Healing Rays of Righteousness

HE MADE HIMSELF NOTHING

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8, NIV).

In many ways this is the greatest and most moving passage the apostle Paul ever wrote about Jesus.  The truth in these words, is so majestic that I tremble at the thought of commenting on them, lest I say too little and diminish their power and glory or say too much and detract from their glorious truth.

This “Who” that Paul is speaking of, is Christ Jesus.  This “Who, being … God,” is the same

entity as “Word” in John’s introduction of Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  …The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:1, 14).

This “Who, … did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; … made himself nothing.”  Or as the New Living Translation reads, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges.” 

This “Who”  laid aside majestic glory and power to become human, just like you and me, and to become a servant to all.  This “Who, … made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,  being made in human likeness.”

And being human, this “Who, … humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!”  What humiliation.  You cannot get any lower in status than death on a cross.  Here is God coming into our suffering world and suffering with us.  Here is God coming into our world of death and experiencing death with us, and, most importantly, for us.

This Jesus, who had everything, gave it up to become human, and walk where we walk, experiencing what we experience.  He who was God, gave up royal rank, privilege, and rights to become a human being with all the limitations, temptations, agonies, disappointments, and griefs that are part of the human situation.

The story and its truth are so gloriously incredible, so astounding, that we may never fully comprehend it.  But that is okay.  To be in awe, even puzzled awe, when contemplating God’s coming to us in Christ Jesus, is a proper Christian response. 

I pray that as you look at the crucified Jesus hanging on the cross and begin to understand even a little of what was happening and why, you cannot help but fall at his feet in confession and adoration, singing, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all.” 

HOWEVER, this awesome story of Jesus, nestled in the middle of Paul’s letter, not only gives us a vivid description of WHO Jesus is, but is also God’s commanding call to us as the basis for our daily, holy living.

In the three prior verses, 3-5, Paul writes, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to you own interest but each of you to the interests of others.  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  Who, ….” 

Paul will not allow us to simply stand at some safe distance and gaze at an old rugged cross.  We must go beyond simply giving honor to Jesus.  We are called to imitate him.  We are called to go to the cross with him, to die to our selfish ambitions and rights.  Only then can we be raised to a new life, with new desires, new ambitions, new hopes, and a whole new understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in this world.

This is the good news of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  Jesus Christ not only left the “Ivory Palaces” of heavenly glory to give us an example of holy, Godly living, but also through his death and resurrection to make possible the transformation we need to live such a life.  His victory over death makes possible the enabling power of his Holy Spirit to dwell within us.

Jesus was able to go through the garden agony and endure the suffering and shame of crucifixion, because he trusted in his Father to make everything well beyond the cross. 

And so, Paul admonishes us as a community of faith, to have the same mind, the same attitude, the same trust, and the same spirit that led Jesus to the cross.  This Jesus mindset is the only means whereby we will be enabled to look beyond this world and  live in a way that glorifies Christ today, and in our death, experience resurrection and exaltation with Christ.  AMEN!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – April 27, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

“Come and Have Breakfast”

Overwhelmed and exhausted by the events of the past few weeks, the disciples of Jesus were an emotional and spiritual mess.  Their world had been shaken with fear and grief.  They were bewildered, confused, and struggling with feelings of guilt over their cowardly desertion of Jesus during His arrest, trial and crucifixion.

According to the disciple, John, he and six others were together in their home neighborhood by the Sea of Galilee.  One evening, Simon Peter said, “I’m going out to fish, … and they said, “We’ll go with you.  So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.” (John 21:3).    

The decision to go fishing was a decision that arose out of their feelings of sad defeat and despair.  Their hopes in a new Kingdom, a new day for the people of God, were shattered.  Yes, they rejoiced in seeing Jesus resurrected and again alive, but they failed to comprehend how He could transform what they saw as a lost cause, into a new future of God’s Kingdom on earth. They felt fearful and defeated, and to go fishing was a returning to something they knew, understood, and felt comfortable doing. 

And now, after fishing all night, which is the best time to catch fish, they are feeling even more defeated.  They caught nothing, zilch, not even one small fish.  These were expert fisherman who knew the lake in every detail and were skilled in catching fish.  It had been their vocation, their livelihood, but on this night, they failed to catch even one fish.

I can easily imagine that it was a long, dismal night for them with no laughter, no fun, no happy times.  The night only further emphasized their feelings of defeat, failure, emptiness, and despair.  They set out to fish with empty hearts and returned with empty nets.

It was at this extremely low moment in their lives, that Jesus comes and calls out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”  They answered back across the water, “No.”  Then Jesus tells them to “Throw you net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”

What a tremendous, unexpected success follows their obedience to Jesus’ instruction.  Please note that they had success at the very place of failure.  It was the same lake, the same boat, the same net, and the same crew, but a new obedience.  This is an important lesson of encouragement to us in times of failure.

