Palm Branches and a Perfume Box

This coming Sunday is celebrated as Palm Sunday. It commemorates the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem and was greeted by praises and palm branches. Yes, it is the announcement of the King of Israel, but many of these same voices that cry “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” will only a few days later cry out, “Crucify Him!”

This day is important because it is the fulfillment of prophecy. But it is not the ultimate expression of worship. For that I think we have to go back to the night before, when a weeping woman poured out an incredible sacrifice of worship. So in this blog, I want to explore the difference between Palm Branch and Perfume Box Praise.

PALM BRANCH PRAISE

“On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.’”

(John 12:12-13 NASB)

The Dead Sea Scrolls show that shortly before Jesus’ time the whole land was swept by a wave of Messianic longing and expectation. In Luke 2 we find the aged Simeon and the 84-year old prophetess Hannah among those in the temple who were waiting for the Messiah, having been promised by God He would come before they died. (Luke 2:25-27,36-38).

As the crowd gathered for Passover their emotions were at a fevered pitch. Everyone knew they were living in the times of the fulfillment of prophecy. But they were looking for a king, a savior, a warrior who would sweep in and uproot the evil Roman empire, establishing Israel as the preeminent political force in the world. Even Jesus’ own disciples believed this. In Acts 1:6, they asked, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

It’s natural to want a superhero. We all long for someone to show up at just the right time and save the day… so we can live happily ever after!

So when Jesus received a hero’s welcome in Jerusalem, it was because the crowds wanted Him to be that kind of hero. The problem with “Palm Branch Praise” is that it praises Jesus for who we want Him to be, not who He is. When we’re in pain or have some need, we simply wave our magic wand of praise and prayer, and Jesus makes all our wishes come true.

But Jesus is who He is, not who we want Him to be! I’m sure Jesus’ actions after arriving in Jerusalem that week surprised a lot of folks They were perplexed when His first act in the city was to clean out the money-changers, disrupting their form of worship. They thought He was there to run out the Romans not disturb their routine! How dare He step on their toes?

Then He begins teaching in the temple. “What a minute! I thought He was going to lead an army against the Romans!” Instead of amassing a great army, He withdrew, pulling back to Bethany with just a few of His disciples. It’s like instead of charging forward, He retreated. Soon, the very ones who had praised Him and announced Him as king now denounced Him, saying they’d rather have a murderer set free.

Do you see how hollow and empty the Palm Branch Praise is? It praises Jesus for who you want Him to be, not who He is. It says, “I’ll praise You if You’ll come through for me.” It’s rooted in the “what have you done for me lately” mentality. But let’s turn and look at the Perfume Box.

PERFUME BOX PRAISE

“Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

(John 12:1-3 NASB)

Let’s compare her praise with the Palm Branch crowd. Her worship was very expensive. Verse 5 tells us that the perfume could have been sold for 300 Denarii, which was 300 days wages. In the US, the average individual income is around $48,000. If you divide that by 365 days you get $131.50. Then multiply that by 300 days you get $39,452. That’s a hunk of change!

By contrast, the palm branches cost the crowd nothing. They cut them down from the trees along the road. But if you think about it, it cost other people something - the trees didn’t belong to the worshippers, so any cost that was involved was borne by the land owners!

Sometimes we overestimate the value of what we contribute to our praise. In 1 Chronicles 21:22-24, David says he will not offer a sacrifice that costs him nothing. Yet how many of us are unwilling to worship with our voices during a worship service because it’s not a style that we prefer, or we don’t like the worship leader, or the music's too loud, or too soft, or just isn’t in that sweet spot where we feel like we can worship easily? If we only engage in worship when we’re presented with the “perfect” atmosphere and “perfect” circumstances… is it really worship at all?

When Mary worshipped and poured out the contents of her perfume box, it was a sacrifice. And it wasn’t just financial - it was a sacrifice of vulnerability. She left herself open to criticism, and critics will always find something to criticize! But if we only worship God when it’s “safe” and no one will think less of us, is that really worship?

Her worship was also very personal, very unique to her. Think about it - perfume is a very personal thing. Women (and men) will try many different types of perfume until they find just the one they like. And that makes her gift of her carefully chosen perfume very special.  In contrast, the Palm Branch crowd’s worship was not very personal. Palm branches are OSFA: one-size-fits-all. In their haste to join the crowd, well, any old branch would do.

Her worship was also intimate. She wiped his feet with her hair. A respectable woman did not unbind her hair in public. Yet for her, in that moment, there was no one there but Jesus. In contrast, the crowd was more swept up in the shared experience of an emotional event.

