In her article “Sparta, Athens, and the Surprising Roots of Common Schooling,” Avi Mintz makes the following observation. “Thus, for the Spartans, schooling on the Athenian model leads to questioning law and authority, the precise things that good soldiers must avoid devoting their lives to a common cause, their polis (City), and their fellow citizens.”[2]

        She notes that “many are working to return to schools a concern about civic, intellectual, and moral virtues.” Can you imagine the political upheaval to change the goal of education to be moral, smart, and civic minded?

        In closing, I truly believe that we have lost the concept of being a good citizen as individualism and personal agendas become the focus of local politics and residents. Maybe anytime we vote, we should ask ourselves, “What is best for the community and my fellow citizens.” This question should be examined through the lens of a Christian worldview of what the Bible supports.  If we use the Bible as our guide and think about the best of all citizens, then perhaps we can restore hope for America in our time.

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[1] Thucydides, 3.38.5. During the period of democratic and oligarchic revolutions during the Peloponnesian war, Thucydides describes how boldness was prized above prudent investigation and planning. Thucydides writes: “ability to see all sides of a question, incapacity to act on any.”

[2] Mintz, Avi, Sparta, Athens, and the Surprising Roots of Common Schooling, (Philosophy of Education Society, Urbana, Il. 2019) 111-112.

All Fools' Day

I hope you will have a wonderful April Fools' Day, or All Fools' Day, as some call it. Yesterday was Easter, and I spoke about the calendar confusion in which Easter is not at the same time as Resurrection Sunday, yet the church missed the boat, still celebrating an event that is not for another couple of weeks.

Did you know that some speculate that the origins of April Fools are likewise tied to a change in the calendar? In 1563, the Council of Trent ordered the transition from the Julian calendar to the new Gregorian calendar. When France switched in 1582, many people were lost in the transition.

In the Julian calendar, New Year began with the spring equinox around April 1. People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1. As a result, they continued to celebrate New Year's during the last week of March through April 1 and became the butt of jokes and were called “April fools.”

The funny thing is that just as Easter is tied to fertility worship, the Julian calendar (as well as the Hindu calendar) is tied to the spring equinox. The word equinox comes from two Latin words, meaning “Equal Night.” because the length of day and night is equal on this day. At the equator, the sun is directly overhead at noon on this day, only twice a year.

All of creation cries out there is a God!

Our Creator has demonstrated His majesty, power, and beauty in all His creation. Simply looking up into the sky we see His handy work. The sun, moon, stars, indeed all of the heavens declare there is a God.

Christians often jokingly call April Fools Day the Atheist holiday, but in reality, it truly is a day when people fail to recognize there is a creator, and are foolish in their actions. They look up at the heavens and declare, “There is no God.” Check out what Paul said in Romans 1:20-23.

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Paul says that the fool rejects the apparent truth of God, demonstrated in creation, and then worships the creation itself. True foolishness is alive and well today. Yet, as Christians, we have faith in our creator, and because of the cross and resurrection of Jesus from the grave, we have God’s wisdom made perfect in us. Let me leave you with these words from Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:18-30:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

    the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

Be Encouraged Fellow Pilgrims, we have a Risen King.