Even though Jesus had breakfast already prepared for these hungry men, He still asks them to contribute to the breakfast from their big catch of fish.  And then with gentleness and love, Jesus invites them to “Come and have breakfast.”  He feeds them as he had earlier fed the hungry crowd, in taking the bread and the fish and giving it to them.

As Jesus graciously and lovingly shares His food with them, they experience His forgiveness.  Their fellowship with Him is restored.  They are reassured that they are loved by Him.  Moreover, their team unity and love for one another is restored.  They again sense that they are working together under the authority of Jesus.  Their physical, emotional, and spiritual hungers are nourished and satisfied.

During the early dawn of a new day, Jesus comes and turns their night of failure and emptiness into a morning of fullness and potential.  With love and forgiveness, He turns their sadness into gladness.

We could view this time by the Sea of Galilee as a time of LOVE, even as we view Pentecost as a time of POWER.  I suggest this perspective because we can learn from the Scriptures that in God’s preparation of his followers to be his witnesses, enabling power is always secondary to compelling love.

However, even though this is the biblical pattern, I am thinking most of us pray for power to do God’s work more often than we pray for love in doing God’s work.  It seems easier to pray for power to do things for God, than it is to pray to be a person of love for God and others.

Love is the most powerful and compelling emotion in our being.  When it is raised to the Divine level, it becomes the highest motivation and stimulus in all of life.  When this love fills and possesses us, it becomes the source of our greatest good, our greatest happiness, and our greatest usefulness as God’s witness and evangelist as the bearer of good news.

More than anything else, we need love!  The world needs love!  In the early morning seaside breakfast, love becomes the Savior’s last effort to restore relationship, while physically present with his disciples.
“Come and have breakfast” is about re-establishing a climate of love in the relationship between himself and the disciples, as well as between disciple and disciple.

For the same purpose, Jesus comes to us and invites us to “Come and have breakfast.”  Start your day with me and I will feed and nourish your deepest hungers of the day.  I will turn you nets of empty dilemmas and concerns into full nets of blessings.  With love, I will unite you with my church team in doing my work of love in the world.  And I will always love you.  “Come and have breakfast.”

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – April 20, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

The Sound of Throwing Dice

“When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.”  (Matthew 27:35-36, NIV).  The NLT reads, “After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.  Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there.”

Death by crucifixion was shocking in its horrible cruelty.  It was considered the worst form of execution, due to its excruciating pain and public shame.  Hanging naked and suspended by one’s arms would cause great difficulty in breathing, and eventually the victim would suffocate or die from the severe physical trauma.  It was a horrific and painful way to die.

This being so, can you imagine such a display of indifference and apathy by the soldiers assigned to keep guard over the crucifixion of Jesus and two thieves.  For them,  crucifixions were just another boring, bloody job that never impressed their minds and hearts as something to ponder. 

They had become apathetic to the sight of blood and indifferent to the cries of suffering.  And they had learned to distract themselves and escape the boredom of “keeping watch” by throwing dice in gambling games.  This would explain why the New Testament scholar, Vincent Taylor says that Jesus’ garments were divided by casting lots, “using the dice by which they whiled away the time.” 

How sobering to think that while Jesus was nailed to a cross, soldiers played games with dice while seated at his feet.  Here was the darkest and most decisive hour in human history and we find men preoccupied with self-interests.

And so, I think it appropriate to consider the sound of throwing dice as giving evidence of “indifference” and “apathy” and displays a woeful lack of interest, concern, emotion, or feeling.  Indifference and apathy not only describe what we see in the soldiers present at Jesus’ crucifixion, but also is evidenced in the shouts of mockery and scorn from many of the crowd gathered to witness His suffering and death. 

Each year during passion week, we hear this now familiar story of Christ’s cruel sufferings and death.  This is good, for there, in all its ugly horror and painful suffering, lies God’s gift and hope of resurrection from death to eternal life in God’s Kingdom, for us and for all humanity.  No matter how much is said and done in sermons, songs, and art forms, we still remain on the edge of a tremendous mystery, that is, the love of God in Christ for sinful humanity.  And it is good to be reminded of this awesome gift of love. 

Jesus’ suffering is really indescribable, but His love for us is even more so.  Added to the physical pain Jesus’ suffered was the full weight of human sin. This was a burden of love that has no parallel.  In childlike simplicity we can only but ponder and believe.  In the hymn, “There is a Green Hill Far Away,” we sing;  “We may not know, we cannot tell,  What pains he had to bear, But we believe it was for us,  He hung and suffered there.”

However, I fear we too easily cringe at the sight and sounds of Jesus’s crucifixion and allow other things and thoughts to distract and detach our thoughts and emotions from  the pain and horror of Jesus’ crucifixion.  And so, we hear the story in scripture and song, too casually and with limited emotional and spiritual understanding. 

And thus, instead of being drawn closer in relationship to Jesus and toward a better understanding of His death, we become increasingly deaf and dumb in our spiritual awareness and more indifferent about our relationship with Jesus. 