Mary knew who Jesus was. She believed Him, even when others didn’t fully understand what He was saying. On three different occasions, Jesus told His disciples He would be killed and would rise again: Matt 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19. Perhaps the others didn't believe, or perhaps they desperately hoped it wasn’t true... but Mary took Jesus at His Word, even though what He said was painful for her to hear. Her act of worship demonstrated her faith. It was not only an acceptable sacrifice in the eyes of God, it anointed Jesus for His death and became a part of the Gospel story itself! (Matt 26:12-13)

HOW WILL YOU WORSHIP?

Will you worship when it costs you dearly? When it might be misunderstood by those around you? Even when it hurts?

Will you worship when God’s plan isn’t your plan? When the superhero doesn’t swoop in and rescue you the way you wanted? Even when you don’t understand?

Worship comes from the heart. It’s very possible that Mary was part of the crowd, waving a palm branch, declaring “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” But if she was, those words were not empty to her. Her public worship was rooted and grounded in her private worship. It was an outflow of a grateful heart. It was a public expression of a true and deep inward work. How can you tell the difference? The outsider can’t. Only you, and God, will know if your praise comes from a palm branch or a perfume box.

The Beatitudes

The Beatitudes are rich and full of insight into the character of a disciple. It’s amazing how much rich truth there is in these 10 short verses! In our Facebook Bible-reading group we’ve just concluded a three week study based on Colin Smith’s book, Momentum: Pursuing God’s Blessings Through the Beatitudes. This is a familiar passage for many of us, but every time I study it I come away with something new.

“BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.” (Matt 5:3 NASB)

The first characteristic of a disciple is that they know they don't have it all together. They recognize their spiritual need. They acknowledge their spiritual lack. And don't pretend otherwise. Calling someone “poor in spirit” is not a put-down, it’s actually a compliment. Only those who know they need help will seek it. And only those who seek help find it.

Why do we feel it's a weakness to confess our weakness? Perhaps because we want others to see us as strong rather that see the strength of the Lord in us? Perhaps because we have set ourselves up as idols? When will we finally realize we have access to the greatest power when we acknowledge our greatest need?

By recognizing my spiritual poverty I am made rich in Christ. I want to be numbered among the poor in spirit who receive the kingdom of God!

“BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, FOR THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED.” (Matt 5:4 NASB)

Colin Smith points out that the "Blessed are they which mourn" Beatitude is not a generic promise to everyone who is sad, but rather a promise to those who grieve over their sin and brokenness. Those are the ones who will be comforted by the promise of forgiveness by faith. They will be comforted by salvation as the free gift of God because they know they can't pay for it. They will be comforted by grace over works, knowing they can't earn anything in their own strength. God's gift of faith to believe in the finished work of the cross is what comforts them.

We know, intellectually, that we are sinners. But does it break our heart when we sin? Or do we excuse ourselves and never grieve? Maybe we need to be reminded that the cost of our individual sin was borne in the very body of Jesus Christ. If we could see the stripes on His back that were placed because of our sin, perhaps we would mourn.

We need to feel the pain and the weight of it. We need to see it as something that cannot be played with or excused away. And while that's easy to do over the big sins, sometimes it's more difficult with the one we've struggled with for so long that we just have given up on. Here's a prayer from the devo that will help: "Give me a heart that hates what I once loved." That's a powerful prayer that will set us free to serve God without being entangled. Will you pray that today?

“BLESSED ARE THE MEEK, FOR THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH.” (Matt 5:5 ESV)

The word “meek” has fallen out of use, and the NASB translates it as “Blessed are the gentle.” To many people meekness has the negative connotation of weakness, fear and timidity. "Meek as a mouse" is a common saying. But that's not what Jesus meant. The Latin word for meek means "used to the hand" as in an animal that had been tamed and trained by a skilled hand. So meekness is not weakness but rather "power under control," power directed by the hand of the Lord.

Smith writes that "Meekness grows through the discipline of committed relationships." Wow! That's a powerful statement! And probably one of the reasons Satan works so hard to damage relationships and give people reasons to withdraw from the local church. He knows their growth with be stunted!

It's easy to show Godly character when things are going well. But what about when they're not?

Difficult times are the greatest opportunities for God's character to be developed, and seen, in us. And difficult times often center on difficult relationships! Our responses in these situations show what's really on the inside. If we don't like what's coming out, we need to focus on what we're putting in.

“BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, FOR THEY SHALL BE SATISFIED.” (Matt 5:6 NASB)

Hunger speaks of need, so we're to recognize our need for righteousness. And that's where the blessing comes in. We'll never seek for something we don't know we need. But the blessing of satisfaction comes to those who recognize their lack. Or as Smith says: "The blessing belongs not to those who think that they are righteous, but to those who see how far they have to go."

We looked at two suggestions to help develop our hunger for righteousness. The first was to practice fasting from legitimate pleasures. The second was to make yourself vulnerable to the needs of others.

Those are wonderful ways to heighten our spiritual senses and stop dulling our spiritual hunger! We don't let our kids eat a candy bar half an hour before sitting down for supper because we don't want to ruin their appetite! Is it possible that we're running our spiritual appetite by being stuffed with the junk food of life? But when we "extend ourselves in serving others" it will create a spiritual hunger within us!

In Psalm 145:15 David reminds us that only God can "satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing." Surely if we hunger and thirst for righteousness, He will satisfy that need as well.

“BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, FOR THEY SHALL RECEIVE MERCY.” (Matt 5:7 NASB)

This beatitude reminds us that the merciful receive mercy. That's something that has motivated me to be merciful because I'm very aware of my need for mercy. This is one of those areas where I think it's especially true that the measure we give is the measure we'll receive - so I want to sow a LOT of mercy because I need to reap a lot of mercy!

The author made a strong connection between mercy and forgiveness and then went on to make a comment that really stuck out to me: "God's forgiveness is both the model and the motive of our forgiving." In the same way that we love because we He first loved us, we forgive because He first forgave us. That's the motive of our forgiveness - not because they deserve it, but because I was forgiven, so I must forgive.

I'm reminded of a time in my life when I was struggling with forgiving another person. I complained to the Lord, "I'll forgive them when they say they're sorry." And I heard the Lord whisper to my heart, "Aren't you glad I didn't wait for you to say you were sorry before I sent my Son to die for your sins?" That settled that matter right then and there! I no longer had a problem forgiving that person!

“BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART, FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD.” (Matt 5:8 NASB)

I'm so appreciative of the author's insight that purity doesn't necessarily mean sinlessness. It certainly can speak of being cleansed by the blood of Jesus. But it can also speak of having an "undivided" heart, or a single-minded, single-focused heart.

The comparison of the NLT and NASB translations of Psalm 86:11 bears this out:

“Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.” (NLT)

“Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.” (NASB)

So purity of heart equals a united heart. And don't we need that? Isn't our heart pulled in so many directions? Aren't we afflicted with so many options, choices, priorities, interests, etc? It's like we live fractured lives. And so we have a hard time seeing God.

"Lord, give me a united heart, a unified heart, a single-visioned heart, a heart with blinders on that seeks You first, Your kingdom, and Your righteousness. Then I will see You." That's my prayer.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matt 5:9 NASB)

Because I am active in local government and known in the community as a pastor, I am sometimes called upon to be a peacemaker in times of conflict. It is a privilege to be trusted in difficult situations, and I take that to heart. Getting counsel from someone who is not directly involved in a conflict can help those who are in the middle of it see things from a new perspective.

But being a peacemaker by Jesus’ standard is more than just serving as a facilitator. The author points out that true peacemakers must also have peace in their own hearts and lives. There can’t be any unresolved conflicts in their hearts. They must be honest about their own issues, or “own their junk.” They need to deal with conflict rather than sweep it under the carpet. They need to confront without being hurtful. (BTW, if you’re interested in more on this topic, I actually did a three-part sermon series back in 2014 by the same name, “Own Your Junk” - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.)

Sometimes what we call “peacemaking” is really just avoiding confrontation. Jesus, the Prince of Peace Himself, stirred up a lot of conflict just by being who He was. He could have smoothed things over by being more deferential to the Jewish leaders or refusing to confront sin - but that would have caused a greater conflict, the kind that arises from failing to do the Father’s will.

As Smith writes, “Peacemaking is not for the fainthearted; it takes courage. It could be the most dangerous job in the world. For Jesus, it meant laying down His life.”

“BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN PERSECUTED FOR THE SAKE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 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 THE SAME WAY THEY PERSECUTED THE PROPHETS WHO WERE BEFORE YOU.” (Matt 5:10-12 NASB)

And then we arrive at the final blessing, only to discover how different it is. The first seven described character traits God longs to develop and reward in us. But this final blessing describes the life of one who chooses to pursue those godly traits and finds him/herself going against the flow of the world, swimming upstream, marching to a different beat, and generally making people so uncomfortable that persecution is the response.

We're reminded that opposition isn't necessarily a sign that we're not doing it right. In fact, it may be a sign that we are! Jesus knew we would need encouragement in the face of resistance so He outlined an eternal blessing for those who stand up to temporary opposition.

One scripture says we have need of endurance. Another says that when we've done all we can do to stand, well … to stand. There is great encouragement in the Bible for us to "plod on" when persecuted.

The devo also lets us know there are some times when wisdom indicates we should live to fight another day. Even Jesus avoided a crowd that wanted to throw Him off a cliff because it wasn't His time. But He didn't try to hide from the cross.

So be encouraged, even in the face of your faith finding opposition. Stand for Jesus and He will give you the strength to stand and the wisdom of WHEN to stand. And great will be your reward!

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Well, there you have it, a short look at the eight Beatitudes that we covered during the last three weeks in our online Facebook Bible Reading group. If you’d like to join us there, just go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ReadingBibleWithBroNathan/ and click on the “Join” button. I’ll be glad you did. :)

What Makes Us Different?

There have been a LOT of preparations going on at the office this week as we get ready for the celebration of Christian Challenge's 41st anniversary! We call it Jubilee! (I know Jubilee normally means “50 years” but we like it so much we have one every year!)  I'm excited to celebrate CCI's anniversary. It always reminds me of what I like to call our "uniquenesses" - the things that make Christian Challenge different as a church. But as believers, we should also have some "uniquenesses" - things that set us apart from those who don’t believe.

What makes a Christian different from everyone else? Is it our choice of clothing? The music we listen to? Liking and sharing that post on Facebook?

What sets believers apart has to be deeper than that. Someone who has truly made Jesus Christ their Lord might dress different - they might listen to different music - and they might even share faith-related posts on Facebook. But they will also BE fundamentally different, because they’ve been transformed on the inside. There are many traits that should characterize the life of a believers, but I’d like to highlight three in particular.

FAITH IN A FAITHLESS WORLD

We live in a world of doubt and unbelief. And this is nothing new! Here are just a few humorous historical examples, taken from widely read publications of their day:

1840 - "Anyone traveling at the speed of thirty miles per hour would surely suffocate."

1878 - "Electric lights are unworthy of serious attention."
1901 - "No possible combination can be united into a practical machine by which men shall fly."
1926 - (scientist) "This foolish idea of shooting at the moon is basically impossible."
1930 - (scientist) "To harness the energy locked up in matter is impossible."

We also live in a world that likes to mock faith in God. All you have to do is look at the headlines or comments from the entertainment elite to know that they look at people of faith as “different.” It almost seems as if mocking Christianity is the latest American sport. But at the same time, even the world recognizes that our faith sets us apart!

For the believer, this is a life filled with wonder at all God has in store for those that love Him and are called according to His purpose! It is a life filled with adventure in Christ! Hebrews 11 is known as the faith chapter of the Bible. Heb 11:6 says that “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” You cannot come to God without faith, because you wouldn’t come unless you believed that He existed and believed that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him! The carnal man misses it because he won't come to God - he doesn't believe He exists and so obviously there’s no reason to come to a God that doesn’t exist. So believers have faith in a faithless world.

HOPE IN A HOPELESS WORLD

If you look at the world around you through human eyes, you don’t see a lot of hope. You see a lot of fear… and a lot of hopelessness. We see that reflected in the suicide rate. We live in a broken world. People feel hopeless when they’re isolated, when they’re powerless to change their own lives, and they don’t see a future worth hoping for. Even those who are admired by others, who have accomplished great things - successful people by the world’s standards - can be hiding a sense of hopelessness inside.

As believers, we have a hope that defies our circumstances. Our hope is tied to our salvation and the work of Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:1-6, NASB)

“If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.” (1 Cor 15:19-20, NASB)

If there is no resurrection, then we are without hope. Our hope is not in this life only, so we can look past the circumstances that lead others to hopelessness and put our trust in the One who has overcome this world! Believers have hope in a hopeless world!

LOVE IN A LOVELESS WORLD

When you look at the headlines, you can't help but notice that we live in a loveless world. This world seems to love to hate! (Just visit the comments section on just about any newspaper article!) Our culture is dangerously defensive. Some of our leaders, both in politics and in the business world, can’t seem to disagree without being disagreeable. It’s a fractured world, and sometimes people try to put the pieces back together in their own way, with disastrous results. We have children getting involved in gangs, premarital sex and other troubles because they think they'll find love and acceptance.

The kingdom of God is built on love. Napoleon thought he could be great because he founded a kingdom on force.  Perhaps it's worth listening to his words of warning at the end of his life.  Napoleon said, "Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded his empire upon love. And at this hour millions of men would die for him."

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor 13:13 NLT)

This is what distinguishes a True Christian from the rest, the love of God. As believers, our lives should be marked by love toward God and by the love of God flowing through us toward others. We're able to love others because we were loved first. Paul reminds us in the 1 Corinthians 13 (which is known as the love chapter) that it isn't the greatness of our spiritual gifts but the love of God in our hearts that makes us useful to God. So love is the difference-maker. And believers love in a loveless world.

When it’s all said and done, it's hard to fake being a True Christian. There are aspects of the Christian life that can be imitated, but a deep, personal relationship with God cannot be mimicked - it must be experienced. That’s why ultimately only the true believer will have faith, hope and love in a faithless, hopeless, loveless world.