Good Lust

There are very few things more important to an understanding of the meaning and potential of our lives than our "core passions" or our "core desires." Some of those passions and desires are inborn, built into us from birth, and reflect the temporary nature of God's good creation affected by human sin. Other passions and desires are an evidence of the presence and working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, showing aspects of the heart of God. 

I have often contemplated how all of this works in our daily lives. You could call it "lust management." The old English word "lust" is just another word for "desire," used both positively and negatively in the Bible. When it is used negatively, it refers to the desires that are part of the temporary world system and the ways living in that system affects our hearts, minds and bodies. In fact, those temporary desires tend to rule our lives, becoming compulsive, controlling impulses. 

Paul refer to the "desires of the flesh" running their course in order to be fully gratified (Galatians 5:16). He taught that our "old self" (before Christ) is corrupted "by its deceitful desires" (Ephesians 4:22). He refers to "sensual desires" (1 Timothy 5:11), "harmful desires" (1 Timothy 6:9), and "evil desires" (2 Timothy 2:22). In fact, Paul clarifies that harmful desires are simply a matter of fallen human beings acting "to suit their own desires" (2 Timothy 4:3), or as we used to say, "doing their own thing." 

This seems to be a central theme of the New Testament. In fact, the whole of Scripture as well as the writings of the early "apostolic fathers" repeatedly returned to the contrast between "the two ways." Our mortal existence in a fallen world lends itself to certain root desires that, when left to themselves to run their course, result in despair and death. For that reason, the apostle Paul goes to great lengths to describe the difference between "the works of the flesh" and "the fruit of the Spirit." But it is the apostle John who gives us the classic summary of our condition.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever" (1 John 2:15-17).

John makes it clear that our core passions and desires that arise as a result of our existence in a fallen world can be summarized under three headings. Desires centered in our body, desires centered in our mind and eyes, and a self-centered pretentious, arrogant boasting about our lives. All three are desires that are passing away in a context that is passing away, desires arising out of our flesh-bound, world-bound lives. On the other hand, one who does the will, who lives out the desires of God, will experience abundant, full, eternal life. 

John's summary reminds me of a profoundly important passage in the prophet Jeremiah. "Let not the wise boast of their wisdom / or the strong boast of their strength / or the rich boast of their riches" (Jeremiah 9:23). John referred to the tending to boast about who we are and what we have, and the prophet Jeremiah, speaking for the Lord, refers to boasting in three areas of life. These are things we tend to be proud of, and the ways we even judge the relative worth of others. If you have a large amount of intelligence, power and wealth, then you are considered important and even superior in our world system. For Jeremiah - for the Lord - all such boasting, based on the things we consider important in life, is futile, because they are temporary conditions, causes of boasting that will fade away and ultimately be gone.

And yet, the Lord wants us to have legitimate reasons for boasting, a boasting based on God's eternal character and glory. "But let the ones who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me" (Jeremiah 9:24). The Lord is raising the value of understanding and knowing him. "Understanding" God means to focus the mind on God, to attend to God, and to allow that focus to become wisdom from God. "Knowing" God means to know him personally and experientially, to know God relationally and intimately. After all, knowing God is eternal life (John 17:3). 

I find it interesting that the word for "boast" in Jeremiah is the word usually translated "praise" (Hebrew hallal).  We tend to value and praise those who are intelligent, powerful and wealthy. Very seldom (if ever) do we take the time to value and praise people who understand and know God.

If we are coming to understand and know God, we will come to know the things that God values. We will value the things God desires, the things that God is passionate about, the things God is pursuing. In fact, we will come to adopt as our own God's desires and see them begin to replace our own natural, world-bound desires. "I am the Lord who exercises" certain things, I do certain things, I prioritize acts that reflect my values and desires. "In these I delight," these are the things I find precious, the things I pursue and desire (Jeremiah 9:24). So what does God desire?

1.  Kindness (Hebrew chesed), loving kindness, benevolence, covenant loyalty, covenant-keeping love. This is a divine quality of love, a pure, self-giving love, based not on feelings or circumstances but rather on a clear, unconditional commitment. In fact, unconditional love is at the center of God's heart and character. God desires and pursues loving kindness in every person and every situation. 

2.  Justice (Hebrew mishpat), judgment, the just decision of a judge, that which is lawful and just, a right protected by law. There is no partiality with God. Fairness, equity, equal treatment and equal rights are central to God's moral character. There is no prejudice, no discrimination in the heart of God. God desires and pursues justice at all times. 

3.  Righteousness (Hebrew tsadaq), to be just and right, to have a just cause, to speak the truth about what is right, to be upright, to make right, to declare someone to be absolved, to make a right cause prevail. As a result of kindness and justice, right conduct in right relationships is God's desire. Doing the right thing because it is the right thing, with the well-being of others and a passion for justice, is God's desire. 

Because God rules in heaven, certainly these three desires can be found there. But through the prophet God declares that he desires them "on earth." God is looking for kindness, justice and righteousness now, in the midst of our sin-diseased world. They are God's desires, God's good "lusts."

So, instead of the "lust of the flesh," God lusts after unconditional love. Instead of the "lust of the eyes," God lusts after justice. Instead of the "pride of life," God seeks after righteousness. If people took time to praise kindness, justice and righteousness instead of intelligence, wealth and power, this world would be a better place. 

Christ-followers, citizens of God's Kingdom here on earth, experience both sets of desires. In fact, the two tend to oppose each other and even war against each other, the battlefield being the redeemed human soul. The good news, our hope, is that God's Spirit is warring on the side of good lusts. "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other.... Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit" (Galatians 5:17, 25). As we learn to take the side of God's Spirit in the struggle, we will see the increasing establishment of God's desires in our hearts and lives. We will learn how to "sow seeds to the Spirit" and reap eternal life - even now, in the midst of the world. God's peace, God's rest, God's freedom will be the growing result. And that is good news!

For my "Spiritual Formation Foundations" class. 

The Triumphal Entry

On Palm Sunday it is the ancient tradition of the church to celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. After all, a very large crowd of Jewish pilgrims were filling the city to celebrate Feast of the Passover. It was a time of great Messianic expectation. God had delivered Israel from Egypt on that first Passover, and the time would come when God would deliver Israel from all their enemies by revealing his Messianic King.

So it was appropriate for Jesus to enter into Jerusalem on the first day of Passover week. And while it is certainly true that his triumphal entry was very different from how a victorious Roman general would enter the city of Rome, the manner of his entry fulfilled Messianic prophecy (see Zechariah 9:9). After all, the Messianic Kingdom was to be very different from the Roman Empire. While first century Jews had maybe lost sight of that fact, the way Jesus entered Jerusalem clearly communicated that he was the promised Messianic King. 

While Jesus was, by birth, the rightful King of Israel, the actual King of the Jews, the nature of the Kingdom he was announcing was far different than the one expected. He did not come to reestablish the great kingdom of his forefather David but rather a universal kingdom of truth, of righteous, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. A kingdom, citizenship in which was to be made available to anyone who acknowledged Jesus as their King. 

The crowd celebrated his Messianic entry, declaring Jesus to be "the son of David" and "he who comes in the name of the Lord" (Matthew 21:1-11). They cried out, "Hossana," calling on Jesus to save them. But what did they think they were asking for? What did they really want Jesus to do for them? Whatever it was, they were so disappointed in him that by Friday morning they were heard to cry, "Crucify him" (Matthew 27:17-23). 

Palm Sunday was a declaration by Jesus that he was the expected Messianic King and a demonstration of the nature of his Kingdom. But the real triumphal entry was yet to come.

Most Jesus followers believe that the triumph of Jesus occurred Easter Sunday morning, when the stone was rolled away and Jesus rose from the dead. There is no question that the resurrection of Jesus was the seal on everything that had been accomplished. If Jesus had stayed in the tomb, all he had worked to accomplish would have been for nothing.

But the triumph of Jesus, the real Triumphal Entry, occurred on Friday afternoon. Here is how Paul described it: "When you were dead in your sins...God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (Colossians 2:13-15). Here Paul uses the traditional way of describing the triumphal entry of a victorious Roman general into the city of Rome. Jesus had triumphed over "powers and authority," not just the enemies of Rome (or the enemies of Israel). Jesus not only triumphed over them, he triumphed so extravagantly that he "made a public spectacle of them." He didn't just defeat them, he humiliated them, he annihilated them. He took away their power and authority and left them naked to await the final consummation of all things.

Notice that Jesus did not finish his victory on Sunday morning but on Friday afternoon. Just before Jesus died at 3:00, he knew he needed to be able to make a loud and clear declaration. He must have been dehydrated and parched, so he made a simple request. "I am thirsty." And after taking a drink, was able to shout for all to hear - including powers and authorities - "It is finished" (John 19:28-30). At that moment, "the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (Matthew 27:51). The traditional barrier between God's people and the real Presence of God was suddenly removed. The final victory of Jesus was so powerful, "The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open." The attempt of Satan to establish an alternative kingdom had been defeated. Sin had been defeated. Death had been defeated. "The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life." All that remained was for the curse to be removed at the end of the age (Revelation 22:3). 

"I am making everything new" (Revelation 21:5). Jesus won the victory that day, but it was a far greater victory than anyone had anticipated. It was a victory for all people and all time. Since that day, the Kingdom of God has been advancing, and will continue to advance until the full harvest of redeemed humans has been reaped (James 5:7, 8). And so, while we will rejoice in the public demonstration of the victory of Jesus on Easter Sunday, today we will acknowledge that death and sin have been defeated. Indeed, "it is finished." 

Servant or Slave?

For a long time, I have happily thought of myself as “a servant of the Lord.” It is a true and important part of my identity as an apprentice of Jesus. In fact, every day my prayer is, “Lord make me a servant, make me a blessing today.”

I used to love singing one of my favorite old Vineyard choruses:

Make me a servant

humble and meek

Lord, help me lift up

those who are weak

And may the song of my heart always be

Make me a servant

Make me a servant

Make me a servant today

But lately I have become aware that the personal identity of a “servant” still leaves plenty of room for ego. I have always taught that in the ancient world, the significance and importance of a person was based on whose servant they were. If you were a servant of the Emperor, you were a very important person indeed. For that reason, if you are a servant of the Most High God, well…there is no more higher calling or identity.

But, no matter how you rationalize it, whenever there is room for human ego, whenever there is room for personal rights, it will always end badly. Being a servant leaves plenty of room for me to decide how I am going to serve. Being one of the servants in the King’s “palace” allows for occasionally jockeying for position. There is still is a need for attention, respect, and a feeling of importance. I may feel religiously satisfied by thinking of myself as God’s servant, but “ego” is “ego,” and “self” is “self.” As a servant, I maintain significant rights to decide when, where and how I will serve.

And so, I have gone back to Scripture to notice how those first-generation Jesus followers identified themselves. Frankly, I have noticed it before, but always just kind of looked around it, not thinking that it meant what it appeared to mean.

"I, Paul, am a devoted slave of Jesus Christ" (Romans 1:1 MSG).

"Paul and Timothy, slaves of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:1 TLB). 

"Paul, the slave of God and the messenger of Jesus Christ" (Titus 1:1 TLB).

"I, James, am a slave of God and the Master Jesus" (James 1:1 MSG).

I've always recognized that the early followers of Jesus identified themselves as "slaves" (Greek doulos), but I've never paused to consider the difference between "servants" and "slaves" in the text, especially since "slave" is often used negatively. Frankly, I just don't like the idea of anyone being a slave.

My resistance could be because of our unique American experience of slavery. The American institution of slavery was unique in history because it was defined in a combination of three unique ways: (1) slaves were defined by their race, (2) slaves were slaves for life, and their offspring were automatically slaves, and (3) slaves were considered chattel and a financial asset, and therefore, sub-human. Because we still live with the scars of slavery in our society, I would really rather not think of myself or anyone else as a slave.

But slavery looked very different in ancient times. Slaves were usually indentured servants, serving gratis for a temporary period of time under contract, free to go at the end of that time. In the Old Testament, an Israelite who became a slave due to extreme poverty would have had no means of support had not a more wealthy family brought them into their family to serve them, and after seven years, or no later than the Year of Jubilee, were set free with enough provisions to have a fresh start. (A slave could be redeemed at any time by a Kinsman Redeemer, or if he gained the means, he was able to redeem himself.) Slaves were to be treated as members of the household and their rights were protected by law. (See Exodus 21:2-3; Leviticus 25:39-41; Deuteronomy 23:15). (Non-Israelite slaves had fewer rights.)

The Old Testament example of a slave that is most relevant to the New Testament is the law in Exodus 21:5-6: "But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently" (NAS). Here is presented the unusual case of a slave who chooses to not be free, who chooses to remain a subservient member of the master's household. This slave has also decided to remain with his family rather than pursue his own freedom. 

There is no question that doulos is used in important positive ways in the New Testament:

"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master" (Matthew 10:24-25)

"It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:26-28).

"When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave" (Philippians 2:7 MSG).

"As the Lord’s slave, you shouldn’t exhaust yourself in bickering; instead, be gentle—no matter who you are dealing with—ready and able to teach, tolerant without resentment, gently instructing those who stand up against you" (2 Timothy 2:24-25 VOICE).

"For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king" (1 Peter 2:16-17 TLB).

A servant has a choice to accept or reject an assignment. A servant can choose whom to serve. A servant can stop serving if they so desire. A servant can choose to give up, or not give up, certain personal rights. 

The single most important characteristic of a slave is simple obedience. A slave, by definition, permanently belongs to a single Master. A slave has no personal rights. It is enough for a slave to stay close to the Master, to remain attentive and responsive to the desires of the Master. The reward for a slave is not effective, productive service but simply to be with the Master. 

While it may seem like a fairly minor difference, it strikes me to be important in my commitment to becoming more like Jesus. After all, Jesus was the model slave. If Jesus took on the status of a slave, doing so should not be beneath me.