What do you believe about this man, Jesus?  Is He Lord and King to whom you give unreserved loyalty?  Is He your authority in matters of faith and conduct?  Is He the “Son of God” and “Savior” of the world?  Is He the caring, compassionate one who healed the sick, comforted the hurting, and befriended the outcasts?  Is He your Savior?  How much do you care about His horrific sufferings in your behalf?

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died,

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God!

All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them through his blood.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down!

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an off’ring far too small.

Love so amazing, so  divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.

(Isaac Watts, 1707)

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                “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – April 13, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

The Sound of Hammer and Nail

Mark 15:24 – “Then they fastened Him to the cross.”

The cross was Rome’s ultimate deterrent, conveniently placed along busy highways as a warning to all would-be rioters – “Thus are the enemies of Caesar treated.” It was meant to strike fear into the hearts of all people – for this was the worst form of torture and death ever devised.  No wonder Jesus prayed, “Abba, Father, … take this cup from me.”  (Mk. 14:36).

But for a Jew, crucifixion carried the additional spiritual torture of being thought abandoned by God: 

“… for it is written:  ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’” (Gal. 3:13).   

Something of this is heard in Jesus’ cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  (Mk. 15:34).

I find it helpful to think of the hammer and nail as symbolizing two significant aspects of “finality” and “unity” seen in Jesus’ crucifixion. 

The hammer struck as Pontius Pilate had his inscription nailed to the wood above Jesus’ head.  It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews.”  Some protested that it be changed to “He claimed to be king of the Jews.”  But the hammer had struck, and the verdict remained as Pilate said, “What I have written, I have written.”

The hammer symbolizes “FINALITY.”  It clinches transaction as the auctioneer’s hammer strikes and the item is sold.  It clinches judgment as the judge reads the sentence to the defendant, strikes with gavel and dismisses the court.  It clinches decision as the gun trigger releases its hammer, and the shot is irretrievably fired.

There is “finality” in the cross of Christ.  The cross clinches Jesus’ decision, judgment, and transaction regarding our salvation.  There were crucifixions before and after, but none of them was like this one.  So dissimilar and unmatched was this crucifixion event that every generation since has looked to it as the final and all-perfect sacrifice for humanity’s sin.  There can be no repetition of Calvary!

In every way the cross is God’s great consummating act of love for sinful humanity.  It is his conclusive, decisive act of agape love,  which is unrepeatable and unchangeable.  Jesus declared, “It is finished.”  The hammer struck and the completed act of God’s sacrificial love was confirmed. 

The nail symbolizes “UNITY.”  It joins together what is separate.  Before his body was fastened to the wood, Jesus heard the sound of the hammer striking nail as the crossbeam was joined to the upright post.  The symbol is now complete, for the cross is two-dimensional, both perpendicular and horizontal in both its earthly (material) and heavenly (spiritual) structure.

When Jesus hung there on that wooden framework, with body and arms stretched out, he symbolized a way of worship and living that is both upward and outward.  His own life was a demonstration of this.  When asked which is the first and greatest commandment he replied,  “Love the lord you God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”  (Mt. 22:37).

We can be sure that before any day was spent in “going about doing good” Jesus first went into a quiet place to pray and commune with the Father.  Jesus’ life was constantly vertical in prayer and praise to the Father.

And yet, at the same time and equal in desire, His life was horizontal towards all humanity.  His arms lovingly embraced the sick and the outcast.  He spent His life in the ministry of helping others, and said

the second greatest commandment is this;  “Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  (Mt. 22:39).

One further word.  The three traditions of Hebrew, Latin, and Greek had their substitute remedies for man’s sins.  The Jews found a solution in the annual substitutionary sacrifice made by the high priest in the Temple – by which the people’s sins were expiated or “atoned for.”  This, together with a good knowledge of the Torah would be sufficient.

The Roman (Latin) answer was in law and order.  The emperor’s decrees and the Senate’s legislation made sure that citizens of the empire “toe the line.”  The Greeks turned to art and enlightenment.  In the beauty of nature and art man found aesthetic fulfillment, and in the wisdom of the philosopher man found intellectual satisfaction.

These three convictions have their parallels in our present society.  They may be helpful in some respects, but they remain no more than substitute solutions to man’s serious and deadly dilemma.  We are all sinners in need of redeeming salvation, and we cannot save ourselves.  In the hymn, “Rock of Ages,” we rightly sing, “All for sin could not atone.  Thou must save and thou alone.”

May the sound of hammer and nail help us remember the finality and unifying actions of Jesus’ cross for our good.  To remember that Jesus completed a full and final sacrifice of Himself for our sin, and that He constantly lives in relationship upward to Father God, and outward to us, interceding for us with gracious love, should forever incite grateful praise from deep within.  Thank you, Jesus!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – April 6, 2022

